This season, Terrapins gymnastics junior Nikki Dragon has developed a unique routine on meet days at Xfinity Center.
While her teammates complete warm-ups and head back into the locker room, Dragon remains on the gym floor, puts on a pair of headphones and prepares to be a commentator for the Big Ten Network’s live stream of the meet.
After suffering a concussion that “never really went away,” Dragon was forced to medically retire from gymnastics this year. Now, she’s adjusting to being a team manager in addition to providing insight on meet days.
“[Dragon] said, ‘I’ll just have to find a new role and have to put all my positive energy into that,'” junior Sarah Faller said. “She is still very much a member of the team.”
Dragon suffered an eye injury in the Terps’ second meet last year. She finished that competition against Minnesota, but the eye injury persisted, eventually turning into a concussion. She never returned to competition.
Up until this past fall, she had hopes of competing in 2016. But eventually, she decided that wouldn’t be possible.
“I was in a lot of pain every day in practice,” Dragon said. “I realized that maybe it was time to put gymnastics aside and focus on school.”
Her title isn’t yet official, but the Woodcliff Lake, New Jersey, native is currently acting as an undergraduate assistant coach for the Terps. Dragon attends every practice and home meet, assisting around the gym and coaching the team. She’s especially helpful on floor; coach Brett Nelligan called Dragon “a phenomenal dancer.”
“Everyone’s rallied around her and been supportive of her transition,” Nelligan said, “and since she’s giving back to the team, it’s a great relationship.”
Faller, who was Dragon’s roommate their freshman year, wrote her a card earlier this year commending Dragon’s strength through adversity, a compliment the rest of the team echoes.
“I’ve definitely had some hard days, and it’s amazing to know that I can count on every single one of [my teammates] and know they don’t look at me any differently,” Dragon said.
Dragon also credited Nelligan for his encouragement. He was the one who thought the junior would make a good commentator and asked her if she’d like to try it.
She agreed, and after the first meet Dragon announced, compliments came pouring in, Nelligan said. The veteran coach wasn’t surprised.
“She’s so talented and so smart, she can really handle anything that comes her way,” Nelligan said.
One thing Dragon would be able to do on the sidelines is cheer for the team, which she tries to avoid when offering play-by-play. She uses her inside knowledge of the Terps and their routines but does her best to remain impartial and professional.
In her head, though, Dragon said she’s “cheering for her teammates, like, so loud.”
“It’s not been an easy road, but everybody’s here for her, and I think she knows that,” Faller said. “I think that’s definitely helped. We’re such a family here.”
Sophomore Abbie Epperson said Dragon has ended up “right where she’s supposed to be,” even after all she’s been through.
And in some ways, Dragon agrees. She appears to have made the most of an unfortunate situation.
“Retiring was definitely a hard decision to make,” Dragon said, “but I’m in a much happier place now, and [I’m] realizing that I can still have gymnastics in my life without actually doing the sport.”
