Finally the world of gymnastics takes a back seat to Christmas. With the snow outside it's nice to just sit back, not drive anywhere and do something different!
Emily starts the school program in January. She can't wait. I can. I frankly needed this break. Merry Christmas all!
Thursday, December 22, 2011
Saturday, December 17, 2011
Saturday morning workouts and dance, is she up to it?
Last night was the Christmas dinner for the Gymnastika students. It was so very nice, with great food, good company and great entertainment. The Gymnastika girls performed Christmas dance routines and they all did such a wonderful job! Emily seems to be fitting in rather well. The atmosphere seems much more relaxed, something that I in particular needed.
Our prayers go out to the DeYoung family.
When we were at a large gymnastics facility with more families/team members it seems that there's always someone talking smack about someone else and the rumor mill runs rampant. There's always someone vying for top placement of their child. (The kid needs to do the work, girls. It ain't your ride.) My kid wants to do this and it really helps keep her in check, that's the only reason why I pay for it, not to try to gain some upper-societal standing. I could care less about things of that nature. I can spot a manipulator at 25 paces, and those that wish to throw the fecal matter at the fan, soon realize that I possess a bigger fan and can cover a wider area with far less effort, so please don't ever threaten me, you'll just never know what side of the table I might be on when next we meet. My most favorite movie quote of all time comes from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101921/quotes?qt=qt0443462 "Face it girls, I am older and have more insurance."
This morning, Emily balked at getting up and going. She wanted to stay home and sleep. I think it's the transition to early morning practices. So, I made her get up and go anyway. In the car, on the way to the gym we stopped at McD's for breakfast. As soon as she got a an Egg McMuffin into her, Emily started to look forward to getting in the gym. By the time we got there she was jumping out of the car to run into class. I sat there for a short while drinking my steaming hot McD coffee to watch Emily's first dance class. She's with the "big girls" now, and is picking up the choreography very quickly. I sat back and watched for about 1/2 an hour, now it's time for me to get crackin' on finishing up Christmas, so I'd better get a move on.
2:00 pm
Well, must have been a good day. By the time we got home, Emily was fast asleep in the back seat. This just might work out rather well! She's TIRED. This kid's NEVER TIRED. Maybe I can finally get her internal clock set to a more normalized time.
Today Emily was with the Level 7's and worked with both Alexei and Gay. She worked on her front-hand-spring front-tuck, one handed back walkover, standing-front-handspring-stepout and her dance routine. So far it's been a good day...
Our prayers go out to the DeYoung family.
When we were at a large gymnastics facility with more families/team members it seems that there's always someone talking smack about someone else and the rumor mill runs rampant. There's always someone vying for top placement of their child. (The kid needs to do the work, girls. It ain't your ride.) My kid wants to do this and it really helps keep her in check, that's the only reason why I pay for it, not to try to gain some upper-societal standing. I could care less about things of that nature. I can spot a manipulator at 25 paces, and those that wish to throw the fecal matter at the fan, soon realize that I possess a bigger fan and can cover a wider area with far less effort, so please don't ever threaten me, you'll just never know what side of the table I might be on when next we meet. My most favorite movie quote of all time comes from the movie Fried Green Tomatoes http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0101921/quotes?qt=qt0443462 "Face it girls, I am older and have more insurance."
This morning, Emily balked at getting up and going. She wanted to stay home and sleep. I think it's the transition to early morning practices. So, I made her get up and go anyway. In the car, on the way to the gym we stopped at McD's for breakfast. As soon as she got a an Egg McMuffin into her, Emily started to look forward to getting in the gym. By the time we got there she was jumping out of the car to run into class. I sat there for a short while drinking my steaming hot McD coffee to watch Emily's first dance class. She's with the "big girls" now, and is picking up the choreography very quickly. I sat back and watched for about 1/2 an hour, now it's time for me to get crackin' on finishing up Christmas, so I'd better get a move on.
2:00 pm
Well, must have been a good day. By the time we got home, Emily was fast asleep in the back seat. This just might work out rather well! She's TIRED. This kid's NEVER TIRED. Maybe I can finally get her internal clock set to a more normalized time.
Today Emily was with the Level 7's and worked with both Alexei and Gay. She worked on her front-hand-spring front-tuck, one handed back walkover, standing-front-handspring-stepout and her dance routine. So far it's been a good day...
Wednesday, December 14, 2011
Starting Level 6, new skills, new coaches, new gym.
After Emily's dismal State meet, we both decided that if Emily wishes to continue this quest, she needed a smaller class size, more time with the coach and more conditioning. The size of the team alone at TIGAR was reason enough to realize that the afternoon girls would be lost in the mix. The quality of training that the school program girls received during the morning practices put that squad at a definite advantage over the girls in the afternoon program, and since Beth, the owner told me the week before that there was no room in the school program for Emily, 4 days a week, we bid TIGAR Gymnastics farewell on Monday night.
After interviewing several gyms in the area, the concensus was that we needed to find a medium to small sized gym that offered a school program. We researched and found Gymnastika, which is owned and operated by Gay Lindsay and Alexei Kodria. Upon meeting with them, I feel that Gay and Alexei are more concerned with the quality of coaching and reinforcing the love of this sport. They stress the necessity for proper conditioning techniques to avoid injury. My gut told me this is a good move for Emily.
Emily has now moved to Gymnastika's smaller but much higher quality bar and vault program with Grigoriy Buchkovskiy and Alexei Koudria. Grigoriy moved to Colorado in 2010 to be closer to his family, and started with TIGAR Gymnastics. That is when Emily and I originally met him. He moved to Gymnastika during this past summer. Emily worked well with him and his son Yevgen while they were at TIGAR. Emily was heartbroken when Yevgen left suddenly just as the Level 5 season began. The girls had to adjust to a new bar and beam coach at the beginning of the season.
Even though Emily is leaving Svetlana behind at the moment and will miss her very much, Svetlana gave her a solid foundation in gymnastics that will benefit Emily's future training. Emily knows in order to reach her goal, she'll need more intensive training and conditioning with a smaller class size to improve her bar and vault routines, or face additional struggles at her next meet.
Emily knows this is the best move for her to reach the goals that she is setting for herself and she is comfortable with it. Emily has been very fortunate in her 10 years. She has been coached by some amazing people. Not only has she received some fabulous hands on training from the best in the world at TIGAR, including Svetlana Boguinskaya, now she's learning vault from Alexei Koudria, who was the senior trainer of the Belarussian National Gymnastic team which produced the great Vitaly Scherbo! Alexei has trained several Colorado Gymnasts that have reached the Olympic level. Wow, I don't know how God keeps this child on this road to glory to receive such blessings, but hey, I'll enjoy the ride... Alexei told me tonight that Emily listens to him and he likes working with her. Thank God. She's high maintenance, just like her old man was. We wish TIGAR much success, and I am sure we will meet with all of them again in the near future. I will be continuing to follow all of the girls' progress - after all, our little Utopia created at TIGAR will continue to evolve and the friendships made while there will not be broken.
