Facility trains local athletes

When Cypress Academy was first established in 1982 by Richard and Mary Ann Basham as a place to take basic gymnastics and dance classes, it was a 5,000-square-foot building near the playground on Huffmeister Road and Cypress Corner Lane. More than 30 years later, their son Aaron—with the help of his staff—has expanded the facility to nearly 80,000 square feet and added a number of programs such as cheerleading, theater and tumbling.

Now, students are able to begin training from the moment they can walk all the way through high school, Aaron Basham said.

"When I came in, I was a 21-year-old college graduate," he said. "It was a challenge to assure the staff and customers that I was going to simply build on what my parents had established and not change the way we serve the community. My parents had put the academy's values in place for their love of the sport and love of the kids, and it has been important to me to keep those values while at the same time expanding."

There are 135 coaches and instructors on staff within Cypress Academy's gymnastics, cheerleading and performing arts programs, each with an extensive background in their particular field. In 1995, Basham hired personal friend and coach Tom Meadows to lead the gymnastics program. Meadows has since trained dozens of competitive and recreational gymnasts, including Olympians Jon Horton and Chris Brooks.

The competitive programs at Cypress Academy place athletes on an accelerated training regiment that feeds directly into USA Gymnastics—a team that trains members for national competitions and the Olympics. Recreational programs provide strength and condition training for athletes interested in staying in shape and honing their craft, Basham said.

"To sum it all up, what we do is build confidence in students of all ages," he said. "At the end of the day, all of our activities are about building self-esteem and also setting goals. We are one of the few facilities that does it all under one roof."

Cypress Academy is actively involved with the community and allows several high schools to train in the facilities. Between six and seven high school cheerleading teams and about 550 students use the gym to practice their routines each year. The academy also boasts 17 All-Star teams that participate in seven or eight competitions throughout the season.

"As we grow and the Cypress community grows, our biggest challenge is keeping up with the quality of service," Basham said. "It begins with finding the right coaching staff—those who can balance [their schedule] with the building blocks of our service, which is program quality and customer service. If Cypress Academy is going to do it, we're going to do it 110 percent."

Recent news:

• "The Little Mermaid" will be performed by students this summer
• Home school program started in September 2012 to offer recreational activities to home schooled students
• A second facility in Katy allows more students to train under Cypress Academy
• The second annual CyPalooza event will take place April 14–20

Training Programs:

• Dance
• Theatre
• Cheerleading
• Gymnastics

11707 Huffmeister Road, Houston 281-469-4599, www.cypressacademy.com

• Mon.–Thu. 9 a.m.–9 p.m.
• Fri. 9 a.m.–7 p.m.
• Sat. 9 a.m.–noon