Walking into Penson Gym now, spaces for volleyball and basketball indicate the primary athletic focus. But 32 years ago, the back half of the gym was home to another team: gymnastics.
From 1975 to 1993, gymnastics was included as a spring sport for both Middle and Upper School students. Dressed in hunter green leotards, the gymnasts spent countless hours practicing, and their dedication earned them 13 SPC titles, including an impressive five-year winning streak.
Lisa Schiffman, Hockaday alumna, has fond memories of competing in the four events during her years on the team in Middle and Upper School.
“I really enjoyed doing gymnastics,” Schiffman said. “And I was thrilled that Hockaday offered it as a school sport.”
Schiffman explained that the team members performed compulsory routines depending on their skill level. The program included both a junior varsity and varsity team, allowing students to join regardless of prior gymnastics experience. The team even had a mascot; a student dressed up as a daisy who attended meets, a precursor to the current mascot, Jade.
Mandy Ginsberg ‘88 also participated in the gymnastics team, starting in Middle School. Ginsberg remembers the day that her appendix burst mid-competition, and she had emergency surgery; however, her team provided a great support system.
“I woke up the next day, and my teammates had brought me posters and balloons in my [hospital] room,” Ginsberg said. “They all came and visited me.”
Many alumnae believe the gymnastics program eventually came to an end due to liability concerns as well as a lack of competition in the area. Still, they all remember their time on the team fondly.
Though gymnastics isn’t as popular a sport among Upper Schoolers today, many participated in the sport when they were younger.
Eighth grader Addie Ortega has been taking gymnastics classes since she was four years old and currently practices at Elevate Gymnastics.
“At first, I just did classes, then I got asked to join the team, and I’ve been doing it ever since,” Ortega said.
Ortega participates in the four main events: vault, bars, beam and floor, and agrees that gymnastics is a great opportunity to make memories with friends.
“I love getting to make new friendships and use it as an escape from school,” Ortega said.
If Hockaday still offered a gymnastics program, Ortega said she would be interested in joining.
Though the program ended decades ago, many alumnae from the team still keep in touch with each other, and the team’s success continues to inspire athletes who look up at the SPC banner with all the team championships hanging in Penson Gym.
“On the gymnastics team, we competed individually in each event,” Schiffman said. “But we also got to enjoy being part of a team, practicing together, rooting for each other and working together at each meet to earn cumulative scores for the team.”
