BLUE SPRINGS, Mo. — GAGE Center in Blue Springs, Missouri, is already working with female gymnasts, that they believe could be on the Olympic team in a few years.
Owner of GAGE and coach, Al Fong, is training what he said is the next set of incredible women gymnasts that the nation needs to know about.
"I have seven," Fong said. "They are monsters. Leanne was not a monster, we had to build. Those guys are so strong."
Some of the teens he is training moved from different states to get the best training they could find.
"They are from Texas," Fong said. "Then there is Iowa, Nebraska. The other kids are home grown. There is Idaho. There is people from California."
Whatever the GAGE Center is doing, it's paying off as the gym has sent several women to the games like Terin Humphrey and Courtney McCool.
Fong is comparing this group to two athletes that are from his gym and are alternates on the Olympic Women's Gymnastic Team for Team USA, Kara Eaker and Leanne Wong.
"Their skill level is as good at the same time as last years quadrennium for these girls," Fong said. "Twice the level, I am excited about that."
The Blue Springs coach said these up-and-coming gymnasts have watched athletes becomes Olympians. So with having that front row ticket, they see what it takes to get to the top and that is what drives them to be their best.
"Everything that they learn these girls picked up. So, we have started that process already. We will be introducing them to the national staff in October and they are extremely excited because they need the juniors and we have the juniors," Fong said.
