Meet Andrey Sovenko

Welcome to Gymnastics Guide.

Gymnastics has been a major part of my life for more than three decades, including more than 12 years of continuous coaching experience in the United States.

My journey began as a young gymnast in Russia and eventually took me from competitive gymnastics and the Russian National Team to coaching and building my own gymnastics club in the United States.

Today, through Gymnastics Guide, I use that experience to help parents, beginners, athletes, and anyone interested in gymnastics better understand the sport, training, skills, safety, and the path to improvement.

My Journey in Gymnastics

I started gymnastics at a young age and spent many years training and competing at a high level.

Competitive gymnastics taught me much more than how to perform skills.

It taught me discipline, consistency, patience, attention to detail, and the importance of learning from mistakes.

Those lessons have stayed with me throughout my career and continue to influence the way I approach gymnastics today.

Russian National Team – 2003–2008

One of the most important chapters of my athletic career was becoming a member of the Russian National Gymnastics Team, where I competed from 2003 to 2008.

Training and competing at that level gave me firsthand experience with the demands of high-level gymnastics — from technical preparation and physical conditioning to competition pressure and the mental discipline required to perform consistently.

That experience became the foundation for the next stage of my career.

From Gymnast to Coach

After years as a competitive gymnast, I began working as a gymnastics coach from 2005–2026.

Coaching gave me the opportunity to look at gymnastics from a completely different perspective.

As an athlete, I was responsible primarily for my own performance.

As a coach, I had to understand how different athletes learn, how to break difficult skills into manageable steps, how to recognize mistakes, how to build confidence, and how to create a safe environment for athletes to improve.

Over the years, I worked with gymnasts of different ages and experience levels, from beginners taking their first steps in gymnastics to more advanced athletes working toward higher-level skills.

Coaching also taught me one of the most important lessons in gymnastics:

There is rarely one perfect approach that works for everyone.

Every gymnast is different.

Building and Running a Gymnastics Club

From Coach to Business Owner 2016 – 2023.

My experience eventually led me beyond coaching.

I founded and operated my own gymnastics club in the United States.

As a club owner, my responsibilities went far beyond teaching gymnastics.

I managed a team, worked with families, developed programs, handled day-to-day operations, and helped create an environment where hundreds of students could learn and grow.

At its peak, the club served approximately 500 active students and employed a team of approximately 10 people.

Running a gymnastics business gave me a broader understanding of the sport — not only from the perspective of an athlete and coach, but also from the perspective of parents, families, employees, and business owners.

In 2023, I sold the gymnastics facility as I moved into the next chapter of my career.

Why I Created Gymnastics Guide

After spending years inside gymnastics — first as an athlete, then as a coach and club owner — I realized that parents and beginners often have the same questions.

How old should a child be when they start gymnastics?

What should parents expect from the first class?

How many hours should a gymnast train?

What are the different gymnastics levels?

How can athletes improve safely?

Is gymnastics suitable for adults?

What skills should a beginner learn first?

And perhaps most importantly:

How do you know what advice to trust?

Gymnastics Guide was created to provide clear, practical, and easy-to-understand information about gymnastics.

My goal is not to make gymnastics more complicated.

It is to make it easier to understand.

What You Will Find on Gymnastics Guide

Gymnastics Guide is designed for people at different stages of their gymnastics journey.

For Parents

Learn how gymnastics programs work, what to expect from classes, how to choose a program, and how to support a young gymnast.

For Beginners

Understand the fundamentals of gymnastics, basic skills, flexibility, strength, training, and progression.

For Athletes

Find practical information about training, skill development, conditioning, flexibility, and improving performance.

For Adult Gymnasts

Discover how adults can safely begin or return to gymnastics and develop their skills at their own pace.

For Anyone Interested in Gymnastics

Whether you are completely new to the sport or have years of experience, my goal is to make gymnastics easier to understand.

My Approach to Gymnastics

I believe good gymnastics development is built on a few simple principles:

Build the foundation first.

Advanced skills become much easier when the fundamentals are strong.

Progress gradually.

Gymnastics is not about rushing to the next skill. Proper progression helps athletes develop safely and confidently.

Quality matters more than quantity.

Repeating a skill incorrectly does not necessarily make a gymnast better. Understanding technique and practicing correctly is essential.

Every gymnast is different.

Age, experience, physical development, flexibility, strength, confidence, and individual learning style all matter.

Safety comes first.

Progress is important, but it should never come at the expense of proper preparation and safe training.

Why My Experience Matters

There are many websites that provide information about gymnastics.

What makes Gymnastics Guide different is the practical experience behind the information.

I have experienced gymnastics from several different perspectives:

Athlete
I trained and competed at a high level and was a member of the Russian National Gymnastics Team.

Coach
I spent many years teaching gymnastics and helping athletes develop their skills.

Club Owner
I founded and operated a gymnastics club in the United States, working with hundreds of students and their families.

Educator
Today, I use that experience to create practical gymnastics resources for parents, beginners, athletes, and coaches.

What I Want Gymnastics Guide to Do

My goal is simple:

Help more people understand gymnastics and enjoy the sport.

Whether your child is preparing for their first gymnastics class, you are trying to understand the different competitive levels, you are an adult interested in learning gymnastics, or you are an athlete working toward your next skill, I want Gymnastics Guide to be a useful and trustworthy resource.

Gymnastics can look complicated from the outside.

But with the right information, the path becomes much clearer.

Explore Gymnastics Guide

If you are new to gymnastics, start with our beginner resources.

[Explore Beginner Gymnastics Guides]

Looking for practical training information?

[Explore Training & Skills]

Want to learn more about gymnastics for adults?

[Explore Adult Gymnastics]

A Final Note

Gymnastics has been a part of my life for most of my life.

I know how challenging the sport can be, but I also know how rewarding it can become when athletes have the right guidance, patience, and support.

I created Gymnastics Guide to share what I have learned and help make the gymnastics journey a little easier to understand.

Thank you for visiting Gymnastics Guide.

— Andrey Sovenko