Parents OMG!!! L4 Boys NorCal State Champ!!???

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H

Harv

Yesterday (Sunday) was the last day of season for our lower level boys. It was the Northern California Boys State Championships!

When we arrived at the gym, I was, like, totally intimidated. The place was huge, with two complete gymnastics setups in one gigantic room. I was even more intimidated when I opened the program and saw that 35 teams were competing! :eek: Then they announced that medals would only be awarded to the top 3 gymnasts in each age group. :(

I so wanted my boy to score a medal in this meet 'cuz he tried so hard to improve all season, and he deserved at least one nice shiny souvenir to commemorate this final competition. But with so many competitors, including the really talented ones he admired all season, it seemed like chances were pretty slim. I told him to just relax and have fun, even though my own stomach was starting to knot up.

Well, he told me that this was his last chance to "try some stuff" that he thought he could do but was afraid to attempt in previous meets. "Uhhhh.... sure, son. Go for it!". I wasn't sure if that was the wisest thing to say, but he had this seldom-seen glow of confidence on his face, so I simply said no more. :p

Well, go for it he did, and danged if he didn't pull it off. He went for 5 mushroom circles for the first time, and he nailed it! He straightened out his back lever on the rings for the first time in his life! He achieved new altitude on his high bar swings (that virtuosity stuff counts), and he stuck every single landing!

Ol' Dad was getting almost teary-eyed when the final event was over. To add to the drama, I had only a vague idea of how he was actually doing, 'cuz they were using that system that only displays colors, indicating the range of his scores, rather than actual points. Nobody, in fact, had any real clue as to anybody's true standings.

So.... when it was finally time for the awards, I could only hold my breath, cross my fingers and mumble a quiet prayer or two. After cheering for the younger age groups, the 11-year olds finally got their turn. In a nutshell, my young hero made not one, but four trips to the podium. :eek:

Floor: 1st Place
Pommel: 3rd Place
P Bars: 3rd Place
H Bar: 1st Place

:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:

That only left the coveted All-Around award. The announcer called out the first place winner, a name we were quite familiar with, 'cuz this talented young lad had been winning all season. No surprise there, but my boy still had 2 more chances to grab some glory. Then they announced that there were actually two first-place winners (the proverbial tie), and my heart nearly stopped. The next words over the loudspeaker were my son's name, and I all but passed out. :p

I guess I've done some serious bragging here, but the very notion that my very own li'l trooper would wind up holding gold for being an All-Around NorCal State champ, in his first competition season, was something I had never seriously considered.

I actually owe thanks to those of you on this message board who have tolerated my video postings, and those of you who offered some very helpful advice, especially BlairBob. Hey, Bob! Were you there?

- Harvey
 
Congrats to your son for going out there and doing his best and then some!! What a finish to his season. Brag on proud dad, brag on. LOL.
 
If you can't brag here, where can you brag.

A huge congratulations to your son, and also to you for working on being an understaning and knowledgable gym parenty. You both have come along way very quickly.

Don't you love the sound that medals make when they bang together!!
 
OMG! CONGRATS! I got teary eyed reading your post...AMAZING! Nice to hear dads get knots in their stomachs too...I thought it was only us moms!
 
Congrats to your son!!! What a wonderful feeling of accomplishment!!!! Sounds like a SUPER hard meet....I am sooooo happy for you!:):)

I am so glad I am not the only parent that grins and tries hard to 'portray' the calm and 'have fun' attitude....but that is what allows our children to just relax and have fun doing what they love to do!!!

Our state is this weekend.....butterflies are lining up!

Jeannie
 
That's awesome! My Level 4 boy has states this weekend too. His goal is to break 89, which would require putting together his best meet ever. I'm getting nervous for him already!
 
Grr, my L4 came in 4th on that side and was 2 points away from 3rd so he wasn't gonna get it either. The other one came in like 13th and had 2 14.8s and 2 15.2s but goofed on floor with a 13.7 and mushroom was a fiasco ( which is usual since he just started hitting 2 circles inconsistently, typically 1-1.5 sometimes ). However, these were 9yo. I'm glad "MuscleMan" ( he can do front lever, solid back lever, straddle planche press to HS ).

Charlie took for a german hang ( because he didn't extend down all the way- typical Charlie BS ) on SR but I wasn't there since I was with the 7yo on the other side of the gym. I did see your son on SR since I recognized his black mop hair. I also talked to his coach a bit as well. Err, one of them in the judge's/coach appreciation room ( blech, Technique usually has better grub though they had some killer brownies ).

Cool thing is my old kid from my gym last year one Rings and Floor, I think. I saw him and had a good chat with him. Err, he won floor and got 15.8 on SR. I'm really glad he's been doing so well this year as last year he did ok but was barely working out ( 1d a week+open gym basically or was it 2d/w at 1/2 practice. I can't remember, it varied ). I think he finally committed and realized that he would have to put in more hours ( which was the point I wanted to make ). I knew it was in him, but just wasn't gonna happen his 1st year though he did get a few 9's and a 50+AA at L4 state last year.
 
Wow your ds did awesome! Sounds like all of his hard work diffently payed off.Big congrats to your boy!!This is the best place to brag .
 

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