How We Train Our North County Gymnastics & The Gyminny Kids Staff
If you've ever watched a Gyminny Kids class and thought, "Wow, these coaches are flippin' amazing with kids," that's not an accident.
At North County Gymnastics & The Gyminny Kids, training is one of the most important things we do behind the scenes. From the moment a new hire walks through our doors to the day they're leading advanced classes, there's a clear system designed around safety, consistency, and our core values: fun and fitness, teaching character through sport, raising well-rounded children, being creative and a little weird, serving and giving back, embracing change, and celebrating diversity and inclusion.
Here's a look at how we train the people who work with your kids every week.
Once we know we've hired the right people, we focus on building the right coaches, office associates, and management team.
Safety First: CPR, First Aid & Background Checks
Before a coach ever leads a class on their own, they must meet our safety standards.
Across our locations, we're clear that staff are First-Aid and CPR certified, background-checked, and receive intensive in-house and USA Gymnastics training.
In other words, "coach training" isn't just about teaching cartwheels. It starts with:
CPR & First Aid certification
Comprehensive background checks & drug screening
Pre-employment physical, to ensure the candidate is physically able
Clear safety protocols for spotting, equipment use, and emergency response
Parents trust us with their kids. That trust is earned by putting safety first in everything we do
Shadowing, Mentoring & Step-by-Step Onboarding
Once the paperwork and safety certifications are in place, the real hands-on training begins.
New coaches don't just get tossed into a full class and told, "Good luck!" They go through a shadowing and mentoring phase, where they learn from experienced coaches who already understand our systems, language, and expectations.
New hires start by shadowing experienced coaches in our recreational programs. They help with "follow-the-leader" style activities and light spotting while gradually learning class flow, safety cues, and communication techniques with kids and parents.
Behind the scenes, we also use a digital training library and written standard operating procedures (SOPs) so that the way we teach skills, run warm-ups, and handle safety is consistent across all locations. That means a class at 4S Ranch should "feel" like a class at Poway, La Costa, Carlsbad, or La Jolla (UTC), with the same standards, energy, and expectations.
Led by World-Class Trainers
Daniel Gundert, our Head Coach at North County Gymnastics & The Gyminny Kids, oversees our coaching development. Daniel is described as a "master gymnastics clinician" and is renowned for his effective training methods. That's not all: Gyminny Kids has three coaches who have been with the company for 30 years or more, and a handful of GK coaches with over 40 years of gymnastics experience. In addition to some of our coaches traveling to hold clinics, they also lead trainings right here in our gyms at our weekly staff meetings and trainings.
Having legacy trainers of this caliber means:
Current best practices in gymnastics coaching and judging inform our internal training
Coaches receive in-house clinics on technique, spotting, progressions, and class management
There's a consistent technical standard across all programs, from preschool rec to competitive teams
So when you see a coach helping your child with a handstand, back hip circle, or new tumbling pass, you're seeing the ripple effect of decades of high-level expertise filtering down through well-designed training.
Ongoing Education Through USA Gymnastics & Beyond
Our commitment doesn't stop after week one.
In our "Thirteen Reasons Why Gyminny Kids Is San Diego's Premier Gym" blog, we highlight that Gyminny Kids is committed to ongoing education and that employees receive intensive training both in-house and through USA Gymnastics.
That ongoing education includes:
USA Gymnastics courses and certifications
Weekly in-gym clinics on safety, technique, and new progressions
Updates on rules and level changes for our competitive athletes
Regular hands-on spotting clinics
We know the sport evolves, and so do we. Continuous learning keeps our coaches sharp, our athletes safe, and our programs at the leading edge.
A Culture of Teamwork, Growth & High Standards
Training isn't just technical, it's cultural.
Employees describe Gyminny Kids as a high-energy, fast-paced environment with a strong team mentality, frequent communication, and a strong emphasis on positive attitudes and consistency.
This culture matters because it:
Supports new coaches as they learn the ropes
Gives experienced coaches a path for growth and more responsibility
Creates a place where people want to stay long-term. We have a leadership pipeline
The veteran legacy coaches and office associates mentor the newer staff
On our locations pages, we highlight that we hire career coaches, office administrators, and managers to attract the best long-term employees to work with your child.
Many of our staff bios showcase years of experience in gymnastics, ninja, cheer, tumbling, athletics, strength training, and other sports, as well as a deep passion for teaching kids. We have three associates who have been with Gyminny Kids for 30 years or more!
That combination of career-minded professionals, strong training, and a healthy culture is what makes our staff special.
From Core Values to Real-Life Coaching
Our training is always anchored back to our core values:
Fun and fitness
Teach character through sport
Raise well-rounded children
Be creative and a little weird
Serve and give back
Embrace change
Diversity and inclusion
That means when we're training coaches, we're not just showing them how to run circuits, we're teaching them:
How to encourage a nervous child to try something new
How to celebrate effort and resilience, not just "perfect skills"
How to keep kids safe and have fun at the same time
How to make every child feel seen and included, regardless of ability or background
We want our staff to be the kind of people kids remember, not just for teaching a back handspring, but for building confidence and character along the way.
What This Means For Your Family
When you walk into any North County Gymnastics & The Gyminny Kids location, you're seeing the result of:
Careful hiring
Serious safety training
Structured shadowing and mentoring
World-class leadership from our Head Trainers
Ongoing education through USA Gymnastics and internal training platforms.
Weekly clinics and staff meetings
A culture built on core values, teamwork, and long-term careers
We don't take lightly the responsibility of working with your children. Our training systems exist so that every coach, every class, and every location reflects the same standard: fun, safe, high-quality gymnastics that builds character through sport.
If you're a parent or guardian, we invite you to watch a class and see our coaching in action.
If you're someone who loves kids, movement, and wants to be part of this mission, check out our current openings on our careers page. We'd love to train the next great coach!
