The Girls’ Gymnastics team may be the toughest athletes at Morton.

We often hear about the sports schools offer such as Soccer, Football, basketball, Track, and cross-country. But, no one really takes into consideration learning more about Girls’ Gymnastics. Just like the other sports, the Girls’ gymnastics team at J. Sterling Morton High School hosts suspenseful and entertaining meet competitions that can make it all the way to state. Gymnastics is a sport that includes exercise requiring balance, strength, flexibility, agility, coordination, and endurance. According to the article named Pacific West, Gymnastics is the most difficult sport on the planet, both mentally and physically. In a random survey of 78 students that attend Morton East, only 3 people in the entire school watched a Morton East gymnastics competition. We hope that with this article we can spread the word about the girls’ gymnastic teams so that more people that attend Morton make it more known.  

“I’ve always done gymnastics, so when I found out Morton had a team it motivated me to learn more about being part of a very sweet and welcoming team, especially since it’s a sport that requires a lot of strength and mentality. It’s cool to show what I’m capable of doing in this sport!” student athlete Michelle Tapia said.  

Gymnastics is more challenging than we think! There are several different events that aren’t as known. Some of them would be:  

• Vault 
• Beam 
• Floor 
• Parallel Bars 
• Uneven Bars 
• Horizontal Bars 
• Horse 
• Rings 

Interestingly, many high schools also have a boys’ gymnastics team.  In fact, there are only a few in IHSA! Such as Downers Grove (North), Hinsdale (Central), Addison (A. Trail), Elmhurst (York), and LaGrange (Lyons).  

“There’s isn’t any required experience to join; it’s just good if you have some basic knowledge and then work from there, and any gender is welcomed to try it out,“ student Athlete Norma Tapia said.  

Girls don’t just learn from their coach they can learn from their teammates. 

“My position is kind of weird. I’m a swing for both JV and Varsity, I basically use uneven and parallel bars. This position made me become captain for the team, so the girls are more than welcome to come up to me if they have any questions or need help,” senior captain Michelle Tapia said. 

The importance of making a sports team successful is all about working together.  

“I expect a lot from the team, hopefully, we all work together to win at competitions and create one big family,” junior gymnast Jadelyn Lopez mentioned.