Bloomington High Schools cancel Gymnastics Season Amid Coaching Shortage
despite strong student interest, Bloomington High School North and South have canceled their gymnastics seasons due to an inability to secure qualified coaches, leaving athletes and local gymnastics programs seeking solutions to fill the void.
The cancellation impacts dozens of student-athletes, including June Harrison, a 14-year-old freshman at Bloomington North with eight years of experiance at Bloomington United Gymnastics (BUGS). Harrison expressed her disappointment,stating,”I was actually really sad…I had known so many teammates that were interested in it,and I also was interested in it myself. So, it was definitely a heartbreak.”
Both schools’ seasons were halted after previous coaches stepped down at the end of the prior year, and recruitment efforts proved unsuccessful. At an October board meeting, MCCSC Assistant Superintendent of human Resources and Operations jeffry Henderson explained the challenge, noting, “The candidate pool for gymnastics coaches is vrey, very small.” He added that interviewed candidates lacked the necessary qualifications. Shortly after, families received official notification of the season’s cancellation, citing concerns regarding safety, staffing, and program quality.
Lesli Berry, owner of BUGS, proactively offered assistance in finding a coach but was informed by South’s athletic director that deadlines for contracts with judges and other schools had already passed.Berry, a former gymnastics coach at Bloomington North for ten years, believes a broader outreach could have prevented the situation. “I have a lot of people who were gymnasts, who are old enough now that thay might be able to coach, or former coaches who’ve moved on to have full time jobs and might be able to do it in a part time capacity,” she said. “So, I wish they had reached out to me before making that decision.”
North’s Athletic Director Andrew hodson confirmed that eight girls expressed interest in joining the team this year. However,neither South’s athletic director nor the corporation responded to requests for comment. This isn’t an isolated incident; North faced a similar coaching shortage in 1992, prompting Berry to take on the role despite limited coaching experience to save the program.
The impact extends beyond the high school level. BUGS, which serves approximately 500 gymnasts from the North and South districts, will continue to offer competitive opportunities, but the team habitat will be different.Harrison noted the contrast, explaining, “The season is more team-based, and like cheering on your teammates, having a fun time…And here [at BUGS] it’s like, we’re trying to get the best scores.”
The situation has also prompted consideration of option programs. Berry is exploring the possibility of creating a high school-level competitive gymnastics team, and Rising Star Gymnastics is considering a program for students in grades seven through twelve, with both possibly launching as early as January.
Siena Johnson, a senior at Bloomington South, expressed mixed feelings about the cancellation. While acknowledging the demanding nature of the sport,she lamented the loss of the team dynamic and the lack of closure for her senior year. “It’s hard that we don’t really get a goodbye to the sport,” she said. “That was probably the most difficult thing to swallow about this.”
The future of high school gymnastics in Bloomington remains uncertain. Berry emphasized the importance of maintaining the existing equipment and facilities, stating, “If they don’t, it won’t be feasible financially to restart the program, because gymnastics equipment is really expensive.” Hodson indicated a potential return next year if a qualified coach can be found,leaving