11:00 PM EST on Wednesday, March 15, 2006

Frank the moderator: Tonight at 8 p.m. Senior Ali Fogarty, who was crowned this year's state all-around champion, once again helped guide La Salle to the Division I state team gymnastics title this season. The Rams claimed at least two of the top five spots in each of the four events, en route to securing their fourth consecutive championship. Fogarty, along with fellow gymnasts Meghan Fogarty (a freshman and also Ali's sister) and junior Kerri Estrella, will share their thoughts on La Salle's memorable season. Journal sports writer Carolyn Thornton hosts the chat.

hsfan1: Hi, guys. How does it feel to win a team championship in such an individual sport as gymnastics?
La Salle gymnasts: Well, the sport of gymnastics really has two aspects - the team and the individual. High School Gymnastics actually tends to focus more on the team aspect so it's great to achieve such success in this area. While winning individual titles is great, it's really important and fun to win titles as a unified team.

chargercheer: What advice would you give youngsters interested in pursuing gymnastics as an athletic activity? What's a good way to learn? What are the benefits? Why should they do it? And can anyone do it?
La Salle gymnasts: All: Our advice would be to never give up. Also, don't judge your successes on wins and losses but rather on how well you did personally. It's important to set individual goals for yourself as a gymnast and to be happy in achieving these goals. Simply enrolling in classes at any gym would be a great way to get a taste of gymnastics. Gymnastics not only teaches physical skills, it teaches discipline and is a great way to meet friends. To do gymnastics, it's important to have a passion for the sport and the will to devote your time and energy. A large part of this sport is making the commitment and effort. Anybody can do gymnastics as long as they have the desire and the motivation.

chargercheer: What can you do with gymnastics as a sport or activity after high school/college is over? Does it help you perform better in other individual sports? Do you have careers in mind where this experience will help?
La Salle gymnasts: All: Gymnastics really prepares you for other sports because it conditions you and adds to your athleticism. It teaches you a lot of discipline and confidence which not only helps with other sports, but will help us in all of our future endeavors. Meg: I've actaully branched out into other sports such as lacrosse, and gymnastics has definitely helped to train and prepare me. My older sister, Amanda, has actaully taken her gymanstics experience to join a dance team in college. All: Gymnastics has given us the opportunity to coach, which could be a possible career for the future.

Carolyn Thornton: Ali and Meghan, I understand your older sister Amanda was a three-time All-Around champion when she competed at La Salle. Do either of you feel added pressure, considering how well she has done? And if so, what has helped you to deal with that pressure?
La Salle gymnasts: Ali: I certainly used all of Amanda's accomplishments to help myself set goals, however, my goal was never to achieve all that Amanda has. I personalized my own goals and during my high school career I worked to achieve these goals. Rather than feeling pressure, I used her achievments as goals or things to look towards. Meg: I don't feel pressure, but rather, I use her as a motivation. I look at her accomplishments and hope to someday achieve my own success.

Carolyn Thornton: Kerri, I understand you will be the only senior next year, which will mean added responsibility as the leader of the team. Have you already been preparing yourself for that?
La Salle gymnasts: Kerri: I have been preparing myself this year by aiding Ali in leading the team. I've been on the team for 3 years and have watched other leaders succesfully lead the team. The past captains have set an example for me to follow so I have more confidence going into the leadership position. Even though it will be my responsibility to lead the team, we have a very cooperative and unified group, and I know I will get contributions from the younger members.

Alisthebest: Hi All! This one is for Ali- how does it feel to be leaving La Salle gymnastics considering all you have accomplished? Are you happy? Sad? Thanks! Congrats on winning States, you were amazing! -Jack
La Salle gymnasts: Hey Jack! It's really sad for me to be leaving the team, especially since I was a part of the first ever LSA team. However, I'm confident that the team will continue to meet with success in my absence. I know that I'll be back to watch them often, and will get frequent updates from my little sister, so it's comforting to know that I'll still be involved in some way.

Carolyn Thornton: So tell us a little more about winning the state championship. Coming into the season, how confident were you that the team could win a fourth consecutive title? Who proved to be your toughest competition during the season?
La Salle gymnasts: All: Winning state's is always an amazing feeling. Coming into the season undefeated, there was certainly a little pressure to continue the streak. Most of the team was new this year, so it was questionable how we would function as a team and how our talent would compare to other teams. However, the group clicked and we proved to have more talent than ever, helping to boost our confidence during the season. This year, we came fairly close with Barrington, so we'd have to say that they were our biggest competition. However, both N.K. and Coventry had great teams and showed a lot of talent. Overall, we had a lot of confidence that we could keep our streak because our team was extremely talented and we worked hard all season.

chargercheer: To all: Have any of you had any injuries during your gymnastics careers? What do you especially try to do to take care of yourselves? Do you have to watch your weight a lot? Is that a big issue for some gymnasts?
La Salle gymnasts: Kerri: I've had an ankle problem in the past and it was hard to cope with because it was a recurring injury. While it wasn't serious, it still needed to be taken care of. All: When we have injuries of any kind, it's important to ice a lot and to see a doctor if it seems serious. Even though we have been fortunate enough to avoid injuries, many gymnasts aren't so lucky. They need to work extra hard to get back into the sport once they are healed. One of our team members, Alana, came into the season on an injury and it was very difficult for her to get back into it. It takes a lot of support and determination, and she came back strong for us. Weight has never been an issue for anyone we know, but it is important to stay fit and healthy to maximize your gymnastics potential. I think that weight issues tend to play a bigger role at higher levels and in more competitive arenas.

