Speaker 1: Welcome to Good Game with Sarah Spain, where we're celebrating
Speaker 1: this weekend's NC Double A Gymnastics Championships by doing splits
Speaker 1: at a party. Okay, fine, fair, I'm always doing the
Speaker 1: splitzet parties, but this weekend they'll be extra good. It's Thursday,
Speaker 1: April seventeenth, and on today's show, we'll be chatting with
Speaker 1: ESPN Gymnastics commentator and NC DOUBLEA perfect ten record holder
Speaker 1: Trinity Thomas about the top teams and athletes and this
Speaker 1: weekend's NC Double A Gymnastics Championships, dealing with pressure and
Speaker 1: how to be a better gymnastics viewer. Plus a goat
Speaker 1: adds a few more records, unrivaled, roster gets a little bigger,
Speaker 1: and we checked there's no rule saying backflips have to
Speaker 1: be done in a gym. That's all coming up right
Speaker 1: after this. Welcome Max Slices. Here's what you need to
Speaker 1: know today. The US wrapped up the group stage at
Speaker 1: the Women's Ice Hockey World Championships by beating Switzerland five
Speaker 1: nothing on Tuesday behind two goals of He's from Tessa
Speaker 1: Janicky and Kendall Cooinscofield. Hillary Knight recorded three assists in
Speaker 1: the win to break the all time assists record at
Speaker 1: Women's Worlds. Knight now has fifty one more than previous
Speaker 1: record holder Canadian Haley Wickenheiser. Knight is already the most
Speaker 1: decorated athlete in Women's World Championship history, owning the record
Speaker 1: for most medals with fourteen, most all time goals with
Speaker 1: sixty seven, and most points with one hundred and seventeen.
Speaker 1: After finishing group play with a four to zero record,
Speaker 1: the US will play Germany in the quarterfinals today. We'll
Speaker 1: link to the full World Championship schedule in the show notes.
Speaker 1: Also shout out to friend of the show Kendall Coinscofield.
Speaker 1: In addition to those two goals, this week, she's also
Speaker 1: celebrating a new partnership with our friends at ELF. She
Speaker 1: just joined their roster of sponsored athletes. As part of
Speaker 1: her partnership, she recently hosted a group of young players
Speaker 1: at a Minnesota Frost game. Love that two hoops. Paige
Speaker 1: Beckers has more to celebrate than just being the number
Speaker 1: one pick in Monday's WNBA draft. Just ahead of the draft,
Speaker 1: it was announced that Beckers has signed a three year
Speaker 1: deal to play in three on three League unrival Per
Speaker 1: the Athletic ESPN, Becker's first year salary and Unrivaled will
Speaker 1: exceed what she earns in all four years of her
Speaker 1: WNBA rookie contract. Becker's previously signed an NIL deal with Unrivaled,
Speaker 1: which gave her equity in the upstart league as she
Speaker 1: finished her college career. Speaking of Unrivaled, Time has named
Speaker 1: Unrivaled co founders Nafisa Collier and Brianna Stewart to the
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five Time one hundred, its annual list of
Speaker 1: the one hundred most influential people in the world. To softball,
Speaker 1: Kim Eng, who joined Athletes Unlimited last summer as a
Speaker 1: senior advisor, has been named commissioner of the AUSL ahead
Speaker 1: of its June launch, and players are starting to get
Speaker 1: the call for the new pro Softball league. Over the
Speaker 1: next few weeks, Golden tickets will be presented to college
Speaker 1: softball players across the country, signifying their selection in the
Speaker 1: twenty twenty five college Draft. Last Sunday, after her team's
Speaker 1: fifteen to one win over Notre Dame, Virginia Tech, pitcher
Speaker 1: Emma Lemley was surprised with the very first golden ticket
Speaker 1: the AUSL College Draft Show will reveal which teams the
Speaker 1: drafts are selected to. You can watch that on Saturday,
Speaker 1: May third at nine pm Eastern on ESPNU. Finally, some
Speaker 1: golf news. The International Olympic Committee has approved a mixed
Speaker 1: gender golf team event for the twenty twenty eight Los
Speaker 1: Angeles Olympics. It'll be a thirty six hole competition split
Speaker 1: across two eighteen hole rounds, with teams made up of
Speaker 1: one male and one female athlete from the individual competitions,
