- Dec 15, 2009
- 130
- 139
Hi Underestimated!
I'm not sure who you are, but after reviewing a few of your posts, it certainly seems like you know who I am and have quite a few opinions about my gym. I would love to actually meet you one day and perhaps have a conversation to get to know each other!
One of the teams you are mentioning here is my Small Senior 5 (Rain Athletics-Steel City Aqua). We are a first year gym with 16 of our 19 girls on Aqua brand new to Level 5. This was our first National competition, and thus our first bid competition.
Our goal for this season was to build up these 19 girls physically, mentally, and emotionally to be able to compete in the Small Senior 5 division, and hopefully earn a bid to Worlds. The development of each athlete in these three categories, and the team as a whole, are our number 1 priority (as it is for each of our teams).
The girl in question has worked so hard to gain her jumps to back this season - working nearly 6 days a week through a mental block - to achieve a skill she previously didn't think possible. After analyzing the situation and discussing with Jamfest reps who assured me it's legal, I decided this girl needed the confidence boost of throwing the skill in competition - even if she needed someone there screaming for her and tapping her on her back. Is it ideal? Absolutely not, but this girl's growing confidence and pride in herself was more important to me when making the decision to allow her to throw the skill. With her added confidence after this weekend, we are working on removing the "spot".
This weekend, for us, wasn't about winning. It was about trying to hit a routine that would have been impossible 7 months ago when these amazing girls were just learning each other's names. We were thrilled to nearly hit our routine Day 1 (a few timing and technique errors and one touch down), and earn 3rd place in the Small senior 5 division. After a few additional mistakes on Day 2, we ended in 6th and earned a bid to Worlds, which was more than we anticipated this early in the season.
While we certainly don't claim to be perfect, we are improving and are endlessly proud of our girls. As a coach, seeing my girls proud of themselves and their teammates - and achieving the "impossible" is more important than anything else.
In closing, I hope our "spotter" didn't cause you too much frustration, and I hope this post sheds some light on our team, and our goal as a gym. I love this sport for all it's intensity and the positive benefits and life lessons it teaches these young girls and guys. You can't always please everyone, but as long as our kids/teams are happy, healthy, and consistently improving, I will continue to believe in what we are doing.
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but holy cow, is large senior going to be a war that im not looking forward to on fierceboard.
