Dear Parents and Gymnasts,
I truly believe the University of Washington is the place for your son to continue his gymnastics. Only 12 NCAA funded programs remain in the country. Each offers limited slots, strict NCAA rules, and worse – a gymnast may be relegated to a non-competing squad.
Our program removes these barriers. Everyone matters – we have no “second tier” squad. Furthermore, as a team funded by volunteer work, our members leave the program with camaraderie based in experiences that extend beyond the gym. We know our program positively impacts our gymnasts because they continue to support us and their community decades after exiting the podium.
This lifelong dedication starts with our belief that a college education is important. We are not funded by the University of Washington, but we are registered as a student organization. This frees us from NCAA rules, allowing us to set our own eligibility requirements, which are structured to teach responsibility:
- Gymnasts must pass a minimum of 12 credits per year at a Community College or University, OR…
- Gymnasts may petition to compete if they are in a non-traditional educational opportunity that leads to a long term career, such as apprenticeships, certificate programs, etc.
- Attend all practices.
- Participate in fundraising activities.
The Washington Men’s Gymnastics team offers two different types of scholarships to help with tuition, and doesn’t require UW main campus acceptance to compete. For example, gymnasts may attend a community college where credit hours are less expensive. Furthermore, since most prerequisite classes are similar to the UW’s offerings and most credits transfer to the university, students wanting to transfer find this to be an excellent way to make the jump.
We train five days per week at Cascade Elite Gymnastics in Mountlake Terrace, 15 minutes north of Seattle, and practice is scheduled to avoid conflicting with most school schedules. Gymnasts are free to compete All-Around or specialize in events.
Our team competes in at least three NCAA meets annually, and we continue a vigorous rivalry with other GymACT teams, particularly Arizona State.
Our program is strong and continues to produce top-caliber gymnasts. Examples include Mike Williams, who in 1993 became the first American to compete a triple-back on Floor Exercise. In 2002, Husky Jeff Johnson placed 8th on rings at the World Championships in Hungary, and in 2005, Jeff Crockett pioneered a double-twisting Jaeger that had not been seen in competition.
The WMGF
The Washington Men’s Gymnastics Foundation (WMGF) works as the financial backer for the team. It promotes the program and raises funds for the team. When the University dropped Men’s Gymnastics funding in 1980, coaches volunteered their time to keep the team going. In 1994, the WMGF formed to formalize this tradition. Since then, we have transformed the program into a goal-oriented, thriving and stable organization consisting of former gymnasts, friends of gymnastics, and parents.
Our goals include short-term annual fundraising as well as long-term goals such as developing a robust recruiting process and building our own junior program. Other activities include running the annual Washington Open, publishing regular newsletters, maintaining the team website, operating a scoring service for other meets, offering scholarships to the team’s gymnasts, and coordinating other fundraising activities. We achieve all this through volunteers who meet monthly to accept new tasks and plan future actions.
Join the Team
Our team offers you the chance to continue gymnastics with a spirit of dedication and volunteerism that builds a strong body and strong principles. Download the application below! If you have further questions or want to join us for a tryout practice, please email our head coach Eli Richardson: elirichardson89@gmail.com.
Start your application: Download and submit the Team Application.
Sincerely,
Mark Russo
Program Coordinator
Washington Men’s Gymnastics
“Since the team isn’t funded by the school we worked for the majority of finances that are required for us to compete. It was an incredible life lesson I took from my years on the team. That is, being required to work for something you want as opposed to just having it given to you. The hard work we did brought us closer together as a team and emphasized the importance of our competitions because we were working to be able to compete. On top of that Mark Russo was an incredible coach for me. The technique and strength he taught me made me not only a better gymnast, but also a better acrobat when I joined the circus. I know my time with the team helped me to grow as a person immensely, and the integrity and hard work it instilled in me helped me as a performer and just in general with life. I wouldn’t trade my years as a UW gymnast for the world.”
– Sam Softich (2008-2011)
“UW Gymnastics has had a dramatic impact on my life. Of course workouts and training schedules helped develop discipline and a good work ethic, and I have made lifelong friends through the team and its supporters. But being part of the team during the years we developed into a self-sufficient club was probably the most significant and incredible learning experience I had in college. Organizational skills, people skills, and perseverance through adversity, were all lessons learned by running the team. It was great training for the business activities that I continue to manage today.”
– Matt Lyum
“The impact of my time with the team was definitely positive. First, just being a part of this group of determined people who were working together on this mission, of both performing at their athletic best, and putting in the effort required to sustain the team’s existence. Evening enduro workouts, setting up equipment for women’s meets, ushering Husky football games … everyone did it with a sense of duty and without (serious) complaint. It was a great example to learn from and be a part of.”
– Craig Magaret (1992-1995)
“Being a part of the program meant you accepted everything that went with it; hard work, dedication, a lot of overtime, and sacrifice. It’s a unique program in the very small community of men’s gymnastics. Every male gymnast has had to work hard and make sacrifices for what they have, but at UW it’s more than that. Anyone who has been a part of this program has been changed forever. What Mark helped create and continues to develop is not just a gymnastics team; it’s an institution that makes you into a better person through dedication to its ideals. My fondest memories of my time with the program are those of team unity and unselfishness, not individual awards or accomplishments.”
– Ryan Welborn (1996-2001)
“Being a team member taught me how to be successful in all aspects of life; accountability, responsibility, integrity, and following up your words with action. It taught me how to prioritize and manage my time, and to push through and finish the job no matter how tired I was. The work put in by Coach Mark, Dr. Hughes, the Board, our donors, and all of my teammates made me into the person I am today.”
-Franklin Stutevoss (2011-2015)