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01/23/2019 11:00 PMLily O’Neil has left it all out on the mat for the Valley Regional gymnastics team during the last four years. In her final season, Lily is taking on the responsibility of leading a young Warriors’ squad as the team’s senior captain. Lily loves gymnastics, and she’s trying to keep the sport fun for her teammates, while passing along everything she’s learned throughout her career.
Lily has seen some proud moments in her four-year tenure at Valley, such as winning the Warriors’ Sportsmanship Award. However, Lily finds that providing support for her fellow gymnasts is more rewarding than any individual accolades.
“Last year, I won the Sportsmanship award for gymnastics, and I’m pretty proud of that,” Lily says. “In general, I’m most proud of being able to help out my teammates, even if it’s just to calm them down before they compete. I enjoy giving them tips and helping them.”
Of the four events at a gymnastics meet, Lily enjoys doing the floor exercise the most. This isn’t just because she excels at the event. Lily likes the rush that comes with twirling through the air and loves the way she feels after completing her routine.
“Floor is probably my favorite. First, it tends to be my stronger event, and I like doing it,” says Lily, who lives in Essex. “A big part of it is the feeling of flying in the air. It’s over in a second, and you just flipped around, and then you landed on your feet. It’s pretty surreal.”
Earlier in the season, Lily surprised herself when she pulled off a score of 8.0 out of a possible 9.1 on the floor. Lily went all-out in this particular routine, and she was rewarded for her effort.
“Even though floor is my favorite event, I’ve had a bit of a mental block with my tumbling. At that meet, I really tumbled well, and that score really surprised me,” Lily says. “I was proud that my floor was really nice.”
While Lily likes showing off her skills on the floor, she’s also gained a deeper appreciation for the vault. There was a time when Lily didn’t really like vaulting, but after overcoming some of the mental hurdles that accompany the event, she’s developed a real knack for it.
“When I was younger, I had a mental block with vault. Now, I got over it, and my vault is really nice this year,” Lily says. “It’s sort of the same as the floor, except you’re running up and jumping onto a table, then flipping off it. It has the same surreal sort of feeling.”
As Valley’s only senior captain, Lily makes sure that her teammates are having a good time, so they will stick with the sport. Gymnastics can be incredibly competitive—even among teammates—and that stress can turn some people off. Lily always wants the Warriors to try their best, but have fun while doing so.
“I want to make sure that everyone is having fun competing. A lot of them compete in levels, which is a lot more stressful,” says Lily. “High school is a different atmosphere. It’s a bit more fun. I also try to help everyone achieve what they are trying to do in their competitions.”
Head Coach Carl Cavrell appreciates what Lily brings to a team that features mostly underclass athletes. Lily uses her experience as a long-time tumbler to the Warriors’ benefit, while keeping things moving at the meets.
“We have a team of pretty much all freshmen. Lily has taken the reins and is really leading the group. She’s helping the kids get organized on the meets and helps get them in position for their events. It’s like having an assistant coach out there,” Cavrell says. “Lily’s best event is probably vaulting, but her floor and beam are also very good. She’s very strong front tumbler. A lot of kids have difficulty with that, and she does very well.”
As the only senior on the team, Lily knows that she’s making a big impact when it comes to shaping the future of Valley gymnastics. Lily says that the influx of freshmen among the Warriors has invigorated her as a senior this year.
“It’s nice being the only senior, because all the younger players bring a new energy to the team,” says Lily. “It brings me back to being a freshman and being so excited to be at meets. Being surrounded by them, it gives me more energy, too.”