posted May 1st, 2007 - The NSL News recently received impressive videos and an amazing story of five young girls who spend their time after school with a new and different hobby than most other adolescents. They formed a 4-way team in Colorado and trained in the wind tunnel. The story will hopefully inspire other skydivers, coaches and tunnel operators to copy the efforts and help to create the future generations of tunnel flyers, skydivers and 4-way competitors.

When SkyVenture Colorado decided to offer a youth league shortly after their opening in the spring of 2006, the staff was excited to coach kids in the tunnel, however no one was aware of the true potential those kids held. It quickly became apparent that all of the kids held lots of promise. In June Philip Tassin, the tunnel manager, decided to put five of the girls of age 10 to 14 together in a 4 way team. The name for the team was apparent, and from that point on Allie Newell (Point), Rylie Newell (Tail), Laura Fletcher (Alternate), Tatiana Roman (Center Inside) and Ellie McCoy (Center Outside) were known as Colorado Prodigy.

All of the tunnel instructors were very supportive of the project. However, Jason Russel, former Mile-Hi Tossed and Mile-Hi Levitation member, stepped forward to be the girls' bodyflight coach, even going so far as to come in while not on the clock to work with the girls. One of the over-zealous parents, Paul Gatling, former AZ Divewerkz and AZ Razor member, volunteered to coach some of the finer points of 4-way. In a coordinated effort, these two brought the five Prodigy girls to exceptional levels of flying and 4-way achievement.

The summer was used to build the girls' flying ability and fundamental understanding of 4-way, including skipping the names of the formations and going straight to the numbers and letters of the blocks and randoms. During July 2006, Gary and Emma Beyer came up from Arizona to do a camp with the girls, and the payoff was huge. Shortly after this, team jumpsuits arrived, and the girls were geared up and training like a real team.

However, with the end of summer came school and other after-school activities, thus limiting the amount of time available to practice. The Colorado wind tunnel was very accommodating in working with available time and made sure that staff was available to support the young athletes. Another camp with Gary and Emma Beyer was held in the middle of September to get a world champion's view of the girls' progress, and to really hone in on flying style and technique.

By this point, the Prodigy girls had seen all of the randoms many times and were knee-deep in block work. The girls were getting hungry to do something with the skills they had been building up. However, USPA Nationals had come and gone and the 2006 season was quickly drawing to a close. Paul Gatling decided to come up with something to put the girls to the test. He decided to use the Bodyflight Bedford rules for timing competition jumps and the girls started working on "exits" from both of the doors.

Prodigy rose to the occasion, and on December 10th the team jumped the four rounds of the USPA Nationals 2006 for the AA/Intermediate Class that could be done in the 12-foot tunnel. The four young girls had two attempts at each round and ended up first with a 10.0 average and then with a 14.8 average, including a 21-pointer. The video of Prodigy's 21-pointer can be viewed by clicking here.

Round 10 of the AA Class competition draw at the USPA Nationals (C-B-J-11) included Block 11 (Photon - Photon). The video of the same tunnel sequence by Prodigy's teenager line-up can be viewed by clicking here.

Unfortunately, this was to be one of the last times the girls would jump together. Laura Fletcher's father took a job in California, and her family moved there right after Christmas. Tatiana Roman's family also relocated, and she ended up in Texas. With only three girls left and no talent pool of their caliber to draw upon, the lustre of Colorado Prodigy has sadly faded.

Allie and Rylie Newell were busy with soccer for a while and then resumed participation in the tunnel's youth league. Ellie McCoy has continued with 4-way training and also participates in the youth league. She is currently doing a tunnel team with Gary and Emma Beyer and Paul Gatling in Arizona. That team's name is Aeon, and the NSL News will follow up with more information of Ellie McCoy's 4-way career. A video of her training with the new team of 4-way competition veterans can be viewed by clicking here.