Welcome

Dear Valued Customer,

          Elite Gymnastics was established in 1989 - '90 as a result of high dreams and goals. It has long been a mission of mine to build an operation that places top priority on fitness, values, and the general well-being of young people. My mother, Erika, was a professional ballet dancer in France until 1953 when she gave up her career in order to raise a family. It was Mom who instilled in her four children the ever-lasting values of commitment, dedication and discipline. The result of those values on myself, two brothers and a sister: Two Olympians, two collegiate gymnasts and a world class international competitor!

          Since it was my mother's dance background that marked the beginning of my family's association with the sport of gymnastics, my sister, Anat, and I took it upon ourselves to dedicate our lives to the sport and help make our mother's dreams of passing along her passion, dedication, and hard work a reality.

          At the age of eight, I practically "moved into" the gym and have been there ever since. With the principles of discipline, dedication and hard work, at the age of 13, I became the youngest gymnast EVER to make Israel's national team. From there I won several national titles, competed in five world championships (Bulgaria, 1974; France, 1978; USA 1979; Moscow, 1980; Hungary, 1983), three Olympic Games (1976, 1980, and 1984) and numerous international competitions.

          Moving permanently to the United States in 1980 was one of the most exciting aspects of my life. Transferring to LSU in 1981 and competing as a "Fighting Tiger" gave me great pleasure and satisfaction. During my stint as a Tiger, I broke numerous existing team records, won several Southeastern Conference Championships and played a key role in building LSU's men's gymnastics team into one of the top programs in the country.

          Upon graduation from LSU in 1985, I began coaching gymnastics locally, and in 1989, I was finally able to fulfill a lifelong dream by establishing my own gym. Of course that was only the beginning of the long road to success I had planned for my future and the future of Elite Gymnastics. Over the years I have been offered many coaching positions both in the U.S. and internationally. However, my heart is with the future of United States gymnastics and I made a decision many years ago that Baton Rouge, LA was to be my home!

          Obviously, building a successful and nationally-recognized program is not done overnight. But our first class facility, recruiting and training a top notch staff as well as training and developing talented athletes -- coupled with our dedication to customer service -- have transformed Elite Gymnastics into one of the most respected programs in this part of the country. That reputation continues to grow every day!

          As the owner-operator or Elite, my motivation is two-fold: to help the youngsters of our community improve their overall level of general fitness and to create a competitive gymnastics powerhouse. We will continue to achieve success through our dedicated and well-trained staff and with unparalleled foresight. Already, Elite has produced many "champions" in our short, but storied, history. Some of these champions are the "tiny Tykes" that are learning new skills, having fun, and also learning the value of hard work. Some are the parents that are determined to see their child improve their level of fitness and make it possible for their kids to remain enthusiastic about the sport of gymnastics.

          And some of our champions are our competitive gymnasts who achieved success at the local, state, regional, national and even international level. Furthermore, we have developed a reputation for placing many of our gymnasts in some of the nation's most respected college programs in the country. Because of these competitors, it has placed Elite Gymnastics "on the map" in gymnastics circles across the country. These competitors are to be congratulated for the major role that they have placed in Elite's history of success.

          Breaking into the new millennium, Elite Gymnastics marked a new beginning in the level of competition. For the first time in Louisiana history, we have placed gymnasts on the prestigious national and international Elite level. Competing at the World Trials in 2001 has made Elite a recognizable national caliber training center.

          In conclusion, Elite Gymnastics is always moving ahead, striving for improvement and searching for perfection. That holds true with regard to our recreational students, our competitive teams, our talented staff of professionals -- indeed, our entire operation. And you, the customer, are our daily "champion" and your child is Elite's perfect 10!

REMEMBER ... at Elite, we're building your child's future!

Johnny on High Bar at 1984 Olympics
ONE HUNDRED YEARS

FROM NOW

It will not matter

what kind of car I drove,

what kind of house I lived in,

how much was in my bank account,

nor what my clothes look like.

BUT

the world may be a little better

because I was important

in the life of a child.

~ author unknown
Johnny on the rings

Johnny with his wife, Susie, a National Level Gymnastics Judge Johnny with his daughter, Jessica My MOM - "My inspiration and teacher..."Johnny

Mary Lou Retton Liliya Podkopayeva Kristie Phillips

Svetlana Khorkina In memory of my grandparents that died in the holocaust ... Cosin Uri Ben Ami, Israeli Coach

Johnny on High Bar at 1984 Olympics	ONE HUNDRED YEARS FROM NOW It will not matter what kind of car I drove, what kind of house I lived in, how much was in my bank account, nor what my clothes look like. BUT the world may be a little better because I was important in the life of a child. ~ author unknown	Johnny on the rings

Johnny with his wife, Susie, a National Level Gymnastics Judge	Johnny with his daughter, Jessica	My MOM - "My inspiration and teacher..."Johnny

Svetlana Khorkina	In memory of my grandparents that died in the holocaust ...	Cosin Uri Ben Ami, Israeli Coach