Development Department

Mia Vercruyssen MAT

Interim Department Chair

Sponsorship

We cannot function without contributions made by our sponsors. This is especially true for our Seniors Exercise Classes (which are free to participants over 80), elite athletes (who have international travel that they must fund themselves until they are old enough to be on the US Senior National Team when they are subsidized), and the maintenance of facilities that are used by everyone. Much thanks goes to our current sponsors. Please consider becoming one yourself.

Donations

We are grateful for whatever contributions you can make, whether monetary, items, or services.

Silent Auctions

Thank you in advance for assistance in planning and conducting these activities. Also, thanks for items you donate or arrange to be donated.

Academy Needs

A list of Academy has been developed… Most important right now are three areas:
Supplies and Equipment: Whether new or used we greatly appreciate receiving construction materials (lumber, hardware, electrical, plumbing), home electronics, office equipment, gym equipment, and labor in development and maintenance of these items.
Programs: Many of our programs survive because of the generous contributions of volunteers and financial donors. Please consider getting directly involved with one of our programs. You can make a big difference.
Specific Needs: Donations are received for individuals to train and participate in special events (e.g., individual athletes to participate in national and world-level events that they normally couldn’t afford).  Likewise, seniors on limited income and families who couldn’t normally afford tuition get help.

Volunteers

We are always in need of volunteers. Thank you in advance for phoning to volunteer. 842.5642

Mission and Objectives

Our primary objective is to promote programs that motivate participants to better understand the importance of maintaining one’s health, fitness, and wellness throughout life. We conduct research to investigate the impact of fitness on functional abilities across the lifespan and we involve Academy members as participants in our longitudinal study of fitness and as student researchers. We integrate the human sciences (e.g., anatomy, physiology, biomechanics, kinesiology, nutrition, motor control, ergonomics, and human development) in all our activities. We also help design and encourage the use of assistive technologies to extend the years of effective functioning.

We want the Academy to serve as a second home for the family… as a place that promotes exercise throughout life, for each generation, in a safe environment that facilitates cooperation, group and individual motivation, determination, respect, and well being. We aspire to achieve excellence in our programs but more important than rapid skill achievement is breadth of application and development of personal values and training attitudes that generalize across activities, throughout one’s life. We hope to involve as many age groups as possible — we especially want to have children watching their parents and grandparents exercising so they plan to be active for their entire life.

Trampoline Gymnastics is our major sport program and we want to effectively train talented performers, but most important is that our gymnasts find ways to continue participating long after retirement from competitive career, however young that might be. We promote adult and senior participation so that our current children see themselves as future active adults.

Areas of Excellence

We aspire to have excellence in all of our programs. However, we wish international acclaim in research, senior exercise and gerontechnology, and competitive trampoline gymnastics.

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