University of Georgia Athletics
A Quick Chat With ... Rachel Schick
March 10, 2017 | Gymnastics
<b>By <a href="https://twitter.com/FriersonFiles" target="_blank">John Frierson </a> <br>UGAAA Staff Writer</b>
Rachel Schick is finishing strong. The senior posted a meet- and season-best 9.925 on bars last week against Alabama and she'll compete at Stegeman Coliseum for the last time Saturday when the seventh-ranked Gymdogs host No. 5 Utah.
A 5-foot-1 native of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., a picturesque Los Angeles suburb at the foothills of the San Gabriel Mountains, Schick sat down this week for a quick chat about her hometown, Guitar Hero, playing around a bit at practice and much, much more.
Here's some of what she had to say:
Frierson: Who's the most interesting person on the team?
Schick: I'm going to say Morgan [Reynolds], but there are a couple of people that come to mind when I think about most interesting or unique. Since I've been with Morgan the past four years, I just know her like the back of my hand.
She is just a goof — I guess that's a good word to describe her — and she just brightens your day when you talk with her. She always has something positive to say or funny to say; you just kind of know when you're around Mo that you're going to feel happy.
Frierson: That may be the nicest thing you can say about someone. ... What's something from your childhood that you really miss?
Schick: You know what, Guitar Hero. I loved Guitar Hero when I was younger. I don't know if I got tendonitis from it but I played it so much before practice that I would come into practice and my forearms would be sore from playing Guitar Hero. They would be so sore that I couldn't do a bar routine.
My coach used to get ticked off at me and he actually banned me for two weeks from playing Guitar Hero, because I would come in the gym already sore.
Frierson: What was your song?
Schick: Actually, "Barracuda" was my song. It was an old song but me and my sister used to love that one. Multiple times I played it and got 100 percent on it, so I think that's why it was my favorite one.
Frierson: You're from Rancho Cucamonga, which is among the most enjoyable names to say in the country. What can you tell me about your hometown?
Schick: It's at the foothills of a mountain, palm trees everywhere, it's beautiful; it feels small townish, but also has a decent population, and the houses are gorgeous.
I would describe it kind of like a movie, where it's a typical very nice place and this family walks outside on a bright sunny day and everything just looks beautiful. The grass is cut, the birds are chirping, there's nice brick buildings or brick walls around the houses — it's just very elegant and classy, and kind of a feel-good environment.
Frierson: It sounds like a wonderful place to grow up.
Schick: It is and I feel very blessed. Actually, backtracking to your previous question about what I miss from my childhood, it kind of would be that feel of home, of freshness. ... Just beautiful blue skies and palm trees. Everything was just very fresh and beautiful, and I actually didn't really realize it until I left for Georgia and college and then came back.
I was on a hike with my mom, just chatting, and I actually took a moment and looked up and was like, I never realized how pretty my hometown is until right now.
Frierson: What are the best and worst things about being 5-foot-1?
Schick: The best thing that comes to mind would be that I get to wear heels whenever I want — I don't have to worry about that. I love fashion, so if I get a chance to dress up I'm going to be wearing wedges or I'm going to be in heels.
The worst thing would probably be that you get the comments about being short — that's probably the worst thing. I don't really think it's that bad being short, until someone says, ha-ha, you're short.
Frierson: I've talked to basketball players about the difficulties of being 6-7 or something like that and a lot of times they talk about things like beds or air travel. You don't have to worry about those things.
Schick: I never have to worry about my feet hanging off the bed.
Frierson: What's the one thing that you could eat every single day?
Schick: Ice cream or chocolate. Dark chocolate, to be exact. ... I'm a chocolate fanatic and the way to win my heart is through chocolate.
Frierson: If you could spend an afternoon with Coach Durante doing anything away from gymnastics, what would it be?
Schick: Probably something outdoorsy or something that involves rock climbing or hiking. Or to go to the other extreme, just going into a cafe and sitting down to have a cup of coffee and enjoying each other's company.
Frierson: At basketball practice, the players sometimes goof around by shooting half-court shots and things like that. What's the gymnastics equivalent of just playing around at practice?
Schick: Honestly, sometimes we'll go over to the tramp or the tumble track and we'll do crazy skills, like a double back with a full twist. And we'll all just feed off each other, like if someone does a double front with full twist then we'll go, well I'm going to do a double front with a double twist.
Frierson: I would imagine it's pretty healthy to get in there and just play every once in a while.
Schick: Definitely, because as a young girl that's what you did in gymnastics, when you started gymnastics. You weren't good and you just good around — you walked on the beam, went on high toes, or went in the pit and threw blocks at each other. So when we do fun things like that now, it brings back the childhood experience of when you fell in love with the sport.
(This Q&A was lightly edited for length and clarity.)
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<strong>John Frierson is the staff writer for the UGA Athletic Association and curator of the ITA Men's Tennis Hall of Fame. You can find his work at: <a href="http://www.georgiadogs.com/ot/frierson-files.html" target="_blank">Frierson Files</a>. He's also on Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/FriersonFiles" target="_blank">@FriersonFiles</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/ITAHallofFame" target="_blank">@ITAHallofFame</a>. </strong>
Players Mentioned
