Viking Gymnastics & Dance Wants to “Flip the Decision” for UIC Gymnastics — #flipthedecision

On Sunday, February 3, Viking’s USAG Boys and USAG Girls teams will perform at the conclusion of the UIC Women’s College Gymnastics meet.

Although we are excited for our teams to perform on this big stage, we are sad about the recent news: The UIC mens’ and womens’ gymnastics teams have been told that this will be their last competitive season!

Here are some of our gymnasts who want to #flipthedecision:

Why is UIC dropping gymnastics?

On August 31st, 2018, The University of Illinois at Chicago announced the Department of Intercollegiate Athletics will eliminate the men’s and women’s gymnastics programs at the conclusion of the 2018-2019 season.

These are two top-notch programs. Both have talented, hard-working athletes. UIC Men’s’ team has had 7 Division I All American Athletes and has the highest Division I finish in all UIC Sports. The UIC Women’s team has won 12 Midwest independent conference titles.

Members of Viking’s USAG girls’ team performing at UIC in 2018.

The decision to drop the teams is being done as a move toward the goal of building attendance at basketball games. UIC administrators hope to join a higher profile athletic conference. This would bring bigger name schools to play at the Pavilion — and larger crowds. Larger crowds mean more money.

To be in a bigger profile conference, UIC teams must prove they are the best/top in their current conference — the Horizon League. To improve their chances of being the best in the Horizon League, UIC administrators feel all their resources should be spent on the teams that compete in the Horizon League.

Unfortunately, the gymnastics program does not compete in the Horizon League. Therefore, it no longer seems to fit with the UIC administration and their future plans.

The UIC Gymnastics supporters want to #flipthedecision. We hope that by using respectful public pressure we can remind the Athletic Director and Chancellor of all the reasons this move is not in the best interest of UIC or UIC Athletics.

Why is #flipthedecision important?

Viking gymnastics and UIC mens gymnastics teams

Only 16 colleges currently support men’s gymnastics teams. Losing UIC’s program will bring the number down to 15.

There are only four Division I women’s gymnastics teams in Illinois. There will be none in the Chicago area without the UIC program.

Viking Gymnastics is interested in this issue. Our students work hard in their sport. We believe that college level gymnastics should be an obtainable option for them in a city as large as ours.

Charlie Friedman, Director of Viking Gymnastics & Dance, is the coach of a former UIC scholarship athlete. “I can tell you that having a program like UIC in Chicago is a magical opportunity, and one I want to witness for years to come,” she said. “Even having our grade-school-aged athletes tumbling down on the main floor as guests at a collegiate meet is incredibly inspirational.”

Viking performance details

Viking’s team had a great time performing at UIC last year — and enjoyed meeting all the UIC student athletes!

The meet will begin at 12:00 pm on Sunday, February 3, at the UIC Dorin Forum. The meet is open to the public. The UIC Women’s Team will face off against Eastern Michigan. The Viking teams will perform after the meet is over.

Tickets are $8 for adults, $4 for youth, available at the UIC Women’s Gymnastics Page. The UIC Dorin Forum is located at 725 W. Roosevelt Road (the corner of Roosevelt and Halsted).

How you can help #flipthedecision

There is conversation around this issue on social media, using the #flipthedecision hashtag.

If you cannot attend the event, you can still make a difference. Write or call in support of saving UIC’s men’s and women’s gymnastics teams. The UIC Athletic Director and Chancellor are the best people to contact about this:

UIC Athletic Director: Garrett Klassy; email: gklassy@uic.edu; office number: 312-996-2695
UIC Chancellor: Michael Amiridis; email: chancellor@uic.edu; office number: 312-413-3350

Join us at Viking Instagram and Viking Facebook and #flipthedecision!

Viking Gymnastics Teams Compete in Wisconsin Meet

What happens when Viking’s competitive gymnastics teams – and their families – travel to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin, for a weekend gymnastics meet?

All kinds of fun!

From Friday through Sunday, January 10-12, 2019, Viking girls’ competitive gymnastics teams attended the Lake Geneva Gymnastics Vacation Classic. The meet hosted teams from Illinois, Iowa, and Wisconsin in levels 3 and up in both USAG and GIJO.

Home base during the weekend was Timber Ridge Lodge and Waterpark in Lake Geneva, where many of the families stayed.

Team dinner

The weekend officially began on Friday evening with a Viking team dinner in the hotel. One hundred forty places were set for the meal, and gymnasts and their families enjoyed salad, pizza, and cookies while chatting with teammates and making new friends.

