Eight days til Christmas

Today Emily was fitted for grips at the gym.  She promptly attempted to use them on the bars before I had a chance to file out the finger holes.  Five minutes later, bloody fingers. Emily likes to think she knows better than Mom about most things, she's a hard headed girl.

Christmas Party at Gym this Saturday!

Well here it is already Wednesday.  This week is going by too fast, can't seem to get any task completed.

After practice at the gym last night, and homework, Emily decorated the tree.  This year we opted for the plastic ornaments, knowing that the cats would probably pull them all off the tree, like they do every year.

Emily's finally feeling better about her performances at the State meet.  Now she knows how important stretching is.  Getting leg cramps at the most important meet of the season is not what you want to have happen.

I finally uploaded photos and videos of the State meet.  I'll post them hopefully tomorrow.

State Championship is finally here and over with.

Well, just got home.  TIGAR did very well for a new gym finishing in 4th place  Emily performed her best all around scores and she STILL wasn't happy with herself.  I'm tellin' ya, it's tough to live with a competitive bi-polar perfectionist.
Emily's results: Vault 9.15, Bars 9.125, Beam 9.375, Floor 9.15 AA 36.8
She was 4th on beam and 12th all around.  That didn't make her happy, it threw her into a depression!  I was thrilled that she got all 9's for every event, and she did it with a shin splint.  Beth, TIGAR's owner, felt that Emily got robbed on her vault and her bar routines.  Emily was a little ahead of her music on the floor routine, but she quickly got on track and Beth thought the judges were a bit harsh on their scoring there as well.  I am ignorant enough to just sit back and enjoy the performances while gritting my teeth and praying she doesn't hurt herself.

Hopefully in the next few days I'll have time to jump in here and write more, but tonight, I must close my eyes and rest...

Session 1 TIGAR girls RULE!

Well, I couldn't get down to the State Meet this morning as I got called off on a Muttley's Maid job for a client - before the snow flies - in Boulder, so I kept in touch with Heidi to find out what went on.  It KILLED ME to not be there!

So here's the text from Heidi...
Vault scores Noelle 9.4, Violet 9.5, Kate 9.575, Maddy 9.6 WOW
Bars Noelle 9.2, Violet 8.2, Kate 9.15, Maddy 8.7

Noelle was 5th on bars and 4th on beam, 13th on vault and 2nd on floor AND...  3rd PLACE ALL AROUND - FABULOUS!  

Noelle was so sick on Thursday with the stomach flu. Prayers work! Emmy and Noelle have been together training with Svetlana for so long they've become sisters from different mothers. They even act like siblings.  I am SO PROUD and she's not even my kid!

Kate B. also competed with Noelle, both girls made the All Around podium as 2nd and 3rd respectively and TIGAR Gym won Team 3rd for that age division. TIGAR is a new Gymnastics Studio and we all want it to be the best in Denver! Good luck to the rest of the girls!  I'll be reporting in as the results are known.

Merry Christmas! Another fee is due.

Medal display rack, courtesy my sister Jean.

Yes, sometimes you look at the situation and grit your teeth so as not get too frustrated.  Two days ago I went to the front desk of my daughter's gym and asked "Am I paid up for all of the upcoming meets, or should I anticipate any other fees?"  My answer was "No, you're good."  I took that as yes, I was finally on top of things...   NOT!!!!

No sooner did I rest, thinking I was able to go out and purchase Christmas gifts.... then last night I received an email.... "$115.00 in additional fees for the Coach's transportation to the (out of State meet)  are due before January 1st."

Well, ain't that just a wake up call!   This is a new gymnastics studio.  I understand that they are still in a learning curve, but...  I can't be the only parent in this situation - there is no way on earth that I'm going to be able to come up with that amount in such a short time without sacrificing either food or utilities...  so I wrote the gym back, begging for mercy, and a payment plan.

