20 Questions with Future Arizona Wildcat Alivia Kendrick (Perfection)

November 14, 2017

Our next 20 Questions athlete holds a special place in my heart because she will be heading off to the University of Arizona in the fall of 2018. Arizona is like my 2nd home and my favorite place to be, so I feel a definite connection to anyone heading out to the Grand Canyon State to continue their gymnastics careers and education. Perfections Alivia Kendrick is just that athlete! Alivia recently signed her National Letter of Intent to compete for the Lady Wildcats in the fall of 2018. Alivia, who is spunky and full of energy, caught my eye as one to watch a few years ago at a Region 5 camp. She has a great personality, she was always laughing, singing and dancing between her turns. she completely made the camp experience a great one for everyone around her. Alivia who calls the floor exercise her favorite event, was nominated for a 2017 Yahtzee Award for her floor exercise. Let’s get to know Alivia Kendrick a little bit better as she begins her final season with Region 5 & Perfection Gymnastics before she heads out west to join the Wildcats in Tucson, Arizona.

How did you get into gymnastics? How old were you? I started one of the little kid classes at the age of 3 and I then started a tumbling class at the age of 4. A coach from the competition team asked me to join the program and I of course jumped at the opportunity of more tumbling and running around the gym. I started competing level 7 at the age of 7 and from there I fell in love with the crazy sport.

What is your favorite event? My favorite event is floor

What is your Favorite Part of Gymnastics? My favorite part of gymnastics is the lessons it teaches you and the experiences I get to have through this sport. I also love that I get to train side by side with girls that I can say are like my second family.

What College do you plan on attending? I’m going to the University of Arizona to continue my gymnastics career

What is your favorite meet to compete at? My favorite meet to compete at is Circle of Stars

What is your Biggest Accomplishment in the gymnastics so far? My biggest accomplishment in gymnastics is being able to continue my career into the collegiate level

What is your favorite skill to train/compete? My favorite skill to train is a double layout and my favorite skill to compete is a shaposh.

What is your dream skill? My dream skill is a yurchenko 1 1/2

Who do you admire the most in the sport of gymnastics? Lexie Priessman is the person I admire most in the sport of gymnastics. I have had the honor of training side by side with her and her passion and dedication to the sport of gymnastics is truly inspiring. She is a person I could count on no doubt and I could call her at any point and she’d be there to help me! She’s like a sister to me and I couldn’t ask for a better person to look up to.

What is your favorite leo? Do you still have your first leo? My all time favorite Leo is this blue Motion Wear one I purchased this year and I swear I wear it twice a week haha but I do still have my first leo my mom saved it and it’s sooo small.

What is your favorite movie? My favorite movie is stick it

What is your go to playlist or song before a competition? I always listen to TLC waterfalls! It has been a tradition every time before I compete for almost 4 years now. It’s kinda joke but it relieves some of the seriousness and pressure of competing.

What do you want to be when you grow up? When I grow up I either want to be a Physical Therapist or a Orthopedic Surgeon

What High School do you go to? Springboro High School

What is your favorite color? My favorite color is blue

What do you like to do outside of gymnastics? I like to go hangout with friends, listen to music, and shop!

What is your most embarrassing gymnastics moment? My most embarrassing moment in gymnastics was during a floor routine I flew out of bounds and by flew I legit mean it haha and so I stopped right by my team and my coach and forgot I was still in a routine. After my coach told me to get back on the floor, I ran back up and finished the routine.

If you were not a gymnast what sport would you try? I would probably try soccer

Where is your favorite place to travel? Cancun

What is the most valuable piece of wisdom or advice your coach has given you? My coach Enrique always tells me how gymnastics doesn’t define who I am it’s just a big part of my life so making mistakes are going to happen it’s just what you do from that point on to better yourself as an athlete and a person. He always knows what to say I’m times of me stressing out or just to give us a dose of his wisdom

Live Stream Archive | 2017 Hot Shot and Forward Progress Training Camps

Jason MacDonald

November 8, 2017

Here are all the archived live stream rotation videos from this past weekends Hot Shot camp and Forward Progress camp at Phenom Gymnastics.