Emily's been at Gymnastika for the last two days and will start in their school program after the winter break, but for now she's there for the afternoon session and truly having a blast. She's relaxed, happy and has a renewed outlook on the sport after such a dismal State meet. On Tuesday we tried her on the school schedule for just that one day. I did it to see if she wanted it bad enough to adjust her schedule. Well, she was ready and out the door on Tuesday morning at 6:50am. I couldn't get her up for regular school without being late 4 out of 5 days... I guess she's truly fixated on her goal.
More to come.. Emily's determined to succeed.
After interviewing several gyms in the area, the concensus was that we needed to find a medium to small sized gym that offered a school program. We researched and found Gymnastika, which is owned and operated by Gay Lindsay and Alexei Kodria. Upon meeting with them, I feel that Gay and Alexei are more concerned with the quality of coaching and reinforcing the love of this sport. They stress the necessity for proper conditioning techniques to avoid injury. My gut told me this is a good move for Emily.
Emily has now moved to Gymnastika's smaller but much higher quality bar and vault program with Grigoriy Buchkovskiy and Alexei Koudria. Grigoriy moved to Colorado in 2010 to be closer to his family, and started with TIGAR Gymnastics. That is when Emily and I originally met him. He moved to Gymnastika during this past summer. Emily worked well with him and his son Yevgen while they were at TIGAR. Emily was heartbroken when Yevgen left suddenly just as the Level 5 season began. The girls had to adjust to a new bar and beam coach at the beginning of the season.
Even though Emily is leaving Svetlana behind at the moment and will miss her very much, Svetlana gave her a solid foundation in gymnastics that will benefit Emily's future training. Emily knows in order to reach her goal, she'll need more intensive training and conditioning with a smaller class size to improve her bar and vault routines, or face additional struggles at her next meet.
Emily knows this is the best move for her to reach the goals that she is setting for herself and she is comfortable with it. Emily has been very fortunate in her 10 years. She has been coached by some amazing people. Not only has she received some fabulous hands on training from the best in the world at TIGAR, including Svetlana Boguinskaya, now she's learning vault from Alexei Koudria, who was the senior trainer of the Belarussian National Gymnastic team which produced the great Vitaly Scherbo! Alexei has trained several Colorado Gymnasts that have reached the Olympic level. Wow, I don't know how God keeps this child on this road to glory to receive such blessings, but hey, I'll enjoy the ride... Alexei told me tonight that Emily listens to him and he likes working with her. Thank God. She's high maintenance, just like her old man was. We wish TIGAR much success, and I am sure we will meet with all of them again in the near future. I will be continuing to follow all of the girls' progress - after all, our little Utopia created at TIGAR will continue to evolve and the friendships made while there will not be broken.
Emily's been at Gymnastika for the last two days and will start in their school program after the winter break, but for now she's there for the afternoon session and truly having a blast. She's relaxed, happy and has a renewed outlook on the sport after such a dismal State meet. On Tuesday we tried her on the school schedule for just that one day. I did it to see if she wanted it bad enough to adjust her schedule. Well, she was ready and out the door on Tuesday morning at 6:50am. I couldn't get her up for regular school without being late 4 out of 5 days... I guess she's truly fixated on her goal.
More to come.. Emily's determined to succeed.
Sunday, December 11, 2011
Level 5 is DONE!
Well, Emily had her absolute worst meet of the season at State. She hit the vault table with her chest because she jumped too soon for the springboard (there was a line on the floor that threw ALOT of the girls off) Her second vault looked pretty good (what do I know?), her score was 8.25.
On to bars. After the meet Emily tells me her coach Mac, set the bars farther apart than Emily would work in practice. (Again, what do I know?) When she grabbed for the high bar, she only caught it with her fingertips, which threw off her entire routine, but hey, she finished it without a crash and burn. Score 8.25 She is now 0 and 2.
Luck of the draw, she starts the Beam rotation which is her best event. After two falls and an over time, she scored a 8.25. At this point, she can no longer keep herself composed. Svetlana tells her "just think Emily, you had a beautiful routine! I am so proud of you! If you had not fallen twice and did not go over time, you would have scored a 9.75!" Well, those words of encouragement did nothing to ease Emily's troubled soul. She continued to cry until the next rotation.
Floor Rotation: by this time Emily had just given up. She was deflated. Her score 8.95. She was done. So between the tears and regrets we decided to go to IHOP and drown her sorrows in pancakes. With the support of her two big sisters Kathleen and Annie, she made it through this dark period and realized the agony of defeat. Her team mates fared somewhat better, though I don't believe any TIGAR won an All-Around Medal for Level 5 in any division this year at State. The team itself won 3rd place when all was said and done.
Emily had a dismal State meet - it happens. Level 5 is finally behind her! Now we have a chance to evaluate our direction and move on. Emily still loves Gymnastics and still dreams of that Gold Medal, it looks like she'll continue to drag me behind her in this personal quest... God help me!
On to bars. After the meet Emily tells me her coach Mac, set the bars farther apart than Emily would work in practice. (Again, what do I know?) When she grabbed for the high bar, she only caught it with her fingertips, which threw off her entire routine, but hey, she finished it without a crash and burn. Score 8.25 She is now 0 and 2.
Luck of the draw, she starts the Beam rotation which is her best event. After two falls and an over time, she scored a 8.25. At this point, she can no longer keep herself composed. Svetlana tells her "just think Emily, you had a beautiful routine! I am so proud of you! If you had not fallen twice and did not go over time, you would have scored a 9.75!" Well, those words of encouragement did nothing to ease Emily's troubled soul. She continued to cry until the next rotation.
Floor Rotation: by this time Emily had just given up. She was deflated. Her score 8.95. She was done. So between the tears and regrets we decided to go to IHOP and drown her sorrows in pancakes. With the support of her two big sisters Kathleen and Annie, she made it through this dark period and realized the agony of defeat. Her team mates fared somewhat better, though I don't believe any TIGAR won an All-Around Medal for Level 5 in any division this year at State. The team itself won 3rd place when all was said and done.
Emily had a dismal State meet - it happens. Level 5 is finally behind her! Now we have a chance to evaluate our direction and move on. Emily still loves Gymnastics and still dreams of that Gold Medal, it looks like she'll continue to drag me behind her in this personal quest... God help me!
Saturday, December 10, 2011
Level 5 Saturday Morning, Great Job Megan!
For some time I have watched little Megan Jackson struggle through every skill, desperately trying to keep up. She's got the perfect gymnast body, but has had so many challenges to overcome in her short life. She and I are in the same club, this is what I told her when she told me her Mom had died and I knew how she felt. She only knows me as "Emily's Mother". Which is funny, I remember calling Jimmy Daly's mother "Jimmy Daly's Mother", kind of sing songy, like Megan does now to me. But it's usually when she's getting off the bus from school into the gym... "Emily's Mother... can you braid my hair?" :-) I am going to miss that... Laura, you're doing the braiding now and she looks beautiful!
Meet after meet, my heart would go out to Megan, her disappointments on not earning enough points to make it to State, not getting a "real" medal, just a "participation" medal... To see her cry into Dad's shoulder because she just couldn't reach her goal, and then I'd look at my kid who wins everything in sight, and cries when she doesn't get a "real" medal in all events... and want to stomp her guts for being so insensitive... well today was a Mastercard Moment for all.
