Balancing for an Audience

ACHS formerly had a gymnastics program, but even successes couldn’t save the team from fizzling out.

Alex Ruano, Tom Tom StaffDecember 6, 2014Leave a Comment

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From Sequoia volume 1987

Yearbook picture from 1987.

Mary Lou Retton, Nadia Comaneci, Shannon Miller, Nastia Liukin, Shawn Johnson and Gabby Douglas. Four names synonymous with gymnastics. Each trained since they were able to walk and each obtained Olympic medals and international fame in the United States. Each come from a tradition that Antioch Community High School used to offer, but now it is only a piece of the past.

ACHS originally had a gymnastics team beginning in the early 70s. According to editions of the Sequoia from that decade, the team was very successful and fielded many girls on the team. Unfortunately, the tradition was unable to be maintained asthe 2005-2006 season approached.

“We tried to survive with five to six girls and then the numbers dropped to two. At that point we could no longer support a team,” said Athletic Director Steven Schoenfelder. “We approached the NSC about being able to [create] a team with Lakes and we were denied two different years. Lakes’s numbers were low after the second request, so the sport was dropped across the district.”

While still a part of ACHS athletics, the gymnastics program was popular and drew lots of attention from athletes and fans.

“When ACHS first started the gymnastics program, I’m sure it probably started out slow, but built up over the years—just like any other sport would,” said transition teacher and former ACHS gymnast Jenna Ludden. “When I was in high school, I would say it was a fairly small team.  However, after I graduated from ACHS, the team grew and I felt they had a strong program.”

When gymnastics came to an end it was upsetting to athletes that were involved and as well as former gymnasts that watched or experienced the sport grow.
“Of course I would like to see ACHS get a gymnastics team again, but realistically I’m not sure it would happen,” said Ludden. “It might be difficult to start it up again because you’ve got to find a coach that really knows what they are doing.  A coach has to have experience, otherwise it is dangerous to the athletes.  Also, since they haven’t had a high school team in years, most gymnasts are probably competing with their local gym/club, so it might be hard to find enough students that want to compete for the high school rather than their local gym/club that they are already involved in.  That is why I think a district team would be a good way to start up the gymnastics program again—then there would probably be enough students to have a team.  I know it might not be ideal to have a district team, but at least students would still have an opportunity to be on a team, represent their school district and compete in a sport they love.”