Gymnastics

The history of gymnastics in my family started with my oldest.  She has always been petite and when we were living in Idaho I went to the local rec center to see what kind of activities they had for a 2-1/2-year-old.  Gymnastics seemed like a good choice.  They had a parent-tot class and we went together.  It was fun for both of us.  Once she hit 3, she went into the preschool class and had an amazing teacher, Miss Cindy.  This lady was fabulous.  She could corral ten 3- and 4-year-olds on 3 different stations and have them all doing exactly what they were supposed to.  I was constantly in awe of her.  My girl progressed and was doing well and working with a group of girls and coaches in a pre-team sort of fashion when we moved to Nevada.  By this time Sass had made it through the parent-tot class and into the preschool class and enjoyed it s well.  I knew I had to find a gym to enroll the girls in classes.  At the time there was one gym in town.  And it was a small gym and it was totally different than what was available in Idaho, but I loved it.  When the oldest hit 8, there was a small group of girls who were pulled aside and asked if they (us parents) were interested in learning to compete.  Up until this point, the 11yo is at the gym 12 hours a week and the 6yo is there for 6 hours a week.

Last week I was asked by one of the head coaches if I was willing to train to be one of the coaches for the classes.  They have always used high schoolers - usually former gymnasts with this same gym.  But over the last few years, the reliability of the girls had become flaky.  They asked me because, heck, I'm usually there for dropping off and picking up the girls anyway so they knew they could count on me to be reliable and I'm in decent shape, so I could handle the physicality of spotting kids, etc.

Today was the fourth day I was there.  I worked out with the team girls on their conditioning and warm-ups every day and then caught kids three days during the classes.  I'm going to tell you right now I got the most amazing workout this week.  Right now my arms and my back and my legs? Are all in varying degrees of pain.  But pain in that awesome feeling used kind of way.

I also have to toot my own horn.  Do you know what a pullover is?  It looks really easy when a gymnast does it, but it takes a rhythm and strength and can be really hard for a lot of kids.  Here's a video of one.

I did two today.  Now I'll admit that they weren't anywhere close to pretty.  They weren't smooth or anything resembling what the video shows, but I did get around the bar in the prescribed fashion and end up on top of it.  I may regret that decision tomorrow when I wake up, but for now? I'll feel good that I did something most 36-year-old, never-done-gymnastics-before-in-her-life-other-than-cartwheels-and-somersaults, mother-of-three women can't do.  I'm going to own that.  And you'd bet your ass that I'm going to try it again on Monday.  Even if it hurts.  :)