A year ago, Gymkana head coach Scott Welsh would lead his 62 troupe members in practice four days a week, making sure to address his gymnasts individually and adapt his advising skills to each one’s specific talents.
This year, however, things are a little different – group membership has doubled.
“We tend to start off the year with high numbers,” Welsh said. “We have a tremendous increase from last year. If you do the math, you could split this year’s team in half and have the two biggest teams we’ve ever had.”
This year, there are 132 gymnasts in the group, creating both a record-high for Gymkana’s membership and a dramatically higher member-to-coach ratio.
Founded in 1946, the university’s coed gymnastics troupe has become known for its welcoming of students of any ability level, acrobatic stunts and routines and a promotion of healthy, drug-free behaviors.
Gymkana made its debut performance of the year at Maryland Madness Oct. 17, impressing the crowd with high jumps, flips and fire hoops – that they leapt through, of course.
Freshman Olga Grishko, a first-year member, said she discovered Gymkana by attending Maryland Madness the past three years.
“I always thought that, if I ever went to Maryland, wouldn’t it be cool to be part of Gymkana?,” she said.
Grishko joined the team this year, finding that though experienced members perform stunts at events, she and other newcomers learn the basic skills required for more complex moves.
Gymkana President Laura Hawkins, a senior Near Eastern languages and civilizations major, said she believes the messages of the troupe are contributing to the growth of the team.
“I think the spike in membership this year has a lot to do with the fact that our drug, alcohol and tobacco-free message is reaching a much wider audience,” she said.
As an entry requirement, Gymkana’s members must sign a pledge to remain completely alcohol, drug and tobacco free for the duration of their membership. The troupe each year tours the country, performing and promoting their drug-free lifestyle.
“Two things combined made Gymkana appealing,” Grishko said. “In college, there aren’t many organizations that outwardly promote [a drug-free] message. So it’s nice to find a whole group who thinks exactly like you. It’s half about that, and half about gymnastics.”
The membership spike hardly changes the troupe, however. While it often becomes difficult for the seven coaches to cater to the specific needs of their athletes, Welsh said, the advantages of a more crowded gym outweigh this minor adjustment.
“Having a troupe this size actually works to our advantage,” junior kinesiology major and Gymkana Vice President Brittany Epps said. “Loading our equipment for our show season and moving things around the gym is a whole lot easier.”
And although the gym’s hours have to be extended to accommodate Gymkana, having a larger team is worth it, Welsh said.
“It was a little overwhelming at first, having that many people,” Grishko said. “But it’s almost nice to have that strength in numbers, because there’s more people and that many more friends.”
When it comes down to it, friendship is often one of the driving factors for students involved in Gymkana, Welsh and Epps said.
“We truly are like a family, from the coaches to the members,” Epps said. “It’s one of those things that I can look back on when I’m older and really be proud of myself. I feel honored for young children to look up to me for living a healthy lifestyle and being such a good role model. I love our message, and I love performing.”
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