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03/06/2019 11:00 PMKelley Levis suffered an injury at the tail end of her senior year with the Hand gymnastics team, but that couldn’t prevent the captain from turning in an excellent performance during the postseason.
Kelley joined the Hand gymnastics squad as a sophomore. She helped the Tigers win SCC and state titles that year and then defend those crowns in her junior season.
This winter, Kelley dislocated a toe while competing on the balance beam in a meet at the end of the regular season. The very next week, she competed at the SCC Championship and earned All-Conference honors by finishing with a score of 9.2 on the floor.
“They kept saying all the names for All-SCC, and I was shocked when they said my name. I’ve never been recognized like that, and it gave me more confidence within the team and sport,” says Kelley. “The week before, I dislocated my toe, so I did the floor, which is my favorite event. My toe popped out during it, but it worked out, and I got my first 9 on the event ever.”
Kelley felt nervous when her injury occurred and she had to go to the emergency room. However, Kelley received a quick remedy and made a speedy recovery, allowing her to get back into action as soon as possible.
“When it happened, I was upset, because I didn’t know how serious it was,” Kelley says. “They popped it back in and told me to rest for a week, so I laid low at practices and coached the other girls. I just waited until I was ready to compete and did.”
Kelley contributed to several outstanding team achievements as a member of the Tigers. While becoming a better gymnast, Kelley also learned plenty of valuable lessons that will serve her well for years to come.
“I went into this sport for the first time as a sophomore, and coming out of it with SCC and state titles and an All-SCC Team nomination are big accomplishments,” says Kelley. “It also turned into something that helped me with my confidence and helped me learn some lessons on life.”
Hand’s Head Coach Kelly Smith says that Kelley’s dedication truly shined through when she was battling back from her injury. Smith was also pleased to see Kelley deliver a top-notch showing on the floor exercise at the SCC meet.
“With a taped-up toe and a very bruised foot, Kelley turned in one of her best performances on the season. She added a more difficult tumbling pass to really take her routine up a notch this year, completed the pass despite the sore foot, and was rewarded with her first ever 9.0,” says Smith. “Kelley always has a positive attitude, and her teammates draw from her positivity and work ethic in practice.”
After helping Hand have banner campaigns the last two years, Kelley led a younger club as a captain this season. Kelley not only had a chance to continue sharpening her skills as a gymnast, but also serve as a mentor for an up-and-coming bunch of teammates.
“I have experienced the good parts of being with this team with winning the SCC and state titles,” Kelley says. “The team was different this year, because we had lower numbers of girls on the team, but it was one of my favorite years. I got to be a big part of it with my senior leadership, try different things, and see what worked.”