PHOENIX — USA Olympic gymnastics has sparked excitement in the Valley this summer.
Shereen Fair, the front desk director at Impact Gymnastics Academy, said they've seen a recent uptick in parents enrolling their kids in the sport.
"I've heard a lot of parents say, 'Oh they've been wanting to do gymnastics' and now that they've seen the Olympics and they've seen these girls on TV, they're like, 'they won't stop going on and on about getting them in classes'," Fair said.
Fair said they would be increasing to 30 classes next month due to higher demand.
Kristen Cabrera, the camp coordinator, said she thinks the interest stems from gymnasts being able to see their sport on a worldwide stage.
"Definitely with the summer, enrollment has just blown out the roof," Cabrera explained. "Parents are like, 'they're all over the place, I really want to get them in here to see what they can do with things."
Nick Chaimson, head coach and team director at Impact Gymnastics Academy said gymnastics overall has changed and grown to attract a wider range of people.
"The coaching back then was really harsh and through the transition through time," Chaimson explained. "As coaches, we've had to evolve, and as we evolved a lot of children who might not have chosen the sport--because we have evolved-- say 'Hey I want to try that flippy stuff'."
Chaimson said the sport teaches important life skills athletes can take with them for life.
"It takes resilience because you have to know that you're not going to do great every turn," Chaimson said. "When you start struggling a little bit, you gotta get strong inside, feel it, kind of work through it, and get excited because when you're going down, a good day is coming."
Lola Hampton has been in gymnastics for seven years and said she enjoys watching the Olympics because "It's interesting to see what [they] could be doing in a few years."
Anabelle Cabrera has also been honing her skills for seven years and said she likes to watch Jordan Chiles perform on the floor.
"I think Jordan's routine on the floor is really upbeat and sassy and she's just really cool to watch," Cabrera said.
Evelyn Spencer, who is 10 and has been in gymnastics for 6 years, said she felt empowered by Simone Biles.
"I read a book about her that she was small for her age," Spencer explained. "Which I'm small but although I'm small, I am a gymnast."
Jade Fair is 8 years old and has been in gymnastics for 4 years. She noted that being a gymnast requires hard work and listening to constructive criticism.
Fair said she hoped to one day compete on a national scale.
"You also have to work hard and listen as much as you can and listen to the corrections," Fair explained. "I want to be in the Olympics and I've been working as hard as I can."
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