08/31/2026
10 Years of Thornton’s -Part 3: Meet Todd (cont’d)
From the first day, the boys had so much energy and genuinely wanted to learn. I quickly discovered that I had a passion for coaching gymnastics that was just as strong as my passion for competing. I had coached camps and clinics previously at International Gymnastics Camp, Woodward Gymnastics Camp, and with friends at CATS in Boulder, Colorado, but coaching those boys showed me that this was something I wanted to pursue seriously. Kim and I met in 2008 when she was coaching and managing the office at the same gym. What immediately impressed me was that she wasn’t just a great coach, she understood how to run a gym. She had the experience and knowledge to work with every program and age group, connect with kids, communicate with families, and understand the many aspects of operating a business. We spent two years working together, became friends, and eventually became more.
In just a few years, the gym’s boys program became one of the stronger competitive programs in the state. I earned my first coaching award as South Texas Compulsory Coach of the Year, and soon after, one of my athletes made a Junior National Development Team. Our boys continued to succeed at the State, Regional, and National levels, and I was determined to give them every opportunity to continue improving. When I asked the owner of the gym about making improvements to the facility, I was willing to financially contribute and arrange various fundraisers for the equipment. The response was that when the time came, they would help send the athletes to another gymnastics club better suited for higher level training. The program I built had outgrown its gym and we began working toward creating what we’d always talked about. Kim and I, in partnership with my former coach, opened Houston Elite Gymnastics in 2014. Later that year, Kim and I got engaged. We set our wedding date for 2016 without knowing that another big change in our professional lives would happen that same year.
After two years operating our first gym, Kim and I decided to offer a buyout of our partnership and create something that was truly our own. In August 2016, Thornton’s Gymnastics Center opened with just nine boys. Three of those original nine eventually earned the opportunity to compete at the Division I college level. One of the accomplishments I am most proud of is having an athlete qualify for and compete at the USA Championships, something only a small number of programs in our area have accomplished. Following the success of the boys program we built, we began growing our girls competitive program. Since then, we have had numerous State and Regional Champions, and I take a lot of pride in seeing our athletes finish at the top at every level and division in which we compete.
But the wins aren’t what make me most proud.
My priority has always been the personal development of the athlete. We genuinely care about every child who walks through our doors, from the beginning of their gymnastics journey until the day they decide to pursue another focus in life. Having experienced the highest levels of competitive gymnastics myself, I understand the demands and outside pressure that can be placed on young athletes. That experience has shaped my coaching philosophy and strengthened my belief that gymnastics should be a safe, nurturing environment where athletes can develop skills, confidence, discipline, and life lessons that will serve them long after they leave the gym. I’ve seen firsthand the effects of a “win at all costs” mentality, and I would never wish that experience on anyone. Progress and success are important, but they should never come at the expense of the athlete as a person.
Since then, we have had the privilege of working with and developing more than 4,000 students while building a family of our own. Our two daughters have grown up in the gym and have been part of this journey from the beginning. One of the most special moments for me was watching our girls dig in the dirt at the site of what would eventually become our current gymnastics facility. They were literally a part of building our new home, and I hope one day they understand just how special that is.
In addition to coaching, Kim and I have hosted 11 Invitational competitions and 2 State Championships together. I served as the Texas Men’s State Chairman from 2019–2023. We have had the opportunity to work with thousands of athletes and families, and every year we continue to learn, grow, and find new ways to make our gym better.
Looking back over the past 10 years, I don’t think the story of Thornton’s is really a story about gymnastics. Gymnastics is what brought us here, but the people are what made it meaningful. The athletes who trusted us. The families who believed in us. The coaches who have grown alongside us. The friendships that started in a gym and became lifelong relationships. And, most importantly, the opportunity to build something alongside the person I love and raise our daughters in the community we created together.
I may not have become an Olympian, but gymnastics gave me something I never could have planned for. It gave me a career I love, a passion for coaching, incredible athletes and families, a wife who shares the same values, two daughters who have grown up in the gym, and ultimately, Thornton’s Gymnastics Center.
Ten years later, I am incredibly grateful for the journey that brought me here, and even more excited about where the next chapter will take us.