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2017 Region 5 Hot Shot Gymnastics Training Camp | Beam Acro Skills and Drills #2

2017 Region 5 Hot Shot Gymnastics Training Camp | Beam Acro Skills and Drills

2017 Region 5 Forward Progress Gymnastics Training Camp | Uneven Bars Skills

2017 Region 5 Forward Progress Gymnastics Training Camp | Vault Drills

2017 Region 5 Forward Progress Gymnastics Training Camp | Tumbling Drills

2017 Region 5 Forward Progress Gymnastics Training Camp | Vault Skills

2017 Region 5 Hot Shot Gymnastics Training Camp | Conditioning | Suspension Strength Training

2017 Region 5 Hot Shot Gymnastics Training Camp | Balance Beam Skills and Drills

2017 Region 5 Hot Shot Gymnastics Training Camp | Vaulting Drills

2017 Region 5 Hot Shot Gymnastics Training Camp | Uneven Bars Skills

20 Questions with JO National Qualifier Payton Murphy (Palmer’s)

Kim Dowis

November 7, 2017

Our next feature athlete is Palmer’s Payton Murphy. Payton was part of the Junior F Team that took the top spot at the 2017 JO Nationals in Indianapolis, Indiana this past May. I first noticed Payton a few years ago as a level 9 athlete, she was a Level 9 State Champion and Eastern National Qualifier. For me Payton has come on very strong in the last year and has really come into her own. She definitely earned her spot in a very tough age group to the National Championships, her handwork and determination has certainly paid off. Not only does she have some great skills on the competition floor but she has an infectious smile and a great personality! She is one of the sweetest people I have ever met. Payton Murphy is an athlete to watch this season, with 2 more years left in the JO Program I expect big things from this young lady! Let’s get to know Payton a little better as she heads into her junior season at Palmer’s Gymnastics in Illinois.

How did you get into gymnastics? How old were you? I was 5 years old when I

started gymnastics. My mom and my older sister were both gymnasts, so I wanted to follow their footsteps.

What is your favorite part of gymnastics? It’s a lot of fun to meet new friends and coaches as I travel for competitions and camps.

Favorite Skill to train/compete Double Pikes on floor

Dream Skill? My dream skill would be to compete a Yurchenko 1 ½

What is your favorite event? My favorite event is floor because I can have fun and show my personality.

What college do you plan on attending? I am currently undecided.

What is your favorite meet to compete at? Atlantis Crown Invitational, not only because it is in the Bahamas, but because the people there are so much fun to be around.

Biggest accomplishment in gymnastics so far? Qualifying and competing for Region 5 at J.O. Nationals.

Who do you most admire in the sport of gymnastics? I admire how much energy and patience my coaches and family put in just to let me do what I love.

What is your favorite Region 5 Insider Feature or Series? The Best “OMG” Moments of each season, or Make Your Move Monday

What is your go to playlist or song before meets? I listen to anything with a quick beat so I can get excited and get all my nerves out before meets.

If you were trapped on a deserted island what 3 things would you take and why? A boat, gas for the boat, and food. I would bring a boat so I could leave the island. I need gas for the boat so it could move. I would bring food because I am always hungry.

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why? Definitely a monkey so I could swing around a jungle all day long.

Who is your favorite superhero? Batman

Do you have any pre-meet rituals or superstitions? Not really, I usually just have to put my headphones on and listen to music before meets.

What do you like to do outside of Gymnastics? I like to hang out with my friends and family.

Most embarrassing meet moment or gymnastics moment? One time I did a Yurchenko Full straight to my stomach at practice

If you weren’t a gymnast, what sport would you do or try? I would do track or try dance.

Which athletes (any sport) do you respect the most and why? Nobody specific, but I greatly respect athletes that can overcome adversity to become successful. I feel like those athletes understand what true hard work and determination is.
What is the most valuable piece of advice or wisdom your coach has given you? My coach has told me to trust myself and my body. Although that might seem simple and cliché, it meant a lot to me. It made me understand that I don’t have to overthink everything in gymnastics and life.

Bonus Question: Tell me something interesting about yourself… I love to vacation on the lake during the summer

Check out Payton’s Gymnastics journey below
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All Access: Tumbling the “C Shape” | Tumbling Drills | Gymnastics Training

Jason MacDonald

November 1, 2017

Jake Stoeckicht from Rockford breaks down the “C” shape with tumbling. This is the new way in teaching backward tumbling to increase speed and overall power in tumbling. He goes over some of the drills that help to create that C shape in tumbling. This concept though not new is a bit foreign to many of our high tech level 10 gymnasts in this video but it’s the technique now being used in the developmental and elite level at the National Training Center.

