The Lakewood girls gathered at Horace Mann Elementary to compete, showing off the endless work they put into what they love. The girls hit the mat, and thoughts instantly erase. Gymnastics, of course, has its clear display of extreme endurance, but there is also a mental side to the sport.
Gymnast Teddie Bruening attempts to put herself into the correct mindset to focus on the meet and continue to be her best self.
“I usually try to do breathing right before, I’ll make sure I have a snack and my water with me, and usually I’ll listen to music or just talk to my friends,” Bruening shares.
Getting into the right head space before such an activity helps each athlete’s performance. The people around each player also affect their mentality. Bruening shares more about how friends and other teammates can significantly improve a player’s performance.
“We definitely cheer each other on during the routines which really helps,” Breuning said. “It helps keep everyone’s energy up.”
When you do the thing you love, it becomes more than just a sport. You make new memories with teammates and set new boundaries.
Ella Hyatt, the only senior for the season, shares her experience from the past 3 years in gymnastics and the memories she made along the way.
“My favorite memory is probably just making all the friends, definitely the first practice and seeing who’s new and who I can make friends with,” Hyatt said.
The purple leotards shine bright in the gymnasium, and the athletes’ hair is ribboned. The mood is high. Parents and friends sit and watch as talent radiates from the athletes. The team is impressive and resilient, even in their errors. With the spirit of teammates and a supportive environment, it can be easy to brush off your shoulders and continue.
The gymnasts were in a circuit around the room, rotating between each event to showcase their amazing talents. From flipping off the vault to balancing on the beam, these skills don’t just come naturally. It can take years to understand a sport and everything about it.
Thomas Glunt, head coach of the Lakewood gymnastics team, shared his background in the gymnastics world and how he came about with such sentiment for gymnastics.
“Since I was about 12 years old I’ve been coaching gymnastics, so for 50 years,” Glunt said. “My mother worked at the YMCA so we used to do gymnastics, swimming, diving and other things. I coached for 30 years at Great Lakes gymnastics which is really my background. In addition to that I’ve been an assistant coach at Kent, but as far as coaching in a school system, Lakewood’s the only one.”
Glunt also highlights the need for passion to participate in such a sport.
“You have to work hard but you’re going to have fun along the way,” Glunt said.
Coach Glunt has had an amazing impact on the Lakewood gymnastics atmosphere and is strengthening every one of the gymnasts to be the best they can be.
As each gymnast performs their event, the judges keep score, and the coaches help advise for the next one. This can seem confusing for spectators, but it’s just young people in their element.
When the team is all together, nothing else matters. A bond between a group so close can truly speak volumes about the atmosphere. It can also help with being overly stressed and other unnecessary feelings that might occur while doing a sport.
As the meet came to a close, the team’s faces were covered with smiles, continuing the high energy. It was a successful meet. All the gymnasts were exceptionally dedicated to practicing, and it showed. Each and every one of the gymnasts should feel an accomplishment for their strength and power that night.
