Jordan and Jacob Bailey are on a mission to build skills and confidence in the youth of Central Oregon, one sport at a time. They’ve owned the Central Oregon Gymnastics Academy since 2021, a sport they became involved with through their daughters. Their boys are active in skateboarding.
“Jacob runs action sports camps at all the local skate parks through parks and rec,” Jordan says. “He has done so for about nine years with our nonprofit Truckstop [Action Sports]. So we really are heavily invested in youth sports and we believe firsthand in the power…We’ve seen it really transform our kids. So that’s why we get so excited about doing it at this scale, to be able to find that opportunity for every kid in Central Oregon, regardless of their inclination, interests, ability level.”
What they’re doing is building a massive, indoor arena featuring a variety of sports and classes. Construction is underway on a 45,000 square foot building at the north end of Bend, off Highway 97 across from Trader Joe’s. Once completed, the gymnastics academy and all of its programs including Ninja, tumbling, cheer and preschool, will move into the new building under the name Bailey’s Sports. The space will be large enough to add volleyball courts and a fitness center. The current building on Layton Avenue off Empire Boulevard will be transformed into an indoor BMX, skate and scooter park, offering classes to build skills. Both of those are expected to open late next year.
Phase two will be construction of a nearly 23,000-square-foot building next to the new one which will encompass a new skatepark and Ninja Warrior training center. Once that’s open, the Baileys say they will no longer need the current building on Layton Avenue. All activities will be indoor, making it year-round no matter what kind of weather or smoke may be filling the sky.
The plans are ambitious, but the couple, who has six children, say they are filling a need. Their gymnastics academy is at 100% capacity serving 1,000 children each week with more on a waitlist. They are also anticipating a growing community, citing a study forecasting Bend’s population to grow from 103,254 to 132,209 by the year 2035.
“The biggest void that we see is there’s just such a severe lack of space for volleyball. A lot of club programs are operating in school gyms late at night,” Jordan says.
While the Baileys are making a sizeable investment, they’re cognizant of the economic times with rising prices and tariffs. “We’ve done our due diligence to see how the community really invests in their kids and sports,” Jacob says.
“A lot of time and care has gone into this project to ensure that it is financially sustainable. It’s a huge goal, but it’s something that we believe wholeheartedly in,” Jordan told the Source. “There’s a real historic record of Central Oregon families prioritizing their kids and their activities and their sports quite highly, even through economic uncertainty.” Jordan goes on to explain they offer scholarships to families with financial barriers. “One of the biggest things that we do is make sure that there are no barriers, if at all possible, to a kiddo who wants to plug in and engage, And we’re really proud of that. We do things like offer school field trips here at no cost for the schools.” Jordan also says they do feel the impact of recent economic conditions with higher interest rates, shipping costs and tariffs.
Part of the expansion is to fulfill their dream of becoming a regional destination. In January they’ll host their second USA Gymnastic-sanctioned meet held at the Riverhouse Convention Center. Last year, about 450 athletes participated, with about 1,600 spectators. This year more than 600 gymnasts have registered.
They hope to do the same with other sports. In coming years, during the second phase of construction, they envision a skatepark designed for every level of athlete from first-time riders to advanced, with the ability to host regional and national skate and scooter events. The second facility will also provide an expanded Ninja Warrior section with the capacity to host regional and national Ninja competitions. Their ultimate dream is for the Bailey’s Sports Campus to be one of the west coast’s premier multi-sport and action sports destinations, but always with the child in mind.
“The cool thing is when a kid walks through these doors, no matter what’s going on at home, no matter what’s going on at school, they’re gonna be welcomed with positivity, with what is the potential that you want to achieve and the playing fields even. That’s the beautiful thing about what we’re wanting to do here,” Jacob explains.
This article appears in the Source October 16, 2025.
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