Loui Janecky will be honored Friday during a special celebration at the Los Alamos School of Gymnastics for her 40 years as director of the school and her many contributions to the world of gymnastics. Courtesy photo
Los Alamos School of Gymnastics families gather in 2001 to celebrate Loui Janecky’s 20th year as director. Photo Courtesy LASG
LOS ALAMOS SCHOOL OF GYMNASTICS NEWS
Scenes from past decadal celebrations showcase the warm, family environment Janecky has created for the children of Los Alamos since her arrival in 1981. Across the decades, she has nurtured hundreds of girls and boys to find significant athletic success at state and regional level gymnastics competitions.
In the early years of her coaching tenure, Los Alamos Sunburst Gymnastics (as the program was known then) often sent several girls to annual state competitions.
After fundraising in the mid 1980s resulted in a dedicated facility on North Road (the site of LASG today), the program has continued to grow and routinely sends more than a dozen girls to compete annually in both state and multi-state regional meets.
Janecky’s influence has literally spanned generations. Former athletes often return to enroll their children into the program. A Sunburst gymnast from early in Janecky’s career, Susie Murphy, was the All-Around Silver Medalist for Level 3 state competition in 1982. Thirty-six years later in 2018, her daughter Hannah Gram’s Diamond Level Team brought home the Gold Medal at the state competition.
While the men’s competitive gymnastics program has been smaller over the years, Janecky’s program has turned out men’s state champions and been a significant training ground (for both girls and boys) for diving talent on Los Alamos High School’s (LAHS) swim and dive team. In fact, LAHS divers with training from LASG have held the school’s diving record for more than 20 years.
Throughout her journey, Janecky has played an active role forging progress in gymnastics on the national scene as well. In 2012, she was a key advocate for the creation of an alternative competition track (Xcel) within USA Gymnastics. This program is geared toward providing athletes possessing a variety of skill and commitment levels the opportunity to engage in a rewarding gymnastics experience. Many gyms that service smaller communities across the nation, like LASG, have enthusiastically embraced this new national level program.
Janecky became the first regional chairperson for Xcel Region 3, which includes several states (New Mexico, Colorado, Texas, Wyoming, Kansas, Arkansas and Oklahoma.) In her role as Region 3 chair, Janecky spearheaded a proposal of guidelines for conducting remote competitions safely under the pall of the current pandemic. Her proposal was reviewed, and subsequently adopted by the national USA Gymnastics program. This innovative approach to distance competition allowed athletes across the nation to safely continue building their skills and their teams, while also providing work for a community of gymnastics judging and coaching professionals.
Beyond her efforts to deliver a top-notch competitive gymnastics environment for Los Alamos, Janecky has maintained a variety of recreational and after-school childcare options for the community. In the order of a thousand Los Alamos youth have fine-tuned their balance, body coordination and mental toughness through the well-rounded fitness programs developed by Janecky.
With B.S. degrees in physical education, health, and recreation with a minor in English composition, as well as a M.A. in education administration, Janecky has developed a summer sports program that both entertains and challenges. Youth in the program participate in gymnastics instruction but also are introduced to a diverse set of team and individual sports (soccer, baseball, badminton, golf, tennis, roller blading and more). In addition, a variety of outings have been undertaken, each designed to engage the kids in their Los Alamos community (summer movies, outdoor pools, boating at Ashley Pond and the Aquatic Center, horse riding at North Mesa stables, mini golf at East Park and more).
From her earliest months on the job, Janecky has been a strong advocate pushing LASG to actively involve itself in Chamber of Commerce events, community parades and county services. In 2011, the U.S. Commerce Association selected LASG for a “Best of Los Alamos” award, which is given in recognition of small companies that enhance the positive image of small business through service to their customers and community.
Members of the 1982 Los Alamos Sunbursts Level III competitive gymnastics team. Susie Murphy, right, and her daughter Hannah Gram (at right in the bottom photo) are just one example of several families with two generations of LASG gymnasts. Courtesy/LASG
The 2018 Los Alamos School of Gymnastics Diamond competitive gymnastics team. Hannah Gram, right, daughter of LASG gymnast Susie Murphy. Photo Courtesy LASG
Loui Janecky oversees tumbling practice at Ashley Pond circa the mid-1980s. Photo Courtesy LASG
Los Alamos Sunburst gymnasts line up for a community parade in 1982. Photo Courtesy LASG
LASG summer sports camp participants enjoy an outing at Walkup Aquatic Center with boating and swimming in a reserved area of the pool. Photo Courtesy LASG