Oh dear, how lucky am I!

[GetaGrip]

This Sunday, I have my very first level 7 gymnastics meet! I've known this for about a month or so, and I was pretty confident considering that this will be the fourth time competing at this particular gym, every single time has been a pretty successful meet. To make it feel even better, I just got my flight skill with no spot on the high beam, and I've been sticking routines like there is no tomorrow However, like all epic things, there's a twist here.

As some of you may know, I went to a very competitive gymnastics center for over a year, when I left it because my coach was very mean to me (calling me names, calling me fat, emotionally abusing me) to a not as competitive or high scoring gym, but with very nice and reliable coaches. Last year in level 6, I competed in the same meet as them, only my old gym (lets call CGC) was competing the level 5's that day. Despite the fact of that, I flipped out and messed up on a couple events getting a mere 32.

Unfortunately, the gymnastics gods decided that I haven't had enough. When I went to CGC, I looked up to two gymnasts, lets call them Jana and Evelyn, who were two levels above me. But Jana decided not to compete level 7 last year, and Evelyn got held back, despite scoring 35's and 36's.

I just looked up last night, what event I was starting on, and what time/day I would be competing. I noticed that CGC was also competing their level 7's in the same meet. I check another page, and they are competing at the same time as me. I check another page, and they start on the same event as us. How on earth am I supposed to compete a new level and do my best with my old coach frowning at me the whole time!!!

On the side note, I am 13, so I've always been the youngest person in the oldest age group, but from moving up directly into level 7 I am now happy to be in the middle age group! But the bad part about that is that I now have to compete directly against Evelyn....

Why me?

Sorry for having this be so long, mostly just venting

-Lauren

 

[ZJsMom]

Good luck. My dd has had a similar experience. She has an old coach that went to another gym. It's not like she's afraid of him. On the contrary, she really likes him and wants to impress him. She gets really nervous when he's at the same meet. This year, his team was at her first level 7 meet. They were an event behind dd's team and he ended up standing a few feet from the beam when she went and right at the edge of the floor during her routine. She did fine though and I'm sure you will too. The trick is to focus on your routines and what you're doing. If you can do this, you won't have any time to think about who's watching or what others are doing.

 

[coachmolly]

Fortunately, I never had to compete against my old gyms/teammates as a gymnast, I'm sure I would have been a nervous wreck. But, a coach and eventual owner of my first gym was also a judge and would occasionally judge meets I competed at while at gym 2. It was always stressful because I was afraid she had ill feelings towards me, but on one occasion she actually made a nice comment to my new coach about a really good meet I had had a few weeks earlier.
There are obviously some former coaches/teammates that are going to be less than friendly, but that certainly isn't always the case. Also, you are happy and progressing at your new gym and that is all you can ask for. Don't let them get to you, just do what you love and what you have been doing incredibly well in the gym! Let them see you having fun and putting forth your best effort, showing off all of those awesome new skills you've learned in the time at your new gym.
I know it's much easier said than done, but you can get through this and it will just make you even tougher mentally to deal with whatever other hurdles gymnastics throws your way. Good luck!

 

[gymgurl]

Ok you need to show your old coach that you made it there without him and to do that you need to block out all distractions i think listen to your ipod and wait until it your go then go up don't even look at your old team and just go and do what you need to do which is WIN!, you are going to go and show them who's boss and just block everything out and show your coach that coaching doesn't have to be abusive to be effective!!

GOOD LUCK!!!

 

[GetaGrip]

Thanks so much every one!!! My meet is tomorrow, and I'm still extremely nervous. Let me give you some details about Jana and Evelyn.

Jana-
In the young age group.
Very good at beam
Not so good at floor
Not very powerful, but extremely clean

Evelyn-
In the middle age group
Good at most events
Clean, but inconsistent
Has a couple large mistakes, but not many small ones

Me-
In the middle age group
Good at vault
Generally consistent
Has some large errors on bars and floor

Luckily, I'm only competing against Evelyn score wise. I might have a chance on beating her for either vault or floor.

Actually, I'm happy to see both Jana and Evelyn, but I'm only nervous about both of my former coaches being there. I know that I was a lot more clean when I went to CGC, and I've also gained 10 lbs since I left my old gym as well. However, I can now also bench almost my whole body weight.

Sorry, for blabbing, but when I left CGC, I did it kind of as a spur of the moment thing. I had to come back 1 month later to get my grips, and see my friends again. But when I got my grips, my coach asked me if I had everything and brought me into the office where no one else was. After that happened, he yelled at me saying: "How could you just leave like that!" and "We did everything for you!". I did my best not to cry until I went back in the car. So you can see that I'm obviously still terrified of him.

*sigh* Lucky me

-Lauren

 

[Optionals United]

i know you will do great dont let it get to you!

i had i similar experince when i had 3 coaches and 25 girls move from are gym to anoher gym i had to copmpete against them. it was great and all but i bit uncorfortable. know tomorrow i have to compete at my other old coaches gym(i had over 10 coaches in 1 year!) EEK!! he is super mean and got fired. he was very vrbably abusive,almost started a fist fight with another coach!(it was broken up by office staff) luckily,and didnt really do anything for you.well i ahve to compete at his gym like i said.last time i saw him he came up to me and like started to give be a hug i backed away to my other old coaches to say hi lol.looks like were in the same boat!!!!!

like i said just stay strong,do your best,and dont let them get to you i know you can do it!!!!!
~anna

 

[GetaGrip]

Oh wow! This sounds very similar to CGC! And it's in California as well!!! What a huge coincidence!

 

[Optionals United]

yeah!! its quite a longer stroy than that though

 

[GetaGrip]

Yay!!! That was my best meet ever!!!!

Bars: 8.1 (Did not place) (Fell on butt on dismount)

Beam: 8.825 (6th place) (Bad split jump, and I took a step out of my dismount) (Beat Jana and Evelyn)

Floor: 8.8 (Did not place) (Legs apart in round off and back handspring, huge jump out of front tumbling) (Beat Jana and Evelyn)

Vault: 9.350 (5th place) (Almost stuck second vault!)

My former coach was also pretty nice to me as well, and he complimented me on my beam score.

I'm also thrilled about my all around score of 35.075! That means I qualified for states!

-Lauren

 

[Optionals United]

good job. im back i saw my old caoch it was very akward!!!!!!!!! ohh well started on beam 8.550 started facing the wrong way so i had to make up the routine and fell on the turn floor 9.1 vault 8.875 bars was a mess!6.8 thats in the past this is the present!

 

[cathiann]

Congrats on a great meet!

 

[tough gymnast]

well that sounds really frustraiting!!! well just try not to look at him and on floor you can use all of that negative energy twards your old coach and turn it in to power