Improved Scores Snag Surprise Cash Awards
“Promises are easy to make and hard to deliver” but Pete Deveaux easily delivered on a promise made to the “Sensational Six” gymnasts from Bahamas Star Gymnastics who competed at the Gymnastics Around the World competition hosted last October in Jacksonville, Florida. Deveaux, owner of The Island Game, was on hand at the event to support his daughter Madisson, a Level 4 gymnast, and her teammates. After witnessing the brilliant performance of the “Sensational Six”, Deveaux delivered his promise, “improve at your next meet and I will pay you $100 for each score on each apparatus and the All Around score”. The gymnasts did not take him seriously and received the challenge as “light encouragement”.
All six of the gymnast competed at their next event, Atlantis Crown Gymnastics Invitational, hosted on Paradise Island in December. They chalked up for performances and improved scores on all four events thereby boosting their All Around Score to unknowingly meet Deveaux’s challenge. Each gymnast was therefore awarded $500, being held in escrow by their club. Deveaux cashed in on his promise by delivering a cheque to Bahamas Star Gymnastics to hold in escrow for the gymnasts with very specific instructions. The funds were earmarked for use for class fees, meet entry fees, travel expenses or any training costs but could not be handed to any of the gymnasts or their families personally.
Level 3 gymnast, Soraya Halkitis, churned out exceptional performance in Jacksonville with 2nd place on Balance Beam (9. 225), 2nd place on Floor Exercise (9.1) rounded out the All Around (36.40) in 3rd place. Kym-Benay Greene, also a Level 3 gymnast, benchmarked her season in another age division with 1st place on Beam (9.05) and 3rd place on Vault (9.35) to also nail a 3rd place All Around (36.075). Level 4 teammates of Madisson Deveaux (AA-33.525), Candace Murphy (AA-33.925), Summer Sturrup (AA-34.50) and Sanaa Saunders (AA-33.625) posted their initial scores to emerge in 4th place in the Level 4 Team Division. At Atlantis Crown, Halkitis repeated 2nd Place on Balance Beam (9.6), 2nd Place on Floor Exercise (9.525) and a 3rd place All Around (37.275). Gleeful Greene, impressed the judges to ink in 2nd Place on Floor Exercise (9.350) and 3rd Place All Around (36.850) in the record books. Continuing the theme of improved scores at Atlantis Crown, Deveaux (AA-35.872), Murphy (AA-35.750), Sturrup (35.850) and Saunders (AA-35.025) together secured 4th Place in the team standing.
“Sensational Six” displaying trophy won by the Level 4 team at Gymnastics Around the World in Jacksonville. From left, back row: Sanaa Saunders, Summer Sturrup, Candace Murphy and Kym-Benay Greene. In front row: Soraya Halkitis and Madisson Deveaux. Photo courtesy of Bahamas Star Gymnastics.
Candace Murphy tops podium in first place for Floor Exercise (9.45) and Vault (9.35). Photo courtesy of Bahamas Star Gymnastics.
The gifts just keep on pouring in for the gym stars who received a trailer of equipment donation for their club from American donor Claudia Kretschmer, owner of GymAmerica in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Kretschmer, who has served repeatedly as a coach clinician for BSG hosted events, recently opened a new state of the art gymnastics training and educational facility in Michigan and passed on all of the equipment which has not transferred to her new facility. “Coach Claudia has been an inspiration to our club from day one when we opened in 2010,” beamed Co-Heach Coach Kachara Marshall, “she offers freely of advice, encourages our gymnast, is open to consultation for coaches and almost every year, her gym families sends leotards for the gymnasts. We owe her a debt of gratitude for this magnanimous donation. Coach Claudia is indeed the kind of role model we need more in the sport….selfless and motivating, not all about winning at any cost or self aggrandizement.”
BSG has also pledged to give back in their demonstration of gratitude for the many gifts bestowed upon them over the years. Visiting gymnasts whose families are vacationing in the Bahamas get to benefit from free work out sessions while on holiday. Recently, a family of gymnasts booked at the Atlantis Resort on Paradise Island contacted BSG after the daughters’ gymnastics coach would only approve their workout misses prior to a major competitive meet if they could find a gym nearby with qualified coaches to maintain their training. The visiting Level 3 and 4 gymnasts trained twice with the friendly squad at BSG and the parents were extremely impressed with the level of detail that the coaching staff invests in workouts. “These opportunities to give back to our sport and country through sports tourism have presented itself on numerous occasions. We only require that visiting gymnasts’s families sign our waiver forms and present their USAG athlete cards and the workout session is free. We have received much and are willing to give as much as we can.”
Sports Tourism opportunity to give back presents itself often. Visiting gymnasts booked at Atlantis Resort pose after workout session with BSG squad.
To ensure that gymnasts develop holistically, BSG became the first Bahamian club to enroll in the Kount on Kindness campaign to strengthen the spirit of sportsmanship and goodwill both within the club and the sporting community. “Bad character is no good” opines dance coach for the squad, Idania Garcia-Stroud who ensures discipline is present in conduct and in training. Staff Coach Tenille Thompson interjects, “wherever our gymnasts compete or train, they leave a very positive impression on their competitors and other coaches by the way they cheer them on even though they are competing for different teams”. As a reward for being goodwill ambassadors, some of the squad members were personally invited to the AG Invitational in Connecticut by US Olympic Hall of Famer, Abie Grosfeld, in whose honor the gymnastics invitational is hosted each January.
At the Connecticut meet, the level 4 gymnasts once again improved their scores for the season led by Candace Murphy who recorded first place finishes on Balance Beam (9.3) and Floor Exercise (9.45) and 2nd place on Vault (9.35). Murphy’s accident on Uneven Bars cost her in the All Around ranking.In another age division, Madisson Deveaux ranked 3rd place on Floor Exercise (9.50) and teammate Sanaa Saunders tied for 5th place on both Vault (9.1) an Uneven Bars(9.0).
Caption: Candace Murphy, Sanaa Saunders and Madisson Deveaux warm up before the start of competition at the AGI Gymnastics Meet in Connecticut earlier this year. Photo courtesy of Bahamas Star Gymnastics
Bahamas Star Gymnastics opened its doors in 2010 and continues to contribute to the improvement to the sport in the country being the only club which has hosted inter-squad meets and repeated coaching clinics to include competitor clubs’ coaches and gymnasts. BSG will host its inter-squad meet again in April.
Goodwill ambassadors garnering gifts and giving back to their community makes for a winning combination.
