About Kids Gym
Our Story
We began serving area families in 1985 in a 2,500 sq. ft. space with about 150 students and just 3 teachers. We moved into our current facility at Portage, MI, in 1999 and expanded our space at the beginning of 2002. In 2012 we added a dedicated bar and beam workout area for our KGI Team.
We now have over 20,000 sq. ft. of space, 900+ students, and over 25 teachers! Kids Gym continues to grow with Portage and the surrounding communities, thanks to great parents, kids, and teachers.
.jpg)
...........................................................................
"Kids Gym is AMAZING!! The level of professionalism, education, patience, and creativity that the staff put into each class is exceptional. Kids Gym does a wonderful job of providing age appropriate and developmental gross motor activities for children of different ages and ability levels. Kids gym staff is like a second family for my children! We love our Kids Gym staff and look forward to each new class, lunch bunch and friendly faces!!"
Meet Our Staff
Our experienced and caring staff comes from various backgrounds, such as teachers, early childhood professionals and gymnasts. One thing that they all have in common is a desire to pass on their love of gymnastics to the children at Kids Gym! Our training system includes instruction in developmental stages in children, safety, progressions, and skills and, even though they don’t need it, how to have FUN while teaching effectively.
Nancy Ballard
Gym Owner
Nancy has been involved in competitive gymnastics since the age of 7 when she became a part of the first club gymnastics team in Kalamazoo and competed until the age of 16. Nancy took a break from coaching for several years after the birth of her two daughters, Kerrie and Tracey. During her 30 years working full-time at Upjohn/Pfizer, Nancy's passion for gymnastics continued, and she began coaching part-time through a community program in Richland. When Kerrie was chosen for the competitive gymnastics team at GKWG, Nancy accepted a coaching position at GKWG. In 2002 she was asked to join the amazing coaching staff at Kids Gym, KGI. In 2014, Nancy continued to follow her passion for gymnastics, and in addition to coaching at Kids Gym, she became General Manager. Nancy is not only working her dream job, but she also has the opportunity to share her love of gymnastics with her daughter, Kerrie, who is the Team Director for KGI. In January 2019, Nancy became the owner of Kids Gym.
Jodi Hoag
TumbleKids Director
General Manager
Jodi is our TumbleKids Director and Gym/Office Manager. She grew up in Connecticut, where she got her undergraduate degree at the University of Connecticut with a Bachelor of Science in Early Childhood Development and her Master’s Degree in Elementary Education at Sacred Heart. She has taught elementary school in several states, moving with her husband, who was in the Army. Jodi has been at Kids Gym since 2006 and began working when her daughters started to show interest in the sport. Both girls went on to become competitive gymnasts here at KGI and now work beside Jodi as teachers, as well. Anyone who watches Jodi teach can see she has a clear love for children.
Kerrie Visscher
VP KG Acquisitions/
Team Director
Kerrie brings a lot of experience to Kids Gym and our KGI Team. She was a competitive gymnast, competitive dancer, and competitive cheerleader in both high school and College. She began working at Kids Gym when she was 14 and has taught in our Tumble Kids, Recreational, and Team programs. After graduating from Portage Central High School, Kerrie went on to receive her degree in Kinesiology from Michigan State University. After graduating in 2008, she accepted the position of director of the KGI Team. Kerrie is also a dedicated mom to her son, Easton.
Christina Brown
Team Operations Director
Prior to joining our Kids Gym staff, Christina was a member of our KGI Competitive team!! Christina graduated from Loy Norrix high school, where she also excelled in Varsity Volleyball. She began teaching in our Recreational Program, and in no time, her dedication, knowledge, and love for the sport presented her with the opportunity to become Director of our Recreational program. She then took on the additional responsibility of Team Coach and is an integral part of the coaching staff. She has been a major contributor to the incredible growth and success of both of these programs!!
Hunter James
Developmental Program Head Coach
TumbleKids & Recreational
Teacher
Hunter James is a Western Michigan University student studying Elementary Education. She has been at Kids Gym since 2015 and enjoys working with children. She is Team Developmental Head Coach but can be seen teaching in both the Tumblekids and Recreational programs as well.
Abbey Voight
Team Coach
Recreational Director
Abbey Voight is a recent graduate from Western Michigan University with a Master's Degree in Occupational Therapy. She started gymnastics when she was 3 years old and later became a competitive gymnast for 9 years. She started coaching when was 15 and has been in love with it since. She's been at Kids Gym since 2017 and, in 2022, became our Recreation Director. She also coaches our KGI Team Levels 3-10 and Xcel Silver-Diamond.