Advanced: Training Center Spotlight--WOGA

WOGA (aka World Olympic Gymnastics Academy) could not have a more fitting name. Not only is it the home gym of not one, but two Olympic All-Around Champions (Carly Patterson and Nastia Liukin), but this unprecedented success has attracted gymnasts from all over the US, hoping that WOGA could work the same magic with them that it has with its past 30+ National Team members. Its pull is so strong that 2008 Olympic Team alternate Ivana Hong left the coach she trained with since the beginning of her career to train at the gym. Yes, there was a falling-out between her and her ex-coach Al Fong, but she could go anywhere in the US. And this move showed us what she had on her mind before she even told us: She wants to try for the 2012 Games. Because, as the record shows, that's where WOGA sometimes takes you. And in the cutthroat world of elite gymnastics, "sometimes" is irresistible compared to the "slim to none" other gyms can offer.

Founded in 1994 by Valeri Liukin (1988 Olympic All-Around Silver medalist and High Bar Gold medalist) and Yevgeny Marchenko (5-time World Champion in Acrobatic Gymnastics), it has become less of a gym and more of an empire, with locations in Dallas, Plano, and Frisco (Texas, where everything is bigger--even its sports. Maybe especially their sports).

In fact, WOGA is so big (just to put this into perspective), they are the first gym (that I know of, correct me if I'm wrong) that doesn't just settle for having its name announced along with the gymnast's. Nope, just in case we weren't already aware of the big name behind their athlete, it's spelled out in sparkly rhinestones on the sleeve of their leotard:

Trust me, I went through Google with a fine-toothed comb trying to find a good, full-on picture of it, but this was the best I could get. Anyway, this is Ivana Hong at the Covergirl Classic. You can just see the logo on her left shoulder. I've watched a lot of gymnastics, but I've never seen a gym advertise themselves so blatantly on their leotards. Sure, certain gyms, even whole countries, are known for consistently picking the same color leo. For example, Parkettes (another US national training center), prefers to stick to red, white, and blue, while up until the last Olympics, Australia competed in purple. You know what I mean: It's subtle. This isn't subtle. The name of the gym is reserved for the warm-up jackets the gymnasts wear before competition and after during the medal ceremony, not during.

But (and you can see how undecided I am about how I feel about this gym, just by that little concession), then again, why wouldn't they shout out their name to the world every chance they get? I mean, they earned it. Even if you don't make the Olympics with WOGA, chances are excellent  you will collect accolades similar to the following alumni:

Holly Vise -- 2003 World Uneven Bars Champion

Ivana Hong -- 2009 World Balance Beam Bronze medalist (and that's just her first year at WOGA!)

Rebecca Bross -- 2007 Pan American Games Floor Champion, 2009 World All-Around Silver medalist

So, I'll admit it, I'm excited to see what future gymnasts WOGA will pump out. And I'll leave it at that. It's a great gym with great coaches and great gymnasts.

Let's just hope it doesn't get too big of a head.