About
American Kids Sports Center offers gymnastics, swim lessons, Ninja Zone, dance, cheerleading, tumbling and trampoline, and baby’s gymnastics. The program also hosts birthday parties and summer camps that use these sports and activities.
American Kids Sports Center has been local and family owned for 40 years and was founded in 1984 as American Academy of Gymnastics. American Dancers Workshop, which is part of the program’s dance offerings, has an over 50-year history in Bakersfield. The leadership team includes owners Michael Williams and Sheri Williams, along with Matt Williams and Michelle Thelen, who serve as Directors of Operations for the Southwest and Northwest programs. The stated mission is to help children learn strong values, set worthy goals, and train in the skills needed to achieve those goals, using sport training as the tool.
The program’s facilities include spacious air-conditioned gyms equipped with in-ground trampolines and tumble tracks, foam pits and airbag landings, spring and rod floors, high quality mats, and special equipment designed for pre-K age kids. The indoor heated swimming pool is described as Kern County’s first of its kind for year-round lessons and is equipped with waveless gutters, dual commercial filters, underwater music, and heated water and air. The learn-to-swim program is non-competitive and is associated with the US Swim School Association. Dance rooms are designed for comfortable parent viewing without distracting students, and parent viewing for both the gym and dance is described as the best anywhere and by far the best of any dance center.
Additional features include a cafe with snacks and drinks for kids and parents at the Northwest facility, a pro shop for kids’ activity needs and gift ideas, TVs with live sports, free wireless Internet, and spacious, clean lobbies. Families can use the American Kids Sports Center app and online tools for account access, enrollments, student skill reports, attendance checks, and booking parties, with push notifications available. Hospitality staff are available 7 days a week from morning to night on weekdays, Saturday mornings to late afternoons, and Sunday afternoons. Discounts are offered for families involved in more than one recreational program and for those who choose automatic payment methods.
Kern County residents have voted American Kids Sports Center and American Kids Preschool as Bakersfield Californian’s Best Of Choice: Favorites multiple years. Readers of Kern County Family Magazine have voted the program Best Kids Sports Center and Best place for gymnastics, swimming, and birthday parties, and a Family Favorite for dance and summer camps. Testimonials include comments such as “American Kids has no equals” from Sheila Foster, “I love this school, its head coach and the rest of its staff!” from Jonathan West, and “My daughter’s passion for gymnastics has grown each year with American” from Lena Smith. The program maintains a social media presence using the hashtag #AKSCbak and the Instagram handle @AmericanKidsSports.
Last updated April 6, 2026.
American Kids Sports Center has been local and family owned for 40 years and was founded in 1984 as American Academy of Gymnastics. American Dancers Workshop, which is part of the program’s dance offerings, has an over 50-year history in Bakersfield. The leadership team includes owners Michael Williams and Sheri Williams, along with Matt Williams and Michelle Thelen, who serve as Directors of Operations for the Southwest and Northwest programs. The stated mission is to help children learn strong values, set worthy goals, and train in the skills needed to achieve those goals, using sport training as the tool.
The program’s facilities include spacious air-conditioned gyms equipped with in-ground trampolines and tumble tracks, foam pits and airbag landings, spring and rod floors, high quality mats, and special equipment designed for pre-K age kids. The indoor heated swimming pool is described as Kern County’s first of its kind for year-round lessons and is equipped with waveless gutters, dual commercial filters, underwater music, and heated water and air. The learn-to-swim program is non-competitive and is associated with the US Swim School Association. Dance rooms are designed for comfortable parent viewing without distracting students, and parent viewing for both the gym and dance is described as the best anywhere and by far the best of any dance center.
Additional features include a cafe with snacks and drinks for kids and parents at the Northwest facility, a pro shop for kids’ activity needs and gift ideas, TVs with live sports, free wireless Internet, and spacious, clean lobbies. Families can use the American Kids Sports Center app and online tools for account access, enrollments, student skill reports, attendance checks, and booking parties, with push notifications available. Hospitality staff are available 7 days a week from morning to night on weekdays, Saturday mornings to late afternoons, and Sunday afternoons. Discounts are offered for families involved in more than one recreational program and for those who choose automatic payment methods.
Kern County residents have voted American Kids Sports Center and American Kids Preschool as Bakersfield Californian’s Best Of Choice: Favorites multiple years. Readers of Kern County Family Magazine have voted the program Best Kids Sports Center and Best place for gymnastics, swimming, and birthday parties, and a Family Favorite for dance and summer camps. Testimonials include comments such as “American Kids has no equals” from Sheila Foster, “I love this school, its head coach and the rest of its staff!” from Jonathan West, and “My daughter’s passion for gymnastics has grown each year with American” from Lena Smith. The program maintains a social media presence using the hashtag #AKSCbak and the Instagram handle @AmericanKidsSports.
Last updated April 6, 2026.
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