Last month, the Long Beach High School Girls Varsity Gymnastics team did more than practice flips and
tumbling skills. Under the leadership of Captain Dakato Ejnes, the team (expected to be a top-performing team in the county) wanted to be more than just great gymnasts. Ejnes wanted them to leave a legacy in 2016, her senior year. She sent a letter at the beginning of the season to her teammates that talked about this goal. “I would like to end my year leaving something behind—not a trophy or a school record (though those are wonderful things to achieve),” wrote Ejnes. “But I’d like to leave the future team with a sense of pride, especially in their own community. I’d like our team to be one that we’re all proud of. I want our team to help make other’s lives just a little bit better.”
To do that Ejnes discovered a family in need this past holiday season, and the girls on the team and their parents went out to purchase gifts and held a wrapping/pasta party. The Long Beach High School Girls Varsity Gymnastics team has a deep roster and “looks to be one of the best performance teams we have ever had,” says Coach Meurhead, but “they also seem to be the most impactful.”
Source: Long Beach High School Girls Varsity Gymnastics team.
