Illinois Gymnastics Institute

Head coach Todd Gardiner and the team of talented instructors at Illinois Gymnastics Institute, which boasts a lengthy list of championship-placing gymnasts, have taught and trained athletes of all ages, levels, and sport aspirations for more than 30 years. The 35,000-square-foot athlete factory was established in 1979 when Gardiner began teaching gymnastics using his personal sport experience and detailed origami diagrams. Since that time, the Illinois Gymnastics Institute has trained hundreds of athletes, including Junior and Senior U.S. National Vault Champions and U.S. Olympic Trials–qualifier Liz Tricase. The gym's experienced instructors host programs for students ages 18 months–18 years, and their leadership has helped more than 98% of IGI graduates to obtain NCAA full-tuition scholarships and numerous awards for Most Convincing Impersonation of a Sailor's Knot.