Published: 03/31/2025 - 8:00 AM
Haverford, PA — Monday, 3/31/25 — The Haverford Area YMCA announced an expansion of its very popular gymnastics program. The project will move gymnastics instruction to a dedicated space at 4 Raymond Drive, Suites C-D, in Havertown, next to Genthert Field. A formal Ribbon Cutting is scheduled for May 8, 2025, at 4pm, followed by an Open House from 5 – 7pm, where attendees can tour the facility, meet the coaches and watch demos by the gymnastics team. Press is welcome to attend.
This new location will boast 11,000 square feet of space with expanded equipment options, including a loose foam pit, Resi Mat Systems, a full-size competition floor, a tumbling track, and an array of vaults, bars and beams. At full capacity, the space will allow Haverford’s gymnastics programs to serve more than 1000 youth per 7-week session. In addition, it can support more than 100 members of the Haverford Gymnastics team and has the potential to host future YMCA-sanctioned Gymnastics Competitions.
The Haverford Y Gymnastics team was re-established in 2019, after moving from the Main Line Y, with an initial group of 12 gymnasts. In the ensuing years, the team has grown to support 50 gymnasts of varying levels, earning the right to compete at the YMCA Gymnastics Nationals this past summer in Oaks, PA. The move to this new location was partly inspired by a member of the team, 11-year old Abi Young, who lobbied for a dedicated space.
Leading the program into the future is Natalie Wojcik, a decorated NCAA Division I gymnast with 10 years of coaching experience. She played a key role in helping the University of Michigan team secure three Big Ten Championships (2019, 2022, and 2023) and one National Championship (2021). During her college career, Natalie was a five-time individual Big Ten Champion, earned five perfect 10.0 scores, and received the AAI Award (often referred to as the "Heisman of Women’s Gymnastics") in 2022. Most recently, she coached at AJS Pancott Gymnastics, home of the 2024 Pennsylvania Level 10 State Championship team.
In recent years, the program has been housed within one of the Haverford YMCA’s gymnasiums. Now, with a dedicated offsite space, members can enjoy expanded access to the gymnasium and program offerings. Participants in the gymnastics program will enjoy the expansion in instruction offerings, a wider array of equipment, and a space that is fully their own.
“When we broke the news to our gymnastics team and their parents, you could hardly contain the excitement. They understand that this is no small investment, but they also know what we know – the impact for local athletes will be priceless. Gymnastics is more than a sport. It instills discipline, it builds confidence, it supports a healthy self-image and gives children opportunities for positive interaction. We can’t wait to see those dividends pay off”, says Katie Koch, Executive Director of the Haverford Area YMCA.