Darlene Fanning

Spotlight: ICE All-Stars

Darlene Fanning, ice allstars, lady lightning January 7, 2016

“If you’re not prepared to put TEAM first, turn around.”

dworldfrontThis is the motto of ICE All-Stars, and a slogan that hangs on a banner in the windows of all three of Darlene Fanning’s Illinois- and Indiana-based gym locations. It’s a mentality that’s gotten the ICE program founder far since launching her first location in 1996. “Next year will be our 20th anniversary,” says Fanning, who got her start as a high school coach before making the transition to the all-star world.d

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Owner’s Manual: Darlene Fanning

dance teams, Darlene Fanning, ice July 7, 2014

ICE began in 1998 with Darlene Fanning renting space from a local gymnastics facility for a program of approximately 60 kids. According to Fanning, the program “quickly outgrew the space” and two other facilities before landing in their current Mishakawa location in 2007. In 2009, ICE expanded to Fort Wayne, and in 2011, the program opened a third location in Aurora. This year, a big part of the gym’s growth has been the reintroduction of ICE’s dance program—we asked owner Darlene Fanning to share the details.

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Owner’s Manual: Darlene Fanning of ICE All-Stars

Darlene Fanning, ICE All-Stars, Owners Manual March 11, 2013

In our “Owner’s Manual” column, we ask gym owners to take us “under the hood” and give us their secrets to what keeps their gyms running so smoothly. Find out how Darlene Fanning finds her balance by keeping high schools happy.