Most people don't profess to knowing the secret of life, but men's gymnastics coach Sadao Hamada has a theory, at least where gymnastics is concerned.
Life is struggle.
The struggle for the men's gymnastics team goes back to last season when the team recouped from an injury to one of its top men, to go from being counted out to the top-ranked team after the first round of the NCAA Championships. The Cardinal came away from the final round as the third-best team in the nation, an amazing feat considering that many observers felt that Stanford could not rebound to make a run. But third place is never good enough for the Stanford team that has taken home a national championship in three of the last five years. The men ended last year's season disappointed and defeated, entering this season with the desire to prove that they were in fact the best team in the nation. Now, a new struggle has hit the Cardinal.