Speaker 1: limited to one team per country. We got to take
Speaker 1: a quick break. When we come back, we talk NCUBLEA
Speaker 1: Gymnastics Championships with Trinity Thomas. The two semi finals are today,
Speaker 1: with the top two teams in each semi qualifying for
Speaker 1: Saturday's final. We caught up with Trinity on Wednesday to
Speaker 1: discuss what to expect that's coming up right after this
Speaker 1: joining US now, she's a commentator for ESPN. Who was
Speaker 1: a five time member of the USA Gymnastics national team
Speaker 1: and was an eleven time NCUBLEA All American for the
Speaker 1: Florida Game College, finishing her career with an NCAA record
Speaker 1: tying twenty eight perfect ten scores and a record breaking
Speaker 1: five Jim slams, which are scores of perfect ten on
Speaker 1: every apparatus. Since the end of her college career, she's
Speaker 1: worked as a student coach for the Gators in addition
Speaker 1: to our media work, and this May she'll begin nursing
Speaker 1: school at Florida. Her list of accomplishments is so long
Speaker 1: it takes up the entire TV screen. Just ask co
Speaker 1: anchor Bart Connor who lost his head to the list
Speaker 1: of Trinity's many feats. It's Trinity Thomas. Hi, Trinity, Hi,
Speaker 1: how are you? I'm good? Thanks for joining us. Before
Speaker 1: we get to the excitement of this week, I want
Speaker 1: to ask you about the LA Olympics, because I just
Speaker 1: said all that in past tense, and in the past
Speaker 1: you did attempt to qualify for the twenty twenty and
Speaker 1: twenty twenty four Olympics. But today, in this moment, right now,
Speaker 1: how are you feeling about giving it one more go
Speaker 1: and potentially trying to go to LA twenty eight.
Speaker 2: Right now, I'm definitely on a down swing. I have
Speaker 2: a dongymnastics since November, and honestly, I don't I don't
Speaker 2: know that I will do gymnastics again, but I'm not
Speaker 2: completely closing that door, just kind of we'll see good.
Speaker 1: That's you don't have to you get to decide. Maybe
Speaker 1: you'll get the itch.
Speaker 3: Yeah, maybe we'll see Okay.
Speaker 1: On to this week's big event in Fort Worth. So,
Speaker 1: the semifinal rounds of the twenty twenty five NCAA National
Speaker 1: Collegiate Women's Gymnastics Championships get going Thursday on ESPN two
Speaker 1: Semi Final one at four thirty Eastern, Semifinal two at
Speaker 1: nine pm Eastern, and then they culminate with the Championship
Speaker 1: Final live on ABC on Saturday. I want to start
Speaker 1: with the basics. Can you tell us how the eight
Speaker 1: competing teams make the cut to get to compete at
Speaker 1: this national Championships.
Speaker 2: Yes, So they were all at their own regional locations
Speaker 2: and they had to be the top two teams out
Speaker 2: of the regional location to make it to the national Championships,
Speaker 2: which is not easy. There's a play in day where
Speaker 2: the bottom two teams one team gets to go, and
Speaker 2: then there are two sessions of four teams and the
Speaker 2: top two teams from each session go from Day one
Speaker 2: of regionals today two and so then there are four
Speaker 2: teams left and the top two teams from Day two
Speaker 2: on the Nationals.
Speaker 1: They are individuals competing as well. How did they qualify?
Speaker 2: Yes, So basically, if you're an individual and you place
Speaker 2: at the top of Day one of Regionals, then you
Speaker 2: get to qualify to go to Nationals. If you weren't
Speaker 2: on those two teams that already qualified.
Speaker 1: Okay, got it? Okay, So semi final one tomorrow is
Speaker 1: an all sec showdown. We got number two seed Oklahoma,
Speaker 1: number three seed Florida, number seven seed Missouri, and number
Speaker 1: eleven seed Alabama. Which team is coming in feeling the
Speaker 1: most confident? Which team has most people believing that they'll advance?
Speaker 2: Yeah, honestly, I think all of the teams have a
Speaker 2: really good shot. They are so good this year. And
Speaker 2: I mean I will have to say obviously Oklahoma and
Speaker 2: Florida at the top. So I think that those teams
Speaker 2: are definitely.
Speaker 3: Like people will assume that they will advance.
Speaker 1: But it's a hard yes, but it's a.
