GAGE turns the big 3-0

Al Fong wiped the sweat from his eyes as he grilled a couple of dozen hot dogs in the parking lot at the Great American Gymnastic Express (GAGE) in Blue Springs.

Despite the heat that soared from the coals, the nationally acclaimed gymnastics coach managed a smile.

“Never,” Fong said, “never – in a million years – would I expect a turnout like this. This is very, very special.”

Hundreds of people visited the 50 business tents that surrounded the gym, giving GAGE a state fair atmosphere as Fong and his longtime staff celebrated 30 years of coaching in Blue Springs Saturday afternoon.

When they first talked about the birthday bash, GAGE employee Sheri Mesh called a few business associates and the Blue Springs Chamber of Commerce, hoping to get 20 to 30 tents on site.

She had to shut down the requests at 50.

“This is amazing,” said Mesh, as she walked through the GAGE parking lot. “None of these are GAGE people – which is just wonderful. We wanted the people in and around Blue Springs who had never been to our site to see what GAGE is all about, and I think we accomplished that today.”

Churches, energy drinks, health clubs, T-shirt manufacturers, vitamin and skin-care products and even Independence’s new professional hockey team, the Mavericks, were represented at the birthday party.

Onlookers took part in face painting and a dunk tank. A clown made balloon animals and there was even a booth to test your hockey skills as music and merriment filled the air.

“This is just too awesome to describe,” said 20-year GAGE coaching veteran Wally Meierand. “It makes you take a look back at the last 20 years. My goodness, I’m coaching the sons and daughters of kids I coached when I first came here.

“I’ve coached collegiate All-Americans (former Fort Osage standout Russell Czeschin, who was an All-American at the University of Oklahoma), lawyers (Joey Hoflander and Will Comer) and have a former student at the United States Naval Academy (Brian Quinn).

“There are too many great moments to name them all, but none of us will ever forget the 2004 Olympics where Terin (Humphrey) won an individual silver (on the bars) and she and Courtney (McCool) were on the silver medal team. I remember that like it was yesterday.”

As if on cue, Humphrey looks wide eyed and amazed as she walks toward the massive grill that is keeping Fong and Meierand busy.

“There was nothing like this when I started,” said Humphrey, a recent University of Alabama grad who was 9 when she started training with Fong at GAGE. “This is pretty amazing.

“No one even knew what gymnastics was back when I first started. I’m so happy for Al and (his wife) Armine. They deserve this. They have worked so hard for such a long time. And it’s great to see so many people from the community take part in this birthday celebration.”

GAGE’s 30th birthday celebration came about by a chance conversation.

“I was at a meet in St. Louis and some of the people from the gym I was visiting said they were about to celebrate their 30th anniversary,” said GAGE business manager Karla Grimes, who has been a member of the staff the past 15 years.

“We got back to Blue Springs and started talking and it was like, ‘This is our 30th birthday. We need to start making some plans.’”

Mesh took care of inviting the community businesses, Fong contacted many former gymnasts (please see column) and everything just fell into place.

“This morning, when all those black clouds were rolling in, Al asked me if we had a backup plan,” Grimes said. “I told him, ‘Al, there’s no backup plan. Just pray that it doesn’t rain.”

The rain stayed away and more than 2,500 area residents took part in the celebration.

“I feel sorry for anyone who tried to buy a wiener or package of hot dog buns in Blue Springs today,” Fong said, chuckling, “because we bought out Hy-Vee and Price Chopper. We started with 340 hot dogs and had to make a couple of trips back for more wieners and buns.”

Fong said the success of Saturday’s event means that GAGE could soon share every birthday with the community.

“We want to make this an annual event,” he said, as he slid a grill full of hot dogs into a container on a picnic table as a ling of new GAGE fans a block long waited anxiously.

“Thirty years ago, I wondered if I could make a living as a gymnastics coach. Back then, times were different. It was almost like youth baseball or football is today – a mom or dad would serve as a coach.

“I was this newcomer in town and some parents took a chance on having me work with their children and the rest is history.”

He paused for a moment, put a handful of dogs on the grill and added, “Talk about living the American dream.”