Transitioning into SUNY Cortland as a freshman, some athletes are faced with a choice of where they’d like to go after they finish their high school years. The decision comes between two choices: pursing the club team for the college or the varsity team. The decision strongly influences the path each athlete will take throughout their college years and each experience provide the athlete with something different.
Each path presents a wide range of different values, skills, and competition for each of the athletes. This differentiation allows athletes to have more of a leeway when it comes to what their goals and aspirations will be for their college gymnastic careers and gives them a choice of where they believe they would fit best during their years at SUNY Cortland.
Those who thrive on intense competition and are willing to contribute many hours a week into practice and pushing themselves to their limits each day to improve their skills, might want to choose the varsity gymnastics team.
The varsity gymnastics team takes the route to compete at a high level, spending months perfecting their skills and represents the Red Dragon’s gymnastics team by competing with other University’s for the goal of becoming the National champions in the end.
On the other hand, there are other gymnasts who are interested in a more laid-back experience. This is when individuals tend to choose SUNY Cortland’s club gymnastics team.
This club team allows the gymnast a less demanding schedule, and something that is less intensive than what the varsity gymnastics team has set in stone. While being a part of this team, the gymnasts can continue to do what they love but with a schedule that is more doable and not so time consuming for them.
Although each path differs, both are filled with lifelong memories, friendships that will last a lifetime, and provide the sense of setting goals and accomplishing them for the athletes all around.
No matter what team you choose, the athletes are able to find a home where they can contribute to their passion and allow themselves the opportunity of the continuation of skill throughout their college experience in a way that best suits their interests and abilities.
The passion for the sport typically starts in the hearts of individuals from a young age when they first begin their gymnastics careers. Outsiders begin to point out the talents and dedication that these athlete’s hold at a young age and push and reiterate to them that they should continue their path as a gymnast for years later as they will one day be something good.
Freshman Kamryn VanEtten said, “when I was younger my teammates inspired me the most as I was very competitive. I had a heavy mind set to be something great and from the help of all of my teammates, they always helped me stay motivated and eager to learn new skills.”
VanEtten chose the route of club gymnastics after her high school years and has been thankful ever since. “I definitely wouldn’t know the people I know now if I hadn’t joined the club which I’m very grateful for because I’ve met some of my best friends,” she said.
Joining the club gymnastics team has provided VanEtten with skills and determination for things outside of the gymnastics world as well.
VanEtten said she gained a lot of confidence, resilience, and control that she never would have had if it wasn’t for the club gymnastics team. “I’ve adapted to the mindset of always pushing myself to keep trying and never give up through my years as a gymnast including my time on the club team,” she said.
The individuals who choose to join the club gymnastics team say it will always be a special memory for them. It allows SUNY Cortland to have a safe space for them with people they know they can count on and by providing them with the opportunity to do what they love with their best friends.
Freshman Katelyn Lynch said her coach Dani in her younger years of gymnastics inspired her to love the sport as she believed in her when she didn’t believe in herself, and pushed her to her limits by giving her what she needed to be the best gymnast she could be.
When transitioning into her college years Lynch also chose the club team. She said the team is so special to her because it’s filled with all a group of loving and open individuals. She said she always feels so supported on the team and never feels like she isn’t good enough because the club consists of people on all different levels of skill.
This not only gives her the opportunity to be a mentor to those who need help improving their skills but also allows her to be around some individuals with high level skills where she too can learn from and follow them by example.
“I think club gymnastics is special because of how inclusive we are. Our team loves anyone that comes to the door, and we love to spend as much time as possible with each other making sure to lift each other up when we have a bad day,” Lynch said.
Lynch decided to join the club gymnastics team rather than the varsity gymnastics team “because the club focuses more on the love and art of gymnastics rather than the constant pressure that comes from the varsity team and enjoys being provided with passion, confidence, and kindness,” she said.
Remembering that gymnastics is such an individual sport, and that to be the best gymnast you can be, you need to only worry about yourself and what your body is able to do, is what pushes Lynch to be motivated to be the best athlete she can be on her club team.
Even though the athletes participating in club gymnastics may not be competing for the National championship titles, they still encounter similar challenges and adversities that are also issues those on the varsity gymnastics team also face. They come from various things but effect their mindset and performance at their meets.
