PETOSKEY — A new gym is offering kids ages 3-15 the opportunity to learn coordination, build muscle and get out of their comfort zones through parkour, gymnastics and obstacle courses.
Cowabunga Ninja is located at 2049 U.S. 31. The large space has about 2,000 square feet of gym space that can accommodate about six kids in a class and 15 kids for events.
Cowabunga owner Taylor Fee, who moved to Petoskey from Indiana last October with his wife Samantha, is a life-long sports lover.
With a degree in elementary education from the University of Indianapolis and his love of sports, he found his calling in teaching kids how to move, jump and climb safely, while helping them get out of their comfort zones.
“It's like advanced playground skills,” Fee said. “I'm going to be teaching the kids things that are going to be useful everywhere, especially in a playground setting where they're going to be trying a lot of different skills or just challenges that other kids wouldn't necessarily want to try. When we're in (the gym) kind of having fun and doing class and everything, we’re really building confidence and coordination.”
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Fee is certified with American Parkour, as well as USA Gymnastics. He is also certified in first aid and CPR. Fee ran a similar program at Boyne Area Gymnastics before starting his own business.
“(Kids develop) a healthy relationship with sports and just movement in general. A lot of the kids that I work with are kids with high energy or don't necessarily like your traditional sport of learning a lot of rules and things like that. So it's nice to have them come in and burn off a lot of energy while also learning a few different skills. A lot of those keywords (are): competence and coordination, strength, agility and speed and things like that.”
In addition to classes, Fee will be hosting events like birthday parties at the gym.
Fee said response from local parents has been very positive so far. A Facebook post in the Emmet County Helping Hands page in April was shared 49 times with comments from parents expressing excitement about the new business.
Cowabunga Ninja will be officially opening on May 22 and hosting an open house from then until May 27 where families can see the gym, meet Fee and sign up for classes. May 29 through June 2 will be a trial class week with the first official session starting on June 5.
— Contact reporter Tess Ware at tware@petoskeynews.com. Follow her on Twitter, @Tess_Petoskey.
This article originally appeared on The Petoskey News-Review: Cowabunga Ninja gym opens to teach kids gymnastics, parkour