Hundreds of young gymnasts in The Woodlands are losing their training home after Woodlands Gymnastics Academy announced it will shut down permanently following one final competition the weekend of Oct. 3.

Owner Jason Waldon told FOX 26 Houston, which first reported the closure, that the family-owned gym reached the end of its lease agreement. The property's owners chose to bring in new tenants who will take over the building and an adjacent trampoline park.

Waldon said he searched for a new location but could not find a space with the ceiling height, square footage and structural requirements that competitive gymnastics demands. The one building he found was still under construction and would not be available until February, leaving months without classes while still paying rent. "It's a very unicorn type building that this business requires," Waldon told FOX 26. He called the financial commitment too large for his family to move forward.

The academy has trained thousands of recreational and competitive gymnasts over the past three decades, according to FOX 26.

Families face mid-season scramble

The closure lands in the middle of fall competition season. Some athletes are competing on their fall slate while others were preparing for season openers in January. Upper-level gymnasts working toward college recruitment now lose the coaches guiding that process.

Vanessa Byrd, whose daughter trains at the academy, told FOX 26 that neighboring gyms charge significantly higher monthly dues or lack open team spots mid-season. Byrd said the financial strain will be especially hard on families with multiple children in the sport.

The timing compounds a broader squeeze on the Houston-area gymnastics community. Stars Gymnastics Training Center, a facility near the Katy Freeway in Houston that had operated for more than 25 years, closes Wednesday, Sept. 30, after losing its lease over past-due rent, FOX 26 reported. Families from both programs are now competing for the same limited openings at surrounding gyms.

Equipment selling off the floor

Community members and coaches from other regional programs have been stopping by the gym during the week of Sept. 28 to buy equipment off the floor. Balance beams, uneven bars, landing mats and chalk stands are all for sale before the building is handed over to new tenants.

After the final competition, the doors close for good.