MY HOME AWAY FROM HOME

This Four-Year Journey at Baylor is One I Will Never Forget

Champions' TriBUne 5/13/2021 8:13:00 AM

Champions' TriBUne Archive

By: DayAndrea Thompson

Champions' TriBUne is a special feature through Baylor Athletics that gives you the student-athlete's perspective and the chance for them to share their own story. Part of three NCATA national championship teams with Acrobatics & Tumbling, battling through a shoulder injury this season, DayAndrea Thompson is a senior from Bolingbrook, Ill. Thompson is doing the Baylor film program in New York in the fall and will graduate in December with an undergrad degree in film & digital media:

My four years at Baylor have been one journey in life that I will never forget. The girl that walked into Baylor as a freshman is not the woman that is walking out of Baylor. Each year had its own story, meaning and lessons to be learned. Not all of it was easy, but nothing worth having in life comes easy, and my time at Baylor was worth it all. I am grateful for every person I met at Baylor, every failure, triumph and experience I had at Baylor. But most importantly, I am grateful to be a part of the Acrobatics & Tumbling team.

Being a part of this team has been completely different than any other team that I have been on. The Baylor University Acrobatics & Tumbling team was built on the foundation of Accountability, Integrity, Respect, Communication and Trust. These core values are what makes our team what it is today. Our coaches make sure that not only do we hold ourselves to a higher standard, but our teammates as well. This sets us apart, because not only do these high standards make our team stronger, but it makes us a family that looks out for each other. These last two years of being a part of this team, that family aspect has played a huge role. When the COVID-19 pandemic began in March 2020, I was devastated to get the news that our season would be over. My junior year was taken away from me in a blink of an eye and I wasn't going to get it back. The Acrobatics & Tumbling team had built so much that year, our acros were only getting better, and the team had found its groove. We were on our way to turning the corner that season. Having to go home to Chicago, Ill., I was completely lost. There were so many uncertainties in the air, I didn't know what to do or what to expect next.

As I enjoyed the time home with my family, when August came, I was ready to begin my senior year. Having to start off the year with COVID restricts was weird for all of us. We could only practice in four groups of 12 each day and only two or three days each week. Although this gave our coaches a chance to work more one-on-one with us during practice, as a group we weren't able to begin building that foundation of our team. Eventually, we were able to get into two big groups, then a little bit before Thanksgiving we were finally able to get into one big group. Things were quite weird, honestly. There were a few freshmen I hadn't really gotten the chance to get to know and bond with yet. With it being right before the break, that didn't leave me or anyone else much time, either. On Nov. 25, we had a few different injuries happen during our tumbling practice. One of my teammates hurt her knee, another tore her Achilles, and I dislocated my shoulder on a standing full, a skill that I had been throwing since I was 10 years old.

Day Thompson

Going into Christmas break with my shoulder injury, I was scared that I had really injured it and wasn't going to be able to finish my senior year. Not being able to compete was my worst nightmare. I knew that when we came back from break in January, I had to do whatever it took to make sure my shoulder was all right. I was a mid-layer for pyramids, and the pain that I felt in my arm doing the skills, I knew I had to get my shoulder stronger in order to keep going, so I talked with my trainer and began physical therapy. I would do it sometimes during practice to get in extra exercise. But, coming back from that long break due to COVID, I was a different athlete. Tumbling or acro wasn't as easy for me as it used to be in the past. I struggled with all my passes this year, it was hard trying to get them back. Having a shoulder injury on top of it wasn't any better. By mid-February, I had gotten close to being my old self, which was perfect timing, because it was also around the same time as our first meet of the season.

Day Thompson

At the time, the team was doing all right, but we still weren't united just yet. It seemed like almost every week, something new went wrong. Whether it was COVID-related or an injury, someone was always out. Coming in every week after a meet and having to rearrange things was hard. it felt like we could never find a sense of stability. Without that stability, it was really hard to find consistency with our skills. At this point, we were only focused on hitting our skills versus them being clean and executed well. By the time we got to our away meet against Oregon, there was still this sense of uncertainty within the team. We knew we had the talent, strength and mindset to beat them, but we didn't fully believe in each other. Even though we lost, that was actually a very fun meet. I got to see many different people step up into leadership roles in order to try to get the team on the right track.

When we got back to Waco, you would have thought the loss to Oregon would have lit a fire under us to get even better, but everyone was still questioning themselves, each other and even the coaches. It got to the point where the coaches had to sit us down and ask what we were scared of. To be honest, we were scared of the unknown, scared our season would end again, scared another person would get hurt, scared we weren't going to have what it takes to win. We were putting all of our eggs in one basket, but once that basket was empty, then what? We were looking for the next man up instead of just being the next man up. We didn't even notice that was what we were doing until it was pointed out to us. Once that talk was over, the team began to flourish. People were getting new skills left and right, our execution on skills got better and the team was becoming one. Everyone had become the next man up. Even I had begun to double pass in running tumbling as a senior. I had to throw eight whips in a matter of 30 seconds or so, but I wouldn't change that for the world.

Day Thompson

We had finally found our stability, and the foundation was falling into the place. When Oregon came for our Senior Night meet, it was a night to remember. Everything wasn't perfect, but we knew we could come out on top this time. Going home after that meet, it was nothing but confidence from everyone. We got to practice in the Ferrell Center almost every day up until the NCATA National Championship, which was something that we had not been able to do in the past. We were all excited, but the Sunday before the meet one of our top 24 players broke her ankle. If we were still the team we had been a few months ago, we would have given up. Instead, we decided to step up to the plate and do what we needed to do, even if it was out of our comfort zone.

Day Thompson

This national championship was no longer just for us, we decided to do this for all of our teammates that wouldn't get a chance to compete. We were no longer competing for ourselves but for each other. We knew the season had been rough, and we just wanted to know that all of our hard work was worth it in the end. Day One, going against Oregon for the third time this season in the semifinals, we were ready. Not once did we feel the pressure, we only applied it. Day Two, going against Azusa Pacific in the finals, we were eerily calm. We were able to look around the room and know that we trusted each other to hit our skills. Going out in the first event, in compulsory, it was solid and we were able to check that box off. Acro and pyramids were exactly the same. Eventually, the meet just became us checking off boxes. We were all going up to each other and just saying, "check," "check done," checked it off my list." We were just having fun and being present in the moment with our sisters. We knew if it was going to be our last one, it's got to be our best one. And it was just that – my last time being an athlete, my last time tumbling, but not my last time being a Lady Bear. I will always be one at heart. Baylor will forever be my home away from home.

Day Thompson