In a world today that is dominated by violence, destruction, hardships, hatred and protests, it’s been hard to find the light in the darkness. One might think that with such things knocking on our doorsteps, that it would slow one person down and perhaps even cause missteps. But, this is anything but a story built on violence and protests. This one is more of hardship and dedication. Of struggle and overcoming. Of positivity and guidance.
You see it only takes one spark to ignite a fire, but it takes intensity and passion to watch it burn.
Where there is a dream, there is possibility. And with possibility, there is hope. And with hope there is potential and with potential there is stride. Stride can lead to many things, but most importantly, it can lead to pursuing the dream and pushing past all obstacles to see it survive and prosper.
I know this incredible entrepreneur—I have the privilege to call her my friend, but most importantly, she is an inspiration to my daughter. It takes a lot of courage to put all your faith into starting your own business. I know because, my husband and myself have done that. There is the possibility of failure and disappointment, but there is also the chance to soar and for my friend, against all odds, she has done so and so much more.
In 2013, she took a leap of faith. She wanted to inspire young athletes. She wanted to be apart of their dreams and so with nothing more than her passion and drive, she began building her own dream. It wasn’t easy and there were days that she almost walked away from it all, but when your heart is filled with such passion to succeed, the impossible becomes the possible.
Overcoming doubt and fear, she did what many said was the impossible. She opened her own gymnastic training facility where she could continue with her love of the sport by coaching our youth. Gymnastic Dreams has become the dream for many athletes in the short few years it has been open. I’ve never met someone with so much creativity, drive and passion. Her love for her gym, athletes and the sport of gymnastics is inspiring. Gymnastic Dreams is so much more than a gym, for some, it’s a way of life.
For her, this is her livelihood and through the crisis of this pandemic, when all odds have been stacked against her, she has persevered by all means necessary. On March 16, 2020, Gymnastic Dreams closed its doors for what was believed to be not longer than a few weeks. That few weeks however, became months. Six actually, as of now, which is only increasing the longer our state government holds its grip on our livelihood.
Unlike many gyms around our great state, Gymnastic Dreams is small. With only 45 athletes on it’s 2019-2020 competitive team and with less then 10 employees, it is overlooked in many aspects. But Gymnastic Dreams, despite the smaller standards, isn’t a gym that hasn’t made an impactful impression on judges, coaches, and other gymnastic competitive teams. With many of Gymnastic Dreams athletes on the winning podium and teams taking home first placements, it’s a wonder why this gym has been overlooked when really, it shines so brightly.
Though with their impressive trophy collection, there are obstacles in these last months that have made it a scary reality and possibility that Gymnastic Dreams wouldn’t be reopening its doors. As a family owned and operated gym, Gymnastic Dreams focuses on the families of its athletes because they understand the importance of family. Having four children herself, all ranging in the ages of 10 to 2, it is understandable how she sees Dreams as an extended part of her family and with that, upon closing the doors of Dreams for the COVID-19 pandemic, monthly tuition for competitive team families was suspended. Relying on faith and patience, Dreams applied for every loan, grant and government assistance that was offered with little avail. The reason, simply because of the size of her gym and the number of participants—because it is a small team and recreational program, it has been overlooked even by its own city.
Dreams took to collecting returnables and a fundraising campaign started by one of her team parents. For weeks, returnables have been dropped off at the gym or without complaint she has driven to homes, businesses and just about everywhere in between picking up any returnables offered to help keep the gym afloat. When you have no income coming in, no tuition that your gym is used to relying on monthly, there is nothing to pay bills. Many think that because a business savvy woman, like herself, would be just rolling deep in green, but that simply isn’t true.
Nothing of Dreams income ever goes home to her family. She uses every cent to keep the gym thriving and sometimes forfeiting some of her own to help a family in the gym that might be struggling with finances, illness and even going as far as to continue training gymnasts when payment hasn’t been made in over a year. Her heart is pure and genuine and if she could give you the shirt off her back, she would.
She works so hard for her athletes and families never once letting them see her not smile. She always has a kind work or an upbeat attitude no matter what is happening around her. Her first priority is always her athletes and their success and happiness. Having spent years herself training in a gym with coaches that weren’t always rainbows and sunshine, she has made it her mission to never allow an athlete to believe they are not cared for and they can do anything they set their minds on. She does all of this without being told, without asking for anything in return and sometimes without respect. Above all obstacles, she will never allow herself to be defeated which is why, she is such an inspiration.
Nearly three years ago, when the world of gymnastics for my daughter was crumbling down around her, it was Dreams who saw the potential in her. Losing a gym family, a gym family that you have been apart of for nearly seven years is devastating. Having to find a new gym to call home that is welcoming and loving, is hard and a struggle. Coming into a new team late into summer training is intimidating. Having to learn a new gym, new team members and coaching styles is a challenge for any athlete, but for mine, it was particularly challenging. Her confidence was shot. She felt as if she wouldn’t belong anywhere after being told her seven years of training was all wrong and she was heartbroken to be seeing her team being spilt apart and the moving on without the team coaches that had been her constant companions since she was four.
