In the News!

Perfect Balance: Gymnastics preschool opens in Stoughton near Canton line
By Phil Salisbury/ Correspondent
Friday, September 15, 2006 - Updated: 10:09 AM EST

A new, innovative gymnastics program hopes to teach children while still allowing them to play and most importantly - have fun. Perfect Balance is a new gymnastics school which will begin four levels of instruction in September. The program will share the facilities with All Star Cheer and Fitness on Page Street. Perfect Balance will incorporate learning as well as the gymnastic components. "This is different from a regular gymnastics program because this program has an academic structure," "Not only are they learning in a preschool atmosphere, they’re getting a fitness benefit as well." Perfect Balance had an open house last Saturday to give children an opportunity to use the equipment and for parents to learn more about the programs. There was also face-painting and slushies for the children. Proceeds from the event were donated to Children’s Hospital.
Programs start for children as young as 18 months in a parent assisted program, and continue for children up to 6 years of age. "In each program that I have , it is academically structured for that age group," "We start with the simple skills for young children and then progressing up to the 5- and 6-year-old group with more involved preparation for kindergarten and first grade. One local mom said she learned about Perfect Balance through conversation with the director. "It’s an age group that hasn’t been tapped into as far as gymnastics programs," "I think that’s fantastic because you’re always trying to engage a child as early as 18 months." The facility has a long trampoline, springboards, hula hoops, parallel and uneven bars, and other mats for the children to climb and jump over. Meely Cooper, 4, said she loves to get exercise. "I’m having fun running and jumping," she said. "[My favorite is to] jump on the trampoline." According to the brochure, all staff is USA Gymnastics certified and have passed a CORI criminal records check. Perfect Balance also prides itself on having small class sizes. "At a preschool age it’s very important for children to have that individual attention, not to be in a big program," "Our classes are very small, to make sure they get a lot of individualized attention." Local mom said she thought it was important for young children to develop gross motor skills like they would in Perfect Balance. "It’s important for children to have multi-sensory opportunities to learn their gross motor skill," she said. "This program is very unique because it integrates a lot of the gymnastic components that kids typically want (to exert their energy) also with the educational piece to it." All the programs run on eight week sessions and will have five sessions to coincide with the school year. Want to go?? Perfect Balance is located at 378 Page St., #13, in Stoughton. For more information call 781-344-2900.