Kippettes

 It was the start of getting back to some normalcy. The Kippettes were back in our home gym of Kendrick Rec Center full time beginning in September 2021. Masks were still on but meets would once again be held in-person. 

None of the less, like most youth sports the Kippettes faced the challenge of getting back into good habits and routine. Gymnasts had to relearn how to juggle a busy schedule; completing homework & getting to practice, going from school then rushing to the gym, choosing whether to eat dinner in the car or when they got home at 8-9pm. It was a busy routine that pre-covid no one ever questioned. It was normal life. After 18 months of parents working remote, virtual school, decreased practice hours and a seemingly less competitive virtual experience. A demanding schedule felt anything but normal to gymnasts, coaches and parents. We had to get used to what once felt normal. 

In spite of the challenges, the Kippettes pulled through once again with another great season filled with wonderful memories, victorious moments, new experiences and lots to be proud of.

Two big 1st place wins for our Level 8s. Savs on vault with a 9.3 & Ameena on bars with a 8.875. They both also had 4th place wins. Savs on bars and Ameena on vault. They sure did start us off on a high note at the 2021 Liberty Cup.

Congrats to Platinum gymnast, Lainey who had some nice wins at the 2021 Liberty Cup. She shook her hips on floor all the way to a 9.1 and 6th place. she also took 6th on beam and 7th on vault.

For the Xcel Gold’s the 2021 Liberty Cup was their first BIG in-person meet of their gymnastics careers. They handled themselves with grace, dignity & humor. They didn’t let the nerves or mistakes at one event carry over to the next. Congrats on your wins girls.

Wow! Onna set that floor on fire receiving a 9.45 and a 1st place win. She also took 2nd on beam & vault with a 3rd AA. Anna proudly stood in 5th for vault and 3rd on bars, beam (9.0) & AA. Frances slid in 3rd on bars for a nice win. All our level 6s brought the heat to the 2021 Liberty Cup.

Last but certainly not least our Diamonds finished us out strong at the 2021 Liberty Cup. Another big 1st place win. This time by Jolie and on beam with a (9.05). Jolie also placed 3rd on vault (9.0). Kennedi killed it on floor with (9.25) taking 3rd, crushed her vault landing in 2nd (9.0) and 7th on bars. Leah proudly took 4th on beam and 6th on floor. Congrats to all our Diamond gals on a great meet.

 The Kendrick Kippettes had an explosive meet weekend starting us off were our Level 3 & 4s at their first meet of the season, Dalmatian Classic. Then, it was off to the Dutch Classic with our optional levels 6-8 & Xcel. The weekend was full of bling, 1st place finishers, great gymnastics, state qualifiers, mobility scores achieved, team work and a whole lot of success & smiles.

Our Level 8s & Diamonds set the floor on fire with Leah hitting a record high score of 9.55 taking 1st and Jolie coming in at a high score of 9.35. Ameena & Savs nailing their passes both received their highest scores of the season. Ameena 9.2 taking 1st and Savs 9.1 taking 2nd. Savs also took 3rd vault and 2nd AA. Leah also coming in 1st on beam 9.125 & AA. Jolie took 1st vault 9.0 and bars. 

Our level 6 & 7s achieved excellence at the Dutch Classic. Lauren had her best meet of the season with an incredible AA score of 36.375 landing her in 2nd place and finding herself on the podium across all events. Her sister Anna proudly took 2nd for UB, BB 9.275 and FX 9.3 but found herself in the top spot for AA 36.1. Jordin had her best vault of the season landing her in 3rd and a season high score on FX 9.05. Onna had a powerful vault 9.0 taking 3rd and a well deserved 9.3 on FX putting her in 2nd. 

A huge congratulations to our Xcel Golds on a job well done. Just coming back off a knee injury this week Alex was determined to compete and she did landing in 1st on BB and UB 3rd. Brooklyn had an incredible showing taking 2nd Beam,  4th FX and AA. It was Bella’s first meet of the season and she proudly landed in 4th on UB & BB. Hailee & Sabi crushed it playing switcheroo for the top spots on podium across all 4 events.

Our level 4s came in hot to their first meet of the season. Violet & Lilly T.’s presentation on floor was stunning both with a 9.3. Amazia & Ma’isa scored out & for States. Mia & Nyah both rose to the occasion of competing vault. Audrey executed her double handsprings. Genevieve, Nahla & Lily P. were powerhouses. 

For many of our level 3s it was not only their first meet of the season it was their first meet ever and they all shined with confidence and took home some bling. 

 The Kippettes touched down in Raleigh, NC in March 2022. We hit the road for our first of its kind ever destination meet! The Kippettes came ready to rumble but also looked forward to some team bonding time in the hotel pool, lounging areas, patio and eatry. Coaches, gymnasts and parents also came together like family at restaurants to eat at team dinners. You know what they say, “The best memories are made gathered around a table”. The level 3 & 4s families explored on a nature hike. While the Xcel teams and levels 6-8 hit Adventure Landing for some mini golf, go carts & battled it out under neon lights with lazer tag. Our oldest teammates felt the love when former teammate Nicole who attends college at the nearby University of Mount Olive came to watch them compete. It was a great weekend filled with fun, laughs, stories, friends, games and adventure. Oh and we came home with some bling. Congrats to our place finishers!

