Thornton's Gymnastics Center

Help us celebrate our September Coach of the Month: Coach Eliza! 🥳💙 Eliza brings so much kindness, patience, and positivity to our preschool classes. She is incredibly reliable, always eager to learn and grow, and most importantly she truly cares about her little gymnasts. We’re so lucky to have you on Team Thornton’s - congratulations! 🏆👏🏼

10 Years of Thornton’s -Part 3: Meet Todd (cont’d)

From the first day, the boys had so much energy and genuinely wanted to learn. I quickly discovered that I had a passion for coaching gymnastics that was just as strong as my passion for competing. I had coached camps and clinics previously at International Gymnastics Camp, Woodward Gymnastics Camp, and with friends at CATS in Boulder, Colorado, but coaching those boys showed me that this was something I wanted to pursue seriously. Kim and I met in 2008 when she was coaching and managing the office at the same gym. What immediately impressed me was that she wasn’t just a great coach, she understood how to run a gym. She had the experience and knowledge to work with every program and age group, connect with kids, communicate with families, and understand the many aspects of operating a business. We spent two years working together, became friends, and eventually became more.

In just a few years, the gym’s boys program became one of the stronger competitive programs in the state. I earned my first coaching award as South Texas Compulsory Coach of the Year, and soon after, one of my athletes made a Junior National Development Team. Our boys continued to succeed at the State, Regional, and National levels, and I was determined to give them every opportunity to continue improving. When I asked the owner of the gym about making improvements to the facility, I was willing to financially contribute and arrange various fundraisers for the equipment. The response was that when the time came, they would help send the athletes to another gymnastics club better suited for higher level training. The program I built had outgrown its gym and we began working toward creating what we’d always talked about. Kim and I, in partnership with my former coach, opened Houston Elite Gymnastics in 2014. Later that year, Kim and I got engaged. We set our wedding date for 2016 without knowing that another big change in our professional lives would happen that same year.

After two years operating our first gym, Kim and I decided to offer a buyout of our partnership and create something that was truly our own. In August 2016, Thornton’s Gymnastics Center opened with just nine boys. Three of those original nine eventually earned the opportunity to compete at the Division I college level. One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is having an athlete qualify for and compete at the USA Championships, something only a small number of programs in our area have accomplished. Following the success of the boys program we built, we began growing our girls competitive program. Since then, we have had numerous State and Regional Champions, and I take a lot of pride in seeing our athletes finish at the top at every level and division in which we compete.

But the wins aren’t what make me most proud.

My priority has always been the personal development of the athlete. We genuinely care about every child who walks through our doors, from the beginning of their gymnastics journey until the day they decide to pursue another focus in life. Having experienced the highest levels of competitive gymnastics myself, I understand the demands and outside pressure that can be placed on young athletes. That experience has shaped my coaching philosophy and strengthened my belief that gymnastics should be a safe, nurturing environment where athletes can develop skills, confidence, discipline, and life lessons that will serve them long after they leave the gym. I’ve seen firsthand the effects of a “win at all costs” mentality, and I would never wish that experience on anyone. Progress and success are important, but they should never come at the expense of the athlete as a person.

Since then, we have had the privilege of working with and developing more than 4,000 students while building a family of our own. Our two daughters have grown up in the gym and have been part of this journey from the beginning. One of the most special moments for me was watching our girls dig in the dirt at the site of what would eventually become our current gymnastics facility. They were literally a part of building our new home, and I hope one day they understand just how special that is.

In addition to coaching, Kim and I have hosted 11 Invitational competitions and 2 State Championships together. I served as the Texas Men’s State Chairman from 2019–2023. We have had the opportunity to work with thousands of athletes and families, and every year we continue to learn, grow, and find new ways to make our gym better.

Looking back over the past 10 years, I don’t think the story of Thornton’s is really a story about gymnastics. Gymnastics is what brought us here, but the people are what made it meaningful. The athletes who trusted us. The families who believed in us. The coaches who have grown alongside us. The friendships that started in a gym and became lifelong relationships. And, most importantly, the opportunity to build something alongside the person I love and raise our daughters in the community we created together.

I may not have become an Olympian, but gymnastics gave me something I never could have planned for. It gave me a career I love, a passion for coaching, incredible athletes and families, a wife who shares the same values, two daughters who have grown up in the gym, and ultimately, Thornton’s Gymnastics Center.

Ten years later, I am incredibly grateful for the journey that brought me here, and even more excited about where the next chapter will take us.

