Photo By Michael Strasser | Children build balance, agility and strength with help from Coach Gabbie De Leon...... read more read more
FORT DRUM, N.Y. (Aug. 12, 2025) -- Children are getting stronger, improving their balance and flexibility, and growing confident through recreational gymnastics at the Fort Drum Child and Youth Services’ Sports and Fitness Center.
When an expanded program starts in September for children 18 months to 13 years old, there will be even more opportunities to build these skills.
Gabbie De Leon, CYS fitness specialist, led a gymnastics class in May and June, and then coached two summer camp sessions to reintroduce a program that had been unavailable to all age groups since the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
“I’m excited that we can bring this back for Fort Drum families,” De Leon said. “I had heard a lot of good things about the gymnastics program before and that it was very popular. We just want to start building it back up again and get some of the older kids to come back.”
De Leon, a former Division I gymnast at San Jose State University, joined Fort Drum CYS in January 2024.
“Gymnastics has always been a part of my life,” she said. “I started when I was 18 months, and I pretty much kept with it until college. I think it’s the fact that it was something I could always progress in and learn harder skills. There’s always room to improve and keep growing.”
The program includes a Parent and Tot class for children 18 months to 2 years old, focusing on motor skills. The Tiny Tot class for 3-year-olds, and the Tumble Tot class for 4- and 5-year-olds develop coordination, balance and motor skills while kids become familiar with the different gym apparatuses.
“I think all kids should at least try gymnastics, especially when they are younger,” De Leon said. “It helps with their motor skills, it helps their agility and strength, and also their confidence. Even if they play other sports like soccer or basketball, gymnastics will help with their fitness and coordination.”
Parents can bring children ages 3 and 4 to play on the gymnastics equipment – not available on playgrounds and other playrooms on post – by registering for the Open Play class.
Children, 6 to 13, can sign up for Beginner Gymnastics and Intermediate Gymnastics.
“In the beginner class, we focus on the fundamentals of gymnastics such as handstands, cartwheels and pullovers,” De Leon said. “That usually takes a year or two to master, depending on how consistent they are. Then they can go into intermediate class where they build off those core skills and work on the more difficult things like roundoffs and back handsprings.”
De Leon said she looks forward to helping Fort Drum family members develop skills and build their confidence in a non-competitive environment.
During the Gymnastics Summer Camp, Lucy Portune, 6, leaped across the trampoline with ease and practiced backward rolls on the mat. Then she climbed on the balance beam, where De Leon instructed her to hold her arms up high while bending over on one leg.
It was tough, and Lucy showed some fear attempting the movement. De Leon knew that feeling all too well.
“I remember as a kid always being scared about the balance beam,” she said. “But it ended up being my strongest event because you learn to push past the fear and then you become confident in your abilities.”
Moments later Lucy would be encouraging her classmates during another exercise, saying, “You can do it!”
“She really loves gymnastics,” said Vanessa Portune, Lucy’s mom. “Part of it is just the controlled physical activity. It was just about finding a sport that matched her, but also the right learning environment. Gymnastics just works for her.”
Portune said that Lucy goes home after gymnastics class and practices some of the routines in the living room. Both Lucy and her younger sister Ashelynn have learned gymnastics from De Leon, and Portune hopes to enroll them both in the fall program.
“I was seriously waiting for CYS to drop the new calendar for gymnastics,” she said. “It was perfect, and it will get through the winter.”
This is the second time the Portune family has called Fort Drum their home. At their previous duty station, Lucy had attended a gymnastics class for a few months until the instructor relocated from post.
“I didn’t want to send her to an off-post gym because she doesn’t want to do gymnastics to compete,” Portune said. “It’s not realistic, and it’s not in our budget. So, when we found out we were coming to Fort Drum, the first thing I did was to see if she was old enough for the gymnastics here.”
Portune said they felt comfortable immediately with the classes coached by De Leon.
“We love Coach Gabbie,” she said. “Both my girls have different temperaments and the fact that Gabbie has been able to connect with all these kids in different age brackets got me really excited. I feel like the kids are really safe with her – that’s why I’m able to sit here and just knit, knowing they are learning safely and having fun.”
Josh Herzig, assistant sports director, said De Leon has the experience and capability to help rebuild the gymnastics program for the Fort Drum community.
“Gabbie has been a great coach, instructor and mentor for the children, and we can’t wait to see what she’ll bring to the Youth Sports and Fitness Gymnastics Program in September,” he said. “She has a great amount of experience teaching to youths of all ages, and we hope that more Fort Drum families will take the opportunity to come learn the sport of gymnastics with her.”
For more information about the Gymnastics Program, call (315) 772-6718 or stop in the CYS Sports and Fitness Center, Bldg. 10790 on Chapel Drive. Family members can also stay current on the latest activities at www.facebook.com/FortDrumYouthSports.
| Date Taken: | 08.12.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 08.12.2025 15:42 |
| Story ID: | 545443 |
| Location: | FORT DRUM, NEW YORK, US |
| Web Views: | 109 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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