Speaker 2: Hard competition, and Missouri can bring it like those other
Speaker 2: teams can bring it. So I think it's gonna be
Speaker 2: a lot of fun this weekend just watching everyone. It's
Speaker 2: gonna be who's on and it's like mental game. They're
Speaker 2: all physically like incredible. All the teams are incredible, but
Speaker 2: it just comes down to who can hit and do
Speaker 2: no wobbles and hit their cast handstands and stick when
Speaker 2: it counts.
Speaker 1: Who are some of the standout stars from those teams
Speaker 1: that you'll be watching for?
Speaker 2: Okay, So Alabama, I'll say Gaby Gladio. She I feel
Speaker 2: like she's a big one.
Speaker 3: And then Lily.
Speaker 2: Hudson their team is pretty awesome. Missouri, Jocelyn Moore, Amari Drayton. Again,
Speaker 2: their team is awesome. There's so many and then oh
Speaker 2: you honestly, the freshmen. I think the freshmen for OHU
Speaker 2: have been like incredible for that team and so important,
Speaker 2: even though like they've got their Faith tours, they've got
Speaker 2: their Jordan Bauers, they've got those big names, but the
Speaker 2: freshmen have done a great job for Oklahoma this year.
Speaker 2: So the freshie's for Oklahoma. And then what was the
Speaker 2: last one?
Speaker 1: Florida?
Speaker 2: Florida the Okay so obviously lean long Selena Harris, but again,
Speaker 2: their team is so deep this year, so honestly, like
Speaker 2: they lean on each other and that's so cool. Obviously,
Speaker 2: every team has had adversity this year, and so it's
Speaker 2: nice when you have a deep team to be able
Speaker 2: to put the next one up and they're just as
Speaker 2: good as the last.
Speaker 1: So we know you've really moved on to your media
Speaker 1: role when you forgot your own team. You're really so
Speaker 1: unbiased at this point that you forget your own squad.
Speaker 1: So I love the idea of the freshman coming out
Speaker 1: of Oklahoma as being one of the stories this weekend.
Speaker 1: Any other great stories, whether that's athletes looking to break
Speaker 1: a record, maybe someone coming back from injury, or something
Speaker 1: else for that first semi final you'll be watching for.
Speaker 2: I definitely think Helen Who's story is incredible. She didn't
Speaker 2: do gymnastics last year, she was doing learning so much
Speaker 2: about herself and about the world year and comes back
Speaker 2: and I think she's got three perfect tens now on meme,
Speaker 2: so really, look, I mean, she could win that beam title.
Speaker 3: She is one of the.
Speaker 2: Most incredible beam workers in the NCAA right now, and
Speaker 2: so I think her story is really special and it'd
Speaker 2: be so cool to see her walk away with a
Speaker 2: national title on TAM.
Speaker 1: Yeah, you know, it's so interesting in certain sports, particularly
Speaker 1: ones where there's a lot of mental pressure it's about perfection.
Speaker 1: It's not about reacting in the moment. It's about having
Speaker 1: done it so many times that you can sort of
Speaker 1: get out of your head and let it happen. That
Speaker 1: there are athletes like that who step away and when
Speaker 1: they come back with a different perspective, how it changes
Speaker 1: their sport as well. And it feels like you've been
Speaker 1: on this stage so many times in the past. Can
Speaker 1: you talk about the pressure of this point of the
Speaker 1: season and how it does come down to not just
Speaker 1: physically how great you are, but how much you're ready
Speaker 1: to handle it.
Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, I mean the pressure at Nationals is like
Speaker 2: nothing else. Obviously, every team's biggest goal, whether like it's
Speaker 2: in the forefront or of their mind or in the
Speaker 2: back like is to win a national championship. And so
Speaker 2: that's always like that overhanging like dirt cloud. I don't know,
Speaker 2: but it's like it's a great thing, but you can't
Speaker 2: let it consume you. And so although it's the National Championships,
Speaker 2: you've competed at all of these meets this year, and
Speaker 2: the National Championships is no different.
Speaker 3: It's just another meet.
Speaker 2: It's about the way that you approach it and look
Speaker 2: at it, and for me, I would always try to
Speaker 2: make it small, Like I do this every single day
Speaker 2: in the gym. I've worked for this moment. It's just
Speaker 2: another beam routine, it's just another bar routine, it's one
Speaker 2: more vault, it's one more floor routine. So it's just
Speaker 2: like really breaking it down in your mind to not
Speaker 2: make it bigger than what it is.