Carolyn Thornton: What would you say is the biggest misconception about gymnastics?
La Salle gymnasts: All: We all agree that one of the biggest misconceptions is that gymnastics is not a sport. It takes a huge amount of athleticism and talent on four completely different events. A lot of time and effort (and conditioning) goes into this sport - it's not something that most people can simply pick up later in life. It can sometimes be difficult to not be recognized for how much effort, time, and skill that this sport requires.

Alisthebest: I was wondering how La Salle's team dynamic evolves. Is there a strong team component that develops in the team between the individuals, or is it more of an individual sport? If a team dynamic does evolve, what is the driving force behind that? Is there one person that every member of the team looks to? Does age/experience have a large factor in that leadership determination?
La Salle gymnasts: All: Absolutely everyone on this team is extremely talented, and the team is incredibly young. We (Kerri and Ali) are the only two upperclassmen on the team, which assures us that the team legacy will carry on. Seniors or upperclassmen usually take the leadership role and are looked to, to set an example for the rest of the team. Ali: I've been on the team since its first year, and I have to say that this team has been my favorite. As a group, we worked amazingly well together. We are a very tight-knit group and we all support each other to the fullest extent.

Carolyn Thornton: How old would you suggest that a child needs to be before they begin taking gymnastics?
La Salle gymnasts: All: Any age past two is a great time to enroll in gymnastics. I (Ali), began at age 3, Meghan started at 2, and Kerri started at age 8. People have found success beginning as toddlers as well as starting at age 10. It is more difficult to start at a later age; however, it can be done with a lot of natural talent. An example of that is a teammate, Allie Skoly, who began at age 10 and is now a level ten gymnast as a sophomore. She is the only level 10 gymnast on the team, proving that with natural talent, passion, and hard work, starting at any age can result in success.

chargercheer: Meghan and Ali: What's it like to be gymnasts on the same team? Do you compete against each other? Meghan, do you feel pressure to do as well as Ali?
La Salle gymnasts: Ali: Personally, I absolutely love having a sister on the team. Even though I'm older, she always supports me and I can talk to her about any gymnastics issues I'm having. I never feel the need to compete with her and I always hope that she does her best. When my older sister, Amanda, graduated, it was a big comfort for me knowing that another sister would be joining me. Meghan: For me, it was a comfort knowing that I wasn't going onto the team alone. Ali and Amanda have been great role models for me and I really look up to them. I never try to compete with Ali or feel pressure to do as well as her; instead, I just try to do my personal best.

LSAwhatt: Do you guys have any superstitions or rituals that you carry out before each competition? If so, what are they?
La Salle gymnasts: All: We do have some team rituals that we implemented this year to help establish unity among the team. For example, in all of our beam routines, we do the hand motion that means "beautiful" in sign language. We also have a team cheer (LSA...WHAT?) that we do before every competition. It helps us to get exctied and motivated.

lorifog12: For Ali and Kerri: Do you feel the level of competition has increased since you were freshmen? Do you feel high school gymnastics should be open to all competitors or just limited to girls who do not compete in club gymnastics?
La Salle gymnasts: Ali and Kerri: Yes, we feel that the level of competition has increased since we started the team. More competitve gymnasts are seen in the h.s. arena each year, making h.s. gymnastics more exciting than ever. We feel that the door has been opened to club gymnasts and should not be limited to non-club gymnasts. We certainly feel that h.s. gymnastics should be open to everyone just as all other sports permit any type of athlete to be involved.

Carolyn Thornton: Congratulations are also in order for your performance at the New England Championships last weekend where you finished second. Is that the best finish for your team at that meet? Going in, did you expect to do that well?
La Salle gymnasts: All: Thanks! As a team we were hoping to podium at New Englands and we were extremely happy with our second place finish. Due to the competition we observed last year, we were expecting second at best, and were just happy to be a part of the competition. Our best finish at New Englands was actaully first place in 2003 (the first year that LSA had a team), and have since placed 3rd, 2nd, and 2nd respectively.

Carolyn Thornton: What gymnastics clubs do each of you belong to? Do all high school gymnasts also belong to an outside club?
La Salle gymnasts: Ali: No, all high school gymnasts do not belong to an outside club. Club gymnasts have only recently begun getting heavily involved in the h.s. arena, which we think is great for the overall progress of high school gymnastics. Both Meghan and I go to Ocean State School of Gymnastics. Kerri attended East Bay up until the start of the season when she made the decision to compete only for high school gymnastics. Other members of our team belong to Aim High Academy and Rita Beaulieu Dance & Gymnastics Center.

Carolyn Thornton: Well, it looks like our time's up. Girls, we'd like to thank you for taking the time out of our busy schedules to participate in tonight's chat. Congratulations again on another great season! La Salle gymnasts: All: Thanks so much for having us! We had a great season and much success and enjoyed sharing the highlights with you! We appreciate you acknowledging our success and asking us to come down! We had a lot of fun!