A bustling local gymnastics arena filled with aspiring tumblers of all ages and skill levels has become a mainstay for California Sports Center manager/instructor Torey Cetani.
That was not always the case, though.
In fact, when the Morgan Hill gym opened in August 2012, Cetani’s two children had the place to themselves for a short time while mom drummed up interest from the local community. It was an easy sell with the product being a versatile sport that empowers its young athletes, boosts their pride, exposes them to a number of disciplines and gives them a surge of fitness in a variety of skill-level classes.
“It was a slow start,” said Cetani, 31, an avid gymnast in her early childhood years who parlayed that experience plus a strong work ethic into a career in business management and instruction with CSC. “But we hit 100 students pretty quickly and kept going from there. It helped that it was an Olympic Year (in 2012).”
Now, the gym with an unassuming storefront that shares the same Monterey Road/Dunne Avenue shopping center as Ross Dress For Less and the Dollar Tree, is 500 members strong. The youngest members are 12 months old. But make no mistake, the local center is equipped with every gymnastics apparatus used by elite Olympians such as 2016 all-around champion Simone Biles and fellow U.S. team gold medalist Aly Raisman.
“I can go into any store in town and know pretty much every kid,” said Cetani, who joked that her husband places an over-under bet on the number of those encounters each time the family heads out.
Just a couple weeks removed from the 2016 Rio Games, coupled with the start of the new school year, interest in the sport and enrollment at CSC is at an all-time high, Cetani said.
“It was an amazing Olympics,” added Cetani, whose gymnasts were able to attend the 2016 Olympic Trials in San Jose and some even participated in the “Gymnastics City” demonstrations set up outside all week long. That special perk came thanks to CSC owner Dave Peterson, who was on the planning committee for the event. Peterson founded CSC in 1987. Now CSC has gyms throughout the Bay Area.
In Morgan Hill, the smiles and enthusiasm from participants of all ages is widespread throughout the gym.
“I like the noise,” said Cetani’s 9-year-old daughter, Nicci, who enjoys “doing cool things,” especially tumbling during her floor exercise routines. She is on the Junior Olympic competitive team along with fellow 9-year-old Carmina Galang, who is anticipating her very first meet.
“I get to compete,” she said. “When the Olympics was on I saw the gymnasts and thought, ‘I wanna do that one day.’”
Recreation, competitive teams offer something for everyone
CSC supplies a variety of recreation class for girls and boys as well as two different competitive levels: the Junior Olympics teams and the elite Xcel team. But regardless of category, the four main goals at CSC remain “teach, fun, safety and great customer service,” according to Torey Cetani.
“I hope they leave learning something new, but always wanting to come back,” explained Cetani, who has some members come in for hour-long recreation lessons. Other, more serious competitors, rack up at least nine and a half hours per week.
Morgan Hill resident Shawna Lewis, whose two daughters ages 4 and 8 have participated at CSC for several years, watches every second along with a crowd of parents who pack the viewing area.
“My girls love it. They have so much fun, especially when they learn a new skill,” Lewis said. “My oldest likes to be challenged and pushed. When she moves up a level, it’s exciting for her. All the staff here is awesome.”
One enthusiastic staff member is Lia Fayle, who is the CSC’s preschool recreation coordinator. She also has two children who participate in classes at CSC.
“There are so many fantastic families here. We have a lot of siblings who join the gym,” said Fayle, who started in October 2012. “We have a really wide range of classes.”
Practicing on the beam and working on her dismounts is what 9-year-old MacKenzie Fayle, of Morgan Hill, enjoys most at CSC.
“It’s super fun,” said Fayle, who is always challenging herself to complete harder skills. Her favorite 2016 U.S. Olympian was Laurie Hernandez.
The same goes for 8-year-old Maleah Lewis, who enjoys her practice time on the uneven bars and floor exercise.
“I just like moving around and exercising and learning new skills,” said Maleah Lewis, who watched in awe as the U.S. women’s team dominated the Rio Games. “I thought that they were really good because they worked so hard and didn’t give up.”
Moving up to her first year on the CSC’s Xcel competition team is 11-year-old gymnast Lexxa Damico of Morgan Hill.
“Getting to represent this gym is really awesome,” said Damico, who has been perfecting her craft over the last few years. “I really love gymnastics because this is a unique sport, different from any other. There’s just a lot of people motivated and very determined.”
That spirit has become commonplace inside the local CSC among its hundreds of participants.
What: California Sports Center
Where: 16955 Monterey Street
Who: Ages 1 and older, boys and girls
How: Call (408) 776-0141 or calsportscenter.com