Speaker 1: Yeah, and I feel like Oklahoma, of all the teams,
Speaker 1: would be really ready for that kind of approach because
Speaker 1: they've been so consistent all season. Their scores have been
Speaker 1: across the board like they just don't waiver. So I
Speaker 1: would love to be their coach heading into this and
Speaker 1: just be like, listen, you've done it literally every single time.
Speaker 1: Just do the exact same thing you've pretty much done
Speaker 1: every single time. Semifinal two defending national champ top seeded
Speaker 1: LSU alongside number four Utah, number five UCLA, and number
Speaker 1: eight Michigan State. Obviously, LSU's coming in number one team
Speaker 1: in the nation actually the first time any team other
Speaker 1: than the Oklahoma Sooners has held the number one position
Speaker 1: in the postseason for over a decade, which is crazy.
Speaker 1: So obviously the Sooners have something to prove because they
Speaker 1: got knocked off their pedestal, but also LSU coming in
Speaker 1: with all those expectations, what are you watching for? Particularly
Speaker 1: with that team?
Speaker 2: I mean LSU is a great team again, so much
Speaker 2: talent across the board. I honestly think as long as
Speaker 2: they come in, just be them, Like they just have
Speaker 2: to do their normal. They have to trust their gymnastics.
Speaker 3: That team is. I mean, they've gone team of veterans too.
Speaker 2: Like, they've got a lot of girls that have been
Speaker 2: to several national championships. A lot of them are back
Speaker 2: from last year coming off of the national championship, so
Speaker 2: they literally, I think, just have to be them.
Speaker 1: What are you watching for in terms of stars from
Speaker 1: some of these teams in the second semi final?
Speaker 2: I know Michigan State this is their first time in
Speaker 2: I can't remember how many years, A long time coming
Speaker 2: to the national championship, but like they cannot be underestimated.
Speaker 2: They are incredible, absolutely amazing. Again, They've got some great
Speaker 2: veterans on their team, and I definitely think that they
Speaker 2: can make it out of this round one of Nationals
Speaker 2: and their I don't know. Oh, I love Nicki Smith.
Speaker 2: She's so much fun. She's an incredible gymnast. She brings
Speaker 2: all the difficulty, she brings all the energy. But that
Speaker 2: team as a whole, I feel like they have an
Speaker 2: aura about them when they walk into the room, and
Speaker 2: they've been taking ownership of their gymnastics this year, and
Speaker 2: I think that they can definitely go all the way.
Speaker 2: So I think that's a really cool story with Michigan State.
Speaker 2: But obviously Oklahoma they've done it so many times.
Speaker 3: They had that that fault last year.
Speaker 2: Didn't quite go the way that they wanted it to,
Speaker 2: didn't even make it to four on the floor, which
Speaker 2: is like not obviously not normal for OU, And so
Speaker 2: I think they're they're coming back. They've got a new
Speaker 2: team right mostly like a very a very young team
Speaker 2: with a lot of contributing freshmen, like we were saying,
Speaker 2: But I think that for them, I feel like their
Speaker 2: overall like team chemistry this year, and kJ has talked
Speaker 2: about it. They are so close and they are having
Speaker 2: so much fun, and I think that this team right
Speaker 2: now literally just needs to like let that last year
Speaker 2: stuff roll off of their shoulders and just go out
Speaker 2: there and do the gymnastics like you said that they've
Speaker 2: been doing all season long. kJ Kidler is the head
Speaker 2: coach of the Oklahoma Sooners gymnastics team. She is I mean,
Speaker 2: I can't even remember her accolades, Like she's been insane.
Speaker 2: Oklahoma has done She's done a great job at Oklahoma
Speaker 2: in an absolutely amazing job.
Speaker 1: Yeah, so the big stories heading into the semi finals are,
Speaker 1: of course Oklahoma, this team that's been a powerhouse but
Speaker 1: really fell apart last year and is trying to have
Speaker 1: a little revenge tour LSU. They're quote unquote trying to
Speaker 1: protect the crown after winning it all last year. And
Speaker 1: then like you mentioned, all these upstart teams. There's a
Speaker 1: ton of parody this year and a lot of people
Speaker 1: see the field is pretty open for this year, like
Speaker 1: anything can happen. The top two teams advanced to the
Speaker 1: Championship final on Saturday. If I had to make you
Speaker 1: put your money down, who you got? Who you got
Speaker 1: for the final two?
Speaker 2: Oh my goodness, do you want me to say what
Speaker 2: I think is gonna happen or what I hope happened?
