Today we’d like to introduce you to Landon and Amy Hobson.
Hi, Landon and Amy; please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
I began gymnastics when I was just a little girl. My father was in the Army, so we moved around often. I began competing in the U.S.A. but eventually competed for Belgium as my father was stationed there. When we returned to the United States, my gymnastics career was short-lived due to the availability of a training facility nearby at the level I was competing and an injury I had suffered. I was devastated, but God had a plan. I began competitive cheer with an excellent team and learned a whole new skill set. Little did I know this would impact my life in significant ways. I learned to trust God has good plans for my life even when I doubt it and think my way is best. Many years later, with almost two decades of coaching experience, I find myself where we are now. My two daughters were on a league cheerleading team, and their excellent coach needed to take a step back from coaching for personal reasons. I volunteered to get the girls ready for an upcoming event. They were performing at the Dallas Cowboys stadium. They did a beautiful job after pouring hours of hard work into their routine and cheers. It powerfully struck my heart. Through the pain I felt with my injury and abrupt stop with gymnastics, I was able to learn a skill that made a whole team of little girls ecstatic. My husband, Landon, encouraged me to pursue coaching again because he saw its joy and impact on the community and me. He created a plan to open a gymnastics gym in Lago Vista. I was more hesitant to take on such a tremendous task but was excited to dream about the possibility. We have four children, and they are all homeschooled, so you can imagine how scary that was, too. I never realized it would become a reality.
As plans for the gym developed, we also decided to include a gymnastics and ninja program. We had one and a half months to prepare a building and formulate a business plan that included all necessary safety and training components, and we did it! We opened our doors on February 1, 2023. When Landon and I were young newlyweds, we had discussed that one day in the future, we would like to open a camp for children survivors of human trafficking and abuse. We also wanted to include children in the foster care program. Our heart is that we can provide a place that is entirely free for these organizations to have access to a facility where children can receive counseling and therapy while being in nature gardening and caring for animals. We want to provide sports classes at our facilities for these kids to enjoy pursuing goals with enthusiasm and excitement. When we decided to open The Arise Gym, we determined this to be the avenue to allow that dream to come to life. We created The Arise and Dream Foundation, a non-profit, hoping to see significant steps begin in that direction. We also stepped out in faith and purchased the land where we will one day place this camp.
The Arise Gym is moving to a new location in the heart of Lago Vista and is opening its doors one year to the day of our first opening, February 1, 2024. We never dreamed things would move this quickly, but we praise God for each step. We will eventually have three separate buildings. One will be exclusively for Ninja Warrior classes, one exclusively for gymnastics and cheer, and one will be a trampoline park and bouldering gym. These three companies will help fund The Arise and Dream Foundation. We cannot wait to see what all God has in store for the future of Lago Vista, Texas!
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
We see ourselves as just an average homeschooling family. It was a big leap of faith to take on this task. With a limited budget, we traveled from Texas to North Carolina to Illinois and more to find safe and affordable equipment in such a time crunch. We had to open within a certain period to avoid missing the training season entirely. We spent many long nights constructing the gym, obtaining permits, exploring codes, receiving and scheduling certifications for all staff, interviewing, training, etc. I still don’t know how it all came together. I’m in disbelief, but we trust God and continue taking deep breaths one step at a time. However, there are a lot of safety regulations for gymnastics facilities, equipment, coach training, etc. It isn’t a business to take lightly, as the safety of athletes and coaches is a top priority. That comes with a lot of knowledge and deep-diving into compliance with new and updated codes while also updating certifications and credentials. Specific quality requirement standards exist for each piece of equipment and landing zone area within the gym. A gym that makes this a top priority conducts constant inspections, certifications, training, and maintenance to improve the safety environment of the gym continually. Time and budget were the two main struggles for our family, but faith allows these things to work out because it isn’t us that has to pave the way. God does.
We’ve been impressed with The Arise Gym and The Arise and Dream Foundation, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
The Arise Gym is a gymnastics, cheer, and ninja facility. We are certified through USAG and USASF as we are proud to prioritize the safety of our athletes and coaches. We have well-trained coaches in their fields who are all First Aid, CPR, and AED certified. We provide classes for all ages. We offer classes beginning with infants in Mommy and Me classes through competitive teams in both cheer and gymnastics. We pride ourselves in providing quality training to every athlete with constant learning opportunities within the gym. We don’t believe long lines are a part of training and want our athletes to be inspired and motivated with pride in their hard work in achieving new and well-executed skills. Training a child in sports goes beyond the physical component. Our coaches inspire children to become lights in their community by making moral and ethical decisions. We train and encourage children to take steps against bullying and be the change they want to see in the future. We challenge them to befriend someone in need and empathize with their peers. We are committed to providing more opportunities for the community we love. We want Lago Vista always to have exciting opportunities for their children. We have plans to continue to grow our competitive teams with increasing difficulty, provide larger spaces with more training opportunities, and increase the availability of safe, kid-friendly activities for children in our community. We are proud to have both recreational and competitive programs in our gym so that every athlete has the potential to progress as they desire.
We plan to open a competitive ninja program soon, eventually. We are also looking into developing an MDO and after-school program. The Arise Gym provides Friday night Kids’ Night Out programs where children are given instruction and activities with different themes each week. This program includes a pizza dinner and a dessert or treat. Lago Vista needed a birthday party venue for kids, so we wanted to provide that experience for our community. We have different packages from which parents can choose which fit the preferences of their child’s interests and needs. Our coaches assist in each part of the process to provide a care-free environment for parents and kids to enjoy the best experience possible. These programs will fund The Arise and Dream Foundation and allow many more opportunities for children recovering from trauma. We believe all children should experience the joys of childhood goals and dreams.
How can people work with you, collaborate with you, or support you?
We could always use the support of individuals willing to provide services, donations, skills, prayers, etc. With new businesses, there are a lot of added expenses that do not come with established businesses, such as the cost of septic tanks, plumbing, water resources, building materials, heating and cooling units, concrete foundations, installations from equipment inside the gym to playground equipment outside of the gym, renovations, design, etc. From helping with painting to digging holes, pouring foundations, constructing buildings, flattening land, and more, we are taking each step in faith and having to be creative with a budget to find ways to get each of these projects complete. Since we have an end goal of funding The Arise and Dream Foundation, we must take cautious steps to prevent debt, so the vision for beginning this camp is relatively quick. We plan to construct a convention room, cabins, a cafeteria, animal pins, safe trails, and roads throughout the property for the foundation. There is a massive greenhouse with wonderful vegetables that need tending, and we want to house and care for animals for therapeutic purposes. The opportunities for volunteers in every area are welcomed and needed.
Contact Info:
- Website: TheAriseGym.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thearisegym?igsh=MXdwYW5uc3NmZW9ydg%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thearisegym?mibextid=LQQJ4d
