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02/12/2024 12:30 AMNo matter how many solo accolades she has racked up in the gym, Hadley Reiss knows all too well that none of them would have been possible without the nurturing encouragement of her teammates and coaches with the Hand gymnastics team. So she is focused on finishing off her tenure with the Tigers on a very high note.
The Hand senior all-around competitor and captain started gymnastics at the age of 4, and then competitively around four years later at eight years old. After battling back from a knee injury her freshman year, she re-emerged as a force for the Tigers. After helping Hand claim consecutive SCC and Class S state crowns the last two campaigns, she aided the Tigers’ charge for a conference crown three-peat–having notched career-high scores this year on floor exercises (9.45), beam (also 9.45), and all-around (35.6). She additionally earned the SCC floor title with a score of 9.35 and notched All-SCC Team accolades.
“I love the team aspect of gymnastics; it is such an uplifting sport. It is an individual sport, but your team has your back,” says Hadley. “I have also had such great coaches. [Hand Head Coach Kelly Smith] is such an amazing coach. I also stay dedicated to it and I am constantly practicing. I am up to about 20 hours a week in the gym training.”
Smith recalls that Hadley came into the picture at just the perfect and opportune right moment in time, for both herself and the Tigers’ program that needed a steady utility competitor.
“When Hadley joined the team freshman year, she made an immediate impact in the all-around. At the time, our team was in a bit of a rebuilding phase, and she stepped right in to fill some holes in our lineup with the confidence of a seasoned veteran,” says Smith. “She has never relinquished that role, competing in all four events for us day in and day out for the last four years, and leading our team that entire time. She's been an SCC Champion, All-SCC, First Team All-State, All-Area, and All-American athlete.”
Hadley gravitates towards the floor, as she explains she loves to express a more creative side to the repertoire via dancing. Yet she adds that thanks in large part to a new-found added boost of confidence, Hadley has become more open to a balancing act of sorts.
“My favorite event is the floor; I love dancing and have fun with it, plus tumbling is my strength,” Hadley says. “I am starting to like the beam more this season. I have gained more confidence on the event. I used to be more timid and shaky with it, but I have been able to get better at it with my new mindset.”
The hurdle of the knee right out of the starting gate turned out to be a benefit in the long run for Hadley. She says it certainly bolstered her mental fortitude, along with her support squad.
“I have been through a lot of ups and downs in my gymnastics career, especially when I dislocated my knee my freshman year,” Hadley says. “Through it all, the team here has kept me going. The sport is very hard mentally at times, but I know I have my teammates backing me up.”
Despite her many achievements on several different events, Hadley is far from complacent and is looking to diversify her skill set. She aims to vault to a higher level with work away from Hand, while perfecting her mechanics on the bar.
“I am best on the floor this year, but I want to improve on the vault this year. I am working on the vault at my club gym, too,” says Hadley. “With bars, I need to work on cleaning up my routine and become more consistent with it.”
Speaking to Hadley’s leadership skill set, Smith bestows high marks upon her for her ability to lead through action and example. While Hadley spent the offseason heading into her final foray training and challenging herself, she also learned to carve out a divided demeanor of play mode and work time with teammates.
“She's a natural leader; what she does, her teammates follow. And in the gym, that means hard work and no complaints,” says Smith. “Hadley has always been talented, but this offseason coming into senior year, she has added difficulty across the board, making a tremendous impact in her scoring potential and our team potential. She walks a perfect line of socializing and laughing in the gym with her teammates, while also getting the work in each and every day. I had the chance to have Hadley in class for two years also, and I saw her work ethic, confidence, and maturity in the classroom, as well. She was a leader in the classroom as well as in the gym, a perfect example of what we want our Hand student athletes to be.”
Hadley reflects that she has learned the true gifts that persistence can bestow on a person. There were times where she wanted to waive the white flag with her sport, but she has instead raised up a banner career.
“I have learned to not give up. Gymnastics is a hard sport mentally, and there were times where maybe I wanted to quit, but I have kept going,” Hadley says. “I am so glad I never stopped with it. I also learned that you have to work hard and be dedicated to be good at this.”
From a mental and emotional standpoint, Hadley details there is not one weak link on this current crop of Tigers. Looking to the postseason, the Tigers may be a heavy favorite again to come out on top based on regular season success, though they are going into it eager yet humble.
“We are all very positive and supportive of each other here. We are all very into the team aspect. If someone is having a bad or off day, everyone will work on lifting them up,” says Hadley. “We are feeling confident right now, and we are working hard to perfect our skills. In the postseason meets, we will go in, do our best, and see what happens.”