Concordia Turners

Two kids win in AAU national meet

Stefan Dumas

Two young members of St. Louis' Concordia Turners athletic club last month won national team membership at the AAU national tumbling and trampoline competition in Tampa, Fla.

Eleven-year-old Stefan Dumas of the City of St. Louis was named to both the AAU National team and the Stars of Tomorrow team. He won AAU honors for intermediate tumbling and Stars of Tomorrow honors in the double-mini and full-size trampoline.

Alyssa Been

Ten-year-old Alyssa Been, also of the City of St. Louis, won a berth on the Stars of Tomorrow team. She won her honors for work on the double-mini.

Jeri Inman of Oakville is the long-time tumbling and trampoline coach at the Concordia Turners School of Physical Training. The private club was established when German immigrants were looking for ways to promote family fitness.

Alyssa is a 4th grader at St. Ambrose Catholic School. She started tumbling lessons as soon as her family joined the Turners in 2003.

Both she and her older sister, Samantha, were among the eight Turners kids who competed in last month's AAU nationals. The Turners contestants ranged in age from 3 to 16.

Stefan is a 5th grader in the St. Louis Charter School. He started his tumbling at age 5 at the St. Louis YWCA. But, his family joined the Turners four years ago because it had a more complete gymnastics program and equipment.

Both Alyssa and Stefan have more in common than just the national team honors and membership in the Turners.

When asked what they'd like to do for a career, both said they'd like to be teachers and gymnastics coaches.

The Concordia Turners - back row (l to r): Samantha Been, Morgan Longland, Kelsey Hyatt, Katie Siebert; middle row (l to r) Alyssa Been, Stefan Dumas, Reagan Roderique; front row: Abbie Rogers

Membership on the national team is for a two-year period. They automatically are entered in future national meets. Also, they get to perform "half-time" entertainment at future U.S. Trampoline and Tumbling Assn. and AAU events.

In addition to getting award plaques, the winners got national team warm-up and competition attire.

Upcoming USTA events are the 2007 USTA nationals in Daytona, Fla., and the 2007 AAU Junior Olympics in Knoxville, Tenn.

Both kids said earning national team honors were their best tumbling experiences.

For Alyssa, this was her second solid showing in a national meet. Two years ago, she won gold as a beginner in a meet in New Orleans. But, maybe the best part of that trip was that the family left New Orleans just a week ahead of Hurricane Katrina.

Alyssa said the hardest part of her double-mini routine was keeping from over-rotating on her half-turn move.

(The double-mini trampoline is rectangular apparatus with the leading half forming a ramp for the approaching athlete. Most competitive moves involve bounce and maneuver off the ramp, then another bounce/maneuver on the level portion onto the landing mat.)

Stefan said his best event is on full trampoline. "But, I like the double-mini the best."

(To learn more about various AAU programs, visit http://eteamz.com/aauozark.)

Both kids take part in other sports.

Alyssa said she plays both soccer and volleyball at school. Stefan said he participates in basketball and baseball at the YWCA.

He admits that he also likes to play with his pets. At this time, he has two dogs and two cats. One of the cats is a Bengal breed "that has markings like a cheetah," he said.

The Concordia Turners facility is located in south St. Louis at 6432 Gravois. The local society was founded in 1875 and moved to a facility at 13th and Arsenal two years later.

Building of Interstate 55 necessitated moving to the Gravois location in 1962. It's been there ever since.

The building has two gymnasiums, two handball/racquetball courts, a weight room, a sauna, an outdoor swimming pool and a sand volleyball court. The club also has dining facilities and rents out its hall for social events.

The physical fitness activities include swim lessons, aerobics, dance and kung-fu. The Concordia children's team has won the Presidential Physical Fitness Award for the state of Missouri for three years and placed second in the U.S. in 1998.

For more information about the Concordia Turners, call (314) 352-9388.