Sports center comes to PI
Gym to open in Aroostook Centre Mall
PRESQUE ISLE — The Aroostook Centre Mall in Presque Isle will soon be able to boast the largest gym in the state of Maine.
The New England Sports Center, home of Blue Devil Elite Cheer and premier gymnastics instruction, has over 12,000 square feet packed with new equipment and ready to serve the area’s youth. 
“Our elite cheer program will be superior and like nothing in the area,” said Joshua Barnes, head coach at the facility. “We will attend all available competitions in the state and follow the natural progression to regionals and then nationals.
“Our pre-cheer program will start kids at age three that are interested in the sport, and we will have competitive squads of all ages,” Barnes said. “Cheer has become a phenomenal sport for young women of all ages to push themselves physically and set goals to attain.”
Kim Lauritsen, owner of MoonDance Studios and now The New England Sports Center, agreed. “The county is full of very talented athletes. We are excited for our first season.”
The New England Sports Center will also offer top-notch gymnastics instruction, both recreational and competitive.
“I have been teaching dance and gymnastics for over 36 years and I have never met a coach as accomplished and effective as Joshua,” Lauritsen said. “Not all level 10 gymnasts are good coaches.
“Excelling in a sport does not necessarily make you a good coach,” she added. “Joshua is strict, organized and extremely knowledgeable. He also has a great way with the kids and they respect him but are comfortable enough to still have a lot of fun while learning.”
Barnes has over 24 years of gymnastics experience and has been certified as a USGSA and USASF coach for over 11 years. He was last employed with Top Gun Cheer and Gymnastics in Florida, one of the nation’s heavy-hitters in the cheer and gymnastics world.
Recreational and competition gymnastics will be offered at all age levels in both tumbling and apparatus.
“We already have several students at a level six,” Barnes noted. “It’s going to be great to watch these kids excel and grow.” Adult gymnastics and a boys’ strength and agility tumbling class will also be offered.
The New England Sports Center has been preparing to open since December. “We have had a couple of minor setbacks,” said Lauritsen. “I wasn’t aware of the length of time it took to ship new gymnastics equipment. We have pieces we have been waiting on for over four months, but almost everything is in, the kids are ready, and we certainly have enough to get started.
“Our level of instruction, focus on technique and conditioning and commitment to our athletes will set us apart from any other program in the County.”
Mall manager Patti Crooks is excited about the new venture. “To have this level of facility and instruction in the mall is a boost for the whole community and all of northern Maine,” Crooks said.
The New England Sports Center is now accepting registrations. To register, or for more information, call Lauritsen at 227-1664 or Barnes at 551-7836.
