Deaton, 17, will compete for USA's Junior National team
Jon Deaton, 17, of Longmeadow will compete for USA's Junior National team at a competition in China.LONGMEADOW – The combination of hard work, intelligence and love for the sport has Longmeadow’s Jon Deaton headed in the right direction in the world of gymnastics.
And the word ‘world’ is accurate.
Accompanied by his coach, Tim Daggett, Deaton will compete for the USA Junior National Team at an exhibition in Beijing against the top junior gymnasts from China.
“I love gymnastics and I’m really glad I get to do this,” said Deaton, 17, a senior at the Williston Northampton School.
“In the gymnastics world, it’s just about the greatest opportunity you can have outside of the World Championships or Olympics,” said Daggett, who coaches Deaton at Tim Daggett Gold Medal Gymnastics in Agawam. “The Chinese are, and have been for some time, the dominant team in the world.”
Deaton and Daggett leave Tuesday, and Deaton will compete Friday. The event, along with a one-day training session, will be held at China’s national training center, which houses the country’s senior team as well. Deaton and Daggett will have an opportunity to pick up pointers from China’s top gymnasts and coaches.
“This is a very big deal,” Daggett said.
This will be Deaton’s second international competition. The Stanford University-bound gymnast represented USA at an event last fall in England.
“It was a little different,” said Deaton, of competing overseas. “There’s a time change, a long plane flight, and some gymnasts who didn’t speak English. And the judges also did not speak English, which made a difference.
“This is really great. I’ve traveled to England before. That was my first international competition and this is my second. I’ll be halfway around the world and meeting athletes from China that I’ve never met before who are striving to do what I’m doing, which is trying to be the best gymnast I can be. I’m excited to meet them and see what China’s Junior team has in its arsenal.”
Daggett, who will serve as USA’s coach, said there’s a good reason why Deaton earned a spot on the national team for the fourth consecutive year.
“He’s a very good thinker,” Daggett said. “He obviously has a good head on his shoulders, going to Stanford. For most gymnasts, I would say you have to absolutely love it, and Jon absolutely loves gymnastics. A lot of kids love it, but he’s also willing to do whatever it takes.
“You put that together, and you can get what we like to say, ‘That’s when magic can happen’.”