Just hangin’ around at Flippin’ Out (COURTESY FLIPPIN’ OUT GYMNASTICS)
Will the next Simone Biles or Suni Lee leap out of Dracut and into the international spotlight? Hey, you never know.
And if the next big-name gymnastics star does hail from Dracut, there’s a good chance she (or he) will have spent some time at Flippin’ Out Gymnastics in the Beaver Brook Mill, 1934 Lakeview Avenue. It’s an all-around great place to learn the skills of the sport.
Flippin’ Out — Dracut’s only vaulting venue — is Dracut Economic Development’s Business of the Month for November 2024. The business opened at the mill on November 9, 2009, and is celebrating its 15th anniversary this month.
“I had always wanted to open my own gymnastics facility,” owner Allison Dillon said.
Allison had been a competitive gymnast at Lowell High School. She later earned a bachelor’s degree in Physical Education with a concentration in Adaptive Physical Education at Bridgewater State University. She also began her coaching career in college and has been training budding gymnasts ever since, including stints at Lowell High, Pelham High and Burlington High.
About 250 gymnasts train at Flippin’ Out — some with lofty aspirations, some just to tumble around and have some fun.
About 20 from Flippin’ Out’s competitive team will perform at Universal Orlando Resort over Veterans Day weekend. Allison said the trip will be a welcome change for the athletes since it will be less a competition and more a fun trip.
One of Flippin’ Out Gymnastics’ competitive teams (COURTESY FLIPPIN’ OUT GYMNASTICS)
“This year, we have the opportunity to perform at Universal so we’ll be on the CityWalk stage,” she said. “I thought it would be a unique experience for the kids – more fun, less stress. The oldest on the team are here 10 hours a week training, so I thought this would be a little break for them.”
A break might be a good idea, as competitions begin the week the team arrives back in Dracut.
Speaking of competitions, Allison said a Summer Olympics year always sparks a renewed interest in gymnastics. This year was no different, as the aforementioned Simone Biles and Suni Lee led Team USA to gold.
“Olympic years help a lot,” she said. “We have a really large group of toddlers and preschool kids who come in because it’s such a great activity to get kids out of the house and keep them busy.”
Allison opened a second location in Westford a few years back, but Covid put an end to that.
Allison Dillon has owned and operated Flippin’ Out Gymnastics, at the Beaver Brook Mill, 1934 Lakeview Avenue, since 2009. (DRACUT ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PHOTO)
“Covid was tough because gyms were in the last stage of businesses to reopen, and only a certain amount of people were allowed to be in the gym at a time,” she said. “Everyone was very good about it and did everything they could do to help. But there were a lot of headaches. I decided to focus on the Dracut site. Westford was more fun-oriented. Dracut’s more of a competitive gym.”
Since opening Flippin’ Out Gymnastics in 2009, Allison has made a few changes, including adding a smaller gym for the little ones to jump and tumble.
The larger gym is for those who have graduated on to the balance beam, floor exercise and other events.
“We see a lot of gymnasts from local high schools – Greater Lowell Tech, Dracut High, Innovation Charter – come and use the gym as a place to workout,” Allison said. “We have open play on Friday mornings and open gym on Friday nights. We tend to pick up a lot when it’s cold and parents are looking for stuff to keep the kids moving.”
A parent/toddler class at Flippin’ Out. (COURTESY FLIPPIN’ OUT GYMNASTICS)
The next session for Flippin’ Out begins November 3, but there is a waiting list as it enters busy season.
“Soccer’s done, cheering is done, but the gymnastics team is year-round,” Allison said.
A staff of about 15 coaches and office personnel help Allison handle the day-to-day routine at Flippin’ Out. The gym hosts birthday parties, drop-in programs and camps during school vacations. Flippin’ Out also offers parent/toddler classes, adult gymnastics, adaptive gymnastics, parkour and private lessons.
For more information on Dracut’s temple of tumbling, call 978-674-8449, email Flippinoutgym2009@gmail.com, or visit www.flippinoutgymnastics.com.
