Athlete Spotlight: Aspen Roadarmel

DICKINSON  – Gymnast Aspen Roadarmel says her focus on competition days is not thinking about winning or losing. Rather, her mind set is on competing against herself.
“I just want to get better than I was in my last meet,’’ said the Dickinson standout.
That state of mind has produced some impressive results for the senior. She’s the top-ranked gymnast in the state and has finished as the all-around champion in nearly every meet. And she notched perfect scores of 10 in both the vault and uneven bars earlier this season.
Her coach, Casey Berry, knew Aspen had the makings to be a top-level gymnast. “What stands out most is how far she’s come in consistency and attention to detail,’’ Berry said. “When she first came into the program, we knew she was talented and extremely athletic. She's always been competitive and worked hard. She has always been the kid to jump in line and take a lot of turns.”
What separates superior gymnasts from the field is they can perform at a high level in all four events -- vault, uneven bars, balance beam and floor routine. 
“My favorite event is bars,’’ Aspen said. “That event requires the most practice 
because it is such a different event from all the others. You use so many different muscles and it’s an event when you have to tone down all of the power and flow a little bit more.”
Her strongest event is the vault, according to her, and the one she has improved the most on is balance beam. 
“Although I don’t have the hardest skills, I have become very consistent and I am now someone that my team can count on when the need a big routine. Two years ago that was not the case. I would fall a lot and not have the confidence I have now.”
Indeed, she is a confident competitor.
Roadarmel is well aware of the tradition of excellence the Maverick program has developed over these many decades.
“I think one of the main reasons that we have the dynasty and reputation that we have is because of our practices,’’ she said. “When you get onto the team, you are signing up to represent and uphold our legacy which means practicing a lot more then most sports and making gymnastics more then just another sport to you. We are always aware of the reputation we need to uphold but we know as long as we keep working hard and putting in 110 percent at practice that we will keep this going for a long time.”

Practice makes perfect, as they say, and the program instills a strong work ethic during their training days. Putting in all those hours together isn’t all work and no play, however.
“We spend 12 hours a week together in the gym, so I love making practice fun and making jokes so that (my teammates) don’t feel like they are going to the gym just to practice, Aspen adds. “(We want) to have a good time.”

What has also been a big part of the program’s success is how former gymnasts and the upperclassmen on the squad have taken the younger members under their wing. “
“An older gymnast who supported me when I was younger was Acacia Fossum,’’ Aspen said. “She was one of the best gymnasts to ever go to Dickinson High and she was always someone I looked up to.”
And being a supporter of her teammates is always on Aspen’s mind.
“She's a great encourager,’’ Berry said. “She's always cheering on her teammates and pushing them to be better. Her work habits, preparation, and attention to detail set the tone in the gym. Most importantly,  she holds herself to a very standard high standard both in practice and meets.”
As early as age three she was learning to jump and tumble. Eventually, that led to more structured practices and involvement in club gymnastics. “What appealed to me about gymnastics was the opportunity to do a sport that is different from most others and challenges my body and mind in a lot of ways,’’ she said.
Aspen began competing in the Dickinson program in seventh grade. 
As she has moved through the years in the program making sure to set the example of a strong leader was important. 
And that means pick up a teammate who may have not performed their best.
“When others fall, or don’t have the routine they want, I want to make sure they can count on their teammates to bring them up,’’ Roadarmel said. “I’ve created a very special bond with the younger girls and I want to be there for them whenever they feel like they need a big sister. I always tell them in our huddle before every meet that we need to be the loudest team out there. And I say that because when you hear your teammates cheering you on, it gives you a sense of pride knowing that we are all rooting for you to do your best.”
This season has been her best. 
“I feel like this year I told myself that I was going to give it my all, and when I put my mind to something, I will get there,” she said. “ I have become the most consistent I’ve ever been and I think that brings my confidence up as well. When I can compete with confidence I compete my best.
I have been doing this for 15 years so as long as I remind myself to trust all of my training I know that I can hit my routines.”
Her practice sessions zero in on what small details or adjustments she can correct or change to improve from her previous performances. “And that’s what I’ve been doing all season and I’ve progressed every meet, she said.
There is less than month of the season remaining which does make this time bittersweet for Aspen.
“ I think it’s hard to believe that it’s going be over because of how long I’ve been doing it,’’ she said. “But I have accomplished so much in these years that I have no regrets and I can look back on my career and be proud of myself. There is not one thing I need more from gymnastics. It’s given me a family and it has taught me more than anything else in my life. I’ve learned so much about myself through this sport.”
She will certainly miss her teammates, coaches and supporters.
“I think about it a lot at practice when we are laughing and sharing jokes that I won’t be there for again,’’ she said. “But my goal was to leave knowing that these girls will keep working hard and having fun and remember that the team is the most important part about this sport. I will also miss my coach. Casey and I have spent so much time together these last six years and she has become a very prominent adult in my life.”
And Berry is going to miss her standout’s energy and positivity in the gym. “We have so many young athletes and she’s really found a way to help keep it fun while working hard,’’ she adds.
While gymnastics won’t be part of her athletic future following high school, it has contributed greatly to her pole vaulting success.
“My future plans are to go to college and pursue collegiate pole vault,’’ Roadarmel
said. “ I have fallen in love with pole vault these past years and it is something I want to take to the college level.”
She hopes to select a school soon and her field of study will be exercise science and physical therapy. 
For now, though, there are a few more gymnastics meets to compete in and a few more memories to make.

Photo by Loralyn Joyce, WDA event photographer