- Feb 4, 2008
- 204
- 1
All dd2'll say is that she just wants to be done. So, we're done. We're taking the money we'd have spent on gym travel and going to DisneyWorld. Sure beats a weekend in Milwaukee in February as a vacation destination.
Here's the part none of you are going to believe: I don't miss it. I thought I would, but I don't.
I like having money.
I like watching the kids do things just for the fun of it. Dd1 took a tumbling class. No pressure, no travel. She and the former teammate in the class laugh in the gym. Oh, and last night dd1 landed a double back. Yeah baby! You parents of compulsories might not get this as everything is still new and exciting for your girls, but once they're optionals, the tone changes. The sport gets more serious, the athletes get more focused, there's more push to win.
And I'm glad dd2 is out before she has any pain. Dd1 suffers horribly with bad knees. I thought they would get better when the 4 hours of daily pounding stopped. (She's still active, but doesn't do anything that pounds them like the vault did--and she doesn't go 4 hours straight of anything any more.) We've talked here about how playing with pain is just part of the sport. Landing those tsuks hurts, even if you do it right. Looking back, I sometimes wish I hadn't allowed dd1 to continue after the fall that hurt her knees. More time for healing might have made a long-term difference. Water under the bridge I guess, but hindsight tells me that "getting to the next level" and "not loosing skills" is not all that important.
Anyway, I think the girls might stay in the gym in the rec tumbling classes and as coaches (dd1 is currently assisting with the preschool classes), but our heavy involvement is done. I might pop in from time to time, but I'm sure it'll become less and less frequent until I finally fade into oblivion.
Here's the part none of you are going to believe: I don't miss it. I thought I would, but I don't.
I like having money.
I like watching the kids do things just for the fun of it. Dd1 took a tumbling class. No pressure, no travel. She and the former teammate in the class laugh in the gym. Oh, and last night dd1 landed a double back. Yeah baby! You parents of compulsories might not get this as everything is still new and exciting for your girls, but once they're optionals, the tone changes. The sport gets more serious, the athletes get more focused, there's more push to win.
And I'm glad dd2 is out before she has any pain. Dd1 suffers horribly with bad knees. I thought they would get better when the 4 hours of daily pounding stopped. (She's still active, but doesn't do anything that pounds them like the vault did--and she doesn't go 4 hours straight of anything any more.) We've talked here about how playing with pain is just part of the sport. Landing those tsuks hurts, even if you do it right. Looking back, I sometimes wish I hadn't allowed dd1 to continue after the fall that hurt her knees. More time for healing might have made a long-term difference. Water under the bridge I guess, but hindsight tells me that "getting to the next level" and "not loosing skills" is not all that important.
Anyway, I think the girls might stay in the gym in the rec tumbling classes and as coaches (dd1 is currently assisting with the preschool classes), but our heavy involvement is done. I might pop in from time to time, but I'm sure it'll become less and less frequent until I finally fade into oblivion.
. Good luck to your DD's as they find another sport. Oh! and have a great time in Disney
