Founding Philosophy

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It is the goal of Gleason's Gymnastic School to offer a gymnastic program that:

1. Ensures the development of confidence and a positive self-image through successful experiences for every student.
2. Teaches body awareness and fitness skills basic to all sports.
3. Encourages a positive attitude towards active participation, health and physical fitness. Through the teaching of body awareness and problem solving.
4. Engaging the mind as well as the body in the learning process.
5. Is fun and playful in a cooperative and friendly environment.

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Why Gymnastics?

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Is your child going to be a gymnastic star in future Olympic games? Maybe - but probably not. If not, why should they have gymnastic training? The fact that children naturally find gymnastics to be so much fun may be sufficient cause for some parents to have their child in a gym program but other parents may seek more justification for the expenditure of time and money. While few children become advanced gymnasts, all children will attend school and many (hopefully all) will participate in some form of athletics. Educators tell us that children's success in school and athletics is strongly influenced by earlier experiences that help to shape a child's self-concept. Children need positively reinforcing experiences that will help them to believe that they can solve problems and that they can have control over their lives. Very young children can also benefit from successful social interaction; learning to interact with their peers; learning to be in a class; listening and following directions. A child who has developed a strong sense of confidence and self-esteem, and who also can relate well to others, is going to approach future situations with confidence and a good chance of success. Many different activities can have a positive effect on a child's development. Among many things a child can be exposed to, gymnastics has some unique qualities. It is inherently satisfying; children naturally receive great enjoyment in rolling, turning, jumping and swinging types of movements. The many different types of movement in gymnastics offers the trained teacher the chance to teach important physical concepts to the child. The various heights, speeds and complex movements involved provide natural situations where the child can learn to solve problems and overcome fears. In gymnastics, there are rules to learn and follow. Some of them are inviolatable (physical laws with real consequences if broken); rules related to ones safety and the safety of others. Because gymnastics is so enjoyable to children, and they choose to participate, they are strongly motivated to listen; to be part of the class. Gymnastics offers the teacher tremendous opportunity to teach listening and social skills. A good gymnastic program is structured around the above ideas. The sport of gymnastics can be used as a vehicle to enhance children's adaptation to both academics and sports. It is important to learn the movement concepts involved in a skill as well as learning the skill. Most important, each child must experience a maximum of success and a minimum of failure! The focus should be on the development of self-esteem along with skill acquisition. Not all children can perform a given skill well, but they can all learn to feel good about what they can do. To ensure success it is important that the skills taught are challenging but realistically attainable. In very young children one year in age makes a big difference in what types of skills they can successfully perform and conceptualize. Each age can best find that optimal balance between challenge and success if they are in a class that is specific to their developmental level. -Larry Gleason
Owner/Director Gleason's Gymnastics School

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Why Gleason's Gymnastics?

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Since 1966 families have been coming to Gleason's Gymnastic School. The school was founded in 1966 by Larry Gleason, a former competitive gymnast for the University of Minnesota gymnastic team. Gleason started the school to offer a recreational program for children who wanted to do gymnastics for fun. He believed that gymnastics was a discipline that could help children develop good listening habits, could help improve their attention span, and could have positive effects on their self-esteem. With this in mind, Gleason structured the curriculum at GGS to maximize these benefits. He also realized that the sport had to be taught in such a manner that the majority, if not all, the children saw their experience in gymnastics as a successful one. Gleason believes that teachers have to challenge the children both mentally and physically in the learning process.

Today, these ideas are central to the program at Gleason's Gymnastic School. Although the school now has many successful competitive programs, the recreational programs and the average boy or girl in it, receive serious attention from the school's instructors.

Instructors are selected by Larry Gleason on the basis of their personality and their ability and desire to work with children in a positive way. Each instructor is trained through the schools' apprenticeship program. In addition, they receive safety training from US Gymnastics Federation along with Red Cross First Aid and CPR .

Gleason realized that while only a few may pursue a competitive gymnastic career, the sport offers many unique benefits to all children who participate. Hence, our philosophy at Gleason’s is to strengthen children in mind and body through successful gymnastics experiences.

Check out all our programs to see which one suits you and your child best.

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Our Teachers

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Most gymnastic programs hire teachers solely on the basis of their gymnastic experience with little regard for teaching ability. At Gleason’s, all new teachers serve in our apprentice program before they are allowed to have their own class. First, they observe another instructor, and then they assist the class. Next, they teach under the supervision of another instructor, and finally, they teach their own class. In addition, our instructors are safety certified by the United States Gymnastics Association and all of our staff attends regular staff meetings and training sessions in teacher effectiveness and safety. Each year, many of our teachers attend one or more national seminars on gymnastics. With our apprentice program and continued teacher training we hope to achieve continuity and quality in our gymnastics program.

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