Kentucky Gymnastics Academy (KGA) has been flipping Louisville kids for over four decades. Offering classes and open gyms geared toward all skill levels, KGA has continued its mission of celebrating each child’s accomplishments, no matter how great or small. Children starting at 18 months old are invited to learn gymnastics at KGA, which offers programs for both recreational and competitive athletes.
“We meet kids where they are in their development,” said KGA Owner Shannon Wickel. “That’s the beautiful thing about our program; students can do gymnastics just for fun, and for the reward and joy of finding a new skill, or they can come in and we have the resources and ability to train them to go to college gymnastics if that’s what they desire.”
KGA was founded in 1981 by local gymnast Ingrid Bojanowski after she saw the need for a dedicated gymnastics facility in the Louisville area. Originally located in Anchorage, KGA now calls a 14,000-square-foot building just outside the Lake Forest subdivision its home. The facility provides state-of-the-art gymnastics equipment, plus in-ground trampolines, loose foam pits, dance rooms, and a NinjaZone rig for their enrollees, which include boys and girls. It even has some offerings geared toward adults.
After working at the gym as an instructor, Wickel purchased the business about 10 years ago and continues the long-standing degree of excellence KGA is known to provide.
“When we moved into the building in 2016, we tripled the enrollment and doubled our competitive team,” Wickel said. “We’re not looking to have a huge team. We want to know every kid that walks into the door. Our student-to-staff ratio is very low for the industry. We typically have a 6:1 ratio in classes because I want to make sure the kids are learning.”
As the only licensed NinjaZone program in the state of Kentucky, KGA also offers a unique opportunity for those interested in martial arts and parkour.
“NinjaZone is a combination of gymnastics, parkour and martial arts,” Wickel said. “Not only are they learning gymnastics skills, but they’re learning strength and coordination, how their bodies move, and how to take calculated risks to gain confidence. It’s not quite as structured, and is more free-form movement.”
Wickel said the benefits of getting your children involved with gymnastics are limitless.
“It’s going to teach them self-confidence and time management,” Wickel said. “We make sure we’re setting them up for success. The confidence gained from setting and achieving goals follows these kids for the rest of their lives, creating physical and emotional health. It’s so important for our well-being to physically move. Kids need a physical outlet to express themselves, and parents tend to see a happier and more emotionally stable child after they’ve had a gymnastics class.”
Families interested in gymnastics or NinjaZone classes, preschool and big-kid open gyms, or KGA’s First Stop academic preschool program, can learn more at kgagym.com, or by calling 502-254-1010.
