Randolph gymnastics  

After leaving my previous gym Northern Elite, I went to join the gym my younger sister went to, Randolph Gymnastics. For several years I had already been doing private lessons with the coach Kenny because it was cheaper for my mom for me to do private lessons there. I really liked the coach and some of the girls on the team, so I was so excited to join Randolph! For the first year at the gym when I was a sophomore in high school, I did not go to practice a lot. I wanted to enjoy high school without worrying about gymnastics. I really liked my coach Kenny because he cared about me as a person before a gymnast which most coaches didn’t do. I could always go to Kenny with any issue whether it was in the gym or not and he would offer advice.    

Kenny is my favorite coach I have ever had. As I stayed at Randolph longer, I began falling in love with the sport again. My pervious gyms made me dislike gymnastics, so I was extremely excited that Kenny was able to help guide me into loving the sport again.  

Life was not always easy at Randolph gymnastics. Kenny’s favorite event to coach was bars. We went to bars almost every practice. That event was my least favorite! I have cried countless times because of the frustration bars caused me. After months of Kenny telling me the only way I would improve was to condition (work-out) I finally listened. I conditioned double the time ever single girl did on the team. I finally got a cast handstand which took me five years to get! As I started getting better at gymnastics and more dedicated the other girls started to resent me. My teammates did not like that I was getting better than them and that Kenny was giving me more attention because I listened to him. This conflict on the team caused me to go home crying many nights. It got to the point where Kenny yelled at the entire team for bullying. I finally decided I would go to different practice hours than the rest of the girls.  

Even though I was having trouble with my teammates I was still enjoying my time training. I loved getting better at the sport and I was shocked at how much better I was getting.  

My sister ended up quitting club gymnastics. I was really upset but Kenny said she was welcome to come in and train whenever she wanted. I was sad Alexis would not be in the gym as much but I was still excited to go to the gym every day. During my senior year of high school, I was the strongest I have ever been. I was a level 9 USAG gymnast. I struggled to qualify to states and I was upset. I trained in the gym 25 hours a week. I was only supposed to train 20 but my coach let me come in on the weekends so I could train extra.  

In order to qualify to states I needed an all-around score of 32.00. (There are four events and on each event a gymnast can get up to 10. An all-around score is a gymnast’s score on each event all added up). Bars was always the event that held me back from getting a 32. I trained with Kenny for months and I even did a private lesson with him every week to get better on bars. Finally, at the last meet I had a chance to qualify to states at, I made my bar routine! I connected ever skill and I did not fall. This was the best routine of my life. It was the best moment I had in my gymnastics career. Kenny said it was one of the best moments he has ever had as a coach. I qualified to states at that meet! Unfortunately, COVID did end up cancelling states but I will never forget that moment.  

I recommend to any parent or gymnast to find a gym that makes you love gymnastics. Too many coached steal young girls love of the sport.