Speaker 1: Give us both. I'm guessing Florida's in there somewhere.
Speaker 2: Obviously, I'm a Florida Gator, so I've gotta have the
Speaker 2: Florida Gators in there, so I think the Gators are
Speaker 2: going to go.
Speaker 3: I think, oh, this is so hard.
Speaker 2: I'm going to go with the Gators in Missouri, and
Speaker 2: mostly because I really want Missouri making to four on
Speaker 2: the floor.
Speaker 3: I think that'd be really cool for them.
Speaker 2: So the Gators and Missouri out of that first session,
Speaker 2: and then the second session LSU and oh gosh, I'm.
Speaker 3: Gonna say, Michigan State. That's what I want.
Speaker 1: Okay, all right, Well, we'll know who you're rooting for
Speaker 1: at least, or at least what you'd like to see happening.
Speaker 1: There are also the twenty athletes that are competing individually,
Speaker 1: including a couple Olympians, two time Olympians and twenty twenty
Speaker 1: four Olympic gold medalists Jade Carey who's competing for Oregon
Speaker 1: State and Jordan Chiles of UCLA, and then twenty twenty
Speaker 1: four US Olympic alternates Leanne Wong that you mentioned from Florida,
Speaker 1: Jocelyn Robertson from Arkansas. Who are you wanting to watch?
Speaker 1: Who are you just excited to see? It's always interesting
Speaker 1: to me these Olympians who come back to the college game.
Speaker 1: There's still a lot of pressure, but it just feels
Speaker 1: like so different to watch them compete for their team
Speaker 1: as opposed to on the biggest stage at the Olympics.
Speaker 2: Yes, I'm excited for all of them. I'm just glad
Speaker 2: that they are. I mean, they bring you so many
Speaker 2: more eyes to NC DOUBLEA gymnastics, which is so important.
Speaker 2: They've really paved the way and they've done a great job,
Speaker 2: and I'm just so glad they're enjoying their collegiate experience
Speaker 2: because me personally, like college gymnastics was like the best
Speaker 2: part of gymnastics for me, it was my favorite part.
Speaker 2: And so I love to see these Olympians, incredible athletes
Speaker 2: and people get to come back and enjoy their collegiate
Speaker 2: careers as well. So I honestly think that they are
Speaker 2: going to do and it's just an absolute amazing job
Speaker 2: this weekend, and I'm excited for them.
Speaker 3: I think that they're hard to beat, all of them.
Speaker 2: Yeah, I definitely think that everyone all eyes are on
Speaker 2: them and everyone's excited to just see what happens this weekend.
Speaker 2: I obviously, Jay Carey has been on the top of
Speaker 2: the individual rankings all season and so she's definitely want
Speaker 2: to watch for that all around title. So it'll be
Speaker 2: interesting to see how it all pieces together and what
Speaker 2: happens this weekend.
Speaker 1: Why was college your favorite? What did you like so
Speaker 1: much about it?
Speaker 2: Oh? Oh, my goodness. I love the team, the team
Speaker 2: atmosphere I loved. I obviously was at Florida, so I
Speaker 2: loved Gator Nation. I loved competing under all the lights,
Speaker 2: with all of the literally all the seats filled in
Speaker 2: the stands, Like that's an unreal feeling. And getting to
Speaker 2: like band together with a team that we're working towards
Speaker 2: a common goal every single day for four years, and
Speaker 2: just growing closer and closer with my coaches and with
Speaker 2: my teammates who have become like my family too. Is
Speaker 2: like an experience that I think few people get to
Speaker 2: do outside of you know, sports, and so it's it's
Speaker 2: it's something special, and it's my experience at UF is
Speaker 2: something that I'll hold near and dear to my heart
Speaker 2: and I will for the rest of my life.
Speaker 1: You know, for a lot of fans, they're getting into
Speaker 1: watching more of the NCAA. You know a lot of
Speaker 1: people come around for the Olympic cycles and you know,
Speaker 1: every four years for the big events but more and
Speaker 1: more fans are starting to realize how much great gymnastics
Speaker 1: is happening at the collegiate level, and to your point,
Speaker 1: those Olympiads coming back and competing or helping with that
Speaker 1: as well. Is there anything fans should know. Let's say
Speaker 1: they're going to dive into this Gymnastics Championship this weekend
Speaker 1: for the first time, what should they know about watching?
Speaker 1: How is it different? What makes what would make them
Speaker 1: a good viewer?
Speaker 3: Oh, that's a good question.
