The Best Tumbling and Cheer Experience for Your Family in Central Illinois
Tumbling & Cheer Training for Families
Technique Tumbling & Cheer Prep serves young athletes ages 3 to 18 throughout Normal, Bloomington, and McLean County, from first-time tumblers to competitive cheerleaders preparing for their next season. Whether your child is chasing their first cartwheel or working toward a back handspring combination, our gym gives them the space and coaching to get there.
Parents across Central Illinois choose us for classes that fit real schedules, coaches who know their athletes by name, and a facility built around safety, structure, and steady progress — not just another activity on the calendar.
How Enrollment and Class Placement Works
Getting started at Technique is straightforward. Families begin by completing our class registration and waiver form, either online or at our Normal, IL location. From there, our coaching staff evaluates each athlete's current skill level — through class trial, staff observation, or skill testing for advanced placement — to place them in the class where they'll be challenged without being overwhelmed.
Once enrolled, athletes progress through clear skill benchmarks each season, with coaches tracking development and recommending advancement when they're ready for the next level. Make-up classes and skill clinics remain available throughout the year to keep training on track, even when schedules get busy.
Tumbling
Age and level based tumbling classes teach strong basics through advanced skills with clear, safe progressions for every student.
Cheer
Cheer prep classes sharpen tumbling, jumps, and stunts for athletes aiming for school or competitive cheer squads across Central Illinois.
Skill Clinics
Focused skill clinics and supervised open gyms provide extra reps, quick breakthroughs, and flexible make up scheduling options available.
Thirty-Four Years of Coaching Experience Behind Every Class
Technique Tumbling & Cheer Prep was founded in December 2017 by Russ Berndt, former head coach of Rising Stars Academy, after decades spent training some of the region's top competitive gymnasts and cheerleaders. Russ saw a clear need in Bloomington-Normal for a gym focused specifically on tumbling and cheer prep — and built one around that idea.
Today, that same coaching background shapes every class at Technique. Our goal has stayed the same since day one: give Central Illinois athletes access to the kind of instruction typically reserved for elite programs, delivered in a gym that feels like home.
Building a Culture of Excellence, Together
Our goal is to create a culture of tumbling and cheer excellence in Bloomington-Normal that every athlete can take pride in — whether they're tumbling for fun and recreation, or competing at the school and competitive level.
Recreational tumblers train using the same drills and techniques used by top coaches across the country. Cheerleaders bring what they learn — tumbling, jumps, and stunting excellence — back to their squads, helping to raise the level of their entire team. Central Illinois is home to incredible cheerleading talent, and our mission is to help take it to the next level, one athlete at a time.
Beyond the skills, we build lasting friendships, self-esteem, confidence, and teamwork — the kind that stays with our athletes well beyond the gym.
Small Classes, Real Attention
Manageable groups mean every athlete gets noticed, corrected, and coached individually.
A Clean Facility, Inside and Out
Extra care is taken year-round, especially during the busiest germ and flu seasons.
Safety First, Always
Every single skill is taught and closely spotted with safety as the top priority.