There are always plenty of stories shared about crazy gym parents and coaches so I thought it might be refreshing to share a couple of stories from the recent Buckeye Elite Qualifier that really warmed my heart.
My daughter competed in both the Elite Compulsory Qualifier and the Hopes Optional Qualifier at the Buckeye Classic last week. This was our first experience competing in a qualifier so we really did not know what to expect. Her first event in the Optional Qualifier was the beam ... how lucky can you get! She fell on her flight series but hopped back up on the beam and finished up like a champ. After she got off the beam I saw her coach take her hand and pull her aside to have a talk with her. Knowing that her coaches were probably as disappointed as she was, I wasn't sure what was about to happen. Although I couldn't hear the words spoken, it was quite obvious that her coaches were making sure that she realized that this was only one event and that even with a fall she did fine and that she still had three more events (3 fingers being held up) and that she could totally still have a great meet. There were some nice smiles exchanged and some loving pats on the back and absolutely no signs of disappointment. I truly think this was a defining moment and what made her rock the rest of the meet! Thank you coaches!!!
So ... on to floor. In the middle of her floor routine, her music goes out!!! All of a sudden all the parents in the stands start clapping to give her a "beat" to perform to and she goes on performing without missing a single element of her routine! When she finished they gave her a huge round of applause! What makes this even more special than it sounds, is that we were the only ones at the meet from our gym so none of these parents even knew my daughter! Thank you parents!!!
When she finished up the meet there were so many gymnasts and coaches congratulating her on her performance and giving her big hugs and high fives that it made it a truly memorable meet that will always be fondly remembered. I am happy to report that my daughter qualified for both the Compulsory and the Optional and will be competing in the US Challenge this year!
My daughter competed in both the Elite Compulsory Qualifier and the Hopes Optional Qualifier at the Buckeye Classic last week. This was our first experience competing in a qualifier so we really did not know what to expect. Her first event in the Optional Qualifier was the beam ... how lucky can you get! She fell on her flight series but hopped back up on the beam and finished up like a champ. After she got off the beam I saw her coach take her hand and pull her aside to have a talk with her. Knowing that her coaches were probably as disappointed as she was, I wasn't sure what was about to happen. Although I couldn't hear the words spoken, it was quite obvious that her coaches were making sure that she realized that this was only one event and that even with a fall she did fine and that she still had three more events (3 fingers being held up) and that she could totally still have a great meet. There were some nice smiles exchanged and some loving pats on the back and absolutely no signs of disappointment. I truly think this was a defining moment and what made her rock the rest of the meet! Thank you coaches!!!
So ... on to floor. In the middle of her floor routine, her music goes out!!! All of a sudden all the parents in the stands start clapping to give her a "beat" to perform to and she goes on performing without missing a single element of her routine! When she finished they gave her a huge round of applause! What makes this even more special than it sounds, is that we were the only ones at the meet from our gym so none of these parents even knew my daughter! Thank you parents!!!
When she finished up the meet there were so many gymnasts and coaches congratulating her on her performance and giving her big hugs and high fives that it made it a truly memorable meet that will always be fondly remembered. I am happy to report that my daughter qualified for both the Compulsory and the Optional and will be competing in the US Challenge this year!
