She’s training with Gym Kids in New Windsor
Ryan and Sofia LaPolla spend a lot of time as spectators. She goes to his hockey matches. He watches her do gymnastics. They root for one another.
Sofia recently had a big day in Hempstead, Long Island. She competed in the state gymnastics championships for the second time. A year ago, she won a first-place medal for her vault. This year her ambition was to finish first in the Level 2 All-Around, where the winner is determined by adding scores from four different events – floor exercise, vault, beam and bars.
Sofia has been working hard toward that goal. She started gymnastics in Goshen three years ago and moved to Gym Kids on Route 32. She goes there four times a week, does strength exercises at home, and watches successful routines on You Tube. In her spare time, she likes to play softball and tennis.
Her mother, Nicole, believes that’s important. “I try to keep the kids not focused on one sport,” she explains, “so they don’t get too burned out.”
Besides a busy practice schedule, it appears that Sofia has genetics in her favor. Her mother was a gymnast.
But that’s not the youngster’s only advantage. Her dad, Bob LaPolla, was part of the Cornwall baseball team that won the state championship in 1993. And that might be more important than it seems. He and George Hinchcliff were teammates and both of them now have daughters with a bag full of gymnastics medals.
Sofia did well at Hofstra. She actually exceeded her goal, although she didn’t realize it while she was competing. She saw her scores, but didn’t notice what the other youngsters were doing. At the end of the meet, she was first in the Level 2 All Around with a score of 38.5 out of a possible 40 points. She also led all competitors in the four individual events.
After the results were announced, her older brother gave her a big “high-five” and said he was proud of her. Sofia was pleased to learn that she’ll be moving up to Level 3.