L8- Savs 2nd V 9.25

L8- Ameena 6th UB 9.0

L7- Lauren 7th V 9.0, 2nd BB 9.25

L6- Anna 6th BB 9.2

XD- Leah 7th V, 7th FX 9.25, 3rd BB 9.1

XG- Sabi 2nd FX 9.35

XG- Abby 5th V 9.2, 9th UB, 9th BB

L4- Amazia 7th V & 8 AA

L4- Ma’isa 7th V, 7th BB 9.05, 7th FX, 9th AA

L3- Josie 8th UB, 7th FX, 8th AA

We traveled to New Jersey this past weekend with our lower levels to compete. Our level 2 & 3s started us off with great performances. Congrats to level 2 gymnasts, Jaelyn for sweeping the top spot across all events. Summer who had a big win on bars taking 3rd. and Leah with hitting a 9.4 on floor taking 4th. Shout to level 3 gymnasts, Josie who also swept the top across all events. Julie who almost swept the top spot with the exception of beam which was swapped out by teammate Tessa. Overall it was a great session with lots of wins, smiles and improved scores. 

The Over the Rainbow meet in NJ had our level 4s over the moon. They crushed it putting up their best scores of the season. Ma’isa almost swept the top spot minus floor which was snagged by teammate Lily P. Audrey brought home a big 1st place win on bars hitting 9.15. Violet set the floor on fire receiving a 9.5 and 4th place. Overall all the girls had a great meet reaching individual goals, scoring out and bringing home some bling. 

The 2020-2021 was the most difficult, yet impactful season the Kippettes have endured so far. In March 2020, we went through our first of many COVID lockdowns. For over four months our gymnasts were home and away from the gym, but that did not stop their strides towards greatness. Multiple times a week, every week, our gymnasts and coaches logged onto zoom to do conditioning to keep their strengths and motivation up. Finally after four long months, we were cleared to return to practice in July, but not at our home gym of the Kendrick Recreation Center. Thankfully we were able to train at the Philadelphia Gymnastics Center (PGC) in Conshohocken, PA for 4 nights a week during the summer.

Due to the untimely lockdowns, and cut practice hours, most of our gymnasts had to transition into Xcel levels for this season. Our Xcel program trains less than our compulsory levels, and due to our cut hours it would not be fair for our girls to not be given proper training hours for their level. This was just another effect from the COVID lockdowns, but even this was not going to stop these gymnasts from having a successful season. We not only had 50% of the team transition into Xcel, we also brought on FIVE new gymnasts onto the team, as well as some returners from previous years!  Although we were unable to do our usual summer camp, had no expectations for the possible season ahead, or our home gym, our gymnasts came in ready and willing to do whatever they could to be back purely for the love of this sport and their team. As COVID shutdowns came and went, and protocols must be followed, the competition season for 2020-2021 looked pretty bleak. Thankfully, through technology, our staff, and our amazing gymnasts and parents we were able to pull off our very first virtual USAG gymnastics meet. 

2021 Kippettes Winter Blast 

Our very first virtual gymnastics meet, and our first meet of the 2021 season was the Kippettes Winter Blast. While there were some kinks throughout the night with the technology, they were easily fixed with our awesome volunteers. This meet was judged by our USAG judges however, these scores did not count towards anything, it served as a practice meet for the gymnasts' new levels. Program Director, Janette Mancini completed a 5 hour test in order to be certified in running virtual meets, then learn on how to run them, and finally teach the rest of the staff. She has done an amazing job all year with coming up with new tech ways to keep this program up and running successfully, we applaud you Janette! While this meets scores did not count, we were able to finally put together our levels and teams for the upcoming season: 

Level 2: Tessa

Level 3: Zara, Violet, Penelope, Lily, Mia, Olivia, Ma’isa, Stella, and Naya

Level 5: Onna, Isabella, Jordin, Ainsley, and Lainey (out on injury)   

Xcel Silver: Katie, Abby, Genevieve, Bella, Amazia, Hailee, Audrey, Lily, and Sahabiyyah 

Xcel Platinum: Frances, Anna, Jolie, Layla, and Kelsea

Xcel Diamond: Savannah, Ameena, Leah, Kenndi, Lauren, and Renee 

Our level 2/3s crushed their first in person meet of the season! Our littlest competitors walked away with all the bling from their medals, tiny but might they are! Level 2 Tessa earned 5th on beam with a 9.0. Level 3s Penelope earned 2nd Beam (8.9), 4th Floor (9.0), and 5 AA (34.4). Violet received 4th Vault (9.25) and 5th Bars. Mia slid in with a 5th place win on Beam (8.5). Zara shined on beam in 2nd (9.0) and 5th Floor (9.05). Ma’isa had an incredible beam performance earning a 9.4, winning her 1st place! Keep crushing it, Level 2/3s!

