At most colleges, the only sport most people care about is football. Or maybe you’re like me, and you grew up watching college basketball because your parents went to a school that is terrible at football. Now don’t get me wrong, I still love football and basketball, but neither is my favorite college sport.
For most people, gymnastics is only something to pay attention to when the Olympics come around. When my friend invited me to a UGA Gymnastics meet last year, I did not even know that college gymnastics existed. I really did not have that many expectations, and I honestly just went to hang out with my friend, but I loved it and was instantly hooked!
Unlike most other college sports, there is no pro gymnastics league for these athletes to go to after college, so they know that it is over once their four years are done. Thus, college gymnastics essentially becomes a celebration of the sport that they have dedicated their entire lives to. While the elite gymnasts that you will see in the Olympics are typically more serious, college gymnastics is all about having fun and entertaining the crowd (and the judges). This is what makes college gymnastics so much fun to watch; you get to see the pure joy that these athletes get from doing their sport.
I, like many other young girls, did gymnastics classes when I was younger. What ultimately led me to leave gymnastics was that I hated going backwards; backward rolls and backbends terrified me. After leaving gymnastics in kindergarten, I switched to dance and did not leave until my senior year of high school. This has led me to greatly appreciate and be in awe of the skills that these athletes do. Having a side aerial in your dance routine is considered pretty impressive, but in gymnastics, a side aerial is a basic skill that everyone at that level can easily do. And watching gymnastics in person is even more impressive than watching it on TV. You have to be fearless and insanely driven in order to do gymnastics, and for that, I am inspired by every single gymnast.
“It makes me feel amazing just knowing that I made strides forward for so many other people…Not only gymnasts, but people outside of gymnastics as well.”
2019 NCAA Inspiration award winner Maggie Nichols publicly came forward as “Athlete A” in the Larry Nassar case. pic.twitter.com/PXwB11Y5jd
— NCAA (@NCAA) January 25, 2019
College gymnastics is nowhere near short of inspiring stories. There are several gymnasts currently competing who were sexually assaulted by the USA Gymnastics team doctor who is currently serving life in prison. The resilience that these women have shown by continuing to do gymnastics in spite of everything that has happened to them is incredible. It is also inspiring to see how quickly these athletes will get up after they fall; they always fight through it and finish the rest of the routine. The mental toughness it takes to be able to reset after a fall and move on like it never happened is something I aspire to.
In short, I love college gymnastics, and you should too. There really is no feeling that can compare to watching someone who has worked so hard their entire lives score a perfect 10. Check out the website Road to Nationals to see where your favorite team stacks up, and to see when they will be competing.