An Open Letter to the Freshmen Class

Jun 24, 2013 by Elizabeth Stranahan

An open letter to the incoming freshmen class,

In a few short weeks, the pools will be closing and college campuses across the nation will be opening their doors, their grounds, and their gyms to the incoming freshmen class. I daresay a great number of you are already on campus feeling out your new homes and teammates. The transition to college can be hard for any freshman, but adding college gymnastics into the mix adds extra challenges; it also offers exceedingly wonderful rewards. As a recent alumna of college and the NCAA gymnastics program myself, I offer five simple rules to the freshmen class as they embark on their own unique and exciting journeys in the world that is college gymnastics.

Rule 1: Work Hard.

If you ignore all other rules, take note of this one because I can guarantee that you, yes you, worked hard to get to this point. Division I, II, or III, competing in college gymnastics is a huge accomplishment, and one you should be proud of. So go ahead, congratulate yourself. Give yourself that well-deserved pat on the back.

And then get back to work.

College gymnastics demands all that you have within you and then some. It will test you both physically and mentally. Now do not misunderstand me, college gymnastics is fun. Actually, it's thrilling. But it is also hard work. And you owe it to yourself to sacrifice wholly to this sport. There is a small window when athletes can compete high-level gymnastics. This is your window. You may never find yourself on a podium, you may never see some routines leave the practice gym, but if you give all of yourself, you will also never have any regrets. You will walk away from this sport at the end of your career knowing you did the best you could with what you had. And as Coach Wooden says, and as my coach often reminds, that is where success truly resides.

This work does not just apply to the gym either. When you decided to do college gymnastics, you also earned the title of student-athlete. Note which word comes first. Alongside your gymnastics endeavors, you are receiving a college education. While I cannot ensure that becoming a college graduate will land you the dream job—or any job for that matter—I can promise it will open your mind to new ways of thinking if you let it. You will find you learn just as much from your teachers as you do from your fellow classmates. College courses will give you perspective, differing vantage points, and at the very least, experience in a world outside yourself. So go to class. Take notes. Engage. Learning is a beautiful thing, and training your brain is just as rewarding as training your body. In short, work hard.

Rule 2: Respect your Team.

Know that when you join a team, you are really joining a small cult. Stick with me here. Your team will have a set way of doing things, they will have their own rituals, and they will resist change. Strongly. While, you do not have to buy into everything the team does, you darn well better respect them. Being a part of a team is about so much more than getting along with your fifteen-er-odd teammates. It's about upholding a legacy. Don't believe me? Take a look at how seriously Arkansas took the creation of a single leotard. When you step into the arena, you represent not just yourself, but all those who came before you and wore the logo. So take the time to respect and learn from those around you. If they are good teammates—and I do hope they are—they will show you what their program is all about, and when you respect the program, you will share in their team pride.

This does not mean let your team walk all over you. Respecting the team means respecting yourself. Have confidence in your voice, and who you are as a person. You deserve to be on this team just as much as they do, so own your gymnastics, and own who you are as a person. And your team will come to respect you too.

Rule 3: Try New Things

Rule number 3: Try new things, also comes with the sub-rule 3.1 Adapt to change. You will try new things in college; you should try new things in college. Not to hit a cliche, but college provides innumerable opportunities to step outside your comfort zone. So keep your center and stay true to your beliefs, but then dabble in things you never previously considered like attending a school concert, joining a club, or staying up past 11 p.m. You won't like them all, but you may find something you love.

3.1 Adapt to change. Things will change in college; things should change in college. I'm going to give it to you straight. Your assistant coaches may leave. Three out of my four years, I had entirely new coaching staffs. And that's okay. You may lose touch with your high school friends. That's okay too. You may feel homesick and hate leaving home. It's all O.K. Leaving for school whether it is 5 miles up the road or 5,000 miles via plane, will create change. Prepare yourself for that, but also reconcile yourself to the idea that it will all be A-OK. Because things should change, especially if you are trying new things. And not everything will change. I still have my best friends from high school; I also have new friends from college. So try something new, and prepare to adapt as the change unravels.

Rule 4: Own your Journey.

In the end, your gymnastics experience will be what you make it. At this point in your career, you know your skills, your body, and your capabilities. In college, your coaches act as guides, but you are in the driver's seat. So if you want something, go get it. Before you walk in the door, make goals for yourself. And then when you enter the gym, chase those dreams down with all your might. If you fail, you have only yourself to blame. When you succeed. That is yours too.

Rule 5: Have Fun.

I never, not for one second, regretted my decision to participate in college athletics. I worked harder than I ever have in my life, I sacrificed more than I felt fair, I pushed myself well-beyond the places where I thought my limits ended. And I had the time of my life.

So relax, and have fun. Because at the end of the day, it is not the moments on the podium I cherish, but the spontaneous dance sessions, the deep talks in the cold tubs, and the bus ride karaoke. The smaller moments that I shared with my teammates who became my best friends.

So as you begin your experience, I can only hope that you walk away from your four or five years with the same respect and love that I do for my teammates, my coaches, my school, and my sport. In the words of novelist David Foster Wallace, "I wish you way more than luck."

-Elizabeth

Watch more videos on Gymnastike

*Elizabeth Stranahan competed for Iowa State University from 2010-2013. Initially a walk-on, Stranahan earned a full scholarship for her junior and senior seasons. She went from competing only floor her freshman season to competing all four events and earning the team's highest all around score in the 2013 season. Stranahan also served as team co-captain her junior and senior year. Stranahan currently attends graduate school at Iowa State where she pursues a Master's degree in English.