Participating on high school teams can often turn what is traditionally an individual-focused sport into a sport based on team success. Winter sports are prime examples, especially gymnastics.
Senior captain Casey Howard sees a contrast between club gymnastics and high school gymnastics at Marshall.
“From what I know from people who compete out of school, it’s definitely more of an individual sport,” Howard said, “but here it’s all about the team and supporting each other.”
Sophomore Carla Castegnaro agrees that the team aspect of gymnastics overpowers individual success.
“Our main focus is the team; individuals are secondary,” Castegnaro said, “I think most of us feel that being able to say we won as a team is more important than being able to say we won individually.”
While each girl has different strengths and weaknesses, the new skills they learn often overlap.
“It varies a lot depending on your level, but most of the girls have been working on doing a backflip half twist on floor as well as a front handspring with a full twist on vault,” junior Morgan Stahl said.
In order to win as a team, each girl must overcome individual challenges such, as learning a new skill, even with the risk of injury.
“Trying new skills is definitely really scary,” Howard said. “Even as you learn it doesn’t become less scary.”
Junior Hannah Van Buskirk agrees that while working through fear can be difficult, conquering a new skill is worth it.
“If you let fear overcome you then you won’t be able to do anything, so after a while you learn to deal with fear and find a way to mentally block it out,” Van Buskirk said. “When you stick a beam routine or finally perfect a new skill, that feeling of accomplishment is incomparable.”
Not only can the girls enjoy individual accomplishment, the entire team acknowledges the mastering of a new skill.
“Everyone is always cheering for everyone to land their skills and we’re really excited when our teammates land skills that they’ve just learned,” Howard said.