HIGH SCHOOL GYMNASTICS PREVIEW : 4 Area Schools Left to Carry On : Decline: Shortage of qualified coaches, new competition format contribute to sport’s ebb.

While at Grant High, Mitch Gaylord honed the skills that would take him to a gold medal in the 1984 Summer Olympics. The former UCLA All-American won a City Section championship in 1979 at Grant and four years later was considered the nation’s top gymnast.

Now, 11 years after his high school accomplishments, there are no successors at his alma mater because Grant has become one of the many City schools that have dropped gymnastics.

Of the 49 high schools in the City Section, only five have boys’ programs and 10 have girls’ programs. All City schools in the Valley once sported teams, but the number has tumbled to four, leaving only Cleveland and Grant with girls’ programs and Monroe and San Fernando with boys’ squads.

Gymnastics, although never a major sport at the high school level, has virtually hit bottom in the area because of a dwindling number of qualified coaches.

“Gymnastics is dying,” Cleveland Coach Ellen Strong said. “There are only two girls’ programs in the Valley and I doubt if Cleveland will even have one next year.”

Dave Lertzman, who coached gymnastics at Hamilton for 17 years, will take over the Monroe program this year because Les Sasvary is on a leave of absence. Sasvary guided Monroe’s gymnastics teams to 10 City titles in his 21 years as coach.

“I don’t know what’s going to happen next year,” said Lertzman, the school’s football coach. “I didn’t expect to be coaching gymnastics this year.”

Sasvary spoke candidly of the decline of high school gymnastics in an interview last year.

“The (veteran coaches) have gone and the new ones don’t have the knowledge or desire for the sport,” he said. “I’m convinced we’ve reached the end of the gymnastics era in the L. A. schools. It’s very disappointing.”

Kenny Eckels, who has coached for 21 years at San Fernando, will retire after this season. If one more program folds, boys’ gymnastics probably will be eliminated from City athletics, according to City administrator Pat Harvey.

Coaches claim that because gymnastics is such a specialized sport, good coaches are few and far between. They say that because routines have grown increasingly more difficult and dangerous, coaches have shied away from teaching the sport.

“You have to have a lot of expertise. The risk of injury is too high,” first-year Grant Coach Jane Elder said. “The sport has changed so much that I think coaches who coached 10 or 15 years ago aren’t skilled enough to coach now.”

In addition, team competition for girls has been eliminated this year--leaving only individual scoring. Strong is finding it difficult to persuade students to participate.

“Who wants to compete one-on-one?” Strong said. “I always thought that the idea behind high school teams was to compete for the school--as a team. The kids want to bring home that (City) trophy, and now they have nothing to work for.”

Cleveland has lost all of its returning seniors and juniors because they did not want to learn new United States Gymnastics Federation basic routines that are required this year by the City, Strong said.

According to Harvey, USGF routines were required because the City believes that the routines are safer. Because the new routines are the same ones that clubs use, it also was hoped that interest in the sport would be rekindled.

“Safety is a big factor,” Harvey said. “If the USGF was comfortable with these routines, then I feel these routines are acceptable.”

Unlike the girls’ program, boys will compete both individually and as a team. There are five schools remaining citywide (University, Wilson, Huntington Park, Monroe and San Fernando) and the City title will be decided in a three-way meet with the top three teams competing at the end of April.

Harvey disputes the claim that gymnastics is on the way out. She predicts that with the new format implemented this season, girls’ gymnastics will be rejuvenated.

“The way it is now, I think that not only will gymnastics survive, it has a chance to revitalize in the schools,” she said.

Teams to watch:

Cleveland (girls)--Although the Cavaliers are unhappy with the new format, they will compete with 11 freshmen and sophomores, most of whom have minimal gymnastics experience.

“If a girl has the ability to compete at level seven (the highest level), then why should she have to learn (basic routines as well)? That is just too much work. If it goes on like this, there won’t be a program next year,” Strong said.

Strong expects freshmen Marjorie Saltman and Sara Leonhardt to excel. Both are strong on each apparatus for girls’ competition--floor exercise, balance beam, uneven bars, vault and dance.

Grant (girls)--In Jane Elder, the Lancers have a new coach for the third time in three years. Grant will be led by sophomores Ellie Braus (uneven bars and floor exercise), and Jennifer Charleston (uneven bars). Both will compete in all events.

“I think that the way the program has been restructured this year will help rebuild gymnastics in the City,” Elder said. “Because the level-two routines are attainable to a lot of girls, I think our numbers will increase. And, with the implementation of the dance category, I think a lot of girls will find a niche.”

Monroe (boys)--To flesh out the boys’ team, girls have been added to the roster. They will compete in the boys’ events: high bar, parallel bars, floor exercise, rings, vault and pommel horse.

Returning seniors Brian Crone and Adam Campbell are expected to lead the team. Crone, who was sidelined last year because of an ankle injury, will compete in all events. He also competed for the California Sun gymnastics team. Campbell also competes in the youth program at Valley College and is a top all-around competitor.

“Except for Brian and Adam, these kids are rank beginners, green as the grass,” Lertzman said.

San Fernando (boys)--The Tigers, City Section titlists two years ago and runners-up the year before, lack experience. Seniors Daniel Bohling and Sergio Savilla are the team’s top prospects but are newcomers to gymnastics.

Returning junior Tommy Elmore, who is strong on the high bar, and sophomore Richard Flores, an all-around gymnast who was not on the team last year, also are expected to be competitive.

Eckels doubts if the team will make it to the finals. “Most of these kids are beginners, but it’s a good nucleus for a team next year,” Eckels said.

If there is a program next year.