Thursday, October 1, 2026
When Rockville Centre Gymnastics closed in 2009, its displaced students and staff were desperate to find a new home in which to practice and compete. The coaches approached Ginger Creegan, deputy superintendent of Parks and Recreation, about moving to the Rec Center, and it has been a perfect match ever since.
The gymnastics program at the Rec Center, which has more than 500 participants, includes Tumble classes for children 18 months to 3-years-old, and introductory courses for children between the ages of 4 and 6.
For older children, the gymnastics options are split between recreational, training and competitive teams.
While the recreational gymnasts usually meet just once a week for an hour, the Rising Stars training team meets for two-and-a-half hours a week.
“The training is for the kids that don’t have the skills quite yet for the competitive team, but we’re trying to get them up to that point,” Creegan said. “It’s kind of like the minor league in baseball.”
The two competitive teams, Rockville Centre United and Rockville Centre Ultimate, each meet for 5 hours a week.
And the extra practice time has paid off.
Both competitive teams compete in the Long Island Independent Gymnastics League against each other and teams from Great Neck, Westbury and Huntington.
According to Creegan, Rockville Centre United, which is comprised of 11 girls, has been the league champion the past two years, and is in a great position to repeat a 3rd time this year.
The Ultimate team, which has 10 girls, came in 3rd place in 2011 and is projected to take 2nd place this year.
The girls try out for the teams each September and then are chosen for either the competitive teams, or the Rising Stars if the coaches believe they’re not quite ready. Some children are told that recreational gymnastics would be the best spot for them.
“It’s a full year commitment,” Creegan said. “There’s a lot of pressure and it’s kind of rigorous. We take the amount of children that we believe will do well on the teams.”
The two competitive teams will compete in three more gymnastic meets on April 1, April 21 and May 5, all at 12:30 p.m. The individual and team championships will take place on May 19 and June 17. Admission is free and residents are encouraged to come out and support the gymnasts.
