Meet Tawny Smith of The Tumble Club in Burleson

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tawny Smith.

Thanks for sharing your story with us Tawny. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I was lucky enough to go to college on cheerleading scholarships. I attended Navarro College and Sam Houston State University as an athlete on both of their coed cheer teams. In college, I had always dreamed of owning my own gym someday. I had worked as a coach for a couple different gymnastics gyms, but had always envisioned a facility that just focused on power tumbling. After college, I became a teacher and a varsity cheer coach. During the summers, we would host Summer Cheer Camps for the kids of Johnson County as a fundraiser for the high school cheerleaders. The fundraisers/cheer camps were such a big hit that the parents really encouraged me to open a facility where the kids could get the training year-round. I love to share my passion for gymnastics, cheerleading, and dance with others. The kids, teens, and parents who attend The Tumble Club form a close bond. It is a family atmosphere; we all encourage each other to be the best athlete, dancer, and friend that we can be.

Has it been a smooth road?
Starting a business from the ground up is never easy. Luckily, I have had the support of my friends and family along the way. Finding the right coaching staff, with a strong loyal work ethic, is hard to do in our day and age. However, Nathan Stepp is our Head Coach and the backbone of TTC. Nate has worked for TTC for 10 years and is definitely a gym favorite. His experience, expertise, and leadership has helped The Tumble Club to grow into what it is today. We have a lot of amazing coaches that have helped many cheerleaders, dancers, and gymnasts reach their goals.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the The Tumble Club story. Tell us more about the business.
The Tumbling Club is a training facility that focuses on Power Tumbling. We offer:

Preschool tumbling
Beginner tumbling
Intermediate tumbling
Advanced/Elite tumbling
Boys Only Agility classes
Coed stunt class
Jump class
Cheer Prep
Private lessons
Birthday parties
Summer Cheer Camps

How do you think the industry will change over the next decade?
The sport of cheerleading gets more competitive each and every year. 20 years ago, kids could try out for cheerleader at their school and it was basically a popularity contest; there was no real athletic skill needed to make the team (in most cases).

That is not the case today. Most middle schools and high schools now require strong tumbling and dance skills to even tryout. If a participant cannot throw a back handspring, back tuck, and/or a running tumbling pass they will find it very difficult to make a JV or Varsity team. If an athlete aspires to be a collegiate cheerleader, they must be able to do a standing back tuck and a running tumbling pass that includes a full or double full.

Females also have to have experience with flying (top girl) in a partner stunt. Males have to be able to base in a partner stunt. These are not easy tasks, and it is getting more difficult every year with the more daring tumbling passes and stunts that teams stick at competitions. The expectations and requirements go up every year.

So, if a parent wants to help their child make their dream of becoming a high school cheerleader, all-star cheerleader, or college cheerleader come true… they will have to start them in tumbling and stunt classes at a very early age.

Pricing:

• 1 class per week- $55 per month
• 2 classes per week- $95 per month
• 3 classes per week- $135 per month
• Birthday Parties- $195

Contact Info:

• Address: The Tumble Club
  2393 SW Wilshire Blvd..
  Burleson, TX 76029
• Website: TheTumbleClub.com
• Phone: 817-426-5624
• Email: tawny@thetumbleclub.com
• Facebook: TheTumbleClub@TTCFamily

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