Panther Pause
10/9/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Gymnastics
Oct. 9, 2007
PITTSBURGH - Welcome to Pittsburgh Panther Gymnastics! Andrea Arlotta, who wrote for us the past two years has graduated and is home in Cincinnati. So our "Dre's Diary" has now evolved into the Panther Pause and we hope to give you a little insight every couple weeks into our team preparations for the 2008 season, along with some candid snapshots of that team in action (both in and out of the gym).
September was a busy month with the start of classes, conditioning and practice. We also had a big recruiting weekend - and plan to give you the scoop on that after the November signing date. The girls look good, and even the couple who had surgery early in the summer are doing great. We have had fitness testing, skill assessments in the gym, lots of meetings, and are well into our October schedule. Following are some thoughts by two of our freshmen, Mallory Brewer and Shannon Vafiadou, on our first month, along with a link to photos! Enjoy!
"The team has welcomed us with open arms, making us feel a part of the team instantly. We started off the school year with a "get to know the team" get together where returning teammates shared stories, advice, and encouragement. Getting to know each other (freshmen) continues to be a blast; we have been having a great time in the dorms. We basically do everything with each other, like eating in the new dinning hall (which is very good), going to class, practice, and our new favorite ritual, riding the carousel in Schenley park! We have also had our big recruiting weekend where we got to meet our potential future teammates. We took them to dinner, tailgating, and the football game. We had such a great time going on the field and seeing everything close up!
In the gym, amazing things are happening. It is filled with positive energy, with people acquiring new skills, getting new floor routines, and putting other routines together. One of our favorite parts of college gymnastics so far is the amount of encouragement and cheering we get from our teammates. Someone is always cheering you on and it is really motivating to know your team is there for you. After last season there were a number of surgeries but everyone is coming back strong and ready to give everything they can to help the team. Conditioning is going really well also; it took SO long to get used to but we have adapted pretty well. By the looks and the attitude of the team, we are sure to make it an awesome season! We are accomplishing our goals and setting new ones we will definitely reach. Go Panthers!!!" -Vafi & Maui