Senior Nathan Weng as a sophomore gets ready to perform a cast. Photo from archives.
The Malden High School gymnastics team ended their season on a good note. Compared to the previous season with COVID, gymnastics coach Katie Bowdridge said “this year was much better than last year,” with returning gymnasts and new ones.
While the season showed satisfying outcomes, the hard work came from the athletes and gymnasts themselves. Senior Nathan Weng expressed that, “the hardest part of the season was getting back into routine and practicing every day after school.” Returning to the schedule was not the only struggle as Weng also shared his weakness of stamina and how he worked through that obstacle by using repetition for long time periods.
As athletes have tried their best to bring normalcy to sports, masks and restrictions still came into play. Bowdridge described how “floor routines are especially difficult,” seeing as the routines are a minute and a half long with continuous motion and determination to seek perfection with a mask on. Bowdridge also found it difficult when spectators were forbidden to attend meets in certain venues.
Unlike previous seasons, the gymnastics team started this season with no team captains, leaving less time for stretching, conditioning and preparation. However, the gymnasts were able to prioritize school, because school-related tardiness to practices was excused.
Despite facing some hurdles in the transition back from last year, Malden High’s gymnastics team powered through.
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