Written by: Matthew Hallman
Soaring, flipping, and pushing my limits—I’ve been part of Southern’s acrobatics, cheer, and gymnastics team, the Gym-Masters, for three years. This sport has been a part of my life since I was nine, and I’m grateful to continue it in college.
In every practice, I watch my talented, God-blessed teammates come together to achieve what none of us could do alone. It’s awe-inspiring, sometimes chilling, but always incredible.
Something I do as a part of this amazing team is practice on aerial straps, which look like hanging ribbons with loops. They are similar to rings; however, my wrists are cinched into the loops, preventing me from falling out. It’s difficult to explain, but it almost feels like I am flying while in the straps. It is one of the most amazing feelings that I have experienced yet.
I am working on an aerial straps move called a “flag.” In that position, my arm is pulled crossways across the lower part of my back, holding my entire body parallel to the floor.
Gym-Masters is among the many things that Southern has to offer its students. That said, a new student cannot just walk into the gym and automatically be on the team. It requires hard work, time, and dedication. An understanding discussed with new students at the beginning of the year goes like this: “A third of the time, the team members feel great. Another third of the time, team members feel pretty average. The last third of the time, team members feel awful.” This is an accurate statement.
There are days when I do not want to go into practice because I do not feel up to it; however, during this time, the character quality appears in me and all team members. Those who make the team exemplify determination to succeed and to keep going.
During the school year, the team works toward two primary goals. In the Fall semester, the Gym-Masters focus on creating a routine for Acrofest. At Acrofest, most of the Adventist schools with gymnastics teams come together to learn and to teach each other their skills and abilities. For example, I taught academy students how to tumble during this year’s Acrofest at Southwestern Adventist University in Texas. After two days, the attending teams came together to put on a massive show as a grand finale.
The second primary goal of the Gym-Masters team is to prepare for the Home Show. This is Gym-Masters’ largest show, where team members’ skills and abilities are pushed to the absolute limit to showcase everything they’ve learned throughout the year. The team also performs smaller shows during the academic year, traveling to local Southern Union schools and universities for half-time shows.
Being a part of Gym-Masters is the opportunity of a lifetime, and any interested students—both current and incoming—should try out for the team.