Tyler Yegerlehner
Any time someone mentions any kind of acrobatics, like a back handspring or front flip I immediately revisit my childhood. I went to a gymnastics place after school that doubled as a daycare. It was my favorite place in the world. I even think about finding out if Jeff still runs it, and if he does I would love to visit the place that had created such a wonderful time for me. Not to brag or anything but I’m very good at gymnastics to this day.
Jeff was the owner and after school sometimes if I needed help with my homework I could go to him. This is when I truly began to understand math. I was in trouble with a particular chapter and he helped me through it. He was a great guy, but he could get mad if he needed to. I think that my friend Derrick and I convinced, or was a major contributor to the fact that Jeff decided to make a sweet game room. It was awesome when it was done. Donna was his mother and she also worked there. She mainly took care of the kids and worked the concession. She was kind, but if you made her mad she’d rip your head off. Nobody messed with Donna.
Jose was “The” instructor. He was around twenty three and of Mexican descent. He had long hair and could pull any trick you could think of. He taught me everything I could do. I guess I was kind of his protégé. He taught me how to do a back full and a double back on the trampoline, how to run up the wall and do a back flip off that, all kinds of things. And he taught me how to tumble on the floor. Strangely enough he also helped me get rid of my athlete’s feet.
I had the most fun there. It was my favorite place to be. It was quite a big facility. As soon as you walked in on your right there was Donna at the concession stand. Straight ahead was a few clothing materials for gymnastics you could buy. Further to the right of the concession stand was a hallway that led to a few rooms for home work and video games. You entered the actual gym by the concession stand. It was a wooden door that I loved to walk through because as soon as you walked into the gym you were on mats. Straight ahead about five feet away were six balance beams. Turning to the left to be looking parallel with the beams was the main floor straight ahead. Walking about the length of the beams then turning left you were met with a short wall that you had to hop to get onto the platform with the five trampolines. The first trampoline was as big as the other four combined. That’s where everyone got together and played popcorn. Thank goodness that this place had a high ceiling because if it didn’t people would be smacking it when we played popcorn.
Now the next four trampolines were my four favorite things there. I particularly like the first of the four which was the first on the right. They were two by two lengthwise. The first had the most memories. For example, when Jose first started teaching me to do a double back flip I experienced some pain. I got scared the first time and tried to pull out to early and it was a bad jump anyways so I came down and cracked my head on the metal at the back of the trampoline. I had to go to the hospital and get it fixed. They, meaning the administration, knew I was a handful, but they liked me. Another time I was hurt on that trampoline was early in the morning. In the morning Jeff, Donna and Jose had other things to attend to, so a few other kids and I would always play tag on the trampoline platform. Well Derrick and I landed on the first trampoline which is closest to the edge of the platform and I was rocketed off the platform and landed on my back. Jeff heard the thud and came running. I swear that was the longest I’ve ever not breathed in my life.