KC-area gymnastics center eliminated from USA Gymnastics in wake of suspensions
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- USAG terminated GAGE for alleged non‑compliance with USAG terms and SafeSport.
- Suspended owners/staff barred from USAG activities; athletes must find new USAG clubs.
- GAGE competition teams canceled; rec classes continue as coaches contest suspensions.
Amid a series of suspensions handed down after a years-long investigation, the Blue Springs gymnastics complex known as GAGE Center has been terminated as a member of USA Gymnastics.
In a letter sent to parents of athletes at Great American Gymnastic Express (GAGE) on Wednesday, USA Gymnastics (USAG) cited allegations of non-compliance with the U.S. Center for SafeSport, and the subsequent suspensions, as cause for GAGE’s termination as a USAG member club “effective immediately”.
The termination comes two months after the suspensions of gym owners Al Fong (5 years) and Armine Barutyan (1). Those punishments followed a SafeSport probe that was first opened in 2019, Fong previously told The Star.
SafeSport, which handles abuse and misconduct claims, does not specify details of its investigations. Fong has long denied any allegations of abuse and/or misconduct.
Longtime GAGE general manager Karla Grimes and coach Tiffany Davenport were also temporarily suspended earlier this month. Their suspensions came shortly after they were designated as club owners in the wake of the owners’ suspensions.
What the suspensions mean
Each suspension is published on the USAG List of Suspended and Restricted Persons and SafeSport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database.
Suspended individuals cannot be associated with any USAG competitions, clubs or athletes. They are also barred from spectators at, or entering any facility that’s holding, a sanctioned activity.
“USAG previously notified GAGE of allegations of non-compliance with USAG Club Membership terms and conditions and the SafeSport Code, specifically in complying with the suspensions imposed by the U.S. Center for SafeSport,” USAG’s letter to parents this week said. “Despite receiving notice and opportunity to comply, GAGE has been alleged to have continued to violate the terms of these suspensions. As a result, GAGE’s membership with USAG has been terminated effective immediately.”
A USAG spokesperson said GAGE Center has not been “offered a path or timeline for reinstatement at this time.”
Termination of USAG status means athletes looking to compete on an Olympic pathway, or in any USAG-sanctioned competitions, must find new places to train or risk being ruled ineligible. They have until March 2 to be registered with a new club — that’s when GAGE will officially be removed from the USAG database.
Athletes must be registered at USAG member clubs in order to compete in sanctioned events.
GAGE has for decades been considered one of the top gymnastics programs in the country. The facility and husband-wife ownership team have produced several members of the U.S. national team, world medalists and Olympians.
Fong has played host to coaches from around the world who were eager to learn his methods.
GAGE’s response to termination
The GAGE Center will remain open as the owners and coaches contest their suspensions away from the facility.
Competition teams are terminated, but recreational classes and events at Bump City, the neighboring indoor trampoline park, will continue at GAGE, the center told parents in a letter.
“You may see conversations online or hear bits of information about organizational matters connected to the competitive side of gymnastics. We understand that can feel unsettling, especially when it involves something your child loves,” GAGE’s letter reads. “But for your family, the day-to-day rhythm remains the same — familiar coaches, structured classes, and a space where kids can move, grow, and have fun.
“We know trust is built through consistency, and that’s exactly what we’re committed to right now — showing up, keeping programs running smoothly, and caring for the community that has grown here over so many years. If you’ve been part of GAGE or Bump City for any length of time, you already know what matters here — consistency, care, and kids first.”
