The Girls Varsity Gymnastics team is one that is set apart from others simply due to the level of danger it requires.

The mental images of graceful little girls twirling around in the air and the lean Olympic champions that we define as gymnastics suggest that success in this sport is effortless—that all it takes to do well is to jump in the air. Look closer, however, and the looks of determination and set jaws are noticeable.

The “twirls” do not come easily. The WS gymnastics team practices with other teams five days a week, each at least two hours long and none of it wasted. For all 120 minutes of each workout, the girls focus on strength and power while practicing their routines. The added risk of landing wrong or twisting an ankle prompts the need for extra concentration.

“A lot of it is mental so it has a lot of fear factor,” says freshman Jessica Thompson.

Athletes, however, find joy and excitement in the sport that cannot be recreated in other forms of athletics. Sophomore Kristen Falk, for example, tries not to pressure herself with these factors and focuses on the enjoyment she gets out of it.

“I like the bars because I feel like a squirrel,” says Falk, “I want to get my flyaway off the bars so I’ve been getting my coaches to spot me.”

Thompson, a newcomer on the team as a freshman, has been participating in gymnastics since a young age. While she is new to the high school atmosphere, she is a veteran of the sport.

“I started when I was five years old,” says Thompson, “Gymnastics is different from other sports because it’s a team sport while also competing with yourself.”

While Falk’s and Thompson’s individual goals are modest, simply to have fun and enjoy themselves, their focus is on succeeding for the team, which in contrast has more statistical goals. The team’s goal for the season was to collectively score a 120 and make it to Regionals after Districts.  The team, unfortunately, did not make it past Districts this season but Thompson is still pleased.

“This was my very first year and it was a good time. We all did our best,” says Thompson, “we want to make it to Regionals next year and I think we can because we have really good coaches.”