Not only did Megan get a "real" medal in every event, she podiumed with a 2nd place win on Beam and placed 6th All Around in the Junior A Division! The look on her face was in fact "priceless"! The look on Dad's face was a Kodak moment, but for me, the best was when she ran up to jump into the arms of her "new" mom, Laura.
This was good for Emily too. She was so proud of her friend Megan. She also finally realized how much the medals really mean when you work so hard and they're just out of your grasp...
Today was a good day. Megan's hard work finally paid off. She got her chance to shine. She's such a beautiful little thing and I thank God that I have been privileged to bear witness to her success today.
Emily goes tomorrow. I pray she keeps her cool.
Meet after meet, my heart would go out to Megan, her disappointments on not earning enough points to make it to State, not getting a "real" medal, just a "participation" medal... To see her cry into Dad's shoulder because she just couldn't reach her goal, and then I'd look at my kid who wins everything in sight, and cries when she doesn't get a "real" medal in all events... and want to stomp her guts for being so insensitive... well today was a Mastercard Moment for all.
Not only did Megan get a "real" medal in every event, she podiumed with a 2nd place win on Beam and placed 6th All Around in the Junior A Division! The look on her face was in fact "priceless"! The look on Dad's face was a Kodak moment, but for me, the best was when she ran up to jump into the arms of her "new" mom, Laura.
This was good for Emily too. She was so proud of her friend Megan. She also finally realized how much the medals really mean when you work so hard and they're just out of your grasp...
Today was a good day. Megan's hard work finally paid off. She got her chance to shine. She's such a beautiful little thing and I thank God that I have been privileged to bear witness to her success today.
Emily goes tomorrow. I pray she keeps her cool.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
Three Days to CO USAG State Championship for Level 5
Today is one of those days that I would like to go back to life before Gymnastics. Emily's doing just fine. She's working her bar and vault routines and is still working to improve her Beam and Floor routines. The rotation schedule is out, and Emily's on Squad A. The only thing that may bug her is that she starts the rotation on Beam. I will pray for Emily to calmly perform her beam routine.
I really can't wait until Level 5 is past us. Between growing pains at the Gym, and the strain of my business - I am really ready for a break away from all of this. White sandy beaches, warm water and a drink with a little umbrella is what I dream of every time I gaze out into the snow.
I really can't wait until Level 5 is past us. Between growing pains at the Gym, and the strain of my business - I am really ready for a break away from all of this. White sandy beaches, warm water and a drink with a little umbrella is what I dream of every time I gaze out into the snow.
Tuesday, November 29, 2011
Eleven Days to COUSAG Level 5 State Championships
Eleven days to the Level 5 Colorado State Gymnastics Championships..
I don't know how COUSAG determines what gym is granted hosting the State Championships but I have to say taking the largest teams and cramming them into the smallest gym wasn't the smartest idea in the world. Also placing a disclaimer on the information provided to deter people from coming to watch also isn't a good idea considering the expense involved in getting a kid to a State Championship - my extended family would love to see the result of all that hard work, but I've informed them that seating would be an issue.
TIGAR may not have the best view of the floor routines, but by God, they have enough room to handle spectators! As the Vice President of the TIGAR Booster Club, I can assure you that we would have been able to make the spectators feel welcome and comfortable. I truly hope that our gym decides to bid on a State Meet next year.
Today Emily is in the school spelling bee. She really hasn't had a lot of time to practice on her spelling words because she's been practicing for the State Meet - I hope she does well. She didn't practice last year either, but she made it past the 4th or 5th round! Hey, she made it - I'll be there at 1:30 to support her.
Emily seems to be improving her core strength, even though she's sore. She just might get her kip back by State. She actually got it back during her privates with Svetlana. Svetlana's a miracle worker and knows my whining child well. I pray Emily has improved her bar and vault scores. She's way too hard on herself and wants to win everything in sight, but hey, she's going to have to condition more to reach her goals. There's only one way to get good at gymnastics, and that's based on conditioning your body beyond just regular exercize. I asked her again this morning if she wanted to continue in competitive gymnastics after this State Meet. She told me she's going to the Olympics. Whether she gets there or not, I have no choice but to support her in this dream. Who knows? Out of all three of my girls, Emily's got the tenacity of a bulldog.
I just now found out the schedue for the State Level 5 meet,
TIGAR Gymnasts Who Will Compete in this Session:
· Audrey Brandt
· Violet Erling
· Dasha Romanov
· Jaylynn Haertel
· Kailee Jorgensen
· Kalise Newson
· Joslynn Pulido
· Emily Boyet
· Tess Ackerman
We've got a really big group here for the final session. We don't know what age levels they'll be in, but I believe that it will be broken down into 4 age categories.
The Level 6 girls go to State this weekend - good luck Megan Groel and the rest of the Level 6 TIGARS! Good luck to Lauren, Carly and Ilona at the TOPS camp this weekend and it's a shame that you all can't be at State this year - so make your mark at Karoly's while you're there. You're all winners!
I don't know how COUSAG determines what gym is granted hosting the State Championships but I have to say taking the largest teams and cramming them into the smallest gym wasn't the smartest idea in the world. Also placing a disclaimer on the information provided to deter people from coming to watch also isn't a good idea considering the expense involved in getting a kid to a State Championship - my extended family would love to see the result of all that hard work, but I've informed them that seating would be an issue.
TIGAR may not have the best view of the floor routines, but by God, they have enough room to handle spectators! As the Vice President of the TIGAR Booster Club, I can assure you that we would have been able to make the spectators feel welcome and comfortable. I truly hope that our gym decides to bid on a State Meet next year.
Today Emily is in the school spelling bee. She really hasn't had a lot of time to practice on her spelling words because she's been practicing for the State Meet - I hope she does well. She didn't practice last year either, but she made it past the 4th or 5th round! Hey, she made it - I'll be there at 1:30 to support her.
Emily seems to be improving her core strength, even though she's sore. She just might get her kip back by State. She actually got it back during her privates with Svetlana. Svetlana's a miracle worker and knows my whining child well. I pray Emily has improved her bar and vault scores. She's way too hard on herself and wants to win everything in sight, but hey, she's going to have to condition more to reach her goals. There's only one way to get good at gymnastics, and that's based on conditioning your body beyond just regular exercize. I asked her again this morning if she wanted to continue in competitive gymnastics after this State Meet. She told me she's going to the Olympics. Whether she gets there or not, I have no choice but to support her in this dream. Who knows? Out of all three of my girls, Emily's got the tenacity of a bulldog.
I just now found out the schedue for the State Level 5 meet,
TIGAR Gymnasts Who Will Compete in this Session:
· Audrey Brandt
· Violet Erling
· Dasha Romanov
· Jaylynn Haertel
· Kailee Jorgensen
· Kalise Newson
· Joslynn Pulido
· Emily Boyet
· Tess Ackerman
We've got a really big group here for the final session. We don't know what age levels they'll be in, but I believe that it will be broken down into 4 age categories.
