When people think of Alabama Gymnastics, they are reminded of style, grace, poise, power and excitement. As an Alabama gymnast, however, I think of the fans.

What could be more exciting than having over 7,000 people risking the weather to come and watch us compete against Auburn last week? Or selling out Coleman Coliseum for the first time in 1996 for the Alabama-Georgia competition? The number of Medalist Club members continues to grow each year. It is incredible to look into the stands during away competitions and realize that a majority of the crowd is there to support us. The gymnasts, it has been said, provide the excitement, yet without the fans there would be no one to excite.

This week, David handed out a sheet that reminded us to take the time to thank those who have made Alabama Gymnastics possible. He wrote that we should thank our parents, our club coaches, and our student support group, the 10.0 Troupe. We should also tell our managers, Leslie Lyda, Sarah Harris, and Terri Truitt, about our appreciation for their dedication. The people we should really take the time to thank, however, are our fans. This is my (our) "thank you" letter to you:

I want to thank you for believing in us throughout all of our successes and "bobbles". I want to thank you for supporting us, whether it is cheering for us at our competitions, donating money so that we can have a billboard advertising campaign, an entertainment system, or wishing us luck in the upcoming meet. I hope that you realize that we are not only competing for Alabama Gymnastics, but also for you. Without your support we would not be the team that the nation has come to respect and admire.

The University of Alabama Gymnastics Team is presently ranked #1 in the country. I hope that it is realized that we could not be in this exciting position if it had not been for the commitment of the coaches, the support staff, the managers, and, most importantly, the fans. Thank you .... for everything.

ROLL TIDE ROLL!