September, 2002
September: Random Thoughts
...or my way of filling-in an empty space on the website...

By Salto

While reviewing the newest items on the Medalist Club website the other day, I noticed that under the heading for 'Salto's Spin' was a little note that said "no entries this season." I hate to admit it, but that remark stuck in my craw a little bit. I mean, c'mon, we're four months away from the season, already! I can't very well talk about a gym meet if we haven't had one since April and won't have another one until January, right? But, I kept going back to the page and it seemed so empty and all, so I thought, "I know, a 'random thoughts' column!" So, here goes:

• This will be a remarkable year for the SEC, if for no other reason, because the University of Arkansas will field a gym team this year. After all these years of the 'same old six' it will be quite refreshing to have a rookie team in the league. Allow me to be among the first to welcome the 'other U of A' to the best women's collegiate gymnastics conference in the known universe. We don't always get along, but we get pretty 'riled up' if folks from outside the 'family' start criticizing our sister schools (yes, even those pesky Gymdawgs). And speaking of the Gymdawgs, what gym nickname will the Arkansas team use, I wonder? Gymtide, Gymcats, Gymdawgs, Gymtigers: these all sound right and natural to the ear. Somehow the 'Gymhogs', though...
• And speaking of rookie teams, how about a team within which the freshmen outnumber the veterans? Bama's seven returning gymnasts are outnumbered this year by eight newcomers. It's a risky proposition to try to predict what effect a freshman will have on a team as she progresses through her career. However, I think it is safe to say that eight will have an impact, probably one that we will be talking about for years to come. As I documented in a previous article concerning Raegan Tomasek and the other 1999 freshmen, large classes can have a large impact - although the road they take to provide that impact is sometimes filled with unexpected twists and turns.
• As long as I'm on the topic of Raegan Tomasek, I ran across an interesting quote in a January 2002 article written by Andrew Carroll of the Tuscaloosa News and Tideports.com. Raegan is speaking here about her senior year and the prospect of life after gymnastics:

  "It's just a different part of my life. It's exciting to think about starting work and getting into life outside of gymnastics. It definitely puts things into perspective. There are two sides to this coin. It will be a sad time when I do finish because gymnastics has been such a huge part of my life. It's something I won't be doing every afternoon. But I'll be excited to find a new hobby, a new passion. When you include the managers and trainers, it's basically 19 girls. Some of us have been able to withstand four years together, and there have never been any huge conflicts. We have so much fun together. I'll have those precious memories the rest of my life."

  I wish I had seen this quote before I wrote my article about Raegan. Happily, I had the chance to include it here. "Precious memories" - just exactly right...
• NASCAR racing has a time of year known as 'Silly Season'. During 'Silly Season' rumors abound concerning drivers swapping teams, sponsors courting drivers, teams changing their brand of car, he said/she said, who shot John - that sort of thing. Some of the things that you hear turn out to have a basis in fact. Mostly, though, the rumors are pure 'moonshine'. Women's collegiate gymnastics has a 'Silly Season' of its own, normally starting right after the end of the competitive season and winding down just about this time of year. This year's gymnastics 'Silly Season' has been, well, a doosie. Now hold on, Coach, I'm not about to spread any rumors in this column! In fact, writing a column for the Medalist Club seems to have a 'chilling effect' on my secret sources, such as they are (darn it!). I just wanted to say that, based on my little bit of experience with gymnastics rumors it's best to remember that old saying, "believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear."
• No column about random thoughts during September could fail to include some mention of the attacks on our country on September 11, 2001. There is a gymnastics connection, of sorts, for me at least. September is also the month when official practice begins for college gymnasts. Last year, official practice began on the 17th, less than one week after the attacks. Coach Sarah Patterson commented at the time concerning the beginning of practice and the tragic events:

  "I think everyone is excited to get the season officially underway. At the same time, like the rest of America, we're all carrying the sadness and the shock of last week's events. Things will get better, though. Americans are resilient, and so are we. In normal circumstances, we would have gotten off to a running start today, because of the volunteer practices, but things were a little slower today because we spent most of last week, after the attack, checking on family, friends and our alumni throughout the country."

• I think I am correct in saying that college gymnastics will begin using the new-style vaulting apparatus this year. Most of you will remember this odd, mushroom-shaped 'horse' from the last Olympics. The change is being made for safety reasons - always a worthy goal. From a strictly layman's point of view, it would appear that the new horse will be a little more forgiving if the gymnast is a little 'off' with her timing and/or position in the air - especially for 'Yurchenko' (round-off) entry vaults where the gymnast is turned away from the apparatus. Of course, there is always the danger that the gymnasts will feel so relaxed with the new horse that they will try more perilous vaults. That would be a poor result for an apparatus change intended as a safety enhancement. However, the 'one vault rule' should cut down on the number of risky (and therefore, I would guess, more dangerous) vaults being attempted by continuing to reward easier vaults done well more than harder vaults done poorly.