Speaker 2: I think honestly, it's hard to focus when there's four
Speaker 2: teams on the floor at one time. But they do
Speaker 2: do two events at a time for viewers, so that
Speaker 2: makes it a little bit easy but easier. But just
Speaker 2: listen to the commentators. They'll kind of like guide you
Speaker 2: to one side of the screen or the other. Sometimes
Speaker 2: it will be full screen if there's the one event
Speaker 2: is done. But honestly, just listen and remember that, like
Speaker 2: it's not just the National Championship, Like they're going to
Speaker 2: be here next year from January to April, competing weekend
Speaker 2: and week out, and there's so much fun gymnastics to
Speaker 2: watch other than just the big competition. So I would
Speaker 2: just challenge them to tune in now, but then also
Speaker 2: like pick their favorite athletes, their favorite teams and like
Speaker 2: follow them like and just that way you can kind
Speaker 2: of build that connection and you get to show all
Speaker 2: your friends and things like that. But it's it's really
Speaker 2: fun when you get to know a certain team or
Speaker 2: a certain athlete and you get to watch their career.
Speaker 2: So I think just like just watch and when you
Speaker 2: find like your eyes setting on one gymnast or one team,
Speaker 2: like just continue to follow them and see what they
Speaker 2: do in the upcoming years, because I think that's what
Speaker 2: makes it the most fun, when you get to like
Speaker 2: really really cheer for who you're passionate about watching or whatever.
Speaker 1: So for sure, you're going to be part of the
Speaker 1: stream team coverage on ESPN Plus. Can you tell us
Speaker 1: more about that.
Speaker 2: Yes, So we have a meeting to This is gonna
Speaker 2: be my first time being a part of the stream team.
Speaker 2: This is my first time covering the national Championships. So
Speaker 2: I'm excited to be here in a different role. Last
Speaker 2: year was here as a student assistant coach for the Gators,
Speaker 2: and then previous years I was here as an athlete.
Speaker 2: So just being able to like move into new roles
Speaker 2: and new and learn new things. Has been has been
Speaker 2: really fun, and it's a little bit outside of my
Speaker 2: comfort zone, like doing all of this media stuff, I guess,
Speaker 2: but I've been learning a lot and I've been i
Speaker 2: feel like, getting a little bit more confident with it
Speaker 2: and just kind of feeling it out.
Speaker 3: But I'm excited.
Speaker 2: I'll be over on the stream team, which I assume
Speaker 2: just means like I'm covering certain teams while everybody else
Speaker 2: is covering the main stream, and so I'll be paired
Speaker 2: with Bridget Sloan and so that'll be fun, another gator,
Speaker 2: but it'll be it'll be fun. So we'll just be talking,
Speaker 2: having a conversation and if you want to tune in,
Speaker 2: like I'm sure it'll be great.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: So there's a handful of you on that stream team,
Speaker 1: and then fans can follow their specific squad action throughout
Speaker 1: the arena with a dedicated stream and commentators. So you'll
Speaker 1: be split up into two teams with commentators for each feed,
Speaker 1: and that way, like you said before, when there's so
Speaker 1: much happening at once, if people have found that there's
Speaker 1: one team that they want to follow, they can follow
Speaker 1: on the stream team on ESPN plus what there are
Speaker 1: all those events going on at once? How do you
Speaker 1: personally decide what to watch and pay attention to. Let's
Speaker 1: say you're not on the stream team where you're assigned
Speaker 1: to one, you're just trying to take it all in.
Speaker 1: How do you like figure out what to watch?
Speaker 2: Yes, I'm still trying to figure that part out. You mean,
Speaker 2: like as a commentator, as like.
Speaker 1: A spectator either way, I guess like when there's so much.
Speaker 2: Going on, Yes, when there's a lot going on, I
Speaker 2: sometimes bind myself like trying to watch both at the
Speaker 2: same time.
Speaker 3: But you kind of have to choose a little bit.
Speaker 2: So if someone's doing a major skill, so like if
Speaker 2: if someone's doing let's say we're watching floor and beam,
Speaker 2: if someone's doing a tumbling pass, I'll take my eyes
Speaker 2: to floor. Uh, if they're doing a major skill on beam,
Speaker 2: I'll bring my eyes to beam. So I just try
Speaker 2: to like kind of watch the majors skills as much
Speaker 2: as I.
Speaker 1: Can and wait for the crowd to go oh, I know.
