November Athlete of the Month: Christian Klingele
Hey all, it’s Coach Katie again. Each month, we spotlight a standout Gem City athlete whose dedication, teamwork, and attitude set the tone for everyone around them. This time, the cheer squad and tumbling coaches came together to recognize someone whose impact stretches across teams, programs, and age groups. Our November Athlete of the Month is Christian Klingele.
Meet Christian
When we told Christian he’d been chosen, his first reaction was to give the honor to someone else. That humility sums him up perfectly. He even tried to turn it down until we told him he’d have to say no to the coaches himself. Twenty minutes later, he came back and agreed. Christian’s modesty stands out in a world where many chase recognition. He thought his previous accomplishments —graduating from the gym program and earning a spot on the USTA National Elite Tumbling Team— were already enough. We couldn’t disagree more.
An Athlete and Leader
Christian started tumbling at Gem City when he was young, took a break after an injury, and returned at fifteen. In less than a year back, he joined both the competitive tumbling team and the senior all-star cheer squad. Since then, he’s excelled at the highest levels: Elite tumbling, the top age division, and major achievements like first place at Nationals with his cheer squad and a silver medal at the 2025 USTA Nationals in South Dakota. He also earned a coveted spot on the USTA Elite National Team.
A Gem City Original
Christian is in the gym six days a week, rotating between coaching, training, mentoring, and sometimes even babysitting. Since joining the staff in February 2023, he’s brought contagious energy and professionalism to everything he does. When he first applied, he arrived with a color-coded resume and schedule neatly organized in a folder. It made an immediate impression, and he hasn’t slowed down since.
Beyond Tumbling & Cheer
Christian’s interests run deep. He loves cooking and often brings full meals to the gym. He’s creative, enjoys building Lego flower arrangements, and has a knack for keeping plants alive and thriving. He’s the youngest of four siblings, graduated high school early, completed classes at John Wood Community College, and is now studying accounting at Quincy University. He’s also in his second year coaching the youth all-star cheer squad and loves choreographing routines.
Coach’s Take
Coach Hope shared, “There is no one that works harder and cares more about the team.” Those of us who work alongside him agree completely. Christian is a true role model, respected by teammates, loved by his athletes, and trusted by his coworkers. His character and consistency make him a cornerstone of the Gem City community.
A Lasting Impression
One of my favorite traditions involves watching two-year-old Bowen, the son of Coach Hope and Jake, run up to Christian after practice and copy his tumbling moves. Christian always scoops him up, laughs, and brings him back for another turn to watch. Bowen now tells everyone he’s “flipping like Christian.” That small moment captures the kind of example Christian sets every day.
We might embarrass him a little by saying all this, but he deserves it. Christian’s humility, drive, and heart make him someone we’re proud to celebrate.
Congratulations to Christian Klingele, our November Athlete of the Month!
Click to read an extended version
Hey all, it’s Coach Katie again. This month the senior cheer squad coaches got together to decide which athlete should be recognized for outstanding work. This month’s Athlete of the Month is Christian Klingele!
Upon sharing the news with Christian that he was chosen to be highlighted and interviewed, he immediately asked for us to give the honor to someone else. This response honestly didn’t surprise me; I even laughed when he said it! However, I did tell him that if he wanted to refuse then all he had to do was tell the coaches himself. Twenty minutes later he came back to me and said he would accept. His humility is so refreshing in a world when so many people want the spotlight put on them. He said that he got public recognition from the gym when he graduated and when he made the USTA National Elite Tumbling Team. He thought that those accomplishments meant that he didn’t need to be honored again. Needless to say, we don’t agree. We have many more great things to say about our friend, so I am happy to do so.
Christian took tumbling classes at the gym when he was younger. At about nine years old he had an injury and decided to take a break. It wasn’t until he was 15 that he started coming to class again. In the time he was away from gym he continued to push himself and learn at home. Because of this, in less than a year back in the gym, he was able to join the competitive tumbling team and the senior all-star cheer squad, and man has he shined ever since! He is in the most advanced tumbling level (Elite) and in the highest age category (he is 18 and his division is 18 and older). This season is his third year on the tumbling team and his fourth year on the senior all-star squad.
Last year his squad earned FIRST PLACE at Nationals! Also, last season he earned a spot on the United States Trampoline & Tumbling Association’s (USTA) Elite National Team! At 2025 USTA Nationals in South Dakota he earned a silver medal in the hardest division, Men’s Open Elite.
Christian is in the gym six days a week. In those six days he will be a coach, a mentor, a friend, a tumbler, a cheerleader, and a babysitter. He started working at the gym in February of 2023. I remember interviewing him before he was hired to start training. He brought in a color-coded resume with a schedule and letter all neatly packed inside of a folder and handed it to me before I even said hello! Having hired MANY people in my day, this was a FIRST! I instantly appreciated him and knew we were going to get along great!
Christian does not like to talk about himself, but once you get him going it’s fun and interesting! He is so likeable and his smile and energy radiate into all the things he takes on. Some things I’ve learned about Christian over the years: he loves to cook and will bring fully prepared meals to work with him to eat between coaching and practicing, he loves putting together Lego flower arrangements, he has a green thumb and has propagated many plants and shares them with us, he loves little kids and adores Coach Hope and Jake’s little boy Bowen, he is willing to go above and beyond if he knows you need help, and he is such a hard worker.
Coach Hope said, “There is no one that works harder and cares more about the team.” I can agree to this, and I’m not even his coach. I have worked alongside him since February 2023 and can honestly say that the kids he coaches adore him, his coworkers love his energy, his teammates look up to him, and I personally wish I could clone him because it’s rare to find a person with such good intentions and heart at such a young age.
Some more fun knowledge: he is the youngest of four, he graduated high school early and took a gap year after graduating from John Wood Community College before starting classes at Quincy University this year as a junior, he is focusing on accounting in his studies, he loves creating choreography for cheer, and he is on his second year of coaching our youth all-star squad.
One thing that has become a small tradition between Christian and me involves Bowen, Coach Hope and Jake’s two-year-old son. Bowen has come to love Christian so much! He even flips on the couch at home and says he’s flipping like Christian. A few nights a week, about 5-10 minutes before Christian’s tumbling team practice ends, Bowen and I will go sit next to the rod floor and watch the team tumble. It has turned into watch “Christian go high” to actually running up to Christian after he takes a turn down the floor. Christian picks up a running Bowen and loves on him while carrying him back to my lap to watch the next person go. This then turned into Bowen being released onto the floor right when practice is dismissed and running to the end of the floor and spinning and flopping! He was doing what he saw Christian do when he tumbled! It was adorable the first time we saw it and it has continued on now for months. If you ask Bowen to run and tumble like Christian, he will do this same thing every time!
We hope we didn’t embarrass him by sharing too much. We know so many other people already have great things to say about this man, but he is a hard worker and we do admire him for his skill, drive, and work ethic both on and off the competition floor.
