Credit: Kate Goodman

Members of the Wayland-Weston Gymnastics team smile during the first season of gymnastics. The team was created after years of interest from families in both Wayland and Weston.

After completing their first season last winter, the gymnastics team is preparing for its second year as a co-op with Weston. The team was created last winter after years of interest from families in both Wayland and Weston. According to senior captain Alexa Parras, this year has so far been easier in getting things started compared to the challenges of creating the team and finding a place to practice last season. The team practices every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at the Massachusetts Gymnastics Center (MGC) in Sudbury.

“Last year was brand new for all of us on the team, and we bonded really quickly,” Parras said. “Being co-op [with Weston] helped me meet so many amazing gymnasts.”

Parras has been involved in gymnastics for 15 years and states that she is most confident with her floor routine.

“I love getting to choose my own music and choreography,” Parras said.

Parras also noted that the hardest challenge for her last season was learning to manage difficult skills as a gymnast, both physically and mentally.

“It can be hard sometimes to remember that you are in control,” Parras said. “It’s necessary to listen to your body and trust your coach.”

Sophomore Sawyer Whitcher, who is entering her second high school season on the gymnastics team also states that floor is her strongest event. Whitcher recently moved up to the Xcel Diamond level for club gymnastics, which, according to Whitcher, adds adds more difficulty to her routines.

“Some of the practices and meets for club and high school conflicted, so it was hard to decide which one to put first,” Whitcher said. “Usually before meets I would visualize my routines in my head, [and] that helped.”

According to Whitcher, the team’s chemistry has been strong from the start.

“We all bonded really easily last year because we were all the first ones on the team,” Whitcher said. “Even now, we all have gymnastics in common, and most people do club, so we bond over that.”

Both Parras and Whitcher state that people can often underestimate how physically and mentally challenging gymnastics is.

“Every skill [relies on] core power, upper body strength and strong legs,” Parras said. “Even the simplest moves demand more muscle and body control than they look.”

Whitcher mentioned the mental side being just as intense.

“A huge part of gymnastics is believing in yourself and not [getting] in your head,” Whitcher said. “I’ve had mental blocks on skills where I know I can do it, but my mind tells me the opposite.”

According to both Parras and Whitcher, the team is focused on expanding the program and building off of last year’s results. Parras states that she wants to continue promoting the program to current and future WHS students. Additionally, Whitcher states that the team is hoping to perform better in competitions.

“Our goal for the high school team is to grow and expand the community so that anyone and everyone knows about it,” Whitcher said.

Both athletes expressed that some of their favorite memories from last season were the time spent together outside of the gym. Whitcher also emphasized the social aspect of the team, saying that she’s made connections and friendships with people from the town of Weston.

“My favorite memory was [competing] at [the Dual County League Gymnastics Meet (DCLs)],” Parras said. “It was such a rewarding and special moment.”

Whitcher mentioned that she’s enjoyed the team atmosphere during travel.

“The bus rides to meets were super fun,” Whitcher said. “We were all freezing, but we blasted music and did our hair for the meet.”

The team’s season begins on Jan. 8, with a meet vs Westford Academy at Westford Academy’s main gym. The full season’s schedule can be viewed on Arbiter.With more experience, returning leadership and more students joining the roster, gymnastics has high hopes for its second season.

“Overall, we want a productive and developmental season,” Parras said. “We’re excited to see how [our] team grows.”