Speaker 2: But it is hard. Sometimes when there's a lot going on,
Speaker 2: it's hard and you're like, oh, I want to watch both,
Speaker 2: and sometimes you just have to go back and watch
Speaker 2: that routine later if you want to like really sit
Speaker 2: there and watch the whole thing. So it can be
Speaker 2: hard when there's a lot going on on the screen.
Speaker 1: So your first championship's back, not as an athlete or coach,
Speaker 1: do you think you'll have any emotions about watching other
Speaker 1: people try to win out and live out their dreams
Speaker 1: or even some pangs of like, oh I wish I
Speaker 1: was out there.
Speaker 2: Honestly, I mean I've had my time. Obviously I never
Speaker 2: got to win a natural championship with my team, which
Speaker 2: is unfortunate. But it's been so fun to sit back
Speaker 2: and watch everyone because I have never done that before.
Speaker 2: Like I would see this in that like a little bit,
Speaker 2: but I never paid attention to what everyone else was
Speaker 2: doing because I was like focused on my team and
Speaker 2: focus on what I was doing, and like what I
Speaker 2: was there to do a job, and that's what I
Speaker 2: wanted to do. And so it's been nice to look
Speaker 2: around and get to watch so many of these other
Speaker 2: athletes that like I may know personally, but never have
Speaker 2: really gotten to like watch their season, their career, And
Speaker 2: so that part has been the coolest, just to sit
Speaker 2: back and enjoy the show.
Speaker 1: Yeah, for sure, and it's such a changing space, I
Speaker 1: mean college gymnastics over the years, especially because of NIL.
Speaker 1: Before the NIL changes that went into effect in twenty
Speaker 1: twenty one, it was almost unheard of to see Olympians
Speaker 1: competing at the NCAA Championships. Those athletes would have turned pro,
Speaker 1: they would have forfeited college eligibility. Now they can actually
Speaker 1: make money with endorsements, and they bring all these eyeballs
Speaker 1: when you look at the college field. How has it
Speaker 1: impacted both the Olympians being able to come back and
Speaker 1: find this other opportunity and also those maybe competing that
Speaker 1: used to have a more open path to championships when
Speaker 1: they weren't competing against the Jade Cares and the Jordan Chiles.
Speaker 3: Of the world.
Speaker 2: Yes, again, you said, it brings all the attention to
Speaker 2: the nc double A gymnastics, which is really cool because
Speaker 2: the Olympics only happens every four years, so it's it's
Speaker 2: cool to have another another big platform for people to
Speaker 2: watch gymnastics if they love gymnastics. And it does make
Speaker 2: it hard for everyone else, but I honestly it elevates
Speaker 2: the competition and that's I think. I can't speak for everyone,
Speaker 2: but that's what we want. That's what we want in gymnastics,
Speaker 2: that's what we want NC double A gymnastics. And of course,
Speaker 2: like these Olympians come in and they're incredible, but it's
Speaker 2: a lot different from elite gymnastics. And so the girls
Speaker 2: that have never done elee gymnastics are the girls that
Speaker 2: did elee gymnastics but didn't get to go to the Olympics.
Speaker 3: Like they're all just as good.
Speaker 2: So I think it's important to like note that, like, yeah,
Speaker 2: the Olympians are great, but like these other girls are
Speaker 2: just as good at college gymnastics as they are.
Speaker 3: And so it's like.
Speaker 2: Really cool to see like the playing field kind of
Speaker 2: like just continue to elevate. They elevate each other, they
Speaker 2: make each other better, and like it's a good friendly competition.
Speaker 2: It's incredible. So I think that they enjoy the friendly competition.
Speaker 3: Yeah.
Speaker 1: I might not win as much, but it makes for
Speaker 1: a good story. And I could say, as a washed
Speaker 1: up old athlete, the stories I tell the most are
Speaker 1: like the Olympians I competed against, got my ass beat
Speaker 1: by more so than when I was like winning lesser events.
Speaker 1: So they have the story later of like, oh yeah,
Speaker 1: I was at Championships alongside you know, these Olympians, these
Speaker 1: superstars that you've all watched on TV all the time.
Speaker 1: It does feel like also maybe the parody is the
Speaker 1: result of some of the nil changes. Right There are
Speaker 1: more programs investing in their women's college gymnastics.
Speaker 2: Yes, absolutely, there are definitely more programs like trying to
Speaker 2: figure out how how can we make these these college programs,
Speaker 2: these college gymnastics programs bigger, How can we get more
Speaker 2: eyes on our team?
