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Residents urge Council to preserve Recreation Center gym and competitive gymnastics programs
Summary
Multiple parents, former participants and coaches told the Council the gymnasium and Twisters gymnastics program provide affordable youth opportunities, revenue for the city, and pathways to coaching and competitive athletics; speakers asked the Council to ensure renovation plans protect those programs.
During the public comment portion of the June 23 meeting, a group of parents, former participants, coaches and a current 12-year-old athlete urged the City Council to preserve the Recreation/Fitness Center's gymnasium and the Twisters gymnastics program amid upcoming facility repairs and renovations.
Rita Law, speaking on behalf of parents, stressed that gymnastics and indoor youth sports generate substantial revenue through tuition without City subsidy and asked that renovation plans preserve the gymnasium and the youth programs that depend on it. Several speakers described long personal histories in the program: Lenna Law (two-time state all-around gymnastics champion) described how the program helped her develop athletic skills and the opportunity to pursue college gymnastics; a 12-year-old participant, Olivia Hunziker, recounted how gymnastics built confidence and discipline. A statement read by Alison Tauali’i relayed nine years of experience from her sister Joselyn, who credited the program with leadership development and coaching opportunities.
Parents and staff noted the Recreation Center as an affordable option for competitive gymnastics and said eliminating the gymnasium or relocating programs would leave families without comparable alternatives. Michelle Anderson, a Fitness Center employee, invited Council members to visit the facility to observe the programs firsthand. Several speakers emphasized that competitive gymnastics and related coaching roles are community assets that should be retained in any renovation plan.
The Council heard concerns but did not take immediate action on facility decisions at the June 23 meeting; staff and Council indicated facility planning will continue and that preserving revenue-generating youth programs is a consideration for final designs.
