North Shore Gymnastics celebrates 50 years

North Shore Gymnastics recently celebrated its 50th birthday on Aug. 24, marking five decades of fostering community.

Formed by a group of mothers in the wake of Title IX, the private non-profit has been serving all age and skill levels since 1974.

In its early years, it coordinated with Orono Community Education and local schools, setting up and tearing down equipment everyday– but was still able to provide opportunities for gymnastics to over 100 gymnasts.

North Shore kept growing, eventually moving into a building in Long Lake in 1988 and again into its current 27,000 square foot home in Maple Plain in 2002.

Now serving over 1,000 gymnasts from all over the west metro area, Executive Director Ryan Rohloff shared the organization’s even bigger plans for the future: a 45,000+ square foot facility.

“The last 50 years have been incredible, but we are continuing to build a balanced community and spotting the next generation of North Shore gymnasts,” he said at the August 24 celebration while unveiling the organization’s new facility campaign, Building a Balanced Community.

All groups would reap the benefits of the extra space and equipment, including its preschool aged gymnasts, boys gymnasts, and competitive girls teams.

The current gym is home to the competitive Orono and Mound Westonka high school teams– and has been the home gym of Minnesota Gymnastics Hall of Famers Deb Hertzenberg (‘13), and Craig Anderson (‘17).

Staying true to its mission, North Shore doesn’t just provide space for competition, but it is “the choice of families because of the care, connection and community [it] continually builds with gymnasts and their families.”

Rohloff says North Share is more than a gym to its members. “We’re trying to provide a place in our community for their kids to grow,” he said to the Laker Pioneer. “We want to set them up so we can be the future leaders of our community. That’s the heart and soul of what North Shore Gym is.”

Through its mission North Shore provides a “fun, fulfilling, individualized gymnastics experience.”

They’ve drawn members from three generations of families and from as far away as Norwood Young America, a 35 minute drive to the gym. They have members from Buffalo, Waconia, Maple Grove and Plymouth in addition to serving many families from Orono, Maple Plain, and Mound.

They have a long competition season, but will have its first competition for younger gymnasts in late September before hosting the “Turkey Tumble” in November.