The Level 6 girls go to State this weekend - good luck Megan Groel and the rest of the Level 6 TIGARS! Good luck to Lauren, Carly and Ilona at the TOPS camp this weekend and it's a shame that you all can't be at State this year - so make your mark at Karoly's while you're there. You're all winners!
Saturday, November 26, 2011
15 Days Until State Championships
Well, Emily has another tough private today. I know she's motivated, but she's really just frustrated. I can't say as I blame her - I should have stepped in mid season and said something - but I really don't know that much about this sport.
Emily is having trouble getting her kip back - and this is really not a good thing heading towards State. The root cause? My thought is she is not being properly conditioned to perform the bar and vault routines. Svetlana and I realized yesterday that Emily can no longer perform one decent press handstand. Could it be that Emily grew and lost her center of gravity? Sure, but had she been instructed to be more rigorous in her upper body strengthening, she would have easily overcome that growth spurt. Emily has lost alot of her upper body strength. Last night I put in a request to change her bar and vault coach for next season. I am not sure it can be accomplished, but I'll give it my best shot.
I truly believe this is the best program in the Denver area for Emily. I just hope my email of concerns to the gym owner last night is addressed. It's not just my daughter that's having issues - it's pretty much the entire team. This Level 5 team seems to be going backwards in their skill progression on Vault and Bars. They're progressing on Beam and Floor, but losing points on bars and vault. I reviewed last years' level 5 girls' State results and it's glaringly obvious at this point. Two different coaches. One for Beam and Floor, one for Bars and Vault. I trust that management will take a hard look at the issues I've mentioned in my last email and make changes.
Emily is having trouble getting her kip back - and this is really not a good thing heading towards State. The root cause? My thought is she is not being properly conditioned to perform the bar and vault routines. Svetlana and I realized yesterday that Emily can no longer perform one decent press handstand. Could it be that Emily grew and lost her center of gravity? Sure, but had she been instructed to be more rigorous in her upper body strengthening, she would have easily overcome that growth spurt. Emily has lost alot of her upper body strength. Last night I put in a request to change her bar and vault coach for next season. I am not sure it can be accomplished, but I'll give it my best shot.
I truly believe this is the best program in the Denver area for Emily. I just hope my email of concerns to the gym owner last night is addressed. It's not just my daughter that's having issues - it's pretty much the entire team. This Level 5 team seems to be going backwards in their skill progression on Vault and Bars. They're progressing on Beam and Floor, but losing points on bars and vault. I reviewed last years' level 5 girls' State results and it's glaringly obvious at this point. Two different coaches. One for Beam and Floor, one for Bars and Vault. I trust that management will take a hard look at the issues I've mentioned in my last email and make changes.
Thursday, November 24, 2011
Happy Thanksgiving Emmy Mae!
Thanksgiving 2011. I give thanks for all of my blessings today.
Emily has been taking a few private lessons with her coach Svetlana Stabourova. Emily would like to try to improve her Bars and Vault technique before the State Level 5 Championships in two weeks.
There was a coaching change at TIGAR mid-year. Her old bar and vault coach Yevgen, left TIGAR due to issues unrelated to gymnastics. Losing Yevgen was a shock to Emily's mindset. She really misses him. Mac Whitely started coaching the Level 5 girls in May and Emily has not been won over to Mac's coaching style and it shows in her vault and bar scores.
I sit back and wonder if I am doing the right thing by Emily every day that I take her to the gym. She loves gymnastics, she's got the perfectionist attitude. She wants to win. It's really all that's on her mind. I don't know much about this sport, but I do know what works for my child, and Svetlana knows how to get Emily past her difficulties where Mac doesn't seem to be having an impact. One of the parents at the gym, who has a daughter that's not doing very well this season, stated to me that "not one child from this gym will ever make it to the Olympics or use these skills anywhere else". I beg to differ. I refuse to believe that statement. I believe that there are at least 7 girls at this gym that have the drive and potential to get to the Elite level with the right coaching, as long as they don't mentally flame out or suffer a major injury.
I really feel that the discipline and drive to succeed instilled in this sport, can only benefit my child throughout her life. When I was young I showed horses. That was my passion as a kid. It was alot of work and dedication. It served me later in life and gave me the self-motivation and drive I needed to be able to survive this life on my own. I don't want my girls to have the mindset that their husbands will take care of them financially - life doesn't always work out like that and you have to survive somehow - will my girls have that ability?
I believe that all 7 of the girls mentioned before will be successful in their own right in whatever they choose to do because of the values of hard work instilled in them now, with gymnastics competition. If Emily wasn't doing well and her school work was suffering, I don't know if I would continue to support her in this sport - but this kid's test scores are 1% of the nation academically. I am not bragging but stating a fact that this one's a freaking genius when it comes to school and it's very time consuming for the teachers to keep her challenged. Gymnastics seems to only compliment Emily's day and make her much easier to deal with. When there's a break in her routine, she becomes a little tyrant. I am still working on that one, not sure how to temper that without breaking the spirit in the process.
As a parent, this isn't my first rodeo - but... I still question every decision that I make with Emily. I questioned every move I made with Annie and every move I made with Kathleen. Anne's 25 now, graduated from College and in a successful marketing career and engaged to be married next June. I want to believe that I instilled self-confidence in my girls by supporting them in their efforts.
With Annie's theatre and singing though, there was a point when I sat down and gave her a reality check. In our heart-to-heart I pointed out that less than 1 percent of the population would ever be famous for their acting or singing talent. I told her she needed skills to survive this life and that she should pursue a passion that would allow her success in this life, I was lucky. Annie is a pretty smart cookie and understood clearly what I was saying. She chose technical journalism. Annie is a fabulous writer. I am glad she chose that route. She also still pursues her passion, in community theatre, but it isn't a main source of income.
With Kathleen (19) I tried to instill the importance of her pursuing her own passion and not allowing others push her into a direction of their choosing. There's been alot of parental interference with Kathleen's dad. If I say white, he'll accuse me of saying black. It's been a difficult road with Kathleen due to parental polarization and alot of negative energy that I can finally put behind me since she's turned 19. Kathleen seems to be doing just fine now that she's her own person and can make alot of her own choices. Her dad still tries to control her, but she's 50% me too, so I have faith my headstrong nature resides in her. Kat's still a bit unsure of what she wants to pursue as a career. I will continue to support her emotionally as much as she will allow.
With Emily... well this is a difficult one. In my heart I want to believe that this child is the one in 1%. She's as smart as a whip, and determined to win it all. If anybody can do it, I truly believe that this one will never stop reaching for her goals. Emily is much more work emotionally than either Annie or Kathleen. She's a handful and a half. I never know if I am actually getting through to her. She's got both Kevin and my headstrongness. She's got her dad's charm and she has his same ability to get under your skin as he did. You'll either love her or she'll drive you nuts.
