Competitive Gymnastics
Competitive gymnastics at Unify is one of the most challenging and rewarding paths a young athlete can pursue, with new cohorts recruited each spring and summer and a training approach that builds far more than strength and resilience; as athletes advance through each level by developing essential soft skills, they grow into confident individuals with strong integrity, exceptional communication, and compassionate teamwork, all supported by a uniquely flexible program that adapts to each athlete’s abilities, goals, and circumstances.
To learn more about joining our competitive program, please contact us directly.
Our Programs
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Pre-Team is an invitational program for younger gymnasts ages 5-7 who aren’t quite ready for competitive gymnastics but have potential to develop their skill in that direction. Pre-Team meets three hours per week and offers more time focusing on detail and basics than a standard recreational class does. Pre-Team does not guarantee a move to competitive gymnastics, and is also only one of many paths to competitive gymnastics at Unify!
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AAU is a division in gymnastics that offers tons of fun and flexibility. This program is not as rigid in its skill and strength requirements and therefore does not demand as much time or financial commitment as other divisions! With shorter practice times, it is a perfect way to explore a passion for gymnastics alongside other activities.
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XCEL: XCEL gymnastics in North Carolina and Region 8 is among the highest caliber in the country.
The XCEL program has six levels (Bronze, Silver, Gold, Platinum, Diamond, and Sapphire). The program provides an excellent opportunity for each gym to build a program that matches its own goals. At Unify, every USAG gymnast will complete Bronze through Gold in the XCEL program, before having an option to switching to the Optionals Program (see below). Upper Xcel levels (Platinum through Sapphire) allow us to develop routines that play to the strengths of the individual.
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The Men’s Artistic Gymnastics Program runs levels 3-10. These athletes develop unparalleled strength and agility across the six events: Vault, Floor, Still Rings, Horizontal Bar, Parallel Bars, Pommel Horse. Levels 3-5 are the foundational levels where everyone is developing the same, well-rounded set of skills. Beyond that, routines are designed to highlight the strengths of each gymnast. The wide range of skill options at higher levels truly showcases the intersection of art and sport.
At Unify, we have flexible pathways for every passionate athlete
In many traditional gymnastics programs, training is built around the coach’s goals rather than the athlete’s, leaving little room for gymnasts who don’t fit a predetermined mold — a practice that has extinguished passion and pushed countless talented young athletes out of the sport far too early.
At Unify, we design our program around each gymnast’s individual goals, allowing fluid movement between divisions (AAU, XCEL, Optionals) as athletes grow; every season we reassess where they will find the ideal balance of challenge and success, ensuring that whether a gymnast seeks fun, fitness, and balance with other activities or is fully committed to reaching the highest levels, there is a supportive path for every hardworking, passionate athlete.