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Architects of Perfection
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Al Fong
1977 Meet Director - AAU Junior National Championship
1977 Meet Director - AAU Senior National Championship
1986 Meet Director - Western National Championship
1981-2002 Meet Director - Dragon Invitational
1986-Present Head USA Coach: Pacific Alliance-China, Germany DTP Cup, Catania Invitational-Italy, France/USA, Canada/Australia/USA, Pacific Alliance-Hawaii, World Sports Fair-Japan, Swiss Cup-Switzerland
1989 Asst. Coach – World Championship, Germany
2002 Asst. Coach – World Championship, Hungary
2003 Asst. Coach – World Championship, Anaheim
2004 USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year
2004 Personal Coach, Humphrey/McCool, Athens
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A second generation Chinese-American, Al Fong was born and raised in Seattle, Washington. A gymnast at Seattle’s YMCA, Fong earned a scholarship to Louisiana State University where he trained under two-time Olympian and three-time world champion Armando Vega.
After college, he worked at a national sports center in Arkansas before settling down to build his gymnastics dynasty in Blue Springs, Missouri.
Fong is extremely patriotic. "I feel lucky just to be here," Fong said, while telling how his father had been born in New York but taken back to China at age 3. He then returned to Seattle as an adult.
"I'm just so proud of Kansas City and our country," Fong said, "especially when one of my kids represents us."
Fong also has a strong sense of community. He's been offered lucrative nationwide speaking tours and two book deals. “I turned them all down,” he explains. “My heart is here in Blue Springs, and my goal is to help develop more talent and more Olympians right here in our community.”
The Fong Phenomenon (Kansas City Business Journal, June 1995)
20 and Counting (The Examiner, November 1999)
Remembering Discovery Zone (The Chattanoogan, 2006)
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Armine Barutyan-Fong
1982 European Championship in Mongolia: 1st AA
1984 Poland Championship: 2nd AA
1984 Cuba Championship: 1st AA
1985 Russian National Championship: 1st AA
1985 Italy Championship: 2nd AA
1985 Austrian Championship: 1st AA
1986 Belgium Championship: 3rd AA
Youngest athlete in Soviet history to win the Master of Sport Award (age 11).
2002 Asst. Coach – World Championship-Hungary
2003 Asst. Coach – World Championship - Anaheim
2004 USA Gymnastics Coach of the Year
2004 Personal Coach, Humphrey/McCool, Athens
Watch Armine perform at
the 1985 Medico Cup
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Al’s wife, co-coach and partner is Armine Barutyan-Fong, originally from the former Soviet Union Republic of Armenia. As a gymnast, she was on the Armenian National Team for nine years and the Russian National Team for eight years. She was also the youngest athlete in Soviet history to win the prestigious “Master of Sport” from the Sports Committee of the Soviet Union.
Armine beautifully illustrates the depth of talent the Soviet Union once held. Throughout the years, Armine performed skills that even today are extremely rare (e.g., triple back off bars) or unheard of (e.g., double layout off beam). It has been said that the judges of the time simply did not know how to score her.
“There are days you don’t feel like spending eight hours in the gym, but you look over at Armine and see how much it all means to her, and you get back to work. She’s a real inspiration to all of us.” says Dragon Team Member and 2004 Olympic Silver Medalist Courtney McCool.
Together, Al and Armine Fong have created one of the strongest institutions in the country and recently earned the USA Gymnastics 2004 Coach of the Year award.
Out of the Cold (The Examiner, July 2004)
Armine's Answers (Inside Gymnastics, July 2003)
Armine's Angels (Inside Gymnastics, November 2003)
GAGE Coaches Honored Nationally (The Examiner, June 2004)
The Nine First Brevets Released! – (Federation Internationale de Gymnastique, November 2006)
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