Harlem Non-Profit Uses Gymnastics to Teach Children That Practice, Hard Work Pays Off

HARLEM, NY — When one thinks of Harlem and sports two words often come to mind — Rucker Park. But just 10 blocks away at the Harlem Children's Zone, kids are being taught to take up a sport with a different kind of bounce.

The Wendy Hilliard Gymnastics Foundation is celebrating its 20th year of providing a safe environment for children to learn gymnastics and general life skills and its sixth year doing it in Harlem. The foundation does not turn away kids no matter their need, said founder Wendy Hilliard.

"Everyone who wants to take gymnastics will be able to," Hilliard said.

Gymnastics is not cheap, and Hilliard knows that many Harlem families may not be able to afford lessons. That's why she offers low prices subsidized through private and public donations in addition to scholarships to the program, Hilliard said. About 90 percent of kids on the foundation's gymnastics team are on scholarship and 35 percent of kids in the gymnastics program are on scholarship. The program introduces more than 1,000 children to the sport every year, Hilliard said.

The program is a non-profit and receives donations from a number of organizations. On Wednesday, Ronald McDonald Charities presented the foundation with a community grant of $7,500.

"We have historically supported the Wendy Hilliard Foundation for its groundbreaking program for young women, which incorporates not only gymnastics, but also general education and proper nutrition programming,” said Chris Perry, executive director of Ronald McDonald House Charities for the New York Tri-State Area.

And the demand for affordable gymnastics coaching may increase in the coming months when the sport is showcased in the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Hilliard said.

"There was a big surge after Gabby Douglas won in 2012 and we see that happenning again when she's back," Hilliard said. "Gymnastics gets its highlight now, it gets its focus. And when girls see someone like them doing it on this level it totally inspires them."

People of color have long been underrepresented in the sport of gymnastics. In a 2007 diversity study conducted by USA Gymnastics it was found that 74.46 percent of people belonging to USA Gymnastics member clubs were white. African-Americans made up just 6.61 percent of the study and the number for Hispanic members was just 3.63 percent. Representation among Asian members was slightly higher at 10.67 percent.

As the first African-American to represent the U.S. in international competition, Hilliard knows a little something about breaking the color boundary in gymnastics. Hilliard also knows that gymnastics helps kids learn much more than a sport.

Along with gymnastics coaching, kids in the program attend workshops on nutrition and other general education topics. The sport of gymnastics itself teaches much more than just corkscrews, somersaults and cartwheels. Above all, it teaches that hard work, practice and determination pays off, Hilliard said.

"I'm confident that if they do gymnastics well they will be successful in other parts of their life. There's no other way to do this sport, to do it right, than to work hard," Hilliard said. "And that's really what we want to teach our kids."

All photos courtesy of Don Sherrill