There’s a Bruin Bubble forming in the Yates Gymnasium at John Wooden Center blocking the noise from outside. The gymnasts leapt and landed on the beam to the beat of the pop song “Fancy” by Iggy Azalea that echoed through the air.
Coach Valorie Kondos Field offered an explanation of the Bruin Bubble in details.
“Anything you do in life, you need to have a really strong idea of your belief. And anything from the outside that takes you away from that belief is just noise, “ Kondos Field said. “The noise needs to stay outside the Bruin Bubble.”
The UCLA women’s gymnastics team is scheduled to face Arizona Monday at 1 p.m. for its first home meet of the season at Pauley Pavilion.
The Bruins have historically dominated the meets between the two teams with an overall record of 64-10 against the No. 18 Wildcats. However, the quality of the opponent is not an issue discussed in preparation for the meet.
“We prefer not to concern ourselves with who we’re competing against,” said sophomore Mikaela Gerber. “We know we are up against Arizona, but what really matters is what we do, not what the other team does. So we stay in our Bruin Bubble and stay focused on ourselves and our teammates.”
Gymnastics, as Kondos Field sees it, is distinct from other traditional team sports in that concentration is not just a bonus, but a requirement.
“In gymnastics, there’s nobody to pass the ball to,” Kondos Field said. “If you lose concentration in a traditional team sports, you can pass the ball and get your head in the game. But you don’t have that luxury in gymnastics. Once you salute the judge, it’s just yourself.”
As the UCLA gymnasts drill through their routines over the span of a whole week between the two meets, the Arizona team only has two days of rest because they are holding a home meet Friday before setting off for Los Angeles. The Wildcats’ short period of recovery, according to Kondos Field, is far from providing the Bruins an advantage, but will rather work to the Wildcats’ continuous momentum.
“It’s just like when you make a mistake on an event, you know if you can go back out there right away and do another routine, you would kill it.” Kondos Field said.
Disregarding the opponent’s mental advantage, the Bruins have been training hard towards the first home meet of the season. For sophomore Christine Peng-Peng Lee, who had been redshirted for two years because of an injury, the meet on Monday will be her Pauley Pavilion debut.
“There’s just something electrifying at Pauley,” Lee said. “I’ve been watching my teammates competing there for the past two years, and now I just can’t wait to compete on home turf.”