I just pray she stays healthy in mind and body and doesn't get beat down by what life can throw at you. I pray I can financially figure out how to get this kid to her goal as long as she's willing to continue the dedication of working at it every day. I pray that she performs well at the Level 5 Championships and I pray that I am making the right choices by this child. I pray that she goes into this State Meet with the confidence and ability to grab her brass ring. I am not willing to have a pessimistic attitude when it comes to Emily's future. I believe this child has what it takes in this sport. I will continue on this track with Emily and pray for her continued successes. Annie, Kathleen and Emily are my legacy upon this earth and they have always made me proud. I love my girls and thank God every day that he allowed me to guide these three beautiful young ladies through the first part of their life journey. I just hope they don't hold it against me when they pick my nursing home!
Emily has been taking a few private lessons with her coach Svetlana Stabourova. Emily would like to try to improve her Bars and Vault technique before the State Level 5 Championships in two weeks.
There was a coaching change at TIGAR mid-year. Her old bar and vault coach Yevgen, left TIGAR due to issues unrelated to gymnastics. Losing Yevgen was a shock to Emily's mindset. She really misses him. Mac Whitely started coaching the Level 5 girls in May and Emily has not been won over to Mac's coaching style and it shows in her vault and bar scores.
I sit back and wonder if I am doing the right thing by Emily every day that I take her to the gym. She loves gymnastics, she's got the perfectionist attitude. She wants to win. It's really all that's on her mind. I don't know much about this sport, but I do know what works for my child, and Svetlana knows how to get Emily past her difficulties where Mac doesn't seem to be having an impact. One of the parents at the gym, who has a daughter that's not doing very well this season, stated to me that "not one child from this gym will ever make it to the Olympics or use these skills anywhere else". I beg to differ. I refuse to believe that statement. I believe that there are at least 7 girls at this gym that have the drive and potential to get to the Elite level with the right coaching, as long as they don't mentally flame out or suffer a major injury.
I really feel that the discipline and drive to succeed instilled in this sport, can only benefit my child throughout her life. When I was young I showed horses. That was my passion as a kid. It was alot of work and dedication. It served me later in life and gave me the self-motivation and drive I needed to be able to survive this life on my own. I don't want my girls to have the mindset that their husbands will take care of them financially - life doesn't always work out like that and you have to survive somehow - will my girls have that ability?
I believe that all 7 of the girls mentioned before will be successful in their own right in whatever they choose to do because of the values of hard work instilled in them now, with gymnastics competition. If Emily wasn't doing well and her school work was suffering, I don't know if I would continue to support her in this sport - but this kid's test scores are 1% of the nation academically. I am not bragging but stating a fact that this one's a freaking genius when it comes to school and it's very time consuming for the teachers to keep her challenged. Gymnastics seems to only compliment Emily's day and make her much easier to deal with. When there's a break in her routine, she becomes a little tyrant. I am still working on that one, not sure how to temper that without breaking the spirit in the process.
As a parent, this isn't my first rodeo - but... I still question every decision that I make with Emily. I questioned every move I made with Annie and every move I made with Kathleen. Anne's 25 now, graduated from College and in a successful marketing career and engaged to be married next June. I want to believe that I instilled self-confidence in my girls by supporting them in their efforts.
With Annie's theatre and singing though, there was a point when I sat down and gave her a reality check. In our heart-to-heart I pointed out that less than 1 percent of the population would ever be famous for their acting or singing talent. I told her she needed skills to survive this life and that she should pursue a passion that would allow her success in this life, I was lucky. Annie is a pretty smart cookie and understood clearly what I was saying. She chose technical journalism. Annie is a fabulous writer. I am glad she chose that route. She also still pursues her passion, in community theatre, but it isn't a main source of income.
With Kathleen (19) I tried to instill the importance of her pursuing her own passion and not allowing others push her into a direction of their choosing. There's been alot of parental interference with Kathleen's dad. If I say white, he'll accuse me of saying black. It's been a difficult road with Kathleen due to parental polarization and alot of negative energy that I can finally put behind me since she's turned 19. Kathleen seems to be doing just fine now that she's her own person and can make alot of her own choices. Her dad still tries to control her, but she's 50% me too, so I have faith my headstrong nature resides in her. Kat's still a bit unsure of what she wants to pursue as a career. I will continue to support her emotionally as much as she will allow.
With Emily... well this is a difficult one. In my heart I want to believe that this child is the one in 1%. She's as smart as a whip, and determined to win it all. If anybody can do it, I truly believe that this one will never stop reaching for her goals. Emily is much more work emotionally than either Annie or Kathleen. She's a handful and a half. I never know if I am actually getting through to her. She's got both Kevin and my headstrongness. She's got her dad's charm and she has his same ability to get under your skin as he did. You'll either love her or she'll drive you nuts.
I just pray she stays healthy in mind and body and doesn't get beat down by what life can throw at you. I pray I can financially figure out how to get this kid to her goal as long as she's willing to continue the dedication of working at it every day. I pray that she performs well at the Level 5 Championships and I pray that I am making the right choices by this child. I pray that she goes into this State Meet with the confidence and ability to grab her brass ring. I am not willing to have a pessimistic attitude when it comes to Emily's future. I believe this child has what it takes in this sport. I will continue on this track with Emily and pray for her continued successes. Annie, Kathleen and Emily are my legacy upon this earth and they have always made me proud. I love my girls and thank God every day that he allowed me to guide these three beautiful young ladies through the first part of their life journey. I just hope they don't hold it against me when they pick my nursing home!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Xtreme Aerials, three weeks before Level 5 State Championships
Tonight we attended the Xtreme Aerials Fall Classic in Lafayette. Emily placed 6th all-around in her division which did not please her. She wants all 9's for Level 5. I've been told by other moms that she's doing really well, but she's not happy. She wants to be the best, and is not happy with her record in this Level 5 season. I think she's done really well - she doesn't. I'll be reporting in during State.
So here's Emily's scores since the start of this season, there's only one more event - that's the State Championships on December 10th-11th. They are scheduling the girls in different flights based on their highest meet all around score. Emily's highest all-around score for this season is 36.1 at the TIGAR Cartwheel Carnival.
9-18-11 Aerials Fall Festival, Colorado Springs.
Vault 8.45 (6th), Bars 8.05 (5th), Beam 8.95(2nd), Floor 9.0 (2nd) All Around (3rd) 34.45
10-01-11 TIGAR Cartwheel Carnival, Wheat Ridge
Vault 8.75 (7th), Bars 8.6 (8th), Beam 9.4 (1st), Floor 9.35 (1st) All Around (2nd) 36.1
10-15-11 JUDGE'S CUP (This was disastrous - Emily was coming back from a wrist sprain and basically only conditioned up to this point)
Vault 7.75 43rd), Bars 8.4 (27th), Beam 6.7 (she fell three times) (66th), Floor 8.875 (22nd) All Around 31.725 (57th) This meet was a reality check for Emily. She now realizes that she can't take 10 days off resting an injury and then jump into a meet head first with virtually no practice.