Speaker 3: So I think like.
Speaker 2: Marketing has been doing a great job at a lot
Speaker 2: of the teams and the coaches I mean play a
Speaker 2: huge role in that as well in the athletic department.
Speaker 2: So it's been nice to see people trying to make
Speaker 2: new programs and grow their own programs. It's been so
Speaker 2: cool to see that transformation and continuing to just keep
Speaker 2: pushing the sport forward.
Speaker 1: It's such a fun watch it is, and it's something
Speaker 1: I think we just give fans enough information to want
Speaker 1: to go check it out and then they'll be hooked,
Speaker 1: just like we all are every year with the Olympics
Speaker 1: when they roll around. All Right, So we've got semifinals
Speaker 1: on ESPN. Two championships on ABC and the stream team
Speaker 1: on ESPN Plus. Trinity good luck this weekend, and thanks
Speaker 1: so much for giving us some time.
Speaker 3: Thank you so much.
Speaker 1: We have to take another break when we return. It's
Speaker 1: not just gymnasts who dazzle with backflips, stick around slices.
Speaker 1: Welcome back slices. We love that you're listening, but we
Speaker 1: want you to get in the game every day too,
Speaker 1: So here's our good gameplay of the day. Watch the
Speaker 1: NCAA Gymnastics Championships. The semi final rounds are today, with
Speaker 1: Semifinal one at four thirty Eastern and Semifinal two at
Speaker 1: nine Eastern. Both will air on ESPN two. You can
Speaker 1: watch Trinity's stream team coverage on ESPN Plus, and the
Speaker 1: final is Saturday at three thirty pm Eastern on ABC.
Speaker 1: We always love to hear from you, so hit us
Speaker 1: up on email. Good game at Wondermedia neetwork dot com,
Speaker 1: and don't forget to subscribe, Rate and review, y'all. It's easy.
Speaker 1: Watch the Chicago Stars having a backflipping goal scorer again,
Speaker 1: rating ten out of ten Heels Overheads review. In Sunday's
Speaker 1: Chicago Stars win over BFC, Brazilian forward Ludmila showed some
Speaker 1: pretty footwork before slotin in a goal, then celebrated with
Speaker 1: a handspring into a backflip, bringing me back to the
Speaker 1: days of the great Sam Kerr and a Chicago Red
Speaker 1: Stars kit, scoring and flipping and pitches all over the country.
Speaker 1: Those clips of Sam were one of the things that
Speaker 1: got me fired up to bring friends and family to
Speaker 1: the games, promising that there was an incredible team and
Speaker 1: an incredible entertainment game day experience right in their backyards,
Speaker 1: even if there wasn't a ton of marketing or publicity
Speaker 1: for it. I still miss Sam Kerr and her backflips,
Speaker 1: but the sight of Ludemla scoring and flipping, and the
Speaker 1: sight of the Stars and the wind column for the
Speaker 1: first time in a very long time, warmed my cold
Speaker 1: heart just a little bit. For fans across the NWSL,
Speaker 1: don't take greatness for granted, whether it's Lacy Santos bearing
Speaker 1: an absolutely clinical free kick for the Spirit or Dabinya
Speaker 1: scoring her fiftieth career NWSL goal. Watch it, Love it,
Speaker 1: Tell your friends now it's your turn. Rate and review.
Speaker 1: Thanks for listening, See you tomorrow. Good game, Trinity, good game,
Speaker 1: Ludemela few uneven bars when I was a kid, they
Speaker 1: to keep moving the higher and lower bars farther away
Speaker 1: from each other to accommodate my height, farther and farther.
Speaker 1: It was a silent message from gymnastics. Honestly, maybe not
Speaker 1: the sport for me. Good Game with Sarah Spain is
Speaker 1: an iHeart women's sports production in partnership with Deep Blue
Speaker 1: Sports and Entertainment. You can find us on the iHeartRadio app,
Speaker 1: Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. Production by
Speaker 1: Wonder Media Network, our producers are Alex Azzie and Misha Jones.
Speaker 1: Our executive producers are Christina Everett, Jesse Katz, Jenny Kaplan,
Speaker 1: and Emily Rutterer. Our editors are Emily Rutterer, Britney Martinez,
Speaker 1: and Grace Lynch. Our associate producer is Lucy Jones and
Speaker 1: I'm Your host Sarah Spain