Gymnastics....

..... is not for the faint of heart, body or mind. It just isn't!!!!!!!  Mom's included!!

Last Thursday, Ally was ready to quit.  She had a rough practice Tuesday.  I wasn't really aware of the extent of how upset she was.  Her coaches had shared with me that she had a hard time with her fly-away, but they also said they couldn't believe how amazing she was. How determined. How even through the tears, she got her butt back on that high bar and did it.... time and time again.  What none of us knew was what was inside her head.

She was scared out of her mind and didn't WANT to do it again.

So.... come Thursday, in the parking lot of the gym... Ally had a meltdown in the car. She didn't want to go to practice... even more... she wasn't sure she ever wanted to go back to the gym again.

LORDY DAY!!!!!

I sent her coach a text. Sydney texted me right back... asking a ton of questions and basically walking me through what to say to her to get her to walk through the door. They didn't come out and get her.  They just waited....  And, in time... with the promise of NO FLYAWAY today.... Ally went into the gym just 20 minutes late.  ;-)

Holy Hannah..... I don't know if I am cut out to be a gym mom!  The drama!!!!! The agony!  Ally was so upset with herself for being scared. She is so hard on herself... very unforgiving.  It's hard, as a mom, to watch her go through it.  I am so often at a complete loss as to how to help her... what to say... what to do.

I have no idea if I did the right thing, pushing her to go.  I feel like I did.  I wasn't going to let her quit over one skill!  She has so much else to offer!!!  If someday, she doesn't want to do gymnastics anymore, so be it... but not like that! Not quitting out of fear or a bad day. You have to work your way out....

There's that fine line... between allowing your kids to have the freedom to choose what they do and making sure they don't give up.  Teaching them how to really determine if they want to quit something. It's hard... and I couldn't do it without help that's for damn sure.

The help of coaches, a sister-in-law with the experience and friends to use as sounding boards... to say nothing of my partner in all things drama and parenting, my hubby....

His response when I sent him the first text as to what was going down.....

"Oh boy..."   :-))))))

In the end, I picked up a happy girl.  I am glad she went. She was glad she went.  We won't be doing the flyaway again anytime soon. She will do drills and work through her fear for a while.  What everyone thought she might be ready for, she just isn't... and that's okay. She rocks. She is a great gymnast. She's my gold medal girl no matter what.

Here's a link to Ally's floor routine for the year. It's day one - the day they choreographed it so she doesn't have it down or know it at all... she had just learned it two minutes before, but wanted me to record it so she could remember it as she tries to memorize.  She's tumbling to "The Wizard of Oz" and in the end, it's going to be an adorable routine.

First meet:  December... weekend of my birthday.  :-)

Link to:  Ally's Floor Routine 2012