10 Years of Thornton’s – Part 2: Meet Todd

I was born in Casper, Wyoming, the youngest of four sons. I started gymnastics at the age of 7 with one of my older brothers. I quickly progressed through the recreational program and was eventually sent to a gymnastics school after my coaches recognized that I was learning skills unusually fast. When I was 9, my family relocated from Aurora, Colorado, to Clear Lake, Texas, and I continued pursuing gymnastics. By the age of 10, I had made my first national team.

Gymnastics presented some unique opportunities as well. While still in high school, I was approached about being a stunt double for the movie Rushmore, which was to be filmed in the Houston area. They needed a gymnast with my physical description and somehow I ended up on a movie set with Wes Anderson, Jason Schwartzman, and Bill Murray. I was a huge Bill Murray fan, so when we were touring the set and he asked if I could do a back flip, of course I did one for him. My role was to perform a tumbling series for Jason Schwartzman’s character. After two hours in makeup, we filmed the scene over and over again on a basketball court. I did about 10 back handsprings per take and ended up with a stress fracture in my foot! When the movie came out, I watched it on the big screen with friends and family. Moments like that are things you learn to appreciate even more as you get older and realize just how unique and special they are.

During my time as a gymnast, I became a Junior National Champion, Senior National Champion, won Winter Nationals and the U.S. qualifier, and eventually began competing internationally for Team USA. I competed in 14 international competitions in Japan, Ukraine, China, Australia, Mexico, Brazil, France, Scotland, Belgium and Canada. One of my most successful international competitions was in Canada, where I won three gold medals, including the All Around, along with a silver and two bronze medals. Traveling the world as a young athlete was an incredible experience, but gymnastics taught me much more than how to compete. It taught me discipline, perseverance, how to handle pressure, how to deal with disappointment, and perhaps most importantly, how to keep moving forward when things don’t go the way you hoped.

One of the toughest moments of my gymnastics career came during the 2004 Olympic Team selection process. I finished fourth in the All Around at the U.S. Championships and fifth at Olympic Trials, placing second on Floor Exercise and third on High Bar, two areas where the U.S. team needed strength. Based on the results from the selection competitions, I would have been part of the strongest potential team for the 2004 Olympics. However, that year the team was selected by a committee that ultimately decided on the six-man team. I was not selected. Being named an Olympian would have been life-changing, and at the time, missing that opportunity was incredibly difficult. But I didn’t let it bring me down. Instead, I used it as motivation. Less than a year later, I won the U.S. Championships and earned a spot on my second World Championships team. I learned to focus on the things I could control, and that mindset has served me well ever since.

While training and competing, I explored interests outside of gymnastics and spent two years living and training at the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. I worked for the U.S. Olympic Committee giving athlete-led tours of the facility and served as an athlete ambassador for the 2008 Olympics. In 2008, I competed in my final gymnastics competition in my hometown of Houston. I led the country on Horizontal Bar after the first day but ultimately did not earn enough points to advance to the Olympic Trials. I continued working in gymnastics as a contributor for Inside Gymnastics magazine, helping cover the 2008 Olympic Trials and traveling to Beijing to cover the 2008 Olympics. When my competitive career ended, I moved back to Houston and began looking for my next chapter. I applied for jobs and eventually took a temporary (haha) part-time job coaching boys gymnastics.

That group of boys changed everything.

* See part 3 for Todd’s story continued *

10 Years of Thornton’s – Part 1: Meet Kim

When I was 15 years old, I began coaching recreational gymnastics classes part-time after school. The oldest of 3 girls, I always enjoyed working with children. As a competitive dancer, gymnast, and high school cheerleader, discipline, perseverance, responsibility and strong work ethic were engrained in me from an early age. Setting goals, putting in the work, pushing through setbacks, and experiencing both achievements and disappointments have shaped my approach to coaching and working with children. Through high school cheer, I continued working in the gym, growing as a coach and working with different levels and age groups. In addition to coaching, I took on management roles and became an integral part of daily business operations.

