Tift County High School sophomore Elyssa Roberts is finally a Level 10 gymnast. Level 10 is the highest ranking junior gymnasts can receive before becoming Elite, the classification that deigns them eligible to be selected for the National Team. Elyssa has been doing gymnastics since she was 3 years old, and reaching Level 10 has been a long time coming for the 16-year-old athlete, who competes for both her high school team and as part of the Tift Gymnastics Academy team.
“I did do some USA competition meets last year as a Level 10, but decided to end the year going to state as a level 9,” Elyssa said. “I didn’t feel I was confident or prepared like I needed to be.”
Elyssa practices for four hours a day, five days a week and competes almost every weekend from January through May all over the country. In 2014, she was named the USA state floor and beam champion and placed fourth all-around at the Region 8 USA meet. Last year, the Blue Devils gymnastics team placed sixth at state.
“This year in high school, I have done really well finishing first all-around and getting many first places on all events,” Elyssa said. “I have a really good vault this year and earned some first-place finishes at Level 10 USA meets.”
Elyssa got her start as a gymnast watching her older sisters.
“My older sisters did gymnastics, and I was just always at the gym waiting and watching them, so it was a natural progression for me to also do this sport,” Elyssa said.
One of her sisters, Beth, competes for the University of Georgia as a Gymdog. Beth played a vital role in encouraging and helping Elyssa when they were younger, and the two sisters still talk regularly.
“If I didn’t know what something was, she would come over and help me out during practice,” Elyssa said. “She still helps me whenever she comes home or just by talking to her on the phone several times a week.”
“They are very close because they were in the same sport and practiced together most of their lives,” said Jodi Roberts, Blue Devils gymnastics coach and Elyssa’s mother. “There is a big age difference, but they can relate to each other when it comes to gymnastics. They are each other’s biggest supporters, along with their older sister, Emilee.”
In the gym, Elyssa is all business.
“At practice, she is quiet and works hard,” Jodi said. “She has a good sense of what she needs to accomplish that day and works to reach her goals.”
A little over a year ago, Elyssa sustained an injury during what she called a “freak accident” on vault. What was initially thought ot be a broken neck turned out to be a severe sprain and strain.
“She handled her vault accident very well,” Jodi said. “She didn’t freak out, unlike myself!”
As you would expect, she did develop some fears and hesitations about trying certain stunts. After a few weeks of rest and physical therapy, however, Elyssa was right back in the gym working what events she could.
“She has overcome her fear for the most part and is gaining more confidence every day in the gym,” Jodi said. “It just takes more time mentally than physically to get back to being 100 percent. This sport is very mental, as well as physically taxing on your body.”
Elyssa participated in a few meets later in the season, but she couldn’t compete at the level she wanted to.
“I was very worried and didn’t know how this would affect her in the long run,” Jodi said. “All of my daughters have had injuries, but nothing that was career ending, thank goodness. My high school team also has had injuries plague us occasionally that can change our line up, and since our season is so short, it really affects what they can do for that particular year.”
Elyssa’s injury did teach her an important lesson all athletes must learn about overcoming adversity.
“There’s always bumps in the road you have to move past,” Elyssa said.
For the time being, Elyssa plans to keep working hard and getting better.
“I have some skills I plan to nail down that I started working on before season started,” Elyssa said. “I will work on those this summer and attend some college camps”
As for her future, Elyssa wants to pursue gymnastics at the collegiate level, although she’s still undecided as to where she’ll go.
Sidebar:
Elyssa has competed in three meets so far this season. At the Colquitt meet, she came in first on all events and all around with a score of 37.40. At the Thomasville meet, she placed first on vault, bars, floor, and all around with a score of 37.80. At the Ola meet, she came in first place on vault, bars, beam, and all around with a score of 36.4.
In the Game – South Georgia – April/May 2017
Elyssa Roberts
Tift County
Tifton, Georgia
Written by: Anna Limoges
Photos by: Emmanuel
On Her Way to Becoming Elite
