I Am A College Gymnast

I wouldn’t be in this place if it weren’t for gymnastics, I highly love gymnastics and It really makes me work hard for the things I want to happen!

I've always been the odd man out on any sports team who looked forward to conditioning at the end of practice and would hold my plank an extra few seconds until I really felt the pain. I loved pushing myself beyond my expected limits and the satisfaction of leaving the gym knowing I gave my full effort. Although the thought of taking a weight lifting class was extremely intimidating, I acknowledged my deep love for training and bettering myself.

Gymnastics is a very difficult sport that takes a lot of commitment. Many children take on gymnastics at a young age and strive to become Olympic gymnasts by competing their whole lives, but not a lot of people are able to pursue that dream due to the challenges that come with being a gymnast. Coaches are currently conditioning and training their gymnasts at very demanding and advanced levels. Although the sport has several positive health benefits on the body, it also puts gymnasts at a very high risk of injury. It is not very common for these injuries to be severe, however, if they are not treated properly it is likely for them to lead to chronic pain and even bone fractures.

My biggest regret is that I quit gymnastics. I thought I was going to do cheer but I ended up not doing it because of my family being so busy. I wish I hadn’t quit gymnastics because now I can’t to many things that I used to do like a back-walkover and the splits (left, middle, and right). If I could go back to the day I said I wanted to quit I would and I wouldn’t have said anything to my mom about quitting. Even though going to gymnastics right after school was rough I enjoyed it. I liked being able to come home and show everyone what I learned that day and doing little routines. I also liked having contests with my sister because I knew I would win since I practiced everyday. Since I did competitive gymnastics I had meets on Saturdays and

I work as a gymnastics coach at Trousdell Gymnastics Center. It is a recreational center that provides programs for all Tallahassee residents, specializing in gymnastics and exercise. The goal of this organization is to provide a safe and affordable program that keeps the community fit and engaged. They offer recreational gymnastics classes for boys and girls of all ages. There are also preschool and kindergarten programs for the younger children. On the other end of the spectrum there are adult classes that teach gymnastics and overall fitness. In addition, the gym offers classes for children with special needs. Finally, Trousdell offers a competitive gymnastics program for exceptional boys and girls. Three Olympic gymnasts have come through this program. Trousdell Gymnastics Center is named after a former Tallahassee Parks and Recreation Director Randy Trousdell, a man passionate about his community and the health of its children. Since it’s opening over 60 years ago the gym has impacted 500,000 children’s lives. I coach recreational classes for girls ages seven to fifteen years old. I begin every class by leading an extensive stretch and then we go to the events of the day where I set up stations for gymnasts to practice different skills. I end every class with conditioning to help the gymnasts grow stronger so that they can perform skills successfully. Trousdell Gymnastics Center coaches have a responsibility to these children. It is our goal to make the two hours a

It was the late in the fourth quarter and the Broncs were about to win another state championship making it two years in a row. There was 20 seconds on the clock and the Broncs were up 49-28 on the Natrona County Mustangs. All we needed to do was take a knee, and sheridan would take home their 25th football state title. The ball was snapped and instead of taking a knee, they ran it with running back Kyle Kustis for another bronc touchdown to make the win 56-28. The block that opened up the hole was offensive tackle and my brother, Blayne Baker. After that night we all went home to celebrate the state championship. The next morning I could barely talk. My throat was throbbing from cheering so loud. “Do you want some pancakes?” my sister, Baylee,

My dad owns Colorado School of Gymnastics, a small gym in Denver, Colorado. Some of my first memories included excitedly getting in the car in one of my dozens of leotards, anxious to get to the gym to start practicing. Before I was in school, I’d spend all my days there. From early in the morning all the way into the late afternoon, sometimes taking part in up to four

         For years gymnastics has been a sport that many children participate in. But as the years have gone by it has turned into something other than a place for kids to grow and learn. Its overwhelming commitment has continued to replace kids’ childhoods with stress, mental and physical pain and eating disorders. Many results have come from this change in the gymnastics society. Gymnasts have come to a point where they have been told and directed to understand that winning is the only important factor in gymnastics. “ It’s about the elite child athlete and the American obsession with winning that has produced a training environment wherein results are bought in at any cost, no matter how

I grew up in a gymnastics facility, practicing up to 30 hours a week from ages 7 to 16. I worked hard, gave up social events, and did my best to balance school and sports, being a student-athlete and all… And I am not too proud of it, but I’d call myself more of an athlete-student.

I utilized gymnastics as my first form of escape and it pushed my geographic borders as far as it pushed my body. I explored the greater Midwest wedged in middle seat of my parents’ Buick Park Avenue. Competitive gymnastics offered me a yellow-brick road straight out of Indiana, and planted dreams of a national team spot or a college scholarship. By 16, my

Using my old experience and old habits I had become just as good or even better than before. As I was on the freshman team for gymnastics, I had brushed off the rustiness from the break that I had taken. Even though the sport is as not tough and rough as club, I still felt the rush that I did before. As I take the skills and lessons that I learned from club gymnastics, I still work just as hard and have just as much fun. As freshman year continued, I started to remember the habits and the reasons why I loved this sport. With a different coach and new teammates, I still felt at home. Jumping back onto the equipment was like riding a bike, even though I was a little rusty at first, I will always remember what was taught to me. Throughout freshman year I have improved and grown potential that I hope to apply later in life and later in gymnastics. I push for new skills and moves every day, but most importantly the sport makes me feel

Olympic weightlifting has a special place in my heart. It’s a sport that many young athletes don’t consider; in fact, I didn’t consider partaking in this athletic discipline myself. It wasn’t until I realized what I was cable of; shaping and moulding myself into a strong, powerfully built, individual. The concept of improving myself was a fixed goal that I was willing to pursue. From there on, my weightlifting career quickly blossomed. I was first informed by my soon to be coach, that I would be competing in the school’s weightlifting competition. The word competition brought excitement and fear. A proper mind set was needed in order to compete. Building confidence on the platform and being consistent with my technique was the main focus. Countless

As I walked into the gymnasium, my eyes opened with amazement. I looked to my left, then to my right and observed my surroundings that consisted of gymnastics equipment, multiple gymnastic teams, and judges. I was ecstatic to be there because it was my first time competing in the High School Gymnastics Championship. Therefore, being able to represent my local high school at this competition was a big deal to me, especially as a freshman. Furthermore, I continued to walk to the bench, where I greeted my team and prepared to compete in the competition.

Eager to improve our flexibility and technique, my younger sister, Melina, and I were in our living room stretching and warming up for our gymnastics class we would be attending an hour later. After taking the whole summer off from practicing, we were a tad rusty and had made it a priority to make up for our lost time of training. Giving each other pointers and words of encouragement, she and I worked together to make an enormous amount of progress that afternoon. On the couch lay my mom, half asleep and sick as a dog. Every few minutes, we heard a mumbled “Good job sweetie!” escape her mouth, giving my sister and I a feeling of confidence and accomplishment.

When you push yourself hard, either you can fall and get back up, or you can quit. I am not a quitter, and I learned that when I pushed myself and did not give up on my goals, I achieved them. The gym is my home away from home, and I spend 10+ hours a week training for gymnastics competitions. The thrill of sticking a landing and the fear of falling is all part of the sport. When I do my best at competitions and win, I feel ecstatic, for I have achieved the goal I set for myself. One of my passions is gymnastics, and even though the sport comes with fear, I try and push past it. When I fall, my confidence takes a dip, and I start mental blocking. As a result, I attempt to avoid doing my skills, however, running away will not solve my problem.