Todd and I met in 2008 when he began working at the same gym. We spent two years coaching together and realized we shared the same values, approach to coaching, and vision for what a dream gym could be. After nearly 10 years in the gym, I was ready for the next chapter. I had developed the experience and confidence to build something of my own and knew I wanted to challenge myself further. I wanted the opportunity to build the program, culture, and elevated gymnastics experience I had envisioned. At 27 years old, I took a leap of faith and we opened Houston Elite Gymnastics. Together with Todd’s former gymnastics coach, we began our journey as business owners. Earlier that spring, I had made the Houston Texans Cheerleaders team as a rookie. There were long days, very little downtime, and a lot to learn as we built a business while I continued my career with the Texans. (Yes, we must have been crazy.) Saying life became a whirlwind that year would be an understatement. Little did I know, that whirlwind would still be going strong 12 years later!

After two years growing our first gym, we were ready to spread our wings and level up again. Todd and I sold our share of the partnership of our first gym and began plans for what would become Thornton’s Gymnastics Center. As luck would have it, a space was available in League City that was already set up for a gymnastics facility. After several weeks of deep cleaning and repairing what was left from the previous tenant, Thornton’s Gymnastics Center opened in August 2016. By this time, I was in my third season with the Houston Texans, and 2016 was the biggest test yet.

It is so rewarding to work with children every day, support our gym families, create a safe and welcoming environment, and pour my years of knowledge and experience into our staff. What has kept me passionate after all these years isn’t just gymnastics itself. It is the opportunity to watch a child walk into the gym unsure of themselves and, over time, become stronger, more confident, and proud of what they can accomplish. One of the primary reasons we wanted to build our own gymnastics business was to create a training environment that truly supports athletes as people. In addition to developing our athletes safely, ethically, and respectfully, we have been intentional about helping them grow in confidence, character, and kindness. The sport of gymnastics has a bit of notoriety when it comes to culture and the old-school approach to coaching. Todd and I are unwavering in our desire to change what gymnastics training looks like. I am grateful every day to have had the faith, courage, and maybe a bit of craziness to believe in what we were building. Now as a parent of young children myself, I am able to operate from many different perspectives as we continue to evolve and mold our gym into a special place for our community. Ten years later, I am more grateful than I could have ever imagined for the opportunity to do something I love every day, alongside the people I love, while watching generations of athletes grow up in our gym. - Coach Kim

This week's Throwback Thursday is especially meaningful. As we celebrate 10 years of Thornton's Gymnastics, we're looking back at the boys who helped build our competitive program. Many of these athletes spent (and continue to spend) countless hours in our gym, chasing goals, celebrating victories, learning from setbacks, and growing up right before our eyes.

One of the greatest rewards has been watching some of these same boys come full circle and stand beside us as coaches. Seeing former athletes now mentoring the next generation, some even while continuing to compete themselves, is something that is so special.

To all of our boys team families, past and present, thank you for trusting us to be part of your journey. You have helped shape the story of Thornton's Gymnastics and were some of the first families to help us get the gym running.... and then running again after Hurricane Harvey flooded us. We are so grateful for you and the 10+ years of support you have given. Here's to the memories made and the many more still to come.

Flashback Friday 💙

As we celebrate 10 years of Thornton’s Gymnastics, we’re looking back at some of the families who have been part of our journey from the very beginning.

Watching children grow from little gymnasts into confident people has been one of the greatest privileges of the past decade. Many of these families have trusted us with multiple children, and seeing them continue to grow with us is something we never take for granted.

This week’s flashback also celebrates Coach Jessica, who has been with us since our very first gym. Over the years, she’s impacted the lives of so many children and families, and she’s so much more than a coach, she’s family. We’re incredibly thankful she’s been part of this journey from the very beginning.

Want to share your favorite Thornton’s memories with us? Email your photos and stories to [email protected] 💙✨

As we celebrate 10 years of Thornton’s Gymnastics this August, we’re taking a trip down memory lane! 🎉

Over the coming months, we’ll be sharing some of our favorite memories from the past decade, from old photos and special moments to milestones that helped shape who we are today.

This isn’t just our story, it’s yours too. Every gymnast, parent, coach, and staff member has been part of these memories, and we can’t wait to look back and celebrate everything we’ve built together.

Thank you for trusting us with your children, cheering from the sidelines, and being part of the Thornton’s family. ❤️

Here’s to 10 years of flips, friendships, laughter, and unforgettable memories… and we’re just getting started.

🥳PARENTS NIGHT OUT!🥳
➡️All participants must be pre-registered through our events calendar: ThorntonsGymnastics.com/news-2

We’re hiring for the upcoming school year!
To apply, please email your resume to [email protected] 🤸‍♀️🤗

Congratulations to all of our Mini Olympians that performed through several sessions this weekend! 👏🏼🏆