March/April1986 team and three more earn college scholarships. Impressive, but even more so given the Parkettes' humble beginnings . Their first home was the third floor of a fire hall , their second, a renovated barn plagued by pigeon droppings and arctic breezes. "The first cold spell we had, someone gave us an old wooden stove for the barn," Bill recalls. "The wind would come down, blowout the stove and blow smoke all over the place." Stops at a small private school and a dimly-lit church basement followed. The next move was a big one, to a run-down Allentown burlesque
theater called Symphon y Hall. "The old theater was on the first floor," says Donna, "and we renovated the second and third floors. It was a mess. One time plaster fell off the ceiling and just missed one of the girls who was practicing vaulting." That was 1979 and time for a decision - before the roof caved in . Should the Parkettes grow or stand pat? Class rolls numbered 500, a good base for an y gy mnastics school business . And the Parkettes team (by now, a non-profit organization) was growing in reputation, having already had an Olympian in 1976 alternate Jodi Yocum
and their first United States elite champion on floor exercise and balance beam. Another move was risky, building a new facility almost ludicrous. "Bill and I could have gone along our merry way," Donna said. "We could have gotten a facility half this size and still had classes for 1,300. But that's how dedicated we are to producing national and international level competitors . We really stuck our necks out. We could have lost everthing. But that's the chance we took so that we could service not only the top-level Olympic aspirants, but the six-year-old beginner, too."
Elites Not Main Concern, But Successful
S
ince 1971, the Parkettes elite program has had at least one, and as many as 12 women gymnasts qualify for elite nationals. During that time they have had at least one, and as many as eight competitors on the national team. And over the years more than three dozen Parkettes (girls) and Gymnastrum (boys) team members have earned college scholarships. Quite an accomplishment for Parkettes co-directors Bill and Donna Strauss and Gymnastrum coach Larry Moyer. Some of the more noteworthy Parkette alumnae include Jodi Yocum, an alternate on the 1976 U.s. Olympic team; Gina Stallone, a member of the 1983 World Championship team; Heidi Anderson, a silver medalist on floor exercise in the 1979 Pan American Games; and Tracy Butler and Cindy Rosenberry, members of the 1983 Pan Am Games team. Currently, the Parkettes have three seniors ranked in the nation's top 20: Jennifer Sey (No.3), Tracy Calore (No.5) and Jennifer Greenhut (No. 20). And two team members are among the nation's top 10 juniors: Hope Spivey (No.3) and Alyssa Solomon (No. 7) . USA Gymnastics
Tracy Calore is one of the current USGF national team members spawned from the Parkette's farm. Here she is pe!J0rming on beam as a member of the 1985 Worfd Championship team. (USGF photo 1985, by Dave Black).
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