 So far this month I've forked out:

$190.00 for Level 4 training tuition    -  went to Gym
$110.00 for the State Meet this weekend for Coaches fees   - paid thru Gym
$125.00 for private lessons - paid directly to Coach
$ 30.00  for State Championship wearables - paid through Gym  (didn't HAVE to do this.. but then my daughter would feel left out...)
$   5.00 my fee to get into the State Championships to watch my daughter's performance.
(watching my daughter compete... absolutely priceless!)

and it's only the 9th of the month...

In all fairness, I doubt seriously that the Gym owner is making a huge profit, most of the money goes to paying the staff, facility costs and overhead expense.

It does appear that the Coaches live a lot better than we do - but then again these people live at the gym and rarely spend quality time with their own families and I know my daughter's coach has a child  a little younger than my daughter's age. Every weekend during the competition season (which is usually 9 months out of the year) the coaches give all of their time either in  private lessons, or teaching a class or attending a meet with their team.

What Svetlana's done for Emily is worth far more to me than the money I am spending... The ADHD/Asperger's meds ran over $200 a month and Emily was slowly becoming dependent on synthetic mood altering preparations.  It's an expensive sport, but... my daughter's behavioral issues are all but gone at this point and there's no need for medication.  We have three more exhibition meets after the State Championship! I just hope my pocketbook will hold out.

There seems to be no help for the weary.  Well, God willing,  I can continue to have her in this sport, as she has already proven that she's a contender, I know that sooner or later she'll get sponsorships and some of the financial weight will come off of me, but until then I keep my fingers crossed and pray for a way to keep this all together. Wish me luck!

2010 Level 4 Colorado State Meet Details

Hosted by Jet Gymnastics on December 11th and 12th 2010.
It will be held at Denver University's Hamilton Gym  located at 22011 E Asbury Avenue, Denver, CO 80208

There will be two sessions on Saturday
Session #1 seating at 8:20 am. Award ceremony will be at 12:00pm.
TIGAR Level 4 teammates Kate, Violet, Maddie and Noelle are in this age group 7 & 8 year olds

Session #2 seating at 5:35pm.  Award ceremony will be at 9:00pm
TIGAR Level 4 teammates Megan, Joslynn, Audrey, Rylee, and Jaylyn are in this age group. 8 year olds.

There will be three sessions on Sunday
Session #3 is seating at 8:20am.  Award ceremony will be at 12:20pm.
TIGAR Level 4 teammates Anissa, Ileanna, and KK are in this age group 8 and 9 year olds.

Session #4 is seating at 1:05pm.  Award ceremony will be at 5:00pm. 
TIGAR Level 4 teammates Emily, Emma, Kierya, Tess and Tessa are in this age group 9 to 11 year olds.

Session #5 is seating at 5:40 pm. Award ceremony will be at 9:00pm.  TIGAR Level 4 teammate Grier is soloing in this age group for 11 years old and up.  Team awards will follow the awards for session #5. 

GO TIGARS!!!!!

The Weekend - over far too soon.

This weekend was the Level 5's State competition.  We were going to go watch them compete in Loveland on Sunday afternoon, but the weather decided to turn and I can't take the cold anymore.

We did get the Christmas Lights up on the outside of the house, thanks to Santa Jim coming over to help.   Emily kicked back most of this weekend and worked on her school project on Shih Tzus.  She needed twenty fact cards.  By nine pm on Sunday night she was still looking up facts... 

Wish we'd gone to see the upper level girls... can't wait to find out how well they did!

Today we have a semi-private lesson scheduled with Emily's coach for one hour. (minus $$$)  I've also been advised via email that coaches' fees for the State meet will be due this Thursday.  (minus more $$$  I secretly wish I had anticipated this expense in the middle of trying to complete Christmas shopping on my disability income...)

One week before USAG Colorado Level 4 State Championships

I feel like I am starting this blog at the end, but really it's a beginning.  This was Emily's first year of competition in the world of Gymnastics and it proved to be pretty exciting so far. 

