We are from Holland, so the whole gymnastics system is different from what most of you have in the USA or CA. But my daughter got into the, what we call, the selection team of our towns gymnastics club almost 3 years ago. She wanted to learn more difficult things and train more. But recreational didn't offer more difficult things and only train 1 hour a week. The selection team is only 1 group, divided into 2 and they train 3 to 4 hours a week. When my daughter joined, she was quite weak, because she never learned the basics of a handspring properly. She basically skipped 2 levels, in which these things are taught.
So this is for the people who never knew about me and my daughter. So the first 2 years she didn't go further than just the 2 pre competitions in a season. About half of the best girls in several areas could place for regional semi-final, after these 2 pre-competitions. She never came further.
Since more than a year, she has been training extra at another club, about 25 minutes away, in a real gymnastics hall. And she really improved since then.
So now going to this season. She had her 1st competition end of November 2008. She is in the age group called youth now, which you are for 2 years. So she had to go against girls that are mostly a bit or a year older than her. There were 36 girls, so we said, you know if you end up in the first half, you have done really well. And she became 9th, so we were all very happy and proud. The 2nd competition was beginning of March and we said if you end around the same as last time, you are through to the semi-final. She came 6th, so even better. Very happy to have made the semi-final for the first time.
Now then last Saturday was that semi-final. 29 girls. We told her, you have nothing to lose, all you can do is your best and see how you do. Well she had a fall off bars, so we thought, ohoh. But she did really well. When the prize handing out was happening. She and we too, were all supershocked, because she came 2nd!!!!!! Her first medal ever and of course through to the final.
Check out her video's on her website, if you like:
www.freewebs.com/talithasgymnastics
So this is for the people who never knew about me and my daughter. So the first 2 years she didn't go further than just the 2 pre competitions in a season. About half of the best girls in several areas could place for regional semi-final, after these 2 pre-competitions. She never came further.
Since more than a year, she has been training extra at another club, about 25 minutes away, in a real gymnastics hall. And she really improved since then.
So now going to this season. She had her 1st competition end of November 2008. She is in the age group called youth now, which you are for 2 years. So she had to go against girls that are mostly a bit or a year older than her. There were 36 girls, so we said, you know if you end up in the first half, you have done really well. And she became 9th, so we were all very happy and proud. The 2nd competition was beginning of March and we said if you end around the same as last time, you are through to the semi-final. She came 6th, so even better. Very happy to have made the semi-final for the first time.
Now then last Saturday was that semi-final. 29 girls. We told her, you have nothing to lose, all you can do is your best and see how you do. Well she had a fall off bars, so we thought, ohoh. But she did really well. When the prize handing out was happening. She and we too, were all supershocked, because she came 2nd!!!!!! Her first medal ever and of course through to the final.
Check out her video's on her website, if you like:
www.freewebs.com/talithasgymnastics