For Hollister USA Sports gymnastics coach Donna Evans, the Olympics are more than just a quadrennial celebration of national pride. In the world of gymnastics, the Olympics are the Super Bowl version.
The quadrennial Olympics, watched by millions of Americans each year, spotlight a sport that dates back to ancient Greece. An outpouring of support from the local community and young athletes soon follows.
For gymnastics, Evans said the Olympics are a recurring “inspiration” and a building block for local gyms.
“It definitely has an impact,” she said.
In non-Olympic years, Hollister & Gilroy's USA Sports enrollment declines during the summer and increases in August. However, Evans said enrollment should be even higher this year.
“Thanks to Inspiration, this is an Olympic year, so we're going to see an increase from August to September,” Evans said.
Megan Jelinek, a former USA Sports member and 19-year-old's coach, said the kids want to follow in the footsteps of Olympians.
“They are role models for the young girls here,” Jelinek said.
A sophomore at UCLA, she competed in gymnastics for nine years until an injury forced her to quit at age 17. But during that time, she saw the impact of the Olympics firsthand.
“Competitions are always held, but they are not always broadcast,” she said. “This is the Super Bowl of gymnastics. It's what everyone is watching, it's what everyone knows. Gymnastics is a sport that has to go on all year round. There's a competitive season, but you really have to stop. We can't do that. We practice all year long. The Olympics are a celebration of that.”
And everyone notices it, regardless of age. At the 2008 Olympics, gymnastics was among his four of the eight most-watched Olympic events, according to Nielsen ratings. The most watched program among the 18-49 age group was the women's gymnastics individual all-around competition.
These numbers are reflected in the local scene. According to owner Mark Lawrence, registrations increase by nearly 25% during or immediately after the Olympics.
“Enrollment numbers are always increasing pretty quickly,” Lawrence said. “Last time, I think we saw a 25 percent increase in the number of participants in our gymnastics classes, from infants to adults.”
For Lawrence USA Sports, which has gyms in both Hollister and Gilroy, the Olympics are the perfect time to promote gymnastics and what training can offer, he said.
“Knowing how healthy your body is just draws people's attention to the sport,” said Lawrence, who runs the gym with his wife Melinda. “Parents think it's good for their kids, and I agree with that. If you look across all sports and these people are doing great things, I think it's good for my kids too. We want them to be involved in sports, and when they look at what's available at Hollister, we're one of them.”
Despite the direct impact of the Olympics, Lawrence doesn't think gymnastics is the only sport that will benefit.
“Many sports are booming because of the Olympics,” he said. “We just happen to be an Olympic-based sport. I'm sure you'll get some good spikes in swimming. The Olympics have made more people pay attention to the sport.”
And with more users, the gym can offer more services to those who come. Currently, Jim has one travel team of 20 girls from Hollister and Gilroy that competes in state and national tournaments. The gym holds classes every day for children from 1 year old.
“We give them a path to get where they want to go, but we also want them to understand that we want them to be well-rounded people,” Evans said.
With the benefit of the Olympics, USA Sports' competitive teams in Hollister and Gilroy will be able to find success with the season starting in September.
During her last competitive season, Level 7 athlete Colette Yamaoka won the state championship.
Evans said he expects even more growth this year.
“It's so much fun watching the kids grow up and become young adults,” Evans said. “Gymnastics is a really great sport. It teaches discipline and even self-control. It teaches kids to deal with fear and process it when they feel fear.”
But Lawrence said the gym expects to see increased interest on a non-competitive level as well.
And with more kids becoming active, Olympic attention is worth the four-year wait.
“A big part of our program is here as a physical outlet to help kids become more active,” Lawrence said. “We want to be able to grow physically and grow mentally as well. We want to keep kids moving and keep families active.”
