Youth fitness is an important component of community recreation, and the equipment you choose for these programs is equally important. American Athletic, Inc. (AAI) manufactures high-quality, engaging gymnastics equipment — mats, training pits, parallel bars and much more — perfect for youth programming and development.
Here, Karen Mihalek, the recreation coordinator at the Arrillaga Family Gymnastics Center in Menlo Park, California, shares about the facility’s strong partnership with AAI and how they’ve helped enhance Arrillaga’s youth fitness programming with a variety of mats and obstacles:
How were you introduced to AAI and why did you decide to partner with them?
KM: We use all their equipment. Our facility is, with the exception of a very few mats, all AAI.
How has AAI helped improve your youth fitness offerings?
KM: AAI has helped us by providing an assortment of different types of mats that have enabled us to offer a variety of different experiences for younger children. Our preschool instructors have been able to be creative in placing different obstacles on and around competitive equipment because of the variety of mats.
How would you rate AAI’s customer service and support?
KM: AAI’s customer service and support is amazing. The representative who works with us is great — she has helped us get beams recovered, sent someone to repair our floor, and worked with us to get the best value for our budget.
Why should other community rec professionals consider working with AAI?
KM: The customer service is great and the product is great — it takes a great deal of use and remains in good shape. We have had our equipment and mats for seven years and we are only now having to replace some of the mats and bars on the uneven bars — that in itself is a great testimonial.
For more information, check out AAI’s full suite of gymnastics equipment here.
