On March 31, at a Gymnastic State Champion Meet, Sophomore Lauren van Oeveren placed second in floor and all around, as well as first place for beam. “I was so happy,” said van Oeveren, “And that’s actually one of the hardest events for me.”
According to a Gymnastics Website, the beam, or balance beam, is “aesthetic,” “rhythmic,” and is full of “expression.” According to a Sports and Recreations website, the floor in gymnastics is 12 meters by 12 meters. A woman’s routine is done with music and should not exceed 90 seconds (livestrong.com). Van Oeveren is in a level called Excel Gold, according to a Gymnastic Ranking Website, it is also called prep optionals, because it is between levels 6 and 7. She trains with Victory Gymnastics Academy (mymeetscores.com).
Lauren van Oeveren has been a gymnast for almost five years now. After being persuaded by a friend to go to a gymnastics camp the summer before sixth grade, van Oeveren official started a gymnastic class the first day of sixth grade. She says is motivated by both her teammates and her parents. “Hardworking, determined, and driven,” are three adjectives she used to describe herself. “I am always motivated to be better,” she said.
“I have done about six meets so far, with my current team. I got first place on floor at the Summerfest in August,” stated van Oeveren. She explained that Summerfest is like a mini-Olympics, and she qualified to go to Pennsylvania in 2013.
During a competition, van Oeveren competes in all four events: beam, floor, vault, and bar. She explained, “The judges are ready for you to go, then you salute and go do the event. Then you salute again. Vault is the only event in which you get two tries. You run super fast at the horse, then bounce off the board, do a flip, and it’s over. It can easily be messed up, and it’s hard for the judges to see all of the deductions so quickly; they see what they can. The entire vault takes about 5 seconds to compete, so they have time to repeat it compared to the other events which are longer.”
In any sport, but especially in gymnastics, time management with school is important. “I compete during the optional season. Optional meaning you get your own routines, not compulsory. So that is during the winter. I have three hours on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday. We also have an hour of dance. I love that you really have to be driven and efficient with your time. I love when you get a new skill, but having fears or injuries is no fun,” said van Oeveren. “Also, my hands are really calloused from doing bars so much. I wear grips to protect them, but they rip easily. Which isn’t so fun, but it’s common in the sport.”
“I love being really nervous and excited at and before meets. It’s also the best when I get over a fear,” added van Oeveren. She looks forward to competing and improving in gymnastics in the near future, and she sees no end in sight.