The IU Gymnastics Club is more than just back handsprings and balance beams– it’s a home.

While most eyes are locked on IU’s varsity athletics, this club has become one of IU’s most competitively successful athletic organizations on campus. After two semesters of practice and growth, they recently wrapped up their biggest competiton of the season: the National Association of Intercollegiate Gymnastics Clubs (NAIGC) Nationals, held in Philadelphia from April 2-5.

The team went into nationals with high hopes, and left with medals, with their women’s silver team winning a first place title in their division, and several other members of the club placing on individual events.

Last year, the IUGC women’s platinum team placed first in their division, proving that the team could compete with the best.

Winning isn’t everything for the IUGC. Ask anyone on the team what they’re most proud of, and they won’t tell you medals or banners- they’ll say each other.

“We’re just like a family,” IUGC Vice President Grace Bartley said. “We get along like a family, we fight like a family. We definitely do a lot of silly things.”

That familial bond is part of what makes being in the IUGC so fun.

The IU Gymnastics Club is open to everyone, regardless of experience level. The team includes lifelong gymnasts, former high school competitors, and even members who taught themselves cartwheels in their backyard. It’s an inclusive environment where newcomers are embraced.

The club is divided into multiple levels of skill and experience: Women’s Developmental, Silver, Platinum, and Diamond. The men’s team, which is smaller in size, trains and competes together without divisions.

Though the team does compete, members are able to choose whether or not they go to meets. So, practices are typically laid back. Team captain Samantha Smith says her training regimen focuses more on progress and positivity than perfection.

“We’ve been doing a lot of routines after routines,” Smith said. “And a lot of team-building stuff. We’re really working on cheering each other on during practice, and just making sure we’re adding in extra stretching and conditioning.”

Because of the supportive atmosphere, the club can be a refuge for students wanting to continue their gymnastics careers, build friendships, or just stay in shape.

The nationals trip itself was about more than scores. And while the women’s silver team earned the top spot on the podium, the whole team came home with something to be proud of.

“This team means everything to me,” Bartley said. “This is the first thing that I did whenever I got to school, was join this club. So, it has just been my favorite home and favorite place to go to at the end of a long day.