Viking gymnastics coaches and their families attended the dinner, too. Coach Charlie Friedman, owner of Viking Gymnastics & Dance, and her husband, Coach Mendel Moskovits, coach the USAG teams; Angel Brown and Addison Sawyer coach the GIJO teams.

Family fun

During the weekend, when they weren’t competing, it seemed like Viking gymnastics team members were everywhere having a great time!

Parents supervised and had plenty of fun themselves. Some families even ventured out to do some shopping and sightseeing.

One of the highlights was that the girls had so much time to spend with each other. They used the crafts room at the hotel to make “good luck” signs for teammates’ hotel room doors, got together to swim in the waterpark, hung out in each other’s rooms, played board games, gathered for more food, and found many other ways to amuse themselves.

By the end of the weekend, parents and gymnasts were checking in with each other about how things went and wishing others good luck – like one big Viking gymnastics extended family.

Competitive gymnastics

Amid all the fun, the girls showed amazing focus. Throughout the weekend, each team competed at its assigned time at the Grand Geneva Hotel Forum.

For some of our gymnasts this was their first time in a competitive meet!

Here are the team results:

GIJO: Level 3 — 3rd place; Level 4 — 2nd place; Level 6 — 1st place
USAG: Level 4 — 3rd place; Level 5 — 3rd place; Level 6 — 2nd place; Level 7 — 5th place

Learning new skills

At all competitive gymnastics meets, the gymnasts not only practice and perform their routines but also learn lots of life skills:

Learning about good sportsmanship as they rely on their teammates, coaches, and families for support and encouragement.
Cheering each other on when things go perfectly, and they cheer for each other and keep their chins up even when things don’t go well at all.
Making the most of equipment that feels a little different than it does at our home gym.
Coping with distractions such as loud music and clapping.
Tolerating much more hairspray than they use at home!

Preparing, focusing, and adapting to changes are skills that Viking competitive gymnasts will apply over and over in their lives.

We are so proud of our competitive gymnasts, and so glad that everyone had a great time in Lake Geneva!

Would you like to learn more about the Viking competitive gymnastics teams?

For a look at competitive gymnastics, be sure to attend the upcoming Viking gymnastics home meet that will be held at Niles West High School on March 23 and 24. Be sure to stay tuned to our Facebook and Instagram for more information, and come cheer on our Viking gymnastics teams!

Join the Snowflake Challenge at Viking Gymnastics & Dance!

viking gymnastics and dance snowflake challenge Viking Gymnastics & Dance is having a little bit of fun with all this snow — and our gymnasts and dancers are invited to join in!

We have — creatively — hung snowflakes throughout the facility. Be sure to look everywhere, since snowflakes can be found in the hallways, the gym, the parent room, and dance studio windows.

Kids are invited to guess how many snowflakes we have throughout the building. There’s a sheet at the front desk for kids to write their name (first & last) and their guess. They may also include their class day and time.

Guesses will be accepted through the end of this week at Viking Gymnastics & Dance. You are also invited to follow along on our social media for the results — Viking Instagram and Viking Facebook.

Here’s how Viking Gymnastics Campers spent their Winter Break 2018

Camp! Not Just for Summer!

Note: Our next “day off camp” will be January 21, 2019 — be sure to check out our Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Camp!

This winter break we offered camps full of dancing, gymnastics, crafts, and games! Everyday our gymnasts came in for a great warm up Little gymnasts with the long living tradition of the “Waka Waka” dance, with roots to when Viking Gymnastics was still in the upstairs gym at Niles North High School! Gymnasts participated in group stretching that prepares their bodies for a day of activities and games. Children split into groups based on their skill level and we’re off!

During camp, every group did each of the competitive events; vault, bars, beam, and floor for the girls, and parallel bars, high bar, mushroom, floor, vault, and rings for the boys. Gymnasts learned new skills and practiced mastery of others. Since camp is much longer than a regular class, coaches helped each gymnast individually, and corrected skills as students rotated through stations. Camp is great for gymnasts to work hard, build friendships, and achieve goals! Our toddlers enjoyed obstacle courses, balancing on beams, and playing in familiar territory in the tot area!

But, before we knew it, all our campers were tired and it was time for snack! After a refreshing snack, students went into other activities that make Viking camps unique. Each day we made a different winter themed craft. Some crafts we made this winter camp were snowmen, hibernating animals in a tree, ear muffs, and hot cocoa mugs. We also went into the dance studios learn some awesome moves with Miss Jessica. Finally, when we didn’t think we could have any more fun, we played fun interactive games for all ages! When the day was done, we stretched to make sure our muscles would not be too tired the next day — but you can’t help being a little tired when you have this much fun!

Our camps at Viking Gymnastics are SO fun, friends don’t want to leave when it’s time to go!

