FEATURE
PHOTOS COURTESY OF HEAD OVER HEELS
Head Over Heels offers gymnastics, ninja, and aerial silks classes for a range of ages.
Gymnastics MORE THAN
Children and adults find fun, friends, and fitness at Head Over Heels BY LAUREN H. DOWDLE
From forward rolls and cartwheels to ninja moves and aerial silks, Head Over Heels offers classes for all ages. The gym first opened in Birmingham in 1979, and Ann Williams and her husband, Craig, purchased it back in 2001. They also had business partners, C.J. and Mary Grace Laird, join several years ago In addition to gymnastics classes, Head Over Heels also offer cheer tumbling, ninja classes, and aerial silks/circus arts classes. There’s something for preschoolers all of the way up to adults. “People come to gymnastics for so many reasons,” Williams says. “We want them to have a great experience whether it’s for their first class or one of our other ninja skills or aerials classes.” 12 Bham Family May 2021
Gymnastics isn’t only a fun activity, but it can also help support child development with coordination, agility, balance, locomotor skills, strength, and more. “It’s amazing how much it helps them,” Williams says. “There are little movements that they’re working on that we don’t’ even see them working on, but gymnastics helps them develop those skills faster.” For the younger students, parents assist their children during the class, helping them get used to the gym and program. The parent/child tumbler class, for example, is for children ages 2 to 3 years old. Their instructors guide parents and children through fun warm-up games and stretching. Then, the children can try activities on mats, CONTINUED ON PAGE 13
