Aurora/Naperville Gym's Membership With USA Gymnastics Revoked

AURORA, IL — An Aurora gymnastics school’s membership has been revoked from a national governing organization for violating a rule, according to USA Gymnastics officials. The American Institute of Gymnastics in Aurora’s affiliation was officially terminated Oct. 11, according to an article from the Aurora Beacon-News. The gym is located near the intersection of Route 34 and Frontenac Street, and enrolls young athletes and preschoolers from Aurora and Naperville. The newspaper obtained an email from Toby Stark, the safe sports director of USA Gymnastics that says the American Institute of Gymnastics in Aurora is permanently ineligible for membership.

“The gym owners violated a requirement that member gyms don't associate in any way with a person who is permanently ineligible for membership in USA Gymnastics, said Toby Stark, director of safe sport for the national organization.” » more via Aurora Beacon-News

The article indicates that the revoked membership stems from a client coming in and attending a class with his child, noting that the client was not under any legal restriction whatsoever. Someone reported it to USA Gymnastics. Individual gymnast memberships still stand with the national organization, but if they belong to that gym, they won’t be able to participate in USA Gymnastics-sanctioned events.

According to a Sports Illustrated article published in July, Stark was hired by USA Gymnastics in response to a former federal prosecutor's recommendation to change the culture of the sport.

There was nothing on the gym's website or Facebook page that indicated the membership had been taken away. According to the school's home page, a second fall session begins Oct. 30. American Institute did not immediately respond to a message from Patch.com by the time this article was published.

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