Last night my best gymnast left.. It wasnt a bad scene or a year of arguing or disagreements.. In fact her parents are great and have always been supportive of the program. They never sat in the gym or hounded us in any way. They had nothing bad to say and were emotional as well. I see alot of threads on this from parents views especially at this time of year so I thought I might share. I taught "Claire" her first handstand and cartwheel on beam and now up to her flipflop layouts.blinds and first releases.. She skipped levels and is a serious hardworking 10 yr old. I took her from a strong gymnast to a TOPs national Team member and state champ. In this job you put your gymnast ,often times before your own kids with her meets ,traveling, peaks and plateus and this I did willingly. This child is special in our field and I dont regret for a minute anytime extra or not that I spent with her. Her parents were the best kind for a gymnast to have , Supportive without pushing. I will not lie and say it doesnt hurt , It actually feels like I got hit with aton of bricks. I know many coaches feel this way after losing a gymnast and others just blow it off. I willnot glare at "Claire" at meets or her parents. I wish her the best. As much as I hate to admit it and hate to lose her,I know this move for this child is for the best in this political sport. I hugged her dad last night and we all cried . Today, I will smile and goof around and coach like Ive never coached before because the girls that will be at practice all deserve as much effort as I put into "Claire". Please dont for a moment think it doesnt bother me because this child was like my own from the time she stepped into the gym, and like any good parent I would want whats best for her.