After visiting other gyms in our area, none of them had been a fit for her. She was intimidated by some of the coaches, at others it was the athletes. We weren’t quite sure what to expect with Dreams—after all, the gyms we had visited where greedily excited to capitalize on the closure of our gym. They gave the impression that were just another monthly payment in their pockets, nothing gave us hope. But Dreams, they knew nothing of our gym closure, I believe I was the first to tell them as she was very surprised, understanding and also hurt for our daughter having to experience the losing of her gym and teammates. She instantly invited us to her gym along with a few others from our gym. We were nervous. On our drive there. I remember my daughter wondering aloud if the coaches would like her, if the girls in the gym would welcome her, if the gym itself was the right fit—I should have known just by the one phone call with Dreams, that it was going to be the best and most perfect place for her.
Within three hours we knew. We left there and instantly decided (without even speaking with my husband) that Dreams was our home, her place, Dreams was going to be the gym that gave her, her dream—a gymnastic college scholarship. Many coaches had laughed at that when she expressed her goal to them, breaking her hope and aspirations, but Dreams, not once did they tell her she couldn’t. In fact, they told her that if she wanted it, hard work, dedication and determination were needed. But if she could believe in herself and come to practice every day with that drive, Dreams could get her there.
My daughter has spent 20 plus hours in the gym with her coaches the last two years. She started with only 12 hours a week that quickly climbed as her drive became more evident. She takes private lessons every week and attends extra conditioning on the one day off she would have from the gym. She wakes up every morning with gymnastics on her mind and goes to sleep with those dreams of hers. The confidence in her as soared since we’ve been with Dreams. I’ve seen a side of my daughter I didn’t know existed. And it’s all because of a coach and gym owner who saw her and those dreams, the very same dreams she had always had and her name is Diane Coccia.
These last six months have stripped our tiny, but mighty gymnast of that confidence that she had all those months ago. Being away from her home away from home has made her miserable, nearly unbearable to be around at times, if I’m being honest. The girl she was at her last competition in March is slowly slipping. Before my very eyes, she is losing every ounce that makes her, her. Now, I understand how that sounds, a parent believing that a sport is the only thing that gives her real joy, and while my daughter has many passions in her life, nothing is as strong as gymnastics. Her previous gym saw that in her at only 3 years old, placing her on pre-team at 3 1/2 and she began competing at 4.
When you have something that makes you feel you—something that pushes you to be better and inspires you to do your very best and keep trying no matter the outcome—you fight for it. And when you lose it, well, a piece of you falls along with it. I never once thought that I would be facing these turmoils with my daughter. I never once considered ever watching her losing the bright light that has shone in her eyes. I never once thought that I would be holding her tight at night with her tears staining our pajamas as I tried to reassure her that her dreams were not slipping away day by day.
But are they? I don’t want to be that parent that says they are, but each day she is away from gym, it seems as if they are. And I can honestly say, that as her friend and partner in crime, that these past few months, Diane has felt her own dreams slipping away each day her gym is not functioning. Like my daughter, Diane’s passion lies within the gym. It’s where she was always meant to be and not being there—it’s breaking her heart. It’s breaking mine to. It breaks for my daughter who struggles and it breaks for my friend who struggles.
That’s why I thought it was time I told a story. A story that isn’t my own but that of a woman who despite it all, continues to fight as she is overshadowed, over looked and under appreciated. Diane continues to work for her athletes and their families in so many ways.
Standing in long lines every morning to return her $25 returnable allotment. Starting numerous online campaigns, taking to the streets of our city, reaching out to news media (she won’t boast about it, but I will) to doing everything in her power to get her girls back into their gym. She is our silent Hamilton, working quietly and diligently, being overlooked and overshadowed by those bigger than her. It doesn’t slow her down at all—she keeps fighting asking for very little in return—except maybe to be heard, maybe to be understood and maybe to be respected not just in the gym world but by all those she loves so passionately in return. We are all struggling—we are all trying to figure things out, make ends meet and do what’s right by our kids. Somedays are easier, some days aren’t. Some days a business has to be ran and friendship or no, those bills have to be paid. Respect needs to be given and earned, trust established and the fine art of being human must be paved.
Gymnastic Dreams and Diane Coccia has given so much to my family. She has given my daughter drive, courage, passion and a fire. She has given me friendship, happiness, a place that I can call myself apart of, most importantly, she has given both me and my daughter the strength to carry on. To push forward, to never give up despite the obstacles. She has given us a home at her gym, a family outside our own and a piece of her heart.
She is a remarkable woman.
She is a daughter, a sister, a mother, a wife, a coach, an advocate, a judge, an inspiration and a business owner.
She is Gymnastic Dreams and Gymnastic Dreams is her.
And I am her bulldog. My bite is much bigger than my bark and I will continue to fight for her, gymnastics and my daughter, because besides being a mother, I’m a friend and that’s what friends do.
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