Only 8 percent of Louisiana households reported speaking a language other than English, according to the 2011 Statistical Abstract from the U.S. Census Bureau.
But on the LSU gymnastics team, more than 21 percent is bilingual.
Three of the Tigers’ 14 gymnasts can speak both English and Spanish.
Sophomores Ericka and Janelle Garcia and freshman Sidney Sanabria-Robles all grew up in Spanish-speaking homes and learned Spanish as a first language.
Ericka faced the biggest challenge of the three in mastering the English language.
The Mexico City native began developing her English less than a year before heading to Baton Rouge. While she faced numerous obstacles in learning the language, she never felt alienated from her teammates.
“It was pretty tough [to learn English],” Ericka said. “But I was really encouraged coming here, and I really wanted to go to college in the United States and do gymnastics. Everyone here has been like a family to me.”
LSU coach D-D Breaux had to overcome some hurdles of her own in coaching Ericka in the early going.
All her teammates got in on the act of playing English teacher, as well, helping Ericka translate when she wasn’t sure what word to use and even giving her a “word of the day” along with its definition.
The most memorable from the daily word collection for Ericka was “pansy,” a word she has now worked into her everyday vernacular.
“Whenever we would have practice and we were tired, she would joke around and tell us, ‘Hey, you’re being a pansy,'” Sanabria-Robles said.
The biggest aide in Ericka’s learning was Janelle, who translated for Ericka in many situations during their freshman year.
“We would be in restaurants ,and I would order for her, and people would look at me like, ‘Why are you ordering for her?'” Janelle said.
Janelle was raised in truly bilingual surroundings. She grew up in Miami, the daughter of two Cuban immigrants who spoke exclusively Spanish in their home.
But from her early childhood, Janelle was exposed to an English-only school environment.
“I began learning English in preschool, and then from preschool on, I spoke only English in school,” Janelle said.
Sanabria-Robles — who grew up in Caguas, Puerto Rico — learned English in a similar fashion.
She spoke Spanish at home but English in school. Her father was in the military, so her family moved on a regular basis.
Despite the moves, she was able to stay in English-speaking schools to develop her second language but never abandoned her native Spanish.
“Since we knew everyone spoke Spanish, we would only speak English to the teachers if you were going to answer something,” Sanabria-Robles said. “Everything else we said in Spanish.”
All three of LSU’s bilingual gymnasts have found refuge in each other’s ability to speak their native language, and the common ground has developed their friendship deeper than they ever imagined.
“If one of us can’t find a word for something, we help each other out,” Janelle said. “But beyond that, we have a very special bond with each other.”
 
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Contact Rob Landry at
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