Texas East Gymnastics

It was early March and Texas East Gymnastics hosted more than 700 athletes at UT Tyler’s Herrington Patriot Center for the 14th Annual Rose City Classic Invitational Gymnastics Meet.

“We had our invitational and then the next weekend, we were getting ready for the state championships to start and then everything stopped,” Texas East Gymnastics coach/owner Martin Parsley said.

The COVID-19 pandemic hit, and starting on March 16, Texas East Gymnastics, along with many other businesses across the city, state and country were forced to close.

“It was interesting to do something through your whole life and then all of a sudden, you can’t do it,” Martin Parsley said.

But while nobody could attend their facilities — located on Deerbrook Drive — the Parsleys got creative and offered classes online.

“Everybody was at their home, and the parents absolutely blew me away with the supplies they were purchasing for their kids,” coach/owner Stacy Parsley said. “Every morning we would get on there, and somebody else would have another piece of equipment.

“It was interesting to have to coach through a screen. It also put the responsibility back on them, and they did a fantastic job. It was a super unique experience.”

Before they were allowed to reopen, they had a couple of events their students could attend.

They did a drive-by so the kids could see their coaches, who provided them with goodie bags and medals, Stacy Parsley said.

At a later time, they set up an obstacle course outside and allowed families to come in 20-minute time slots throughout a three-day period.

Texas East Gymnastics was able to reopen on May 18 at limited capacity.

“We had to lower our ratio of kids to teachers,” Stacy Parsley said. “We spaced classes out throughout the day instead of having multiple classes atone time.”

The facility also designated entrances and exits and placed hand sanitizer at each station, along with using a fogger at the end of the night.

“We are definitely going to abide by all of the rules and regulations,” Stacy Parsley said. “We don’t want to jump the gun and then have to back track. I don’t think anybody wants that, even as excited and ready as we were to be back.”

Texas East Gymnastics has its competitive teams, which include Steelie King and Katie Kuenemann.

King is the daughter of Longview High School athletic director and head football coach John King and the sister of former Longview quarterback and current Texas A&M quarterback Haynes King. She has signed with Texas Woman’s University in Denton.

Kuenemann is a rising senior who is being recruited to compete in college.

“When everything stopped, she was unable to show them what she could do in what was a pivotal time for her,” Martin Parsley said.

Along with the competitive teams, Texas East offers several classes and camps.

This past week, they held a Nerf Wars Camp and a Baking Battles Camp.

Starting on Monday will be a Play Day Camp and a Ninja Warrior Camp.

Also this summer, they will host a Preschool Superhero Camp, a Slime Camp, Preschool Ninja Camp, Baking Battles Camp, Princess Camp, Jurassic Park Dino Camp, Gymnastic Camp, Animal Camp, Nerf Wars Camp, Frozen Camp, Superhero Camp, Cheer Camp and Princess and Pirate Camp.

For more information, visit texaseastkids.com.