Summer(13) and Hollie(11) Hagan, are not only sisters but growing gymnists. They have been training ever sense they can remember. And because their family actually owns the gym they train at, gymnastics is basically life for them. They attend school every day and train later in the night, so they are your every day normal girls.
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Before getting into big tricks and routines the coach has them do "warm-up" drills before hand. These would include straddle jumps (as shown above), tuck jumps, and pike jumps.
"Trampoline is my favorite thing to do in gymnastics. Its scary and you never stop learning new tricks," Summer had said as she started jumping on the tramp.
On their free time away from the gym, Summer and Hollie love hanging out with friends, and just being crazy. Whether its going to the mall, or hanging out at home, boredom never crosses there paths.
In the picture shown above Summer is in the middle of a trick that they call a double full. "In a few weeks i should be able to add it to my tumbling pass", after landing the trick a little short. "I just have to land this thing on my feet a million times first."
The mini tramp and the "cheese mat" are used in many ways in gymnastics. For instance Hollie is doing a back flip which after she lands, will push her into a backhand spring. They use this to help the athletes better understand a trick.
Summer is showing the correct form of the bridge. "My coach is always really strict about bridges. You gotta have your knees together and straight legs."
The last couple days of snow fall the girls took time to hang with friends and have a snow ball fight. Hollie always filled with energy shows her bright smile as shes just enjoying the end of winter season.
I had asked the girls what's the best thing about training with your sister? Hollie jokingly said, "Absolutley nothing!" While Summer on the otherhand explained, "I think you tend to train that much harder because you get that much more competitive, i mean for me, i dont like to think that my younger sister is better then me."
"Beam is not my thing, i just think its fun to play on and scare people when you do tricks." Summer said before she showed me her back handspring.
Before and after pracitice the coach has them stretch for about ten minutes. Stretching is a huge thing in gymnastics, every muscle is being used throughout your body almost all the time. Its very important that you stretch, so you do not get hurt. "I hate stretching, it takes forever, and its boring." As she mumbled to me as she reached for her toes.
Photos taken by Jimmy Russ
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