Room to Rise

Community partnerships help Cass Lake gymnasts reach new heights

By Suzy Frisch | Photography by John Linn

When advanced gymnasts at Northern Dreams Gymnastics in Cass Lake practice on the balance beam, coaches remove ceiling tiles to create tumbling space. During bar routines, athletes maneuver carefully near a support beam positioned too close for comfort.

It’s not an ideal setup. But inside a former car dealership on the Leech Lake Reservation, more than 80 young gymnasts are learning discipline, confidence and strength—and earning medals at state and regional meets.

The gym’s growth reflects the determination of its athletes and the vision of owner Erin Reyes. A former gymnast and nurse, Reyes opened Northern Dreams in 2017 to give local kids access to a sport that builds more than athletic skill.

“I wanted to have positive, affordable gymnastics for kids—a safe space for them to come and really improve their talents,” Reyes said. “We’re a small community. There are school sports, but not much else to do unless you go outside the community, and that can be really expensive. We’re trying to keep the costs lower for families around here.”

Cass Lake, with a population of about 700, offered few options for a gymnastics facility. The former car dealership was the only viable rental space. Reyes purchased used equipment and gathered donations to get started. Enrollment quickly grew from a dozen students to more than 80, supported by 11 coaches.

Success brought a new challenge: space. As Northern Dreams reached capacity, Reyes began exploring financing options for a larger, safer facility. Traditional lending options proved difficult.

Then, on a hot summer day in 2024, while a handful of gymnasts were outside selling sodas and pickles to raise money for their gym, several visitors from the Initiative Foundation stopped for a cold drink and started to ask questions. The gymnasts’ enthusiasm and love of their sport made an impression on Tim Swanson, business finance manager at the Initiative Foundation.

“Watching them be so excited about what they do and who they are, and this was their place—they were so proud of being in gymnastics and of being a member of this organization,” Swanson said.

When the Initiative Foundation team went inside and met Reyes, their good impression deepened. They learned about her business and how it had grown to capacity. They saw the gym’s real needs for a new facility and learned about Reyes’ goal to expand.

“I remember driving back to Brainerd and talking to my boss, telling him their story, and he said, ‘There’s got to be a way,’” Swanson said.

It wasn’t long before Swanson and the Initiative Foundation had assembled a mix of partners to help move the $600,000 project forward.

“This is a real win for the community,” Swanson said. “Our role is to step in where traditional financing may fall short. We’re here to meet people where they are and invest in the potential we see. Northern Dreams isn’t just a gym—it’s a community space and a place to build confidence, opportunity and pride for young people in Cass Lake. That’s exactly the kind of project we’re eager to support.”

Financial Backing

Reyes worked with local Small Business Development Center consultant Pam Thomsen to assemble and refine financial projections. At the same time, the Initiative Foundation brought together its partners, including the Cass County Economic Development Corporation in Walker and Midwest Minnesota Community Development Corporation (MMCDC) in Detroit Lakes. Northern Dreams also secured a grant through the Minnesota Department of Employment and Economic Development’s Minnesota Main Street Economic Revitalization Program.

Mike Paulus, executive director of the Cass County Economic Development Corporation, said Cass Lake has faced economic challenges for years but holds strong growth potential, making Northern Dreams’ expansion an investment worth supporting. “We stuck our nose in and offered assistance because we want to make sure these types of investments come to fruition,” he said, “because that is who we are and that is what we do.”

Partners also looked beyond the gym’s walls to its broader economic ripple effect.

“This investment is coming into a community that has struggled with additional investment,” said Nicole Kirchner, vice president of business development at MMCDC. “Putting more effort and focus on the gym might spur some additional things happening in the community and on Main Street.”

Main Street Mission

In recent years, Cass Lake has been working to spark new economic momentum. Jerry “Jake” Smith, who began his second stint as mayor in 2025, said he and the City Council have focused on clearing blighted buildings to make room for new opportunities.

“We want to open up space for new businesses to settle and provide jobs,” Smith said. “There are only a few places to work in Cass Lake, and a lot of our problems with poverty are due to a lack of gainful employment.”

That groundwork is beginning to pay off. Cass Lake is welcoming a new Subway, a coffee shop, a laundromat and Northern Dreams’ expanded facility—signs of steady reinvestment in the community. The new Northern Dreams building is believed to be the first from-the-ground-up construction project in downtown Cass Lake in some 20 years.

“It will have a positive impact on its students,” Smith said. “There is not a lot for the youth to do in the area, and this is something positive. They teach a lot of things like discipline and working toward goals, and I think that’s good for the community.”

While new businesses signal economic progress, residents say Northern Dreams’ impact runs deeper than storefronts and statistics. For families, it’s personal.

Brian Stoebner, a teacher and coach at Cass Lake-Bena High School, has a front-row seat on how Northern Dreams has positively affected his daughter, Serena, other gymnasts, and the broader community. Serena was 6 years old when Northern Dreams first opened. She ultimately joined its competition team and has soared under Reyes’ direction, he said.

“Erin has been by her side from the get-go, and I’m always amazed that she has been able to make anything work in the converted space that they have for a gym,” Stoebner said. “It’s amazing the confidence it’s given her, and Erin has played a key piece in that.”

Team Makes Its Mark

In 2025, Northern Dreams’ small-but-determined team delivered outsized results. The gym’s top three athletes—Stoebner, Mariah Johnson and Kaitlyn Crane—claimed first- and second-place finishes in their age groups at the USAA Midwest Regional Meet in Madison, Wis., competing against teams from seven states with rosters of 15 or more gymnasts. The team also placed seventh out of more than 40 programs at the Minnesota state championships and earned a first-place overall finish at the Dream Catcher Invitational in Santa Fe, N.M., underscoring how Cass Lake’s athletes continue to excel on big stages.

Future Potential

The timing of the new gym couldn’t be better. For Serena Stoebner, aged 15, it supports her goal of competing in college. For her father, it represents possibility—a space designed to match the athletes’ ambition.

Brian Stoebner looks forward to seeing what Reyes and her gymnasts can accomplish in a facility with a full-sized floor and dedicated vault, beam and bar areas. He believes Reyes will continue strengthening both the program and the culture that sets it apart.

“The sense of team has become better and better,” he said. “There is a strong sense of family in that building.”

That sense of belonging is exactly what Reyes set out to create. From the beginning, Northern Dreams has been about more than routines and medals. It’s about building confidence, setting goals and giving young people a place where they feel supported.

Construction is underway after an early April groundbreaking, with plans to open by summer—a milestone years in the making.

“The things the girls can do are mind-blowing, really,” Reyes said. “My mind can’t even comprehend what they are going to be able to accomplish when we move. It will benefit them so much to have a space to be able to do the things they need to do and train the way they need to train.”

The expanded facility will allow Northern Dreams to grow alongside its athletes. Reyes plans to add more recreational classes, including sessions for adults, invest in equipment to strengthen the boys’ program and introduce offerings such as dance. She also plans to open a small cafe that serves take-out lunch three days a week, creating space for families and community members to gather, watch practice and connect.

“It’s been a dream of mine for a long time to have my own gym,” Reyes said. “To have it be so close to coming to fruition—I’m so grateful to everyone who has helped in the process. The families who come here for gymnastics have been so supportive, and my family, the coaches and the community have been amazing. This is my dream come true.”

For Cass Lake, the new building represents more than additional square footage. It is a place where young people will continue to test their limits, families will gather, and a small-town investment will keep building momentum—one routine, one class and one confident athlete at a time.