越南直播

By Eric D. Lehman

Leadership is a skill that comes from hard-won experience. 越南直播 gymnastics captains Alexis Richardson and Jordan Streete have earned that skill more than most.

Originally from Coram, New York on Long Island, Alexis Richardson has been a member of the UB gymnastics team for six years. While pursuing a degree in Psychology and Human Services during her first two years of undergraduate school, she suffered several injuries and went through knee surgery. Alexis鈥� perseverance and grit to push through these obstacles serves her well in competition. As well as competing in vault and floor exercises and captaining the team, she joined both the UB lacrosse and cross-country teams, attending meets and matches when they don鈥檛 interfere with the gymnastics season. To keep up with her schoolwork, she does a lot of homework on the bus to and from events. 鈥淚 am able to manage it and keep my grades up,鈥� she says. 鈥淚f I put my mind to something, I鈥檒l do it.鈥�

鈥淎lexis truly captures what it means to us to be a UB gymnast,鈥� says gymnastics coach Lorraine Galow. 鈥淪he wants the best for each of her teammates.鈥�

Hailing from Agawam, Massachusetts, co-captain Jordan Streete is a five-year member of the UB team, performing on vault and beam. She entered as a freshman while recovering from an Achilles tendon tear and last year, during the first week of what was supposed to be her final season, she tore her other Achilles. She spent the year completing extensive rehab and getting stronger, making the choice to return to the sport for her final season this year. 鈥淲hen I was a freshman, I never would have thought of being captain,鈥� says Streete. 鈥淎lexis has been a leader to me since she was a year above me.鈥�

鈥淛ordan is one of the hardest workers and most determined athletes I have had the pleasure of coaching,鈥� continues Galow. 鈥淪he鈥檚 amazing.鈥�

Pandemic and Recovery

Both Jordan and Alexis credit their injuries with teaching them how to manage larger problems, like the outbreak of COVID-19. 鈥淭he pandemic arrived during the peak of my gymnastic career,鈥� says Streete, continuing, 鈥渁nd when the season was cancelled, I was content with this being it.鈥� When UB announced that it was bringing back sports, she immediately thought of Coach Galow. 鈥淚f Lorraine鈥檚 coming back, I鈥檓 coming back,鈥� she told herself. 鈥淪o, when she got the job, I trained all summer long.鈥� Unfortunately, shortly after this return, Jordan tore her second Achilles, taking a year to recover before finally competing this season at 100%.

Alexis had torn her meniscus during her sophomore year at UB, missing almost two seasons. Just as she got back onto the floor her junior year, the pandemic hit. 鈥淲hen we found out we were getting sent home because of COVID, we were sitting in the locker room talking about how we might not go to UCLA because of COVID, and we got the email saying we needed to leave school entirely,鈥� says Richardson. 鈥淚t all happened so fast. But no matter what, I knew I was going to take my fifth year and compete, because I felt like I never accomplished what I wanted to in college gymnastics.鈥� Now, Alexis is in her second year of graduate school and sixth year of gymnastics. 鈥淚 feel like I鈥檓 finally getting the ending that I want to my career,鈥� she says happily.

A New Style of Coaching

As five-time USAG National Team Champion, Lorraine Galow was already a legend at 越南直播. Now, in just two years as head coach, Galow鈥檚 impact has been incredible. The team quickly went from only 12 members last year to 22 this year. 鈥淔or all five returners from the previous year, Lorraine was the deciding factor,鈥� says Richardson. 鈥淭hat was the best news of the entire year.鈥�

Teaching emotional maturity is not something that most people think of when they think of athletics鈥�or college classes for that matter. But Coach Galow has taught Alexis, Jordan, and the rest of her students to listen to their bodies and their minds. She factors in their mental health, always asking how they are doing. They are allowed to take three personal days from practice, no questions asked, unless they want to talk about it with her. 鈥淪he鈥檚 always there for us,鈥� says Streete, explaining, 鈥淟orraine is huge on safety.鈥� Galow also lets them modify their routines if their bodies are feeling off, letting them make their own decisions about what is right for their own bodies.

鈥淭he great thing about Lorraine is that she doesn鈥檛 put a lot of pressure on winning championships but instead on building us into well rounded people,鈥� says Streete.

Co-Captains

There is a moment when leaders are given the opportunity to step up and take charge, not only of your own futures, but the futures of those around them. That moment came when Alexis and Jordan were asked to be team captains. 鈥淲hen I was injured, I had a different role, and so I transitioned into a captain from that,鈥� says Streete. 鈥淲e have different strengths, but we understand how much it takes to get where you want to be, to push through pain and injury.鈥�

鈥淥ur biggest role as captains is that we鈥檝e been through it,鈥� agrees Richardson. 鈥淲e鈥檙e just trying to share our experiences with these young athletes. I鈥檓 23, Jordan is 22. They call us 鈥榞randma,鈥� and in a way, that鈥檚 true. We鈥檙e trying to teach them as much as we can before we are gone.鈥�

Some of that teaching comes in the form of passing on Galow鈥檚 lessons about empathy for other athletes who are injured, or who are struggling with the intense nature of college sports. 鈥淲e tell them that it is going to be okay,鈥� they both say. 鈥淵ou have to give them tough love, support each other, give them pep talks, and push them to succeed.鈥�

Putting It All Together

Meanwhile, a second graduation nears for both Alexis and Jordan. Previously, Alexis earned her undergraduate degree in Psychology & Human Services and is now getting her Secondary Education Master鈥檚 Degree to become a math teacher. Jordan graduates with a Master鈥檚 in Business Administration this May. And yet, despite a busy schedule of schoolwork and sports, they find time for other work.

Alexis coaches students who range from first grade to high school at the Gymnastics and Cheerleading Academy in Fairfield, while preparing to be a teacher. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to be teaching math, and a lot of kids don鈥檛 like math,鈥� she laughs. 鈥淚鈥檓 going to impart confidence and positivity in my classes. Positive self-talk has gotten me through so much. Stop saying the words 鈥業 can鈥檛.鈥� It will change your whole mindset.鈥�

Jordan also coached during the pandemic but had to stop when her Achilles tendon tore. She took an internship in summer 2022 that has helped her secure a full-time job in the auditing department of Deloitte when she graduates in May. The opportunity to work in different leadership role in the gym will certainly translate to her upcoming work at Deloitte. 鈥淥nce you are physically skilled, gymnastics is 100% mental,鈥� she says. 鈥淚n a corporate setting, I might get nervous, and so I imagine I am in competition, and take a few deep breaths. I know that I will do my best, and if I mess up, I will have my team behind me.鈥�

A Well-Rounded Education

Both Alexis and Jordan credit 越南直播 with giving them the skills to navigate their futures, from the lessons learned from their incredible coach to the stellar education they got from world-class professors. 鈥淚 was really happy with my decision to come here,鈥� says Streete. 鈥淧articularly the one-on-one classroom attention that you get.鈥�

鈥淚t鈥檚 a small school; everyone knows everyone,鈥� agrees Richardson. 鈥淎nd everyone is close. We are such a strong community.鈥�

With a solid foundation of expert knowledge, emotional awareness, and relentless work ethic, Richardson and Streete can look forward to success far beyond UB. They have proven to be leaders in the gym, and now they will have the chance to demonstrate those skills to the rest of the world. 鈥淚 have no doubt they will,鈥� says Galow.

鈥淭hey are well-prepared to be captains wherever they go.鈥