HELENA — For the third-straight year, Helena’s Gym406 welcomed male gymnasts ages 6 to 18 from all over the state to its camp — which was completely free for the roughly 75 gymnasts in attendance.
But the opportunity for these young gymnasts to receive free instruction from some of the best coaches in the country would not have existed without Helena native Dean Roberts' support.
“I grew up at a time in Montana when Montana actually had a pretty robust boys and men’s gymnastics program in the ‘80s and ‘90s,” said Roberts.
But, according to Roberts, that’s no longer the case.
“We’ve just seen, over the decades, boys gymnastics decline a bit in Montana — actually across the nation,” Roberts continued. “[There are] far less college programs, far less developmental programs than there used to be."
It’s a sentiment shared by Dean Roberts’ son, Deano Roberts, a Stanford gymnast who also helped coach at the camp.
“So, when I was younger, there was a huge, thriving gymnastics program here,” said Deano Roberts. “There was a bunch of different club programs, big competitions — like hundreds of guys in men’s gymnastics.”
Nevertheless, the father and son each said they view the camp as a way to share the gift that gymnastics has been for them.
“I look at my life and what athletics has meant to me — I see what it’s certainly meant to my son and our family,” said Dean Roberts. “The chance to provide the opportunity for them to get world-class coaching in a space without the burden of having to pay for this camp — it means everything.”
Deano Roberts echoed the importance of keeping the camp free for participants.
“Well gymnastics is ... pretty expensive,” said Deano Roberts. “Around here there’s not really an opportunity for these guys to get high-level coaching. And so, we kind of wanted, for Montana residents specifically, to give them, those kids, the opportunities to get coached by some of the best coaches in the country.”