Don’t worry if you missed out on the fun, we will be offering gymnastics camps, dance workshops, and a special open gyms when school is out next. Check out our Martin Luther King, Jr., Day Camp, January 21, 2019.

A big thank you to all our friends that joined us for our Winter Gymnastics Camps!

Benefits of Starting Your Child in Baby Vikes Gymnastics

by April Sawyer

child learning to crawl and walk More than 20 years ago I led a mom’s group with children ages 1 to 3 years old. As we crawled along with the children, I mentioned its importance and how crawling is connected to children’s reading abilities.

Many of the parents were shocked to learn this! From that day forward, I made it my mission, through the sport of gymnastics, to inform and help parents understand the importance of motor skills, coordination, and balance.

coach working with toddler Why is this important?

In today’s world, children are not getting the necessary daily physical activity. Therefore, we see more cognitive delays, sensory issues, behavioral problems, delayed speech, and the list goes on.

One thing that contributes greatly to decreased activity is the baby carrier. Some babies spend way too much time in them.

Unfortunately, these issues are not noticed until children are older. Getting children moving earlier is better! ‘Tummy time’ and other out-and-about activities help strengthen your baby’s neck, back, arms and core muscles.

How Viking is helping change this

At Viking, we see a huge need to start children in activities that connect neurons, strengthen muscles, and help in advancing development inside and out in numerous other areas. We pride ourselves on our research and efforts that help each child get off to a great start in life. Our Baby Vikes classes begin at 6 months old. Yes, 6 months!

Toddler Learning Gymnastics During a Baby Vikes class we work on all the muscles necessary for a great beginning: coordination, balance, activities to help with eyesight, spatial awareness, fine and gross motor skills, tracking, landing feet first to prevent falls off the bed, couch, or stairs, and many other important skills in a fun and bright environment.

How to get started

If you or someone you know has a child 6 months or older who is learning to crawl or walk, they would benefit from our Baby Vikes class! This class provides a head start and the results are for life.

Call or stop by today if you have questions or want to see our facility, and sign up!

Crazy Sock Week at Viking!

Viking Gymnastics and Dance Socks Week

This week, Viking staff members are all about crazy socks! Everybody has a different thought as to what defines socks as crazy. For some people it’s design. Others consider anything other than solid black or white, like bright, boldly colored, or mismatched socks as crazy.

Gymnastics and Dance

Wearing crazy socks says can allow your individual personality to surface. When my daughter was in grade school, there was a dress code that said solid color tops and solid color skirts or pants were required. But do you know what had no restrictions? Socks! My daughter could let her energetic personality show through in the socks and tights that she wore. Patterns, bright colors, matched, mismatched – she wore them all and still does!

two gymnastics coaches

There are Viking staff members that wear fun socks to express their true personality year-round! Others wear them when the mood strikes or on special occasions.

Official National Sock Day is December 4^th, but keep your eyes open all week and see how many different patterns or mismatched socks you can find at Viking!

10 Reasons Viking Dancers Are Thankful For Dance!

It’s mid-November already! A time when leaves turn to vibrant and warm oranges, yellows and reds, daylight grows shorter and weather takes a chilly turn. Fall time brings hot cocoa and cozy socks, but it also ushers in the start of the holiday season.

Many of us look forward to Thanksgiving for spending time with family and eating delicious food (sometimes not necessarily in that order), but at the root it is simply about welcoming and sharing. During Thanksgiving we not only prepare a space for others to sit and share our table, but it is also a gentle reminder for us to open heart and home to those we care about and those in need. More importantly, it is a time to take a step back to appreciate the things we are most grateful for and all that life has provided.

We recently polled our dance students to get to know the reasons why they are thankful for having dance in their lives. Here are the top 10 answers!

I am thankful for dance because I love to do it and it gives me exercise! – Hailie, age 8

I am thankful for dance for getting stronger! – Arden, age 6

I am thankful for dance because of close friends and strong flexibility – Kayla, age 7

I’m thankful for dance because dance just makes me feel good! I love when we learn new moves! – Belle, age 8

I am grateful for dance because of the supportive environment that is provided by the faculty of this studio and my friends here – Dyllan, age 14

I am thankful for dance because it makes me work hard and toward my potential. – Melanie, age 13

I’m thankful for dance because it lets you express yourself. You can do it with so much passion – Norah, age 9

I am thankful for dance because it makes me feel free! – Hannah, age 8

I’m thankful for dance because I have the ability to let go of all my stress from my life. Dance really helps me express things when I don’t have the words. Trevi, age 14

I am thankful for dance because it is my escape from reality. Whenever I dance I forget all my worries and troubles. It makes me feel confident and powerful. – Samantha, age 10

Meet Coach Jairus

When today’s generation refers to “dance” there’s usually a specific dance that may come to mind such as “shoot,” “ milly rock,” and the biggest craze of them all “the floss.” But one that gets left behind and has been around since the mid 70’s is Breakdancing. Unlike other dance phenoms. Breakdance, is not as simple as it looks. It’s an unique culture and vast assortment of dance moves put together by what the dancer feels at that particular moment.

