Alabama Gymnastics Prepares to Celebrate 20th Annual Power of Pink Meet

The Crimson Tide is looking to build on the momentum of its best score of the season on a historic night inside Coleman Coliseum against Georgia.

TUSCALOOSA, Ala. — Everyone has been impacted by it, whether directly, or indirectly through a family member, friend, neighbor, acquaintance or co-worker. The effects of a breast cancer diagnosis have touched nearly everyone. And that's why for now 20 years, the Power of Pink has been celebrated within Alabama gymnastics and throughout the country.

It all started with Sarah Patterson at Alabama two decades ago inside Coleman Coliseum with the first ever pink meet to raise awareness and support for breast cancer in 2005. That initial meet inspired teams and programs all over the country to post pink meets and games in multiple sports.

"The 'Power of Pink' means so much to me and helped me fulfill my career dream by using my platform as a head coach at the University of Alabama to help make a difference in the lives of women in our community," Patterson told BamaCentral. "Everyone jumped on board and helped support this initiative because we all know someone who has been affected by breast cancer."

Alabama assistant coach Justin Spring was a member of the U.S. Olympic team in Beijing in 2008, winning a bronze medal and spent 12 seasons as the head coach of Illinois men's gymnastics before joining the Crimson Tide coaching staff as an assistant to Ashley Johnston when she took over the program in 2023. 

Spring quickly learned about the importance of the Power of Pink meet, and his first stop in Tuscaloosa was to the Pattersons' house. 

"My whole time here has been a learning lesson in a lot of ways and understanding the rivalry and how deep the Georgia Alabama rivalry goes in specifically gymnastics," Spring said. "But also that this was the original pink movement under Sarah Patterson, and it is mind-blowing how much of a trailblazer Sarah was.

"It was such an important movement because of how prominent it was around the country and getting people to get in and get tested early and how influential that preventative tactic is, and that’s what it’s about. It has genuinely and literally saved lives. It’s such a big movement, and Sarah was the brainchild behind all of that, and we’re so proud to continue to honor her in that way, and hopefully help people get checked and save lives."

This meet has special meaning for members of the current Crimson Tide gymnastics squad as No. 10 Alabama hosts No. 18 Georgia for the 2024 Power of Pink meet on Friday night. Gabby Gladieux and Makarri Doggette have personal ties to the cause with Gladieux's mom and Doggette's grandmother being breast cancer survivors. 

"This is our chance to use our platform and advocate for survivors and people that are continuing to fight breast cancer," Gladieux said earlier this week. "This meet hits close to home for me and my family because my mom is a breast cancer survivor. So just being able to go out and compete for them, it’s a privilege." 

Not only will the team walk out on the mat with breast cancer survivors during introductions on Friday, but the Alabama gymnasts had the opportunity to show support and encouragement to those currently battling cancer Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center in Tuscaloosa on Valentine's Day. 

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫, 𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐤. 💓

Prior to our 20th annual Power of Pink meet, we visited the Lewis and Faye Manderson Cancer Center at @dchsystem and handed out Valentine’s Day cards to the patients and staff.

Join us Friday… pic.twitter.com/kZQcsBwKvO

— Alabama Gymnastics (@BamaGymnastics) February 22, 2024

The team passed out Valentine's cards and spent time getting to talk the patients. One of the coolest parts was that a lot of those patients were big Alabama gymnastics fans.

"There were a lot of season ticket holders in there," Doggette said. "But we just sat with them and gave them Valentine’s and just let them tell us their stories. It was super fun."

Gymnastically, the meet couldn't be coming at a better time for the Crimson Tide. The team just posted its best score of the season on a quad meet win on Monday with a 197.675. Johnston said the staff strategically designed the schedule to have this week set up with a quick turnaround similar to what they will face in the postseason. 

Alabama set a new season high on floor in the quad meet and proved why it is one of the best bars teams in the country by tying the season high on the uneven bars with a 49.600. After two of its worst meets in a row in the preceding weeks, Monday was just what Alabama needed. 

"I think at the quad meet, we just wanted to let loose and do what we know how to do," Doggette said. "It was our time to show what we’re capable of, and I think we did that and had a lot of fun doing it. It just gave us a lot of confidence going into this Friday against Georgia, who’s also a great team.”

When the Crimson Tide takes the floor Friday night, it will be exactly three weeks since the last time the team competed inside Coleman Coliseum, when it put up its lowest score of the season. In front of a nearly soldout crowd with the excitement and energy of Power of Pink against a rival in Georgia, Alabama has a chance for redemption and opportunity to continue the momentum of earlier in the week. 

"Just have to carry our momentum, carry our speed and finish the season strong," Gladieux said. 

How to Watch: No. 10 Alabama Gymnastics vs. No. 18 Georgia