We’re happy to feature more long-time Discovery students this month! In January, we debuted this new series to celebrate our over 50 years in business. We’re highlighting students who have grown up in baby and toddler classes, ballet, gymnastics and more. Now, they are on pointe in ballet, on the gymnastics team, earning high level belts in karate, and more!

We’re so appreciative to these families for their support. They’ve shared many memories and milestones with us over the years.

Some of Olivia’s favorite ballet memories have been dancing in the Nutcracker and Winter Recitals, watching her sister Sam dance, and doing the fan dance. She remembers that when she was younger, her class would read books and dance along to them.

Teeda remembers Sam and Olivia “jumping over the red rope, following the colored dots on the floor, twirling in their tutus, enjoying free dance time, and dancing along to the live piano music with Eric [the accompanist].”

Olivia shares that “Discovery has made me better at dance in my school class, and it’s given me a fun hobby that I really love.”

Hadley and Lexie have taken many classes at Discovery, including Baby Social, music, art, ballet, and gymnastics, as well as summer camps! Their mom, Laura, shares, “Lexie was an infant rolling around on a blanket on the sidelines while Hadley was in her gymnastics classes and I’d have her in a baby carrier while Hadley was in art class.” Now, Hadley is 10 and Lexie is 8, on Discovery’s gymnastics team and Pre-Team, respectively.

Hadley started ballet with Discovery at age 3 and shares that during her first recital, she froze on stage and missed the entire performance because she couldn’t find her parents in the audience. Laura says, “when Hadley was a Discovery Camper in preschool, she would see the Gymnastics Campers and always tell me that she would be one of them when she was a big kid – and now she is and she loves it more than I could have imagined!”

Hadley shares that through gymnastics, “I’ve gained a lot of resilience – when I fall off the beam during a competition, I just get back on and finish my routine like nothing ever happened. This gives me a lot of strength and confidence when I do other sports and whenever I’m trying new things. I’ve learned that if you work hard you will see progress.”

She competed in World Championships in Orlando last summer and was so excited to see her family, teammates, and coaches cheering her on as she finished her floor routine in the finals.

Lexie remembers being in pre-school and seeing the older gymnasts practicing their back handsprings on the Pac man mat and hoping she could do that one day, and now she can! Her favorite memory is when she got her back hip circle on bars. After trying it for a long time, her friend gave her a tip and she finally got it! Everyone in her class cheered, including her coach.

According to Lexie, “Practice at Discovery gives me confidence and strength not just in gymnastics, but in my life! I made a lot of great friendships over the years, friends that I see outside of Discovery and that makes me really happy.”

Laura shares, “it is amazing to listen to them talk to each other about skills they are working on and struggling with and celebrating each other’s wins. I also love to hear them talk excitedly about new skills other gymnasts at Discovery have conquered and how the gym breaks out in an uproar of cheers to celebrate. It is such an amazingly supportive community that the girls love being a part of and we are all so grateful for it!”

This family first came to Discovery over 10 years ago and has been here ever since! At times, all three kids have been enrolled in classes Discovery classes, which, as their mom, Meredith, says makes for a lot of parent observation days.

Hailey started at Discovery in On My Own at age 2. She’s now 13 and competing Diamond level on our gymnastics team. She began with ballet, and transitioned to gymnastics in 2016. According to Meredith, “over the last nine years we’ve watched her determination and confidence grow exponentially. She has formed friendships on Pre-Team and Team that have supported her along the way.”

Hailey shares that some of her favorite memories is the first time she did her roundoff back tuck, then later, her squat-on and how happy everyone was for her because they knew how long she had been working on it.

Hailey has “gotten better at time management because I have less time on the days I have practice. The coaches are kind and adapt to each gymnast’s needs, which helps me keep an open mind and reminds me that everyone is different.”

Meredith shares that without Discovery, she isn’t sure Hailey would be where she is today. Hailey’s family has watched her overcome mental and physical blocks, take ownership, and communicate her needs to her coaches. “Hailey doesn’t give up, thanks to the support of her teammates and coaches.”

Caitlyn has participated in Almost On My Own, On My Own, parkour, and gymnastics. She always loved being in the gym and Meredith shares that “the tumble track was her favorite activity by far; miraculously she always managed to fly onto the mats at the end and not into the wall. Pre-Team taught her she had to be aware of her surroundings and the other people.”

Caitlyn’s favorite memories at Discovery are “doing the bars, doing my first pullover, and learning how to do skills like flips.” She remembers playing Duck Duck Goose in gymnastics camp and always running back into her spot so she wouldn’t get tagged.

She more recently moved onto parkour and rec league soccer and her Discovery classes have helped her become a great teammate and see the importance of individual effort and team camaraderie.

As the youngest, Gabby spent a lot of time in the waiting room while her older siblings were in class. She started taking ballet with us, and then gymnastics.

One of Gabby’s favorite memories at Discovery is performing on stage during the dance recitals. Meredith confirms that she loved the costumes, dancing, and being on stage, but she didn’t necessarily love being in the spotlight. “Gymnastics offers a great mix for Gabby – a little bit of the spotlight and a lot more time spent  working with coaches and teammates.”

Gabby loves doing cartwheels, handstands and round-offs at home and at soccer.

Meredith describes Discovery as a home away from home that “meets our kids where they are and challenges them in all the right ways.”