Sports Barn, Gymnastics Center of Chattanooga team up

IF YOU GO• What: Cheerleading, gymnastics and tumbling classes• Where: Sports Barn North, 1790 Hamill Rd., Chattanooga and Gymnastics Center of Chattanooga, 6855 Mountain View Rd., Ooltewah• When: Competitive cheerleading begins July 1, some classes are ongoing• Contact: 423-870-2582 (Sports Barn) or 423-238-5258 (Gymnastics Center of Chattanooga)

photo SportsBarn North personal trainer Donna Dowlen, of Hixson, shows the crunches and tricep pull-downs workout on the Gravity Training System.

The idea is to put the services of Gymnastics Center of Chattanooga within reach of kids living in northern Chattanooga, Red Bank and Soddy-Daisy.

To do that, GCC and the Sports Barn are teaming up to offer cheerleading, gymnastics and tumbling classes at Hixson's Sports Barn North.

David Brock, the managing partner for the Sports Barn, said the partnership began in December "and we are very excited about the increased opportunities, especially in cheerleading."

And competitive cheerleading, said Emily Byrd, owner of GCC.

"That's a big aspect of it," she said. "It's becoming very, very, very popular in Chattanooga."

So popular, in fact, that the city already hosts a competitive cheerleading competition that draws between 5,000 and 6,000 participants.

Kids between 5 and 18 years old can join the competitive cheering teams, which travel and face off against other teams in competition.

"The goal for many of them is eventually to join college cheer squads," Byrd said.

July marks the start of competitive cheerleading practices, and the GCC teams will compete in October. Anyone interested can sign up at Sports Barn North in Hixson.

And the beauty of this partnership, said Byrd, is that while the kids are practicing and taking part in the classes offered at the Sports Barn, parents and caregivers can get a workout in instead of milling around and just watching.

"It's a family fitness type of thing," said Byrd. "Everybody in the family has something to do."

Contact staff writer Alex Green at agreen@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6480.

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