Nine-year-old Keegan began gymnastics at age 2. She started pre-team at age 4 and began competing when she was 7 years old. At the beginning of her first year of competition, her coach at Harford Gymnastics in Joppa, Md., rearranged her schedule to accommodate her love of other sports. Keegan plays on a nationally-ranked club soccer team and also on a travel lacrosse team. Her gymnastics, however, hasn’t suffered because of her other sports; she won the Level 4 all-around title at last year’s Maryland state meet.
Gymnasts are taught to do so many things with their bodies in a split second, which is an incredible talent to bring to other sports. Lacrosse requires quick upper body stick movement, and soccer demands speed and conditioning. Gymnastics provided Keegan the physical skills to compete in her other sports, as well as the confidence to succeed and go after her goals.