Tuesday, I had the pleasure of sitting down with Coach Jarius (AKA. B. Boy Jarius) to talk about his upcoming dance workshop on Wednesday November 21st, along with breakdancing, hip-hop and pursuing his love of gymnastics and dance.

person breakdancing

Where were you born and raised?

Well… I was born in Chicago. But moved around to a lot of different places. If I had to give you a hometown of where I’m from… I would say Plainfield. I’m a suburban boy at heart.

What companies or dance groups have you been apart of?

I’ve danced with D.O.D (Diversity or Dinesty), Hip Hop Connection, D.O.D Dance Company of Downers Grove.

When did you start dancing? And was there a particular person who peaked your interest in dance?

I started dancing at age 7. I didn’t necessarily take it serious until i was in my preteens. I come from a family of dancers; it wasn’t until my uncle showed me breaking that I really wanted to be apart of the movement.

Gymnastics Coach Workout

What is hip hop to you?

Hip Hop is free art. A movement created off of feelings. In other words, it’s a way for people to let loose and be free!

What do you like to do in your spare time?

When I am not here coaching my Purple Dream Team, I would have to say, I’m a big info chaser! Anything with learning intrigues me. For example, watching documentaries is a big passion of mine. I enjoy playing video games as well.

Last Question of the day. If you could perform with any entertainer, who would it be?

Chris Brown! Hands down, next to MJ….. He’s the best dancer of our time!

Viking’s Pumpkin Painting Contest!

All work and no play, makes Jack-o-lantern very sad! Luckily, our Viking staff had a blast decorating the pumpkins and that definitely raised their spirits!

Halloween 2018 Pumpkin Painting The painted pumpkins were displayed all week. Our Viking gymnasts, dancers, and their families had a great time choosing their favorite painted pumpkin!

Gymnastics and Dance Halloween Contest

And the winner is!! Ms. Lynn and her creeping trees!

Pumpin Contest Winner

Thank you to everyone who participated in the voting. We hope you had as much fun as we did!

What does my child learn in dance class?

Whether it is simply for fun, exercise, interaction with peers, or a love of performance, dance classes provide a space where children engage in learning concepts that extend beyond physical education and development. The mental, social and emotional benefits of dancing have immediate value for your child and create a lasting impact throughout their lifetime. Let’s dive into the dance class experience and explore the deeper concepts at play in the studio.

Early childhood development skills

The linkage between dance activity and early childhood development is a topic abundant with research. Dance lessons hone fine motor and gross motor skills through axial, locomotor, balance and coordination focused exercises. Classes emphasize recognizing rhythmic patterns, improving body and spatial awareness, while also aiding in cognitive development. Movement activities have been linked to children exhibiting healthier coping skills, improved memory and attention span, and better self-regulation of their emotions. Dance allows students to expend energy through movement in a focused way. As an activity that caters to all seven learning modalities in different capacities, dance is a highly valuable activity for any child, regardless of experience or ability.

Long lasting life skills

Every class weaves within its framework essential life skills that help prepare dancers for their future, whether dance remains a part of it or not. Maintaining a strong work ethic, learning goal setting and accountability, appreciating delayed gratification, and practicing teamwork are some of these greater concepts that transfer to many other facets of life. Dancers learn to implement self-discipline as they work toward personal and team goals, and they gain confidence as they improve and achieve results over time. Crucial social skills like making compromises, empathizing, taking turns, resolving conflict, sportsmanship and encouraging others are continuous themes within group dance lessons. Dancing has also been proven to help aid in memory as we age!

Artistic concepts

Dance classes require students to engage their creativity and critical thinking skills throughout their training. Dancers are encouraged to refine and mature the expression and artistry of their technique through performance inside the studio and on the stage. Exploring nuance, attentiveness to detail, refining quality of movement, developing improvisational skills and improving stage presence drive the artistic components of dance. Dance class is the place where body awareness, spatial awareness, and an awareness of others in relation to oneself all intertwine in a community environment.

How to get your child involved

Looking for new educational opportunities for your child? It’s not too late to sign up your student for classes. We offer dance classes for all ages, and competitive dance opportunities beginning at five years of age. Give us a call or stop by in person to see our facility and ask any questions you have!