Our Level 5s fought for their spots on the podium! Onna surprised herself with wins on Vault (4th), Floor (3rd), and AA (4th). Ainsley killed it on beam with a 9.225 which landed her in 2nd place, and a 5th place win on floor. Jordin slid in just under the wire to secure a 5th place win on beam. Keep on fighting, Level 5s!

Our Silver Ladies represented the Kippettes proudly at their first in person meet! Our newcomers, Audrey, Lily, Hailee, and Abby pushed aside their first meet jitters and came in with strong performances across the board! Lily swept the podium in her age division, with 2nd Beam (9.325), 3rd Floor (9.125), 4th Bars (9.05) & 3rd AA (36.4). Abby slid in on Vault in 2nd place with a 9.15. Katie crushed her beam routine with a 1st place win of 9.375, 5th Floor (9.0), and 5th AA (35.9). Amazia swept the podium in her age division, with 1st Beam (9.2), 2nd Floor (9.1), 3rd Vault (8.9), and 4th AA (35.7). Audrey slid in and placed 2nd Beam (9.275). Bella came in just under the wire to secure a 5th place win on bars with an 8.875. Congratulations to Amazia, Katie, Hailee, and Bella for qualifying for Xcel states! You are killing it, Silver! 

Platinum gymnasts Anna and Layla, represented the Kippettes during this session and did an awesome job! This duo crushed the floor with their fun and dynamic routines! Anna secured 1st (9.45) with Layla coming in 2nd (9.3). Anna also proudly took 3rd AA! Diamond Gymnasts could not be tamed at this meet, they went home with some serious bling! Kennedi swept the podium taking 1st on Vault (8.725), Bars (8.8), Floor (9.35), and AA. Kennedi and Leah both tied for 3rd place on beam with a (8.575). Leah also came in 3rd Floor (9.2) and AA. Ameena stood tall in 1st Vault (8.7), 2nd Bars (9.075) and 3rd AA. Lauren earned 3rd Vault (8.625), Bars (8.95) & Floor (9.1), as well as 4th AA. These Kippettes graciously, courageously, and fiercely represented our team at our first in person meet of the season! 

Our Levels 3s were ecstatic to win a silver medal (2nd place) at the Keystone games in their last meet of the season! Violet came in hot and placed in every event, 2nd Vault (9.2), 3rd Bars, 1st Beam (9.45), 4 Floor, and 2nd AA. Penelope slid in with a 2nd place win on Floor, Olivia placed 4th on Beam. Zara placed 4th Vault (9.0), 5th Beam, 4th Floor, & 4th AA. Ma’isa placed 5th Vault, 2nd Beam (9.2), 3rd Floor (9.0), & 5 AA. Lilly proudly placed 3rd Bars and 5th Floor. Congratulations on a fantastic season Level 2/3s! 

Level 5s had some tough competition this meet but still walked away with some bling. Isabela placed 5th Vault & Beam, and 2nd Floor. Onna placed 4th Beam, 1st Floor (9.0), and 2nd AA. Ainsley placed 4th Bars, 3rd Beam & AA. 

Our Silvers brought home more team wins for the Kippettes, with a 3rd place team win! Genevieve placed 5th Vault (9.1) and 2nd Floor (9.2). Lily lived up to her SILVER team name with 2nd place on Vault, Bars, & Floor and 3rd AA. Amazia placed 3rd Vault, 6th Floor & AA. Audrey placed 5th Vault, 3rd Beam, and 2nd AA. Abby placed 4th Bars (9.1), 6th Beam, 3rd Floor, and 5th AA. Hailee placed 5th Bars (9.0) and 5th Beam. Huge congratulations to Genevieve for qualifying for Xcel states! 

Our Platinums added another 2nd place team win for the Kippettes! Jolie swept the podium with 3rd Vault, Bars, & Floor (9.175), and 4th Beam and AA (35.15). Kelsea placed 5th on Beam, and Layla placed 4th on Vault. Anna swept her age division with 3rd Vault, 1st Bars, 2nd Beam, Floor (9.25), & AA (35.925). Huge congratulations to Jolie for qualifying for Xcel states! 

ANOTHER 2ND PLACE WIN! These Diamond girls just can not stop shining! Savannah had her first meet back, post injury, and qualified for States and Regionals! Savs proudly placed 1st Vault (9.0), 2nd Bars (9.2), and 3rd AA (35.25). Lauren placed 2nd Vault & AA (35.65), 3rd Bars (9.0) & Floor (9.35), and 4th Beam. Ameena slid in with a 4th placed win on Floor with a 9.325. Leah placed 3rd Vault & Beam, and 4th Floor (9.25) & AA. Kennedi placed 2nd Vault, 3rd Bars, Floor (9.275), & AA, and 4th Beam.