Utah gymnastics: Inspiring young girls just as important as winning


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SALT LAKE CITY — Before MyKayla Skinner was a Team USA Olympic alternate, owned the single-season record of Pac-12 Gymnast of the Week honors, earned 10.0s on floor and was the all-around conference champion, it was all just a dream.

Skinner worked hard in the gym and watched Shawn Johnson — who won a gold medal on beam and three silver medals for the women’s gymnastics team competition, individual all-around and floor exercise in the 2008 Olympics — in awe.

“I remember watching her in the Olympics and thinking I wanted to be just like her,” said Skinner.

The more she watched Johnson dominate the sport, Skinner devoted her time in the gym to learn the same skills. As soon as Skinner performed her first tuck double-double, she smiled thinking, “I can do a skill Shawn does.”

Skinner met Johnson during the Olympic Trials. It’s something that’s stuck with Skinner, who shared conversations with her inspiration during her quest for Rio.

Within months of meeting Johnson, Skinner now serves as a role model to aspiring female athletes. Her popularity picked up during the Olympic Trials. It’s skyrocketed more throughout her first collegiate season.

“You don’t realize it at first,” Skinner said of her transition into being a role model. “It’s crazy I can be a role model to so many young girls. I try to be a great example to them because I want them to follow my example.”

Utah co-head coach Megan Marsden makes it a priority to teach her team about being an example, advising them to always think about how they carry themselves. She takes a lot of pride in the gymnasts representing themselves in a classy way.

“Would that be something you want a mother of a young daughter to see? Would you feel good about that or would you shy away from that in certain decisions you might make?” Marsden often asks her team.

But while holding high standards, Marsden also believes it’s just as important to her that her gymnasts stay true to themselves.

“I want them to show individuality, and each of them do in a slightly different way. I don’t want Utah gymnasts to be a clone of one another,” she said.

(Photo: Nicole Boliaux, Deseret News)
(Photo: Nicole Boliaux, Deseret News)

Each season, fans can meet the gymnasts. The Red Rocks offer an autograph session after one of their meets where fans can talk to their favorite athletes and have a team poster signed. Thousands of fans wait for hours to meet the team, filling more than half of the Huntsman Center, which seats 15,000.

Marsden said the experience isn’t just for the fans but also for the gymnasts. At the team’s last autograph session, she spoke with the team’s marketing department, which “felt bad” that the girls had to stay so late after the meet.

“I told them, ‘Do you understand that this is not just for the fans? This is for the gymnasts, too’” Marsden said. "There is nothing wrong with these girls being face-to-face with fans, asking them a question like if they’re a gymnast and what trick they just learned. The autographing goes away. People are only going to want their autograph as long as they’re doing incredible routines. When they stop doing the incredible routines, it’s over.”

Abby Smith, a 23-year-old former gymnast, remembers attending Utah gymnastics meets and meeting the athletes like it was yesterday.

“I remember going to Utah gymnastics meets and the autograph nights growing up. I still have my signed posters,” said Smith.

Smith, who has recently spent her time coaching at Hunt’s Gymnastics Academy, now understands the importance of aspiring athletes meeting their role models. She said it shows younger athletes what they can do in life, the type of people they can become and how rewarding it is to watch hard work and dedication pay off.

“Gymnastics taught me many life lessons. It taught me discipline, dedication, teamwork and time management," Smith said. "I love the person I have become because of the sport. It teaches girls to be stronger, tougher, self-esteem and taking responsibilities for their actions."

Marsden agrees, knowing her team exemplifies all characteristics women can be. But it’s not just her team that does this, it’s the entire sport, and it’s a big reason Marsden loves gymnastics.

“Females can be athletic, strong, fit, smart and competitive. They can be all those things. Those qualities do not have to be just for men,” said Marsden.

She added that she likes that her team is an example of that and wants them to show young girls that they can do a lot of things, with some qualities assumed to be a concept of what boys do.

“I think it’s across both sexes, not just boys,” Marsden said. “That competitive nature, a drive to win. There’s nothing wrong with that.”

Jamie Cheney, a Salt Lake City mother of two and former athlete, recognizes sports is a powerful tool that can break down barriers of gender stereotypes.

“I love sports and hope my daughter learns to love them, too,” said Cheney. “Although, she is only 4 years old and has no idea how talented and hard-working the gymnasts she idolizes are, I hope one day she will be able to know that she too can do anything she works hard to accomplish.”

Cheney’s daughter became exposed to female athletes during the Rio Olympics. Cheney found that she became in awe with 4x200m freestyle relay gold medalist Maya DiRado, nine-time medalist Allyson Felix and the gold medal and beloved "Final Five" USA gymnastics team. Her daughter became so infatuated with the female athletes that she mimicked the gymnasts’ choreography as they competed on TV.

Seeing how her daughter enjoyed watching female athletes compete during the Olympics, Cheney enrolled her daughter in dance and tumbling classes and took her to the University of Utah’s annual Ute Fan Fest, where fans can meet the school’s athletes.

“Her favorite athletes were the gymnasts and cheerleaders. She got as close as she could to each gymnast. She didn’t want to leave their side,” said Cheney, who hopes her daughter sees herself in the gymnasts.

“I love that the athletes take time to connect with the community. It’s important for young girls to have good role models, who work hard in the gym and the classroom,” she added.

Skinner and Marsden believe female athletes serve as one of the best role models for young girls because of their dedication to their goals and both make sure Utah gymnastics is an example of that.

“We always want to be the best athletes we can be. We’re hard working and very positive,” said Skinner. “We’re ourselves and like to go out there and have fun. We like to be examples to everybody in a good way. Every day there is a challenge. You have to keep pushing through it, no matter how hard it gets. If you want that goal, you’re going to reach it if you’re dedicated and have the heart to do it. Your dreams will come true if you work hard enough for it.”

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