WELCOME TO GOLD CUP!
History of Gold Cup
Gold Cup Gymnastics School was founded in 1978 by owner Ed Burch. Ed Burch has been coaching gymnastics for over 30 years and is the owner of Gold Cup Gymnastics School in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Burch has been a senior national team coach and junior national team coach and has led many gymnasts to national titles and international medals. Burch was inducted into the USA Gymnastics Hall of Fame in 1998.
Five of Burch’s most notable students include 2008 Olympian Joey Hagerty, 1996 Olympians Mihai Bagiu and Chainey Umphrey, 1992 Olympic gold medalist Trent Dimas and Olympic team member Lance Ringnald. Ringnald, a two time Olympian, made the Olympic team at the age of 18, the youngest team member in 20 years. Dimas was the 1991 McDonald American Cup champion and the National high bar champion. Burch’s gymnasts were the first to compete three releases on high bar and Yerchenko vaults for men.
Burch was the first and only club coach to have senior and junior level athletes at the team level. He is the first private club coach to produce an Olympian and the first club coach to qualify more than a dozen gymnasts to the senior national team. 98% of his high school athletes have been offered college scholarships and have competed in the NCAA program. Burch has had at least one and/or two college athletes in one of the top ten NCAA programs. Burch’s coaching credentials are quite extensive, including his appointment as head coach for the 1992 World Championships in Paris. In 1989 and 1991, Burch was an assistant coach for the USA World Gymnastic team. He coached teams at the1991 Pre-Olympic meet in Barcelona, Spain, the 1991 World Cup and the prestigious McDonald’s American Cup from 1988-1992. One of Burch’s most impressive accomplishments was leading the US team to a Sliver medal in the 1990 Good Will Games in Seattle, Washington. {Ringnald finished with one gold, one sliver and two bronze medals.} Burch was also the first club coach to win a gold medal team award in South America at the Pan American Games, beating out Cuba by .1 in 1995. Burch has been named team coach at the Swiss Cup, the China Cup, the Chunichi Cup, the French Cup, the Cuperus Cup, Moscow News, the Canadian Cup, the Junior Pan American Games, the DTB Cup, the Salem Cup in South Africa, and dual meets with Australia, Japan, and Brazil, and the 1983 and 1989 Olympic Festival.
From 1974 to 1982, Burch was the USA Gymnastic Federation State Chairman representing New Mexico and was the boys USA Region Nine Chairman in 1981. Burch was a member of the USA Men’s Program Committee from 1981-1983 and the Compulsory Development Committee from 1983-1987 and was chairman of the Strength Development Committee 1983-1987. He also directed junior and senior training camps since 1981. The community of Albuquerque honored Burch with the Excellence for Albuquerque Economy Award in 1990. Voted by his peers for “1988 Coach of the Year”, he also received the Frank Cumiskey Award in 1986 from USA Gymnastics, the highest award given to a coach. Burch served in the US Air Force from 1969-1971. He attended the University of New Mexico, the University of Albuquerque and earned his education degree in Special Education and Physical Education in 1975. He competed for the UNM Rusty Mitchell gymnastics team. Burch also earned his black belt in Judo and brown belt in Karate and competed in national and regional meets during his teen years.
Gold Cup’s Philosophy:
Our business is dedicated to do more than simply provide gymnastics lessons. At Gold Cup, WE DEVELOP ATHLETES! We develop muscles, strength, and train the mind and body to communicate and work in unison. We help form attitudes about learning and striving to be our best. Gymnastics, whether recreational or competitive, is fun...exciting...challenging. Gymnastics explores the ability to move and disciplines the body. We do not promise to make each student a top-notch competitor, although this is a possibility with some, we do however strive to develop each child to be confident and skilled at their highest potential.
Why Gold Cup?
"We believe the safety and self-esteem of your child should be your greatest concern!” Gold Cup Gymnastics offers rewarding, positive, learning experiences. We try our best to fulfill your child’s needs by providing a complete developmental program of progressive learning stages. The experience will benefit your child’s gymnastics ability as well as help with life’s daily physical and mental expectations.
At Gold Cup, gymnastics and related activities are our greatest concern. We take time to find and train qualified instructors. Our class size is small, 8 students per instructor.
Each Child learns progressive skill sequences and the developmental approach, which is essential for gymnastics success at his or her own pace. Why not give your child an opportunity to experience the fun and excitement of a wonderful gymnastics program and at the same time, develop the physical, mental and emotional aspects of growth?