Lynch says there has been multiple times in her entire gymnastics career where she has wanted to quit. “This is an incredibly difficult sport, especially mentally, and there are a lot of difficulties that people don’t think about such as bad coaches and injuries. I just tell myself that this sport was made for me, and sometimes I have to dig deep to find my love for it again,” she said.
Similarly, VanEtten has faced other difficulties resulting in injuries during her gymnastics career. “I was struggling with a knee injury, and it really held me back from continuing to do gymnastics because I was out for six months and I lost all my motivation to continue gymnastics, but my parents pushed me to get back into the gym and eventually I did thanks to them,” she said.
When diving into the varsity gymnastics team, you can see similar issues. Senior Paige White who is an athlete on the varsity gymnastics team here at SUNY Cortland said that gymnastics is such a hard sport no matter if you’re on club or the varsity team, they both struggle with mental and physical struggles.
“I give club gymnastics so much credit, because gymnastics is a very difficult sport, but the varsity team has a lot more responsibilities. We must go in for mandatory lift hours and we practice 6 days a week and we come back early during our winter session. We also travel for our meets and on most weekends during the spring semester we’re not in Cortland were sleeping in a hotel, so I do believe that we put in a lot more hours into the program not strictly training, but in other areas as well,” she said.
White, chose the varsity gymnastics path when it came to her college years for many different reasons. “I spoke with one of the existing team members when I was looking to get recruited and she talked up the program so much that when I came to visit, I saw the dynamic of the team and the sense of family that came with it, and I knew I wanted to be part of something like that,” she said.
Growing up White started her gymnastics career at the early age of 3 where she grew up being motivated by her first coach, Richard Mijas who made her fall in love with the sport and giving her all she needed to know to become a great gymnast for the years she had ahead of her.
When transitioning to becoming a member of SUNY Cortland’s varsity gymnastics team her athletic trainer, Trisha Donelley became her new motivation at Cortland. “She helped me through both mental and physical struggles, and she is the most supportive person I know,” she said.
Becoming part of the varsity gymnastics team at SUNY Cortland has fulfilled all the hopes and dreams that White had growing up as she always strived to push herself to one day be on a college team. She takes with her the qualities of leadership, good attitude, sportsmanship, and a hard work ethic to excel as a member on the team.
As a senior the team has brought her all she wanted during her time as a member. “Being a part of the team has been so rewarding, the feeling of accomplishment and pride that you have through your school at competitions is just outstanding and it’s been an incredible experience,” she said.
White says her experience at Cortland would be completely different if it wasn’t for being a part of the team. The team has served so many purposes for her time here at Cortland and gave her friendships that will last forever, amazing memories, structure, and an amazing support group.
“I don’t know what I would have done with all the free time I had if I didn’t choose to do varsity gymnastics. And the school’s pride was always truly so special to me. Wherever we go in the season everyone on the team has one goal: make it to National’s. So, I think our team is so special because we all work hard to support each other so much so we can be the strongest team possible,” she said.
To get herself through her years as a college gymnast she always told herself to “remember your why.” White’s assistant coach Nicole Jackson says that to her team all the time. It means you’re here for the love of the sport, you aren’t getting paid so when you have a rough day you have to go back and remember why you’re here and why you want it.
While both club and varsity gymnastics teams at college offer valuable opportunities for athletes to pursue their passion for gymnastics, they are very different in various aspects. Ultimately the choice between club and varsity gymnastics teams relies solely on individual preferences, goals, and priorities, each offering unique benefits and experiences for student athletes.
The club gymnastics team aims at giving student athletes more leeway but also providing the athlete with the opportunity to continue to do what they love, and the varsity team aims at putting in all of your effort to make it to National’s to represent SUNY Cortland as the best team possible. No matter the differences, both teams are important in their own ways giving students the opportunity to get involved in the campus community in which ever way suits them the most.
Regardless of the path chosen, both club and varsity gymnastics teams contribute significantly to the collegiate experience, fostering personal growth, skill development, and lifelong friends. Representing your school as part of the varsity team or pursuing your passion in a more informal setting, student-athletes on both types of teams share a common love for the sport and contribute to their teams the best way possible getting the most out of their goals and aspirations as a college athlete.