Amongst the hustle and bustle of every day life, sometimes you need to stop, look around, and think, “Why do I do what I do?” or “What inspires me?”. Many times, we allow ourselves to become overwhelmed and frustrated, and we forget to remind ourselves of our passions and to be encouraged by them.
At Barron Gymnastics, we have 30 teachers that lead busy lives, but they walk through those Barron Gymnastics doors and know exactly “why they do what they do”. Not only do they know, but they live it out through their actions as they teach with strength, compassion, motivation, and care. They teach with heart.
You may see them spotting, laughing, flipping, and encouraging your child in the gym, but there are many qualities about our teachers that make their lives quite busy:
- One full-time teacher.
- One collegiate gymnast.
- Two collegiate cheerleaders (SLU and Lindenwood).
- Three nursing students.
- Three individuals that are getting their degrees in special education.
- One occupational therapy major.
- Two associates of the St. Louis Sports Commission.
- 10 high school students including a Level 7 competitive gymnast, 4 top ranked track athletes, officers of STUCO, high school cheerleaders, and those that have volunteered on mission trips in different countries.
While they fill their lives with the time consuming and often stressful roles that are listed above, a certain spirit rings true when they talk about their teaching jobs at Barron Gymnastics: “When I am at the gym, I don’t even feel like I am working.” Working with our students is a sweet escape from the craziness that lies outside of these fun and entertaining doors. We get to take a step back and teach children that are excited to learn and have fun. We get to work alongside some of the best people that we know; people that have become family. We get to teach kids that look up to us.
This past Christmas, the Barron Family wrote a special note to the staff as a thank you and to remind them of how special their passion is to the children that they teach. We read each of the following lines aloud to them:
Why We Do What We Do
1. For the smiles when they achieve.
2.For the help we give them when they look lost or frustrated.
3.For the look of new-found confidence that develops from an activity that we created for them.
4.For the scared glance when they are falling and that deep breath when they know
they are safe because you were there and talented enough to catch them.
5. For those times when we say to an athlete, “I’ve got you”, and without
hesitation, they go.
6.For giving children a direction and your own “twist” on things.
7.Your influence is spreading all over. All of the lessons you teach go with
these children as they grow and touch other people.
8.You are in a special sport.
9.You are working with special young people.
10.You are making a difference in their lives now and as they grow older.
Thank you for giving our teachers a reason to proudly state, “This is why we do what we do.”
