With fall drawing to a close and the winter season just beginning, gymnastics and other winter sports are starting up for the season.

Lakewood High School gymnasts have begun a rigorous practice schedule that will get more and more intense as the first meet draws nearer. Gymnast Grace Lamparyk shares all of the details about the upcoming season and what daily life is like of a Lakewood High School gymnast.

Gymnasts have hectic weeks of practice; they practice during four days of the week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Saturday) for two hours each day. Lamparyk went into detail about the practice schedule.

“When we’re at practice, we stretch out before working and then sometimes do stations. Every day is regular practice, except for Wednesdays- those are choreography and conditioning days. We work on our routines and do some strength work to get better, but mostly bar workouts like L holds and pull-ups. Every other day we practice floor things, like handstands, backbends, handsprings, etc. Beam is open to practice whatever you need to. I practice cartwheels.  Vault is sometimes set up and we practice handstand flatbacks on the mat, along with other things for the gymnasts with more experience that use vault as an event.”

Lamparyk also described why she is drawn to being a gymnast.

“Ever since I was little, I always thought gymnastics looked so pretty and graceful. I did it for a few years and was good at it. I really wanted to improve and enjoy the sport, so I joined the team. I also thought it would be a great opportunity to meet new people and get stronger and more fit. It’s also a plus saying that you’re on a varsity sport.”

Lamparyk explained how LHS students get involved in supporting our gymnastics team.

“LHS students can get involved by coming to our meets to watch and support us. Our home meets are at Horace Mann, and students should come for peer support!”

Let’s fill the stands with some ranger pride the same way we would for a football game for our gymnasts’ meets this coming season.