11-12-11 MILE-HI Salute, TIGAR, Wheat Ridge (this was supposed to have been a Savage Meet)
Vault 8.5 (5th), Bars 7.95 (?), Beam 9.15 (1st), Floor 9.4 (1st), All Around (2nd Place) 35.0
11-20-11 XAG Fall Classic, Lafayette
Vault 8.65 (13th), Bars 8.4 (2nd), Beam 9.425 (2nd), Floor 9.475 (1st), All Around (6th Place) 35.95
So here's Emily's scores since the start of this season, there's only one more event - that's the State Championships on December 10th-11th. They are scheduling the girls in different flights based on their highest meet all around score. Emily's highest all-around score for this season is 36.1 at the TIGAR Cartwheel Carnival.
9-18-11 Aerials Fall Festival, Colorado Springs.
Vault 8.45 (6th), Bars 8.05 (5th), Beam 8.95(2nd), Floor 9.0 (2nd) All Around (3rd) 34.45
10-01-11 TIGAR Cartwheel Carnival, Wheat Ridge
Vault 8.75 (7th), Bars 8.6 (8th), Beam 9.4 (1st), Floor 9.35 (1st) All Around (2nd) 36.1
10-15-11 JUDGE'S CUP (This was disastrous - Emily was coming back from a wrist sprain and basically only conditioned up to this point)
Vault 7.75 43rd), Bars 8.4 (27th), Beam 6.7 (she fell three times) (66th), Floor 8.875 (22nd) All Around 31.725 (57th) This meet was a reality check for Emily. She now realizes that she can't take 10 days off resting an injury and then jump into a meet head first with virtually no practice.
11-12-11 MILE-HI Salute, TIGAR, Wheat Ridge (this was supposed to have been a Savage Meet)
Vault 8.5 (5th), Bars 7.95 (?), Beam 9.15 (1st), Floor 9.4 (1st), All Around (2nd Place) 35.0
11-20-11 XAG Fall Classic, Lafayette
Vault 8.65 (13th), Bars 8.4 (2nd), Beam 9.425 (2nd), Floor 9.475 (1st), All Around (6th Place) 35.95
Monday, October 24, 2011
Harvest Time!
It's October in Colorado and we're still seeing 80 degree days. Global warming at it's worst. Yesterday Emily and I went to the pumpkin patch north of Broomfield, CO. It was a fun time.
When we were done with the pumpkin picking, just before you get ready to leave there, they have a petting zoo, face painting, and a hay bale maze. So of course, Emily just had to go there...
After being sick on Friday, she had too much time off from practice and just HAD to do a few gymnastics moves... I don't understand this need to perform but then again I just looked at Nastia Liukin's photos from England
http://www.visitbritain.com/en/US/Britain-Bound-Nastia-Liukin-Day-One.htm
and I got emotional which really surprised me... it was like watching Emily... they're all someone's little girl and the drive which all the really determined gymnasts seem to have is evident when they can't hold back and have to bust a move anywhere...!
 |
| Emily picking pumpkins |
When we were done with the pumpkin picking, just before you get ready to leave there, they have a petting zoo, face painting, and a hay bale maze. So of course, Emily just had to go there...
 |
| practicing her scale.... |
After being sick on Friday, she had too much time off from practice and just HAD to do a few gymnastics moves... I don't understand this need to perform but then again I just looked at Nastia Liukin's photos from England
http://www.visitbritain.com/en/US/Britain-Bound-Nastia-Liukin-Day-One.htm
and I got emotional which really surprised me... it was like watching Emily... they're all someone's little girl and the drive which all the really determined gymnasts seem to have is evident when they can't hold back and have to bust a move anywhere...!
 |
| ...always a gymnast! |
Sunday, October 2, 2011
TIGAR Gymnastics Cartwheel Carnival
Beam 1st place with a 9.4
and Floor 1st place 9.35.
She placed 2nd All Around. I've put her videos up on YouTube. We did not film the awards ceremony as I was running concessions throughout the entire meet and my soon to be son in law stood in for me as videographer. He did a GREAT job with my lousy little Vivitar cheepo video camera. Here's the YouTube of her floor routine: and here's the video of her beam routine: http://youtu.be/iSSqBPatWIc
Sunday, September 18, 2011
Aerials Fall Festival, Colorado Springs
Today was Emily's 1st competition as a Level 5 gymnast. Her scores were 8.45 on Vault (6th place), 8.05 on Bars (5th place), 8.95 on Beam (2nd place) and 9.0 on Floor (2nd place). She was placed in the Age Division "Junior B" with a total of 18 girls competing at that level and finished All Around 3rd place.
The TIGAR 4,5, and 6 girls did fairly well in their first outing of the season. We've got a huge crop of Level 5's. It's almost embarrassing, but really kind of fun when you hear the parents screaming from the stands when they step out on the floor...
I found a site called www.mymeetscores.com and discovered that my Emily is listed twice, once under the proper spelling of her name Emily Boyet, and then again as Emily Bpyet which lists the information from the CGI meet in February 2011. So I tried to find someone to contact at mymeetscores.com, but their "help" page has no help options. So I wrote CGI to see if they could fix it... we'll see what happens. I noticed that there are alot of misspellings on this site. Searching for Elizabeth Leduc for instance, will bring up at least 4 different spellings and scores for the same individual. It would be nice to be able to consolidate the scores on this site, without anyone monitoring the entries, makes this site pretty much "garbage out" and not at all easy to decipher if you're looking for your kid's scores on line.
Somebody somewhere, hear my plea! Fix what ails MyMeetScores.com! I am sure Lizzy's parents would appreciate it, I know I would...
Maybe you all should reference the kid's USAG #, but not print it on the site? That would be the easiest check. I don't think their USAG member number ever changes, but hey, what do I know?
Thursday, September 15, 2011
This Saturday is National Gymnastics Day!
TIGAR Gymnastics will be doing their part to help with the Guinness Book of World Records for most people doing a handstand at once!
This ought to be fun. I will be serving hot dogs. I can't do a handstand, I am far too old.
Hope to see many faces there this weekend. We're fundraising for Children's Hospital!
This ought to be fun. I will be serving hot dogs. I can't do a handstand, I am far too old.
Hope to see many faces there this weekend. We're fundraising for Children's Hospital!
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Emily made it to Level 5!
This past weekend 7-9-11, there was a mock meet at TIGAR complete with Jana Prochazka (Colorado State Judging Director), and Carol Bunge (brevet judge & USAG Region 3 Technical Chairman.)complete with USAG applied scoring.
Emily's level 5 scores were Vault 7.9, Bars 7.9, Beam 7.3 and Floor 8.5. The judges scored all of the girls very hard, but they also gave them pointers on what they were looking for. They also went over what the deductions were for each fault. I think all of the girls did rather well and for the $25.00 fee, it was WELL WORTH IT! Last year during Emily's level 4 season, they also had a mock meet, with just Jana. I am so happy that I have been able to have Emily at TIGAR.
Emily's level 5 scores were Vault 7.9, Bars 7.9, Beam 7.3 and Floor 8.5. The judges scored all of the girls very hard, but they also gave them pointers on what they were looking for. They also went over what the deductions were for each fault. I think all of the girls did rather well and for the $25.00 fee, it was WELL WORTH IT! Last year during Emily's level 4 season, they also had a mock meet, with just Jana. I am so happy that I have been able to have Emily at TIGAR.
