Everyday at Advantage Gym the gymnastics team practice their routines, clap chalk on their hands and cheer on their fellow gymnasts as they flip off the bars and into a foam pit. The team is working hard to prepare for the first meet on Dec. 1 away at Issaquah High School. The first home game is Dec. 14 be sure to come to the gym to support the team.

“We’ve got a lot of talented girls and every one of these girls that are here have shown a really strong dedication already,” Coach Elle Campbell said.

With last year’s record of 1-7, the team is ready to make a comeback and work toward a winning season.

“I think we are going to do a lot better this year than we did last year,” senior captain Tristyn Fish said. “This year we have a pretty strong team and a lot of new girls.”

With the team’s eyes set on a winning season, becoming closer as friends and teammates is another important aspect of this year’s philosophy. Due to the wide range of gymnasts, from freshman to senior unity has become even more of a key player this season.

“Being one team really is important to us,” junior Marie Severson said.

With the first meet of the season this Thursday against Issaquah, the team wants to come out on top and set a standard for the rest of the season.

“We are going to try our hardest and whatever the outcome is, we’ll know we have done our best,” Severson said.

As a goal for this season, Campbell wants to make a strong showing at meets and show the real picture of what the team can do. Everything is difficult in gymnastics, junior Kim Kramers said. The mental part of gymnastics is the hardest, and of course the handstands. Even though this sport is hard both mentally and physically, Campbell knows each girl is dedicated to the sport.

“They do this because they love it,” Campbell said. “They don’t do it because they are planning on going to the Olympics; they don’t do it because they have to. The girls that are here are doing this sport because they love it.”