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Sports

High School Gymnastics Team Upholds Tradition

Brecksville-Broadview Heights girls work together toward goal.

The smell of leathery gym mats and chalk powder is the first sign of the Bees Gymnasts’ practice room. The second is the wall lined with trophies upon trophies. 

To the right of the room, girls with strong legs and pointed toes jump along 4-inch wide balance beams. Others swing on uneven bars or flip across the enormous blue floor mat. White chalk dust coated their hands and marked their leotards. Determination shone in their eyes, but laughter broke the tension.

Last week at Gym World, the Brecksville-Broadview Heights Gymnastics Team geared up for the weekend’s district competition. 

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The competition on Feb. 26 resulted in a win -- the 11th consecutive at districts. The girls beat a top rival with a team score of 146.75 to Hudson's 142.65. Twenty girls advanced to individual finals on March 5.

"All of the girls showed the maturity of seasoned competitors, even though most were freshman and sophomores," said Coach Ron Ganim.

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Though there are 30 girls, coaches Ron and Joan Ganim choose a core group of six to represent the school for each competition. This group holds the weight of continuing Brecksville-Broadview Heights’ winning streak, which has lasted for seven state competitions in a row.

On top of that, seven state-level competing seniors graduated last year, leaving big shoes to fill this season.

“Now we have to rely on ourselves and show everyone that we're just as capable as they were in pressure situations,” said senior and Co-Captain Meghan Doherty. 

Confidence levels took a hit from this loss of key gymnasts for state competition, causing some girls to believe the “dynasty was over.” Sophomore Jessie Matia soon hurdled this emotional struggle after a first win.

“It finally hit me after our first meet – in which we won—that I shouldn't give up because eventually my team's hard work and effort will all pay off,” she said.

Between hard work and practicing 20 hours a week, the team has grown to form a close family of girls and coaches.

“The feeling is hard to describe to someone who has not been on a team as close as ours,” said sophomore Mea Weaver.  “We spend so much time together and are with each other at our weakest and hardest points, and we are by each others’ side no matter what.”

A bond like the Bees Gymnasts have can only come from working through difficulties, failures and competitive attitudes. Coach Ron Ganim appreciates this. With six competing positions, each girl fights to earn a spot. Challenges between girls can be beneficial. Last Monday’s practice was a perfect example.

As a handful of girls turned and jumped from bar to bar last week on uneven bars, Ganim remarked to sophomore Madison Weisbarth about her loss to freshman Michaela Romito at the most recent bars competition. Weisbarth laughed and said she’d have to do something about that. Her manner was joking and proud of her teammate, yet her determination showed in each run-through on bars.

“To compete against my teammates is really hard, but it only makes me better,” Romito said. “It's a healthy competition, and it makes us push harder to beat each other, but we do it to make us better.”

Ganim pushes the girls with simple remarks like this to promote goals. Whether it is a nudge or a full-on conversation, he focuses on emotions.

“I consider myself their head coach,” he said. Joan and the assistant coaches – son AJ Ganim and daughter Maria Schneider – coach the girls physically.

Ron Ganim believes success lies in confidence. He is there when the girls fall and need to scrape up the nerve to get up. He is also there from the beginning, to prevent hurt egos by helping them improve and learn slowly. Emotional stability is equally important as the physical capabilities, he said. He recognizes that a gymnast can get the moves right, but fall apart under pressure.

“Competition can be fun but can put a lot of pressure on me,” Matia said. “But I think throughout the season I've begun to overcome the feeling of pressure.  Now I just worry about myself having fun and doing well.”

Most girls on the team seem to agree with Matia's thoughts on gymnastic meets being fun. In fact, Doherty said that the nerves and adrenaline are what create the excitement. For Weisbarth, having a supportive team keeps it enjoyable, rather than purely work.

The state competition is approaching quickly, but this positive attitude about a serious sport might just keep the girls from breaking Brecksville-Broadview Heights’ winning streak. 

“No one wants to be part of the team that loses for the first time in almost eight years,” Doherty said. “We owe it to the previous gymnasts to work just as hard as they did.”

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