Welcome to Riverside!
Riverside Gymnastics Sports and Arts Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to develop character and self esteem by modeling and reinforcing integrity, self control, respect, perseverance, discipline, teamwork and fitness through exercise, cheer and the sport of gymnastics.
From its humble beginnings in the Dufur School cafeteria in 2002 to its fully equipped training facility in the port of The Dalles, Candy and Mike Smith (retired 2018) created a thriving learning environment that continues to positively impact Columbia Gorge area communities. Their holistic approach to coaching has produced state, regional, and national gymnastics champions.
Our Mission Statement
Riverside Gymnastics Sports and Arts Center develops character and self-esteem by modeling and reinforcing integrity, self-control, respect, perseverance, discipline, teamwork and fitness through exercise and the sport of gymnastics.
Our Facility
Riverside Gymnastics Sports and Arts Center is located at 2221 River Road, in The Dalles, Oregon. Our gym is fully equipped with regulation apparatus, allowing us to host our own USAG sanctioned meets! Featuring a regulation spring floor, 3 sets of uneven bars, numerous balance beams, high bar, rings, tumble track, vault, vault runway and foam pit, Riverside is a great place where students can practice and perfect their skills in a fun, well supervised and safe environment.
Our Organization
Riverside Gymnastics Sports and Arts Center is a school of gymnastics, tumbling and cheer operated by the nonprofit organization Riverside Gymnastics Academy Booster Club, Inc. Riverside’s Board of Directors is responsible for the overall management of the facility and programs, and for all business and fund raising activities.
Our current board members are Jamie Carbone (president), Stan Hinatsu (secretary), Beth Turner (treasurer), Denise Hilkey, and Malinda Acol.
Safety
Safety is our number one priority. At Riverside, we believe safety is everyone’s responsibility. Our coaches are USAG safety certified and Safe Sport certified. For the safety of our students, we always have two staff members or adults present. For more information on our safety policies, visit our policies page.
Our Staff
Riverside is committed to providing each student a comprehensive and high quality gymnastic education.
All of our USAG safety-certified coaches and well-trained instructors work together to create a positive training program designed to meet the needs of each and every student.
Team Coaching Staff
Audrey Hinatsu
Lead Team Coach
Audrey Hinatsu started taking gymnastics at 5 in the Dufur School cafeteria with Candy Smith. She took to it immediately! By the time Riverside moved to Petersburg School in 2005, Audrey was 7 and had joined the gymnastics team. In the early years, she would workout 3 days a week and help her mom with preschool and recreation classes on the other days. You could say gymnastics is “in her blood.”
“Gymnastics is not just about the sport but it made me the person I am today. I am a natural introvert and being in gymnastics helped me to be more confident and take risks. Those are very important life skills. I had the amazing experience of having Mike and Candy Smith be my coaches. So much of my coaching style comes from their influence as coaches.”
As our lead team coach, she is responsible for the competitive teams, coaching assignments, curriculum content, and advancing gymnasts within the USAG designated gymnastic levels. She started working at Riverside in 2013 and has taught classes from preschool and above. By the time she graduated, she had reached our highest level, Level 10! She also danced for Studio Elan. Outside of gymnastics, Audrey enjoys skiing, hiking, and exploring with her husband, Mark. As a sidenote, Audrey has many state, regional, and western titles!
Ginger Gonzales
Recreational Program Director
Team Coach
Ginger Gonzales, with the help of our staff, works hard at curriculum, skill progression, and coaching staff development. She also coaches at the team level. Ginger has been working at Riverside on and off for fifteen years. “Prior to Riverside, I was also an assistant gymnastics coach at the high school level.”
Ginger competed as a gymnast for Stevenson High School for four years. Prior to that she also had experience in ballet and dance. “I had an amazing positive and caring coach for my high school years. She taught us to encourage each other and that gymnastics is about attitude and effort. When I came to coach with Riverside, the coaches here had a similar philosophy and taught me more about the building blocks of gymnastics and how to safely progress athletes through each level. I enjoy coaching this sport because it helps kids stay healthy, feel positive about themselves, and be part of a group.” Outside of the gym, Ginger enjoys spending time with her two amazing kids, walking and hiking, reading, and enjoying performing arts.
Halle Haskins
Team Coach
Recreational Instructor
Preschool-Advanced
Halle Haskins started coaching at Riverside when she was fifteen. “Some of my responsibilities include coaching recreational gymnastics, but I mostly coach our team girls.” Before coaching, she started doing gymnastics at age four and joined team at age eight. “I actually started gymnastics at our old facility, Petersburg.” Halle retired from gymnastics when she was 15 years old due to injury and the loss of her long-time coaches. “But I’m so happy I can put the love of gymnastics into children’s hearts!” According to Halle, “I was a really shy kid but gymnastics allowed me to break out of my shell and become the person I am today. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if it wasn’t for my coaches, my teammates, and the sport of gymnastics.” When Halle’s not studying for her nursing degree, she likes to spend time with her friends and family, catch up on a good book, or go for a hike with her dogs.
McKenna Bailey
Team Coach
Recreational Instructor
Intermediate and Advanced
McKenna Bailey started coaching 8 years ago, and has been with us on and off since. She was a competitive gymnast for 8 years, and made it all the way to level 7! She likes being able to share her experience with the kids: “They can either learn from my mistakes and injuries, or just learn something new”. She says, “I enjoy seeing the kids succeed and building relationships them so we can be fun and productive”. In her free time, McKenna likes to read, work out and spend time with her family and cat.
Mark Renken
Team Coaching Assistant
Recreational Instructors
Krissy Fulton
Recreational Instructor
Preschool-Beginner 2
Reece Keizur
Recreational Instructor
Boys Beginner-Advanced
Shelby Riesterer
Recreational Instructor
Preschool-Advanced
Sophia Hernandez
Recreational Instructor
Preschool-Beginner 2
Ashley Zistel
Recreational Instructor
Intermediate and Advanced
Office Staff
Sue Kenyon-Hinatsu
Administrator
Sue Kenyon-Hinatsu (known by our gymnasts as “Mrs. H.”!) is our administrator. “I took my first gymnastics summer camp when I was maybe 5 years old and LOVED it.” Unfortunately, I did not have access to any training until high school where I went out for the high school gymnastics team (back when high schools still offered this as a school sport). I have a unique perspective as a competitor, as a parent of a gymnast, and then also working as a coach. ” Her responsibilities range from paying the bills, acting as a liaison for the board and staff, being our meet director, team administration, and her most important responsibility, supporting our staff.
Sue has coached all levels including preschool, recreation, both boys and girls as well as team. “I am so glad we have a gymnastics academy here in The Dalles where children throughout the Gorge can have access to this sport.” Sue didn’t come back to gymnastics herself until her youngest daughter started taking gymnastics at the Dufur school. “When not at the gym, I love spending time with my family and traveling with my husband of 43 years, quilting, skiing, and spending time with friends. Oh, yeah … and drinking coffee!”
Anna Lira
Office Assistant
Anna Lira has been working at the gym since September 2020 as a floater and in the office as of September 2021. She handles emails, responds to your phone calls, manages the website and oversees a variety of tasks to keep the gym up and running. If you have a question, Anna can answer! According to Anna, “I love the atmosphere and energy of Riverside and all the coaches are very friendly.” In her free time, Anna enjoys crocheting and needle felting.
Interested in working with us? Check out our employment page!