July 26, 2020 at 7:13 a.m.
Taking the gym out of gymnastics
Taking the gym out of gymnastics
Like a number of other Rhinelander High School sports teams, the Hodag gymnasts are doing the best they can under the current stipulations in place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The team has set up shop in the northwest corner of the Mike Webster Stadium complex doing workouts and exercises that coach Heather Sturtevant says will be beneficial should the team be allowed to get into the gym next month.
"Really working on form, doing things more slowly, strength," she said. "We're trying to break down a few body shapes or we know some areas of strength that we need to get back, since we haven't been in the gym since March, but applying it to an apparatus. Today we were doing, essentially, some press handstands, pretending you were on the bar, which is different than doing a press handstand on the floor. We're trying to get into some of those positions, getting our bodies back into more of an automated, 'Oh, yeah, I'm doing a arm swing when I do my vault.' That kind of stuff."
Sturtevant said the goal of the training sessions is to work on exercises that encourage good body positioning in an effort to break bad habits before they start.
Additionally, the team members are responsible for having the music they plan to use for their floor exercise routines picked out so that they can work on choreography later on during the summer.
Not much has changed for the gymnasts as the district moved from Phase 1 to Phase 2 of its "Athletics in July" training plan. Individual stations were set up with various mats, light weights and even hula hoops as the team ran through a series of exercises during their one-hour sessions that are taking place three days a week. Should the district move to Phase 3 by Aug. 3, as initially scheduled, the team would be able to head into the James Williams Middle School gym and use the competition apparatus.
"If we can get to Phase 3, Phase 3 has us in the gym in the middle school, in smaller pods," Sturtevant said. "I wouldn't have a pod of 10. We'd be looking at more like pods of 2 and 3 rotating through each apparatus so we can clean it in between. Fingers crossed we can get in those six days (Aug. 3-8)."
If the team is unable to get inside on those days, Sturtevant said she has a back-up plan.
"Worst case, we'll just have one more week out here doing the same thing we're doing, just upping repetitions of things," she said. "We can block out floor routines on the grass. We can still do that stuff, but it would be nice to actually stand on a balance beam instead of the line of a lane on the track. It's still good body mechanics that we're working on."
Both Sturtevant and assistant coach April Denis said the sessions have been well-attended by the small team, with every gymnast showing up at least once during the first four days the workouts were available.
Like other sports teams training this month, the gymnasts have been following the district's guidelines in regard to pre-exercise screenings, use of masks, social distancing and frequent sanitation.
"Everybody's come with a great attitude," Sturtevant said. "I know they're happy to see each other. It's also why we like to do stuff in the summer. They are being really good, wearing their masks if they get in or staying apart. They do want to continue to have practice and they know that if we don't follow the rules then we won't get to have practice."
Added Denis, "I've heard the girls say many times, 'Boy, I missed gymnastics. I'm so happy to just get this.' They've been coming with great attitudes. It's been amazing how much I have missed just being around the group of them. They're just a lot of fun. We're just grateful to get this opportunity to be together."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.