Bounce into town.

Byline: Lewis Taylor The Register-Guard

For Naja Rossoff, 34, opportunity has a funny way of presenting itself.

"When I turned 13 my (gymnastics) coach asked me to be an assistant," Rossoff says. "The next time I went in, the coach had quit, so I became the (coach)."

Rossoff's latest opportunity, owning her own gym, came up earlier this year when she learned of a vacancy in a south Eugene storefront. The 2,400 square-foot space was well-suited for her purposes, so she quit her job and set to work building a lifelong dream.

"I needed to have my own future, to have my own gym rather than working for somebody else," says Rossoff, who was recreational director for the National Academy of Artistic Gymnastics in Springfield for eight years.

Rossoff's studio, Bounce Gymnastics, opened on Dec. 17 at 2705 Willamette St. The gym specializes in recreational gymnastics, and caters to young tumblers of all skill levels between the ages of 1 and 18.

"The building was as close to perfect as we could find," says Rossoff's husband, Nick, pointing to the high ceilings and choice south Eugene location.

Rossoff and her husband took out a loan and sunk about $15,000 and four-months of labor into renovations that included converting a loading dock into a trampoline room. The biggest expense, Rossoff says, was buying gymnastics equipment such as the large spring floor and "tumble track" that take up a good portion of the studio. Colorful hula hoops hang on the wall, pint-sized parallel bars and rings take up the front of the room and the walls are decorated with murals painted by Rossoff.

Even before Bounce opened, the gym had 200 students pre-registered for classes. During her time at the Springfield academy, Rossoff built up a strong following, says Mandi Bussell, a parent who has been sending her kids to Rossoff for almost five years.

"She knows how to keep kids truly engaged and really intrigued with gymnastics," Bussell says. "She actually takes time to learn the kids' names and personalities."

Many of her Springfield students followed Rossoff to her new location, she says. And knowing ahead of time that there was a demand for her classes eased Rossoff's worries about opening her own business.

Six-week sessions at Bounce start at about $50. The majority of Rossoff's students are between 4 and 10 years old, but she caters to all age groups. A Rollie Pollie class is geared toward 1- to 3-year-olds and their parents. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a Tumbling for Cheer and Dance class for middle school and high school students.

Rossoff employs a staff of eight to help teach classes and oversee the facility. She sees gymnastics as an activity that will only continue to grow in popularity.

"Gymnastics is a core sport," she says. "It's the basis for a lot of sports. ... It's something that's always here."

Born and raised in Ashland, Rossoff competed in gymnastics until her junior year in high school. She taught competitive team gymnastics in Colorado for six years, returned to Ashland and then settled in Eugene eight years ago.

Rossoff says she hopes to teach all types of gymnastics at Bounce, especially trampoline and tumbling. The gym's trampoline room offers a level surface of sunken trampolines, so there's no falling off the sides. Rossoff says there is lots of interest in trampoline gymnastics, which became an Olympic sport in 2000.

Tumbling is also popular with lots of different gymnasts. Along with young recreational tumblers, Rossoff hopes to attract ex-competitors and dancers who are looking for a place to stay in shape.

Another niche for Bounce is offering open gym time, holiday camps and birthday party rentals. Parents can rent the entire facility for a couple of hours and Bounce will even provide the cake.

"It's the perfect setting," says Ruth Forman, who was planning a January birthday party at Bounce for her soon-to-be 4-year-old Benjamin.

Rossoff says she will be able to accommodate 400 students at her new studio. In the future, she'd like to expand her gym, but for now, she is content being a small facility.

"I hope that this (can become) the in-town neighborhood gym," she says.

CAPTION(S):

Naja Rossoff works with Asa Clevenger on the trampoline at Rossoff's new south Eugene gymnastics studio.