20 Questions with JO National Qualifier Mickayla Stuckey (CGA)

Kim Dowis

October 31, 2017

Next up in our 20 Questions Series is Mickayla Stuckey of CGA. Mickayla is one of my favorite athletes to watch especially on the floor exercise, which is one of Mickayla’s favorite events as well, because she certainly knows how to draw the audience in with her captivating dance and her skill high tumbling. Mickayla, who won the 2017 Yahtzee Award for “Best Floor Choreography”, credits her floor performance abilities to her many years as a competitive dancer. Stuckey, who hails from Indiana, is a multiple time JO Nationals Qualifier, All-Star Team Member and former Hopes/Elite. Lucky for us here in Region 5 Mickayla has two more years to bless us with her exquisite and entertaining floor performances, however after her time in JO Gymnastics is finished she is not going far for college and we will be able to watch her as she attends a University in the boundaries of Region 5. However, until then let’s get to know Mickayla a little better as she gets ready to begin her Junior season with her longtime club, Cincinnati Gymnastics.

How did you get into gymnastics? How old were you? I started in gymnastics because my mom was teaching at a gym and I was always there with her. I was about 16 months when I took my first Mommy and Me class, but it wasn’t with my mom. (she was teaching the class) I took the class with another person on staff at the gym.

What is your favorite event? My favorite event is beam or floor. It really depends on the day.

Check Out Mickayla competing her favorite event the Floor Exercise at the 2017 Region 5 Championships in Indianapolis, Indiana

Favorite Skill to train/compete? My favorite skill to currently train is my double layout on floor! I’m really wanting to get it in my routine this year. My favorite skill to compete is probably my back hand lay on beam.

Dream Skill? My dream skill is a double layout off bars. I’ve done it before, but I had a pretty terrifying fall training it. I would like to be able to overcome the issues around this skill and compete it again!

What is your favorite part of gymnastics? My favorite part of gymnastics is the life lessons that I am learning and making new friends around the country/world.

What college do you plan on attending? Eastern Michigan University

What is your favorite meet to compete at? Buckeye Classic

Biggest accomplishment in gymnastics so far? My biggest accomplishments so far have been obtaining a college scholarship and making the Region 5 All-Star team last year.

Who do you most admire in the sport of gymnastics? Lexie Priessman. I have looked up to her since I was a little girl. She has been through so many ups and downs with this sport, and she continues to push through and work for her dreams.

What is your favorite Region 5 Insider Feature or Series? I really like watching the All Access series.

What is your go to playlist or song before meets? If I need to calm down, I listen to country music. If I need pumped up, I listen to today’s hip hop and R&B.

If you were trapped on a deserted island what 3 things would you take and why? If I were trapped on a deserted island, I would take food and water because I have to eat and drink. I would also take Darby Nelson. She is probably one of the smartest people I know and she would figure out how to get us off the island.

If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why? I would probably be a dog. Who doesn’t love a cute dog?

Who is your favorite superhero? Superwoman

Do you have any pre-meet rituals or superstitions? I eat steak the night before a meet and I have to have a clip in my hair.

What do you like to do outside of Gymnastics? Dance and hanging out with my friends.

Most embarrassing meet moment or gymnastics moment? Luckily I haven’t had too many. Probably starting my floor routine to someone else’s music when I was in level 7.

If you weren’t a gymnast, what sport would you do or try? In addition to gymnastics, I am also a competitive dancer. I’ve been competing since I was 4. I’ve actually won several national solo and group titles. But if I were to try something totally different, it would probably be cross country.

Which athletes (any sport) do you respect the most and why? I have a lot of respect for wrestlers. It’s an individual and team sport, kind of like gymnastics. I feel like their work ethic, discipline, and mental challenges are similar to gymnastics. And they can cut weight really fast!

What is the most valuable piece of advice or wisdom your coach has given you? You should always do gymnastics for yourself and not for anyone else. –Whitney Snowden Gymnastics is only a small part of what you do, it does not define who you are as a person.

Bonus Question: Tell me something interesting about yourself…. I live 1hr45min away from the gym. I started coming to CGA when I was 4 years old. We never moved because we like living on a farm in rural Indiana and my parents did not want to move just for asport. They never wanted to make me feel like I had to do gymnastics.

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