Thursday, May 5, 2011
Spring has sprung
Well, we had the grand opening at the new gym! The new gym is 18,000 square feet. To think that this gym hasn't been open an entire year yet and we've already outgrown the old space! During the grand opening this past weekend we were graced with the presence of Svetlana Boguinskaia, Rustam Sharipov and Anna Smirnova.
I sat and watched them work on Saturday. I have to say that I was so totally impressed. These three wonderful champions worked with all of the kids, in every level and not only did the kids learn new skills, but they also bonded as a team.
This was absolutely a fabulous experience for the kids and I am so appreciative for having been able to allow my child the opportunity to learn from true Olympic champions!
Svetlana Stabourova, Emily's coach from the beginning is pictured on the right of the photo with the blond hair standing next to Anna. She is the BEST EVER! Emily mastered her back walk over, and back hand spring yesterday, with encouragement from her coach. Wow, last week Emily was afraid to perform a back walk over on the low beam, this week she's performing level 6 skills without a bobble!
I sat and watched them work on Saturday. I have to say that I was so totally impressed. These three wonderful champions worked with all of the kids, in every level and not only did the kids learn new skills, but they also bonded as a team.
This was absolutely a fabulous experience for the kids and I am so appreciative for having been able to allow my child the opportunity to learn from true Olympic champions!
Svetlana Stabourova, Emily's coach from the beginning is pictured on the right of the photo with the blond hair standing next to Anna. She is the BEST EVER! Emily mastered her back walk over, and back hand spring yesterday, with encouragement from her coach. Wow, last week Emily was afraid to perform a back walk over on the low beam, this week she's performing level 6 skills without a bobble!
Friday, February 18, 2011
CGI Winterfest 2011
Looks like the TIGARS are a force to be reckoned with after all. Today the level 4, 5's and 6 girls went on to win the team award with a team total of over 111 points.
Emily turned to me on the way down to the meet and told me that she was going to break her old all around record and would earn over 37 points in all 4 events. So I thought and said to her "It's your last meet of the season, I'm proud of you no matter what you get today." I feared that she might be putting too much on her own plate, but...
Here's her scores:
Vault 9.1, Bars 9.1, Beam 9.625 and Floor 9.425 for a total all around score of 37.15! She did exactly as she set out to do.
Emily won the all around for Level 4. She placed 3rd on vault, 4th on bars, 1st on beam and 1st on floor.
Our little TIGARS battled it out for the podium. Hot on Emily's trail was Noelle Hart with an all around score of 37.1 followed by Kate Bain with an all around score of 37.05 and Joselyn Pulido in 5th place. Four out of five podium positions filled by TIGARS. Almost a sweep. Pretty good for a team that's only been together since June 2010! We can't wait until next year. This past season has been an adventure.
It's been a great season for Emily all in all.
This season's standings:
Premier Gymnastics 2010 Showdown Loveland, CO 9/26/2010 Level 4 Sr. Vault 9.300 Bars 8.750 Beam 9.000 Floor 9.300 All Around 36.350
Adrenalyn Gymnastics Rocktoberfest Centennial, CO 10/2/2010 Level 4 Sr. Vault 9.050 Bars 8.500 Beam 8.500 Floor 9.050 All Around 35.100
Encore Gymnastics Fall Fiesta Littleton, CO 10/9/2010 Level 4 Sr. Vault 9.100 Bars 9.100 Beam 7.800 Floor 9.450 All Around 35.450
CGI Autumn Classic Aurora, CO 10/24/2010 Level 4 Senior
Vault 9.200 Bars 8.250 Beam 8.600 Floor 8.500 All Around 34.550
Airborne Classic Longmont, CO 11/12/2010 Level 4 Senior
Vault 9.300 Bars 9.150 Beam 9.075 Floor 9.100 All Around 36.625
Colorado State Championships Denver, CO 12/12/2010 Level4 Junior 1 Vault 9.150 Bars 9.125 Beam 9.375 Floor 9.150 All Around 36.800
Vitaly Scherbo Invitational Las Vegas, NV 1/14/2011 Level4 Senior Vault 9.050 Bars 9.275 Beam 9.425 Floor 9.100 All Around 36.850
Pike's Peak Cup Colorado Springs, CO 2/4/2011 Level 4 Senior
Vault 9.200 Bars 9.200 Beam 9.000 Floor 9.000 All Around 36.400
CGI Winterfest Classic Denver, CO 2/18/2011 Level 4
Vault 9.050 Bars 9.050 Beam 9.625 Floor 9.425 All Around 37.150
Emily's worked hard and achieved all of the goals she's set before her. I am very proud of her and her team mates.
Emily's wins this season include 34 medals, 4th place at State on Beam and two all around titles. All of this from the girl that another gym said that she'd never be able to focus due to her Asperger's issues. Thank God Svetlana decided to leave that gym and move over to TIGAR so that Emily and her buddies could continue to benefit from her coaching skills.
On to Level 5. Emily has learned her kip and is more than happy to retire the "shoot through" a skill she will more than likely never need again in her gymnastics career. Time to break in the grips. Competition season is only 6 months away!
Emily turned to me on the way down to the meet and told me that she was going to break her old all around record and would earn over 37 points in all 4 events. So I thought and said to her "It's your last meet of the season, I'm proud of you no matter what you get today." I feared that she might be putting too much on her own plate, but...
Here's her scores:
Vault 9.1, Bars 9.1, Beam 9.625 and Floor 9.425 for a total all around score of 37.15! She did exactly as she set out to do.
Emily won the all around for Level 4. She placed 3rd on vault, 4th on bars, 1st on beam and 1st on floor.
Our little TIGARS battled it out for the podium. Hot on Emily's trail was Noelle Hart with an all around score of 37.1 followed by Kate Bain with an all around score of 37.05 and Joselyn Pulido in 5th place. Four out of five podium positions filled by TIGARS. Almost a sweep. Pretty good for a team that's only been together since June 2010! We can't wait until next year. This past season has been an adventure.
It's been a great season for Emily all in all.
This season's standings:
Premier Gymnastics 2010 Showdown Loveland, CO 9/26/2010 Level 4 Sr. Vault 9.300 Bars 8.750 Beam 9.000 Floor 9.300 All Around 36.350
Adrenalyn Gymnastics Rocktoberfest Centennial, CO 10/2/2010 Level 4 Sr. Vault 9.050 Bars 8.500 Beam 8.500 Floor 9.050 All Around 35.100
Encore Gymnastics Fall Fiesta Littleton, CO 10/9/2010 Level 4 Sr. Vault 9.100 Bars 9.100 Beam 7.800 Floor 9.450 All Around 35.450
CGI Autumn Classic Aurora, CO 10/24/2010 Level 4 Senior
Vault 9.200 Bars 8.250 Beam 8.600 Floor 8.500 All Around 34.550
Airborne Classic Longmont, CO 11/12/2010 Level 4 Senior
Vault 9.300 Bars 9.150 Beam 9.075 Floor 9.100 All Around 36.625
Colorado State Championships Denver, CO 12/12/2010 Level4 Junior 1 Vault 9.150 Bars 9.125 Beam 9.375 Floor 9.150 All Around 36.800
Vitaly Scherbo Invitational Las Vegas, NV 1/14/2011 Level4 Senior Vault 9.050 Bars 9.275 Beam 9.425 Floor 9.100 All Around 36.850
Pike's Peak Cup Colorado Springs, CO 2/4/2011 Level 4 Senior
Vault 9.200 Bars 9.200 Beam 9.000 Floor 9.000 All Around 36.400
CGI Winterfest Classic Denver, CO 2/18/2011 Level 4
Vault 9.050 Bars 9.050 Beam 9.625 Floor 9.425 All Around 37.150
Emily's worked hard and achieved all of the goals she's set before her. I am very proud of her and her team mates.
