High School Gymnasts On Bolingbrook Team Can Now Compete In Meets

BOLINGBROOK, IL — High schoolers will now be able to train and compete with the Bolingbrook Park District Illusions Gymnastics Team now that it has transitioned to the Amateur Athletic Union (AAU).

Prior to this year, members of the Illusions team could only compete in meets until they graduated eighth grade, the Bolingbrook Park District said on its website.

Laney Haupert, team manager who assisted in the decision to transition, said the switch will offer "a whole new opportunity for gymnasts in Bolingbrook that wasn't previously available."

"Anytime we’ve had gymnasts who want to continue with the sport in high school, we could only assist them with their skills individually, but not provide them with an opportunity to compete all the way through high school," Haupert said. "It’s very exciting to see what our team will be able to do with the added years."

The Illusions team's conference within the AAU Central League will be the Gymnastics of Illinois Junior Organization (GIJO), which is comprised of 29 other teams and will allow Bolingbrook to compete against top competition in the state and potentially travel across the Midwest, according to the website.

Making the change to AAU "adds an element of credibility to Bolingbrook Park District gymnastics," the website said, as the nonprofit, created in 1888, is known for promoting and facilitating 41 different sports for amateur athletes.

"AAU will bring about a lot of exciting changes to our program," Haupert said. "We are excited to see what our gymnasts do with the added years of training and how they stack up against the added competition."

The Bolingbrook Illusions Gymnastics Team is an award-winning team comprised of gymnasts ages 6-18 that trains in the gymnastics gym of the Annerino Community Center (201 Recreation Dr.), the website said. The gymnasts compete at meets in the vault, balance beam, uneven bars, and floor exercise events.

The next session begins the week of Aug. 23 and gymnasts can sign up for classes by visiting Bolingbrook's Fall Digital Program Guide here. Haupert can be contacted with more questions at lhaupert@bolingbrookparks.org.