Gymnastics teams on more stable ground | Sidelines

The Kingston and North Kitsap gymnastics programs look to be in a more secure place this season.

POULSBO — The Kingston and North Kitsap gymnastics programs look to be in a more secure place this season.

The programs now call the Breidablik Elementary Gymnasium home.

“It’s the best setup we’ve ever had,” North Kitsap head coach Kris Goodfellow said.

During the 2013-14 season, the teams became homeless when Zero Gravity Athletics was evicted from its space in the Kennedy Business Park. Zero Gravity moved to Silverdale, for a time, next to Castle Megastore. However, it would be too costly to bus the teams to Silverdale to practice everyday. Zero Gravity eventually left its Silverdale location too.

The teams were then practicing with minimum equipment at their own schools. Both teams moved into the North Kitsap High School Commons, sharing space with the North Kitsap cheerleading squad. Thanks to Cascade Elite Gymnastics, the teams had equipment to use last season. The teams had to setup and break down the equipment each practice.

Now, the programs have their own equipment in their own space.

“It’s really nice,” Goodfellow said. “It’s clean.”

Goodfellow believes a decision was made over the summer to continue supporting gymnastics. She thought last season would be the final season for the programs.

“Zero Gravity was closed, [district] wasn’t going to bus us around … No place to put us at the high school,” Goodfellow said of last season’s situation.

“For the [district] to decide to open up Breidablik [for use], and on top of that purchase equipment, is huge,” she said.

Though the Vikings’ program had a lower turn out than in the past, the Kingston program looks like it’s already on an upswing, Goodfellow said.

Goodfellow said the sport should grow.

“I think we’re finally getting to a place where it’s working out,” she said.

 

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