Over the course of a year, I have been to many different gyms that offer cheerleading classes. Some gyms went above and beyond my expectations, while others failed to please me. The gyms that I have been to are Gymnastics Training Center, Flipside, and Cheer Factor.
Gymnastics Training Center, commonly referred to as “GTC,” is definitely not my top choice. Located in the Lowland Industrial Park in Holliston, Massachusetts, Gymnastic Training Center is closest to my house, yet I would rather drive to a gym forty-five minutes away. GTC is quite a large facility, but it is not taken care of very nicely and is extremely dirty. To begin with, the entire gym reeks of stinky feet! The spring floor is so dirty that it often causes me to wonder when the last time somebody vacuumed it was. Besides the facility being uncleanly, Gymnastic Training Center’s staff is far from friendly. It seems as though the staff care more about the gymnasts than they do the cheerleaders, which often leads to the cheerleading classes being held in the small back-room, which only contains two thin mats. The cheerleading coaches seem very inexperienced and don’t spot tumbling properly. It is not uncommon to see a cheerleader fall out of her tumbling when being spotted by one of the coaches and landing on her knees, or sometimes worse- her head. On top of all of this, the gymnasts at GTC act extremely rude towards the cheerleaders, often imitating and making fun of them. Gymnastics Training Center is far from perfect and I do not recommend it.
Flipside Gymnastics, located at 2 Franklin Street in Medway, Massachusetts, is an all right cheerleading gym to attend. About twenty minutes away, Flipside Gymnastics is fairly close to home. The gym is not very large, but is kept very clean and organized, much to my liking. The staff here is friendly, but can sometimes be too friendly, letting cheerleaders walk all over them. They need to be stricter, in order to lead classes. Another drawback of Flipside Gymnastics is that the ceilings are not very high, making it hard to stunt. The stunting portion of Flipside’s cheerleading classes is held in a small corner, squished near the balance beams. It is extremely frightening and dangerous to be flying in a stunt when your arms are brushing against the lights and the ceiling fans; it is even more frightening to know that if you fall backwards, you will land on the balance beams! The size of the gym is annoying, for it tends to get over-crowded at times. Besides the small size, Flipside Gymnastics is not a bad gym.
By far my favorite cheerleading gym, Cheer Factor exceeds all of my expectations. Located at 69 East Belcher Street in Foxboro, Massachusetts, the ride can be up to forty five minutes long, yet the lengthy ride is definitely worth it. Cheer Factor’s facility is the best of both worlds, for it is large and clean. I am amazed that a white spring floor can be kept so spotless, without even the smallest of stains. The Cheer Factor staff includes about ten different coaches, all dedicated to cheerleading. Each coach knows exactly how to spot tumbling, which is a very important characteristic of a coach. Besides being good spotters, every one of the staff members is a cheerleader and can perform the skills that they are teaching. It is almost as though it is magic, for it seems that at Cheer Factor, all cheerleaders advance very quickly, sometimes learning new skills in one day. Cheer Factor offers many different classes, which are broken up by skill level, so that everyone can get individual attention. I suggest that girls new to cheering and tumbling go here, for it is a great place to learn. Cheer Factor also offers All-Star cheering teams, some of which have gone all the way to the Worlds Competition, which consists of the best cheerleading squads in the nation. I am even intrigued by the gym’s catchy name, which is supposed to be a spoof of the hit television show “Fear Factor.” For countless reasons, Cheer Factor is my favorite cheerleading gym.
After attending many different gyms that offer cheerleading classes, I have developed a liking for some, and a hating for others. I suggest that before a person decides to sign up for classes at a cheerleading gym, they should check out a few others, just to make sure that they are attending the best gym possible. Gymnastics Training Center, Flipside Gymnastics, and Cheer Factor are some of the gyms that I have attended.
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