Emily's wins this season include 34 medals, 4th place at State on Beam and two all around titles. All of this from the girl that another gym said that she'd never be able to focus due to her Asperger's issues. Thank God Svetlana decided to leave that gym and move over to TIGAR so that Emily and her buddies could continue to benefit from her coaching skills.
On to Level 5. Emily has learned her kip and is more than happy to retire the "shoot through" a skill she will more than likely never need again in her gymnastics career. Time to break in the grips. Competition season is only 6 months away!
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Pikes Peak Cup a great time
The Level 4's attended the Pikes Peak Cup at the Broadmoor Hotel in Colorado Springs on Saturday February 5th. We drove down Friday night, stayed in the Travellodge South Colorado Springs, which I do NOT recommend and went to the meet on Saturday morning.
Emily tied for third place in the All Around with a score of 36.4 and her scores were: vault 9.2, Bars 9.2, Beam 9.0 and Floor 9.0 I gotta hand it to her, she's consistent.
We got the chance to watch the Elite girls on Saturday night, but we decided to drive home at 9pm in a blizzard. We convoyed back with the TIGAR bus, it was a white knuckled trip, but we made it.
Emily got her kip! She was the first one in her group that made it! To celebrate, I am posting a video that I found on youtube. It's a little long, but hysterical and worth watching. It's from the coach's perspective.
Emily tied for third place in the All Around with a score of 36.4 and her scores were: vault 9.2, Bars 9.2, Beam 9.0 and Floor 9.0 I gotta hand it to her, she's consistent.
We got the chance to watch the Elite girls on Saturday night, but we decided to drive home at 9pm in a blizzard. We convoyed back with the TIGAR bus, it was a white knuckled trip, but we made it.
Emily got her kip! She was the first one in her group that made it! To celebrate, I am posting a video that I found on youtube. It's a little long, but hysterical and worth watching. It's from the coach's perspective.
Tuesday, January 18, 2011
Emmy's Party today in school
Today Emily and I brought doughnuts and drinks up to her homeroom class to celebrate her Las Vegas win. She's actually been bullied by the "click" girls in school. They are green-eyed that Emily's doing gymnastics and they're not I guess. In any event, you catch more flies with sugar... Her teacher expressed an interest in watching her next event. I told him it was in Colorado Springs. He seems game to travel that far. That would be sweet if we had people from her elementary school there too. Maybe I can talk my sisters into actually watching one of her last two meets at this level.
I think the trip finally got to Emmy. As I type this she's snoozing on the couch behind me. Training for the upcoming meet in February begins tomorrow, so tonight we will both rest.
I think the trip finally got to Emmy. As I type this she's snoozing on the couch behind me. Training for the upcoming meet in February begins tomorrow, so tonight we will both rest.
Sunday, January 16, 2011
Vitaly Scherbo Invitational - worth the trip!
Well we're home, back in Denver. The Vitaly Scherbo invitational was a grand success for the newly minted TIGAR girls team. Level 4, Level 5 and Level 6 teams all placed 3rd. We started our trip at DIA and met up with two other team members, Gigi and Tess who flew in on the same flight that we did. It was a great start to a fun event.
Kate Bain took home the All-Around in Level 4 Division B. Kate's had a fabulous season. Emily took home the all-around in Level 4 Division D with an All Around score of 36.85 and the team trophy with the highest Level 4 scores. Noelle finished first on Floor. Our Level 4 TIGARS have blasted onto the scene!
Emily's individual scores for the Vitaly Scherbo Invitational:
Vault - 9.05 (3rd Place), Floor - 9.1 (5th Place), Uneven Bars - 9.275 (1st Place) ,
Balance Beam - 9.425 (1st Place). All Around = 36.85 (1st Place)
This meet was held at the YMCA in North Las Vegas and was organized brilliantly. Two gymnasiums were used. One strictly for competition, and one strictly for the awards ceremony. All of the events went off on time. The competitors were not stressed in any way and from my viewpoint, all of the kids seemed to be relaxed and enjoyed themselves.
Grandpa was present, since he lives one exit down from the Y, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching the events. It was great to have him there! Emily had to nap for two hours before she had to go out and perform. She was not well, running a fever at noon, I gave her two Tylenol and she slept until it was competition time. Megan Jackson was ill that evening after the meet and Kate succumbed to the crud the next day, so I wouldn't be surprised if this virus spreads through the entire team by week end. Keep well little Tigars...
Emily's individual scores for the Vitaly Scherbo Invitational:
Vault - 9.05 (3rd Place), Floor - 9.1 (5th Place), Uneven Bars - 9.275 (1st Place) ,
Balance Beam - 9.425 (1st Place). All Around = 36.85 (1st Place)
This meet was held at the YMCA in North Las Vegas and was organized brilliantly. Two gymnasiums were used. One strictly for competition, and one strictly for the awards ceremony. All of the events went off on time. The competitors were not stressed in any way and from my viewpoint, all of the kids seemed to be relaxed and enjoyed themselves.
Grandpa was present, since he lives one exit down from the Y, and he thoroughly enjoyed watching the events. It was great to have him there! Emily had to nap for two hours before she had to go out and perform. She was not well, running a fever at noon, I gave her two Tylenol and she slept until it was competition time. Megan Jackson was ill that evening after the meet and Kate succumbed to the crud the next day, so I wouldn't be surprised if this virus spreads through the entire team by week end. Keep well little Tigars...
Monday, January 10, 2011
Emily turns 10.
Wow, haven't been here for a while. With the holidays and all, I've fallen behind it seems. Emily had her photos taken by Lifescape Portraits at the gym, and I must say that these images are fabulous!
Vote for Emily's photo! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=146813132040200&set=a.146813085373538.40226.137986392922874&pid=228494&id=137986392922874
Tomorrow Emily will be 10 years old and lots of things have happened since December. Yesterday we held a tea party at my sister June's house and my sister Jean made a fabulous Mad Hatter Cake.
Three days til Vegas...
Vote for Emily's photo! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=146813132040200&set=a.146813085373538.40226.137986392922874&pid=228494&id=137986392922874
Tomorrow Emily will be 10 years old and lots of things have happened since December. Yesterday we held a tea party at my sister June's house and my sister Jean made a fabulous Mad Hatter Cake.
Three days til Vegas...
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