• Competitive Gymnastics

    …for girls 5 to 18 years-old

Welcome To Competitive Gymnastics

For Girls 5 to 18 Years-Old

The R-Athletics staff in Grand Rapids, MI has had the advantage of coaching gymnasts at the National level and can attest that gymnasts are the toughest athletes in the world because they do the impossible!

These athletes will compete with grace and athleticism in all four Olympic gymnastics events: Vault, Uneven Bars, Balance Beam, and Floor. R-Athletics is a USA Gymnastics member, with routines and requirements set-up through the USA Gymnastics Junior Olympic Program. We believe in making sure that athletes are both physically and mentally prepared to successfully compete at each level.

R-Athletics team staff are Professional Members and Safety Certified by USA Gymnastics. We pride ourself in having a premiere coaching staff in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

The R-Athletics competitive gymnastics team will travel and compete nationally and internationally. Competitive gymnastics will teach girls the importance of hard work, ethics, perseverance, goal setting, achievements, teamwork, personal fitness, friendships and life skills that they will take with them far beyond their gymnastics years.

Gymnasts are the toughest athletes in the world, because they do the impossible!

Tiny Team & Developmental Team

  • Tiny Team & Developmental Team

    Tiny Team is an introduction to competitive gymnastics with training twice a week. Although competition is not yet part of this level, the girls will begin to learn basic gymnastics skills, strength, and flexibility for the foundation needed to become a successful competitive gymnast.

    Developmental Team varies from six to nine hours a week.  R-Athletics competes at in-house competitions throughout the year.  These meets are designed to help the team staff track the progress of the athletes in order to better prepare them for upper levels.

Compulsory Levels

Level 4-5 are considered “compulsory” levels. This means that every gymnast in the USAG program will compete their routines with the same requirements and music as authorized by the USAG.

  • Level 4

    Level 4 athletes will use their “in-house meet” experience to compete at USAG Region 5 (Michigan, Illinois, Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana) sanctioned meets. The athletes will receive individual and team scores that will be posted and awarded according to their performance. Along with the increase of time spent in the gym, the girls will begin to work on higher-level skills.

  • Level 5

    Level 5 girls continue to compete at USA Gymnastics sanctioned meets within Region 5 along with an optional “fly meet”. They will be officially scored and receive placements and team awards based on their performance. In addition to the compulsory routines, they will continue development in practice by preparing for Level 7 skills.

Optional Levels

Optional levels are similar to compulsory levels (Level 6-10) in that every gymnast in the USAG program will still compete according to the same rules and requirements set by USAG; however, in the “optional” levels, the routines are individualized according to the athlete’s strengths. Optional gymnasts will have their own routines, distinctively choreographed using their own music and personal style.

  • Level 7

    As a level 7, they are required to travel to one “fly meet” in addition to Region 5 meets. This offers exposure for the gymnast and is a great experience. Level 7 is where they are considered an “optional” gymnast.  The receive their own personalized routines based on the skill level and personality. (Choreography and Beam Routines are set-up through the coaches). The athletes will complete at the State and Regional Meet at the end of the season. Level 7 is the level where the athletes’ hard work really starts to pay off. They really come into themselves as an athlete, gymnast, and a person!

  • Level 8

    Athletes in Level 8 will continue in the same structure as Level 7, with the exception of increased expectations, conditioning, and skills. Level 8 will have the opportunity to qualifying to the State Meet and Regional Competition at the end of the season. Region 5 has produced some of the best athletes in the sport of gymnastics.

  • Level 9 & 10

    Level nine and ten are the highest levels of the Junior Olympic USA Gymnastics program. These athletes have the opportunity to qualify for State and then Regional Competitions. If the athlete is in the top percentage (to be determined) of Region 5, they will qualify to compete at Nationals as part of the Region 5 team. Qualifying to Nationals is a high honor in the sport of gymnastics and offers exposure to college scouts. It is at these levels that the girls start thinking towards their future careers and college scholarships. To be a Level 9 and 10 gymnast is an honor in itself, as these athletes must train exceptionally hard to achieve this level.

“Compete Locally, Nationally & Internationally”

What Others Are Saying

We have had wonderful coaches who go out of their way to make our kids feel special! It’s a clean environment with wonderful front desk staff! Overall a wonderful place to take your kids!

We’ve been taking gymnastic classes off and on since 2010. The instructors have all been very knowledgeable and support the kids on the development of their gymnastics skills. We would recommend the gym any day and love the staff too!

The coaching staff at R Athletics is second to none. Their attention to detail and standards of excellence have given my daughter a solid foundation of strength and discipline that will benefit her, not only in athletics, but in so many other areas of her life for years to come.

We love the R-Athletics family! My daughter looks forward to seeing her teammates and coaches as much as she looks forward to actually doing gymnastics.  My daughter’s gymnastic skills have increased immeasurably even in just a couple of years!

Competitive Gymnastics at R-Athletics

R-Athletics is proud to offer Competitive Girls Gymnastics to the Greater Grand Rapids area including; Forest Hills, Cascade, Caledonia, East Grand Rapids, Ada and the rest of West Michigan.