Emily has been diagnosed since birth with a myriad of disorders... sensory integration dysfunction, Asperger's Syndrome, ADHD.  I don't particularly believe that any of them fit her, I do believe that medical and school professionals like to place labels on kids that have no creative outlet for their energy. It seems to me that some kids just need more exercize than others.

Emily is extremely bright, but can frustrate easily and is a drama queen beyond compare. She needs a release for all of her pent up energy and gymnastics became the drug to control her ADHD without medication. She's no longer taking any medication for her 'disorder'. She takes gymnastics. It seems to be working better than any drug has so far.                      

Emily is currently 9 years old (almost 10) and a level 4 gymnast as of this posting.  She is attending TIGAR gymnastics in Wheat Ridge, Colorado.  Emily started in recreational gymnastics at the age of 3 at the urging of one of my friends who had kids already in the sport.  I took her out of it when she was 4 due to financial difficulties.  Being a single parent, competitive sports are financially draining. When things got better for me, I put her in Steven Oliver's Mile High Karate at the age of 5.  This proved to be a big mistake. 

Emily, a true competitor, was quite good at Karate - so much so that she got the taste for trophies and kicking butt... leading her to hold the title in my family as the only child (not just girl) to be placed in detention in FIRST GRADE.  I had to figure something out to do with this kid to get her under control.  Second grade bullies learned valuable life long lessons about picking on first graders that competed the Karate circuit.  I put Emily back in recreational gymnastics at the age of 7.

Emily's Level 4 season so far has been alot of fun to watch.  I know very little about this sport. I couldn't tell you at this point the names of the moves that she performs, but I can tell you that Noelle, her team mate who is younger, has many more girls competing against her in the junior group and is up against some pretty tough talent. Noelle is such a work horse.  She and Emily share private practices with their coach Svetlana. It just amazes me how all of these children can commit everything they have to reach their goals at such a young age.  The third of this little group is Megan.  She's struggling to keep up with Emily and Noelle, and she did qualify for the State Championships in the last meet.  Megan's the underdog and we're all rooting for her to do well at State. She's a fighter and the tiniest of the three.  I can't imagine this little group without her. 

It's been a long road from training to competition and these little ones have worked so very hard.  I wish them all the best of luck.

Here's a list of Emily's  individual results this year prior to the State Championships:

Premier Gymnastics  2010 Showdown Level 4 Senior results  9/25/10

Vault   9.300   (tied for 3rd)
Bars    8.750   (11th place)
Beam  9.000   (5th place)
Floor   9.300   (tied for 1st)
All Around 36.350  (3rd place overall)
Emily qualified for State at this first meet.  It was a great start for her.





Adrenaline Gymnastics - AGA 2010 Rocktoberfest Level 4 Senior Results 10/2/10 

Vault   9.050 (5th place)

Bars    8.500 (11th place)

Beam  8.500 (9th place)

Floor  9.050  (4th place)

All Around 35.100 (5th place overall)

Emily wasn't happy with 5th overall.  She learned that she was going to have to work harder to get where she wanted to be. She still qualified for State with the all around scores.

Encore Gymnastics - Encore Fall Feista Level 4 Senior 10/9/10

Vault   9.100

Bars    9.100

Beam  7.800

Floor   9.450

All Around  35.450 (boy I'm lax here, need the printout..)

Emily was first on Floor exercise, being at the top of the podium really made her day.

CGI Gymnastics - Autumn Classic - 11/13/10
Vault  9.200
Bars   8.250
Beam 8.600
Floor  8.500
All Around 34.55 (another one I need the printout for)
This was Emily's worst meet yet.  She was emotional and cried throughout every event. (I had her on her ADHD meds for this meet... I've since eliminated them completely)

Airborne Gymnastics - Airborne Classic - 11/12/10

Vault   9.300

Bars    9.150

Beam  9.075

Floor   9.100

All Around 36.625

This was Emily's best meet and the last one of the season prior to State Championships.

Good luck Emmy Mae! I am so proud of your commitment to this sport.  Love Mom