Gymnastics Center of Hershey: Where Character Counts
There are two stories at play in this post: One is in regards to level 7 hopeful Renata- a gymnast who moved out here, briefly trained at another gym; and who eventually settled with us a few months ago. The other story I'd like to relay is a shoutout to the Gymnastics Center of Hershey in Pennsylvania.
Our gym was at Lady Luck over the weekend. Given we only had one level 7 entrant, I was not needed to work the session; so conveniently showed up at leisure to lend morale support. I missed first rotation- vault (apparently it went well, as she scored a 9.325 and earned herself a 2nd place finish).
Renata had been struggling with bar giants. For months. She could do them well enough on strap bar. But on the regular rail? Fergetaboutit.
Months wore down to weeks away from her first level 7 competition in Vegas. Weeks wittled into days, and still no giants- perhaps 4-6 makes up until the last week before showtime.
She hit a couple of giants 7 days before the Lady Luck meet. A couple more over the weekend. Then the week of the meet, beginning last Monday and her final practice on Wednesday, she finally began making around 30% of her giants.
When I walked into the competition site Friday morning, she was on her 2nd rotation- bars, and did not miss a single giant attempt during warm-ups, as far as I noticed.
As she prepared for her competition routine, I was handed her cameraphone to film. Since I also wanted to film her routine with my phone, I held both phones in both hands. Renata being our only level 7, we shared the rotation with another team from the Gymnastics Center of Hershey. One of their gymnasts noticed me holding both cameras and kindly offered to hold one of them and film. I felt much obliged to her.
As Renata went through her bar routine, the girls from Hershey Pennsylvania were all cheering for her. Such sportsmanship certainly isn't a rarity- but I was still impressed as they cheered pretty vigorously- as vigorously as many teams cheer for their own teammates.
Renata hit the best level 7 routine she's done thus far (even her low bar clear hip had some life) and nailed her one giant in the routine. 4th place with a 9.250 which isn't too shabby for someone who didn't have giants 8 days ago, let alone any consistency before the big day.
Success on vault and bars was followed by disaster on beam. I'm glad I filmed it, because as emotionally embarrassing and painful as it may have seemed to Renata at the time with 3 falls, it really deserves a place of honor in her video scrapbook as a blooper hallmark when she fell on her mount. Life should always be taken with humor; and Renata was able to laugh about it, later on in the day.
During the beam routine, the Hershey gymnasts invested themselves in Renata's performance, cheering very loudly their support. It wasn't just a token gesture- they watched with interest from beginning to end. They cheered for her by name. They displayed the exact kind of sportsmanship and conduct that I wish to cultivate within my own gym. It is not easy for many gymnasts to compete as a lone member of their team; and these gymnasts gave Renata the support she needed in the absence of her own teammates. For that my coworkers, Renata, and myself are entirely grateful to the coaches and gymnasts of the Gymnastics Center of Hershey. They are not only building strong athletes but building strong people of moral fiber and character. My deepest admiration for their program.
Our gym was at Lady Luck over the weekend. Given we only had one level 7 entrant, I was not needed to work the session; so conveniently showed up at leisure to lend morale support. I missed first rotation- vault (apparently it went well, as she scored a 9.325 and earned herself a 2nd place finish).
Renata had been struggling with bar giants. For months. She could do them well enough on strap bar. But on the regular rail? Fergetaboutit.
Months wore down to weeks away from her first level 7 competition in Vegas. Weeks wittled into days, and still no giants- perhaps 4-6 makes up until the last week before showtime.
She hit a couple of giants 7 days before the Lady Luck meet. A couple more over the weekend. Then the week of the meet, beginning last Monday and her final practice on Wednesday, she finally began making around 30% of her giants.
When I walked into the competition site Friday morning, she was on her 2nd rotation- bars, and did not miss a single giant attempt during warm-ups, as far as I noticed.
As she prepared for her competition routine, I was handed her cameraphone to film. Since I also wanted to film her routine with my phone, I held both phones in both hands. Renata being our only level 7, we shared the rotation with another team from the Gymnastics Center of Hershey. One of their gymnasts noticed me holding both cameras and kindly offered to hold one of them and film. I felt much obliged to her.
As Renata went through her bar routine, the girls from Hershey Pennsylvania were all cheering for her. Such sportsmanship certainly isn't a rarity- but I was still impressed as they cheered pretty vigorously- as vigorously as many teams cheer for their own teammates.
Renata hit the best level 7 routine she's done thus far (even her low bar clear hip had some life) and nailed her one giant in the routine. 4th place with a 9.250 which isn't too shabby for someone who didn't have giants 8 days ago, let alone any consistency before the big day.
Success on vault and bars was followed by disaster on beam. I'm glad I filmed it, because as emotionally embarrassing and painful as it may have seemed to Renata at the time with 3 falls, it really deserves a place of honor in her video scrapbook as a blooper hallmark when she fell on her mount. Life should always be taken with humor; and Renata was able to laugh about it, later on in the day.
During the beam routine, the Hershey gymnasts invested themselves in Renata's performance, cheering very loudly their support. It wasn't just a token gesture- they watched with interest from beginning to end. They cheered for her by name. They displayed the exact kind of sportsmanship and conduct that I wish to cultivate within my own gym. It is not easy for many gymnasts to compete as a lone member of their team; and these gymnasts gave Renata the support she needed in the absence of her own teammates. For that my coworkers, Renata, and myself are entirely grateful to the coaches and gymnasts of the Gymnastics Center of Hershey. They are not only building strong athletes but building strong people of moral fiber and character. My deepest admiration for their program.
Labels: clubs, coaches, GW, Level 7, sports psychology
posted by UCLA Gymnast X-ing at 1/17/2016 03:44:00 PM
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