Sparklehaus

SMGC Deconstructed

We have been tearing down the gym this week. It has gone pretty smoothly...but it is a lot of work.  I do not know how my dad is handling the physical labor all day and then he teaches classes at LASG aftwards. It has been like this all week. I already pulled a back muscle. My whole family has been there at all hours all week. I am the one with the most pain.... the other Lubers are apparently superstars!

Here are some photos I took of the teardown. It is so sad. I took pictures because I really needed it to feel real for me.  I just haven't totally accepted the situation yet. We still have to have all this stuff out of there in a few days. There is still a bunch a very nice mats, porta pits, a vaulting table, mini tramp, etc. There are some great mats that normally sell for about $1000 and they are in great condition...they go under the uneven bars but they could be used for anything....they rectangular and about 12 feet long. Call 310-838-4228 if interested or email alsgym@aol.com .

I was left alone in the gym for 10 minutes and instead of doing work I took some pictures.

Here they are:

 

Goodbye SMGC!

Santa Monica Gymnastics Center has closed it's doors. We had our closing party on Saturday February 23rd and it was a great party. Many faces, older and more recent, stopped in to express gratitude to my parents for all they have done. It was a very emotional night for everyone!

I will miss coaching my preschoolers more then anything. I adored teaching the youngsters and watching them grow up and go to kindergarten. It was so fun watching their personalities evolve after many years of being in my classes. It was very fun to teach children in a non traditional environment. I was their "fun" teacher for their "fun" class!

This week we are tearing  down the gym. It is hard labor and very sad. I just look out at the cement floor half covered in torn down equipment and dust. It is hard to believe that it is really happening. I have been in denial all week. I am going to miss my fellow coworkers so much! They are all such great people!

Here are a couple of photos from our party:

Santa Monica Gymnastics Center Reunion and Celebration Party!

As many of you know Santa Monica Gymnastics Center is closing it's doors after 35 years of business. We invite everyone to save this date: Saturday February 23rd from 3-8 PM! We are having a Reunion and Celebration Party and everyone is invited.  There is nothing special being organized.... it is just a chance for those of you who have spent time at SMGC to come in and play, reconnect, and catch up with others from years past. It is a great chance to come in and say good bye to some of your child's current coaches. If you are a current student you can find out where your child's teacher is going to be teaching.

It will be a pot luck-low key kind of event. We are going out of business so we can't spring for a fully catered affair :)  Please feel free to bring a dish, food or beverage donation! The more the merrier!

Feel free to bring friends and family! Our coaches are all looking forward to celebrating SMGC!

I do have another update:

My dad, AL Luber, will be joining the coaching team at Los Angeles School of Gymnastics. Heather Bryson has also been hired on at LASG. A few of our other coaches are helping with the transition of our students over at LASG. However, whether they are kept on beyond the initial transition phase really depends on the loyalty of our current clients. Many of our classes are transferring over to LASG in the same time slots. However, any classes with less then 3 students will not continue. If you wish to continue on at LASG please talk with your teacher to arrange a class at a different time or find friends to bring to your child's class. Many of our wonderful coaches will only have jobs as long as the classes remain full. Please support your teachers!

Many people have been asking me what I am going to be doing. I am not transferring over to LASG. My decision was very difficult. I love the staff I work with. Working for my family has been the best job I have ever had. It has not been without it's difficulties but it has been the most rewarding and fun job I have ever had. I joined up with SMGC about 5 years ago when I was in an unemployment slump. I was not thrilled about the opportunity but I was desperate for a job! I had been working a retail job for 3 years after college that stripped me of all confidence. It was a mind numbing existence. People treated me horribly and I really began to feel that I would never escape the world of corporate retail. I was interested in fashion design and art but went to college and graduated with a degree in Sociology. To this day I still do not know what I want to do with my life and I am okay with that.

Anyhow, this job teaching at SMGC evolved into a wonderful experience. The staff I have worked with for the last couple of years has been amazing. I have never worked with such a cohesive group of people who support each other and are teaching these kids because they love it. They are fun, nurturing, responsible, and most of all respectful towards each other and everyone around them. I am really going to miss working with all of them. My coworkers are my friends and it will be near impossible to find a great group like this again. I also love watching my dad coach. You know that feeling when you really see someone for who they are when they are in their element?  When I see my dad coach I see so much passion and knowledge flow out of him. I think that it the thing I will miss the most.

I chose not to try to get a job at LASG because I need to figure some things out for myself. I will be unemployed but hopefully not for long. I am open to suggestions! I have not decided whether I am going to go back to school to study Child Development or whether I will delve into the design/art/craft world.  It is hard because I am the person who works... so I can craft and sew.  I do not care much about money. I just want to be comfortable enough to pay the bills, eat, craft and spend time with friends and family. It is not that I am not ambitious. I am very ambitious. My ambitions lie more towards enjoying and appreciating every moment in life. I want to plant seeds of gratitude in moment and in every breath of my existence. If I have to work a less then glamorous job to cultivate the quality of life I enjoy then that is what I will do. I really believe in the idea of joyful effort. I do not have a life plan and probably never will. I found love when I wasn't looking and will probably find a job when I walk to the corner store to buy half and half and I am wearing pajamas and have sleepy crust in my eye! That is just the way my life works. My future remains unknown and my heart remains wide open and that is all I know for now.

I will really miss my students. I recommend that my students transfer to a different time or day and go with teachers Teri, Robyn, or Heather. Most of my students have had one or all of these teachers before. If they haven't, don't fret, they are great teachers! Each one of them is warm, compassionate, nurturing, and passionate about teaching your kids! Before you decide to try another gym besides LASG, I encourage you to try a class with one of these teachers first!

I will miss everyone! If any of my students or parents would like to remain in contact you can email me at carol.luber@gmail.com!