Northwest Gymnastics gets new home

NEW HARTFORD — Northwest Gymnastics held an open house on Sunday, Feb. 18, to mark its move from the Sports Dome in Winsted to the old Waring building on Route 44.

“We were kind of off in the middle of nowhere,” said instructor Keith Horan. “This is more bustling,” added his wife, Jennifer Horan. “We like it here so far, and we’ve only been here for a month.” Northwest Gymnastics held their first class on Jan. 30 and, thanks to the move, instructors expect to be able to pick up more students from the areas of Avon and Canton. 

At 30,000 square feet, instructors said that the new building has a lot more space than its former home in Winsted.

“We’re really happy to be here,” said a coach, Bailey Derr, 18. 

She and many other students presented exhibitions, and the Horans said that close to 30 prospective students came to the open house.

“It was pretty busy at the open house,” said Derr. “We’re all pretty tired now.” Derr, who is from Lakeville, came to Northwest Gymnastics when she was 11. 

She explained that gymnasts start out in a recreational program and move up through the levels until they enter the competitive field.

She wants to be a competitive coach, but the girls she would be coaching are fellow gymnasts she used to train with. “I have to wait maybe a few years for them to listen to me,” she laughed.

Many of the girls who coach do so after their practices.

Sitting with Derr at the event was Torie Burke, 13, who just became a junior coach. 

Unlike Derr, Burke still competes and has an upcoming meet in Pennsylvania. Looking around the new gym, Burke talked about how many fewer practice spaces and sets of equipment the old space had. Burke’s favorite event is floor exercise, followed by beam, bars, then vault.

Derr’s favorite event used to be beam, though she added, “I broke my face on vault, and it still wasn’t my least favorite.” 

“It’s a fun sport, and I love it,” said Derr. “People may say, ‘Oh, the sport’s dying, there aren’t many people in it.’ But the recreation programs are still growing. There are a lot of people in it, so it’s good to see that.”

The school is open for enrollment. For more information, go to www.northwestgymnasticsct.com.

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