Timothy Mengering
WHEREAS, Timothy (Tim) Mengering has devoted 45 years of his life to teaching the children of Arlington County about the value of physical fitness in addition to important life skills in his roles as a Physical Education Teacher for Arlington County Public Schools (1971-2003) and as the Co-Founder and Lead Coach of the Arlington Aerials Gymnastics Team (1979-present); and
WHEREAS, In 1979, Tim Mengering co-founded the Arlington Aerials Gymnastics Team with only 20 girls and a training facility in an auxiliary gym at Gunston Middle School, and through the 1980s and 1990s this program continued to grow so that it could serve more of Arlington’s youth; and
WHEREAS, Tim Mengering and his Aerials Co-Founder Steve Garman worked tirelessly to secure funding for a permanent home for the Aerials Team and because of these efforts and their program’s success, the Arlington Aerials and recreational gymnastics classes moved to newly constructed Barcroft Sports and Fitness Center in 2000; and
WHEREAS, the Arlington Aerials has evolved into a thriving, highly respected Junior Olympic gymnastics program that has enabled thousands of Arlington’s youth to excel at competitive gymnastics and literally tens of thousands of Arlington’s youth to enjoy recreational gymnastics; and
WHEREAS, Tim Mengering was inducted into the Arlington County Sports Hall of Fame in 2012 and served as member of the Virginia USA Gymnastics State Board for more than 20 years; and
WHEREAS, Tim Mengering embodies the spirit, work ethic, communication skills and leadership qualities shared by all great coaches, teachers, mentors and leaders, and has instilled countless young athletes with the abilities to set goals, work hard, overcome fears, and persevere in the face of adversity; and
WHEREAS, Tim Mengering’s mastery of the aforementioned life skills has brought him the respect and admiration of the athletes he trains, their parents, and his peers throughout and beyond the State of Virginia; and
NOW, THEREFORE, I, Libby Garvey, Chair of the County Board of Arlington, Virginia, with great appreciation and respect, commend
TIMOTHY MENGERING
for his unending dedication through the sport of gymnastics to teach the children of Arlington valuable life lessons that will serve them in any path they take in life.
Libby Garvey, Chair