This was by no means a normal year for the Rolling Meadows boys gymnastics team. This was their first time being able to compete in almost two years, as last season was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. So the athletes, especially the seniors, had a little bit of a chip on their shoulders to make this season memorable. 

“It has impacted our skill development,” head coach Michael Costa said. “Without being offered the opportunities to train, some of my athletes have not done any gymnastics for an entire year. We are now just starting to get back to where they were before the disruption of the season last year.” 

Since all of the sports schedules have changed, the gymnastics season has been shortened, so there are fewer meets and fewer practices for the athletes to work to perfect their routines to be able to perform at their peak during meets. 

“Covid has made training tougher because of the shorter practices, but we try our best to improve,” senior Dave Rasmussen said. 

Before the season got shut down, the team was coming off the most successful and memorable season in school history.

“My favorite memory is going to state as a team my sophomore year and beating Hersey, which was our main goal,” Rasmussen said. 

Gymnastics can be a very physically draining sport, as it takes tremendous strength, but the mental barriers that come with the difficulty are often what proves most challenging to overcome by athletes. That being said, when a new skill is finally learned, it is the best feeling ever for a gymnast and coach. 

“I truly enjoy watching the progression of skill development, the enlightenment and exhilaration when they learn a new skill,” said Costa. 

The Mustangs may have had a shortened season and not a lot to work with, but they were still able to make a good name for themselves and have yet another successful season, which seems to be a consistent trend as of late for both the boys and girls gymnastics teams. With this in mind, they are hoping to continue their success in the future.

“We have a lot of talented athletes in our program,” Costa said. “We are looking for continued progress to developing new skills and improving as a team.”