Sophomore Max Weng is one of the gymnastics team’s newest and promising additions. Although this is his first year in gymnastics, he has been doing acrobatics on his own over the years. With his acrobatic background, he believes that he could be a contender in the sport.
Weng claims that his inspiration to do gymnastics “came from [his] desire to always set [himself] apart. Not very many boys would choose gymnastics because it seems ‘feminine’.” But Weng says that “[he] likes to play in [his] favor.” To Weng, gymnastics means more than just a sport or a gym waiver. He believes that “any team is built upon relationships and bonds similar to that of a family. [He] looks forward to seeing [his] teammates and [himself] grow as a team and as individuals during the season.”
With sports teams comes a family aspect, and Weng enjoys this aspect of the sport. He claims that “although the team itself is fairly small and diverse, there is a certain uniqueness to gymnastics that overlooks this.” Everyone on the Gymnastics team participates in different events, and everyone is worried about their own score and routines. Despite this, Weng explains that “[they] still look out for each other to make sure improvements are made so that the team does as best as possible”.
To Weng, the greatest quality people need to succeed in gymnastics is “not just flexibility, but a strong mindset. Flexibility means to [him] that a person can do splits and bend in different ways and that a person can adapt to change when necessary”. When Weng was young, his aunt always told him “mind over matter” and that “anything is possible, but only if you believe”.
Weng thinks that his teammates are “absolutely outstanding”. There are two other boys on the team who are Weng’s close friends from kung fu and he claims that “[their] energies and dynamics are very similar to the rest of the team.” Weng claims that “the captains are experienced and knowledgeable, so their roles on the team are very significant. Overall, [he] believes the team is strong in every aspect”
On Coach Vanessa James, Weng says that “[he] could not ask for a better coach”. Recalling when he walked into tryouts, Weng could tell that “[she] was serious about the sport, but [she] is also an enjoyable person to be around. [She] knows what’s best for us and pushes us to achieve our goals, and [he] is truly grateful for that.
Weng’s personal goal for this season is to not let the team down. The team is all working hard during practices and they will continue to practice hard until their season begins in January. They will be aiming for the GBL champions, but will also aim for higher goals. The team’s confidence and faith in each other foreshadow a promising 2016 season.
