Stow Gymnastics Center Stow, Stow

As both a performer and a teacher, Coach Diane has seen three generations of gymnasts practice their poise. The first was her own: she began tumbling at age 4, and her dedication persisted well into her teens when she won the state championship for baton twirling. Years later, she accessed her former passion to help guide her daughter's gymnastics team. The experience awakened a desire to coach competitively, and today, she trains students from toddlerhood to high-school age at Stow Gymnastics Center. Her protégés from decades prior now enroll their children in her curriculum, completing the generational cycle.

Alongside Coach Danielle—who also holds multiple regional and national awards from 11 years of competing—Diane leads her pupils in floor routines, tumbling workouts, and cheerleading choreography. Her classes are separated by topic and age group, covering lessons on motor development for younger children as well as advanced acrobatics, for those who can do jumping jacks without a safety net. Gymnasts jump and somersault on the rainbow floor of the main arena, whereas younger children play with model trains, slides, and puzzles in a separate learning center.