Hello fellow gymnasts!!  I would like to introduce myself and let you know I am super excited to come to the lovely town of Silverton.  I am coming to you from Texas, where we eat, sleep, walk, dream, talk, breathe, live and LOVE GYMNASTICS! I started gymnastics at age 4 and fell in love with the sport.  I competed as a child and transitioned into cheerleading as a teen-ager, finishing high school with numerous scholarship offers to several schools.  My love for the sport has continued to grow throughout my life!
 
     My husband, Todd, and I have been married 32 years and have two children.   Both of our children took up gymnastics as soon as they were old enough to get in the gym and have never left the sport.  Justice, our oldest daughter, is 26 and is currently managing both Team and Recreational classes for us here at SGA.  Ella is 18 and recently finished her gymnastics career as a Level 8/Diamond and now coaches both Recreational and Team classes full time with us!  My husband and I had been in ministry for over 20 years before feeling the pull to move to Oregon and continue our ministry in a more non-traditional way which ended up being through the sport of gymnastics.  We have a deep love for community and service and hope to continue here for many years.

     As for my coaching career, I began coaching over 22 years ago and completely fell in love with teaching.  I became USAG Certified and started an award winning competitive program 15 years ago at my former gym.  This program quickly grew to over 60 kids ranging from Level 1 to Level 5.  I cannot get enough of coaching!  My coaching goals do not just include skill progression on the gym floor, but character development in life as well.   I think it’s very important to teach our children to be good role models, to build good character and learn important life skills that will help them become amazing young adults.  I believe in positive coaching wherein I teach the children to believe in themselves by setting, reaching for and attaining their goals, while always keeping a fun and encouraging atmosphere in the gym! 

 

     My vision for SGA is a little different than most gyms.  We start with the recreational classes and transition into competitive gymnastics when/if the children decide to do so.  Only a very, very small percentage of athletes make it to the Elite and/or Collegiate levels.  We wanted to provide a program wherein every student that desires to go a little further than the recreational classes has a chance to experience competitive gymnastics!  The practice hours in an average competitive gym can be in excess of 20 hours per week, which leaves no time for other sports, studies, hobbies, and most importantly, time with family.  We have created a program wherein we keep the practice hours for competitive team down to 2 to 4 1/2 hours a week and the athletes still get to compete AND enjoy other parts of their lives as well!  We are currently competing in the USAG Xcel Program, Levels Bronze, Silver, Gold and Platinum, and Diamond.   This has proved to be a great experience for the kids!  We have also added a recreational competitive team wherein the competitions are in house and only 2 times per year.  Both our competitive and recreational programs are very positive programs, wherein we strive to bring out the best in each child!

 

I look forwarding to meeting you and your kiddos soon!

See ya in the Gym!
Celia Storey