This year, the Forest Hills Gymnastics team is going into the season with confidence, high expectations, and hope for a great season. The team is made up of all three Forest Hills Schools: Central, Northern, and Eastern, bringing together the district to create an even stronger team.
This year, the team is getting some new gymnasts who will not only bring more skills to the program but also add excitement to this season and overall improve the team.
“I think we have some very strong upperclassmen but also a lot of talented underclassmen joining the team this year, which creates a wide variety of skills,” stated Matilda Bupp.
The team is getting excited about the season and being able to continue to support each other and build on the growth created last year. Having new people on the team is beneficial for the upperclassmen, as they can start to teach and support those new gymnasts, ultimately benefiting the team as a whole.
“We’re really supportive right now, just being able to push each other,” stated Mia Schaffer.
Because of how supportive the team is this year, it seems like this encouraging atmosphere will help the team feel more confident, push harder in practice, and make the team stronger as well as competitive.
“The team feels strong and supportive, with everyone pushing each other,” stated Mykalin Traughber. “I’m excited to watch everyone grow.”
Although the team is already looking to be good, the Gymnasts all still have things they can improve on, especially some of the gymnasts who are just starting gymnastics this year.
Like Bupp, who is just joining gymnastics but is already super enthusiastic about this season and is excited to contribute to a team where everyone is super supportive and can help everyone improve.
“My main goal as an individual is to be able to put together routines for every event by the end of the year. Also, I am working through learning new skills and understanding the sport of gymnastics,” stated Bupp
While newer gymnasts are working on learning gymnastics more thoroughly, other people are focusing on and setting other goals for themselves, like growing in confidence level
“My goals are to grow my strength, confidence, and set goals that are reachable, and to have fun while competing,” stated Traughber.
The whole team is clearly working hard and getting ready for the first event. They are doing this by setting lots of goals, not only individually but as a team. Having a smaller team also makes it easy for everyone to bond, creating a close-knit group of people.
“Because there are only eight of us, it’s small, so we get to bond with each other really well,” stated Schaffer.
The team is hoping that all the work they have been doing will pay off and will get them wins against teams that they have been competing against for a while. Having to face teams that the Gymnasts know and have competed against before will create even greater competition and overall just a stronger outcome.
“I anticipate having some good competition and hopefully beating other teams,” stated Traughber.
While the team clearly wants to win, they are looking forward to certain meets, whether it be because they have been competing in them for a while or just because they think certain meets will be easier to place in. In the past, the Forest Hills Gymnastics team has competed against teams like Lowell and Kenowa and has done very well, which is why the team is excited to participate in these meets.
“We’re definitely looking forward to Kenowa and Lowell, those are some teams we know, and have a better chance at winning,” stated Schaffer.
The team’s first meet is a non-conference quad on December 17th at Rockford, but their most anticipated meet is on January 7th at Kenowa. Because the Gymnastics team had been working so hard and just putting in all their effort, it is important to come out to their meets and support the Forest Hills Gymnastics team.
“People should come support because gymnastics is a really fun sport that is often overlooked,” stated Bupp, “I think that people would enjoy it more than they’re expecting.”
