Aly Raisman wrote a touching personal reflection that was featured in TIME.com about the importance of the team competition. She addresses her disappointment in the International Gymnastics Federation's (FIG) decision to reduce the Olympic team size from five to four. 

In the piece, she writes about the historic competition at the 1996 Olympic Games where team USA, with seven members, won their first gold as a team at the Olympics. Since then, they've reduced the team size to six, five, and now to four.

Raisman also talks about the 2012 Olympics where she was a part of the Fierce Five team that won gold. "When you come together and do really well as a team, it creates this amazing bond that you share with your teammates for the rest of your life." Raisman wrote. 

She says that her main concern with recent team size change is that it will discourage young gymnasts from pursuing their dreams. 

"My biggest fear for the sport is that younger girls will think that it’s impossible to make the team, and they won’t even try for it."

As the oldest member of the US National team, Raisman is a leader and a mentor for the other girls. She strives to be a good role model for the next generation and it is apparent in the piece that is genuinely concerned about the future of the sport.

Read the full article on TIME.com. 

When the news broke about the change in team size last week, Raisman was one of the first to speak out about it with this tweet:

Are you kidding me?!? Changing the 2020 gymnastics Olympic team to 4 girls instead of 5? What's next? A team of one member? What a shame.

— Alexandra Raisman (@Aly_Raisman) May 15, 2015

Read more responses about the news from gymnasts, coaches, and officials. 

Related:
Olympic Team Size Reduced To Four
The Gymnastics Community Reacts to Olympic Team Size Change