Emma's Gymnastics Story

Moving On..

Today was Wednesday, so it was time for gymnastics! Tomorrow was dance. Wow, life is so busy! But I like that.

"Got your leotard, Emma?" Mom asked me behind my bedroom door.

I put my arm through the hole of my shiny purple leotard, then said,"Yes Mom!"

"Good girl!" she said and opened the door.

"Come on, I got to braid your hair now." she said and I followed her into her bright vanity.

She tied my hair high up tightly, then braided it and sprayed my hair with hair spray to make sure it sticks.

"Perfect!" she exclaimed and admired my hair. "come on."

We went outside to her car and she drove to the gym. Mom took me in and talked a bit to my coach while I was in the locker room getting my stuff. Coach Katie told me some about how I was doing to Mom. After that, she kissed my forehead and left.

"Alright girls!" Katie announced. "your warm ups today are splits, which you have for at least ten seconds, and make sure you're doing a middle split. Then do handstand push-ups against the wall, leg holds, a few jumps, butterflies, and straddles! And I'm watching you so don't you dare cheat! Do a split!"

We all slid into a straight middle split. She counted until ten and made sure we held it. Then she said you can stop. I got up from my split. Then she said,"AGAINST THE WALL!"

We all did a handstand against the wall and then went down with our hands. No one can go that far down but we pushed up eight times. She said,"Up. Down. Up." Then we got up and raise dour leg high and held it up. We did that for ten seconds, then switched our leg and held the other for ten seconds, too. We did a split jump, straight jump, and a straddle jump. You could do any gymnastic jump as long as it was a jump we learned. But we couldn't do leaps.

"Make a butterfly circle!" Coach Katie said and we all sat down and did a butterfly.

We all said where we were traveling and then once everyone said the place, we could do our straddles. We held it for six seconds then stopped.

"Good job, guys!" Coach said. "I think it sounds good to do....floor first!"

We started doing a handstand. As simple as that is, we actually had to hold it for a long time. She taught us how to hold it longer by sort of walking to stay up. I thought it was cool when I tried. Then, we practiced a high and straight split leap. She told us to also work on our form while doing a back handspring.

"What's the rule?" she asked. "Loren! Tell me."

Loren hesitated, then said,"Umm..toes pointed."

"Mmhmm, that's one," Coach Katie said. "but there is two more."

"Straight legs?" Loren hesitated. "and......legs together?"

"Yes, yes!" Katie exclaimed. "Toes pointed, legs together with straight legs! Make sure you do all of that when doing your back handspring. Now, to get you ready for level four, lets also focus on multiple back handsprings!"

We all looked at each other excitedly.

"I can already do that!" Brenda said, standing up.

"Really?" Katie said surprised. "show me, girl!"

Brenda laughed and walked out a big open spaced. Then she did a roundoff back handspring back handspring back handspring back handspring back handspring. Wow. Five connected back handsprings!!!

"Wow!" Katie exclaimed amazed. "you did is many connected back handsprings!"

Brenda smiled and said,"Thanks!" She blushed. Then she sat back down.

"Well this will be an easy peecy lemon squeezey unit for your, Brenda!" Katie exclaimed, relieved. "anyway, what you wanna focus on is connecting the back handsprings. Because if you don't connect them, it's not exactly counted, if you see what I'm saying."

We nodded in agreement.

"Just keep on doing back handsprings, connect them, and don't stop." Katie said. "now give yourself some open space and then give it a try!"

We spread out for space. Then we attempted it. I could only do two connected back handsprings--at least that's what I think.

"Good job guys!" Katie exclaimed. "now let's move to vault!"

We did the usual handstand to mat stack. But

"Be prepared for level four vault," Katie said to us. "its like doing a front limber but on the vault."

"I'm scared for level four!" I said to Bree.

She agreed with me. "I am, too!"

The rest of my friends also agreed with me. But Amiyrah said,"I don't think it will be that bad!"

"Well Miyah, you're right!" Katie said to her. "it won't be bad at all! You're going to learn many new skills!"

"I mean, I guess I'm pretty excited but kinda nervous..." Loren said honestly.

Katie chuckled, then said,"Well let's go to beam, girls!"

She called all girls so we all went to our favorite beam with a partner.

"Now mount the beam!" Katie called. "then I want you to do...a split jump, a 1/2 pivot turn, and then do a side handstand dismount. And take turns! Or else, goodness, it would be a fiasco!"

"Amiyrah, go first." I said.

She laughed and said,"Why me?"

"Because I said so!" I replied and then we giggled.

"Fine!" she exclaimed.

Then she mounted the beam and did a split leap. Then she did a 1/2 pivot turn and dismounted the beam with a side handstand dismount.

"Switch turns!" Katie yelled.

So we switched turns. I did the same thing, then we moved onto our final event. Bars.

"I want you to show me your skills!" Katie shouted. "So when I call your name, do your bar routine! Line up everyone!"

We lined up single file behind the bars. Surprisingly, the first person she called was me. Seriously?

"Emma Baker." Katie said with her clipboard.

I walked to the bar. I hopped onto the bar. I swung very little and then did a pullover. Then I swung and did a front hip circle, I've perfected it. Then I did a mill circle. After that, I did a single leg squat through, and a back hip circle. To end my routine, I did an underswing dismount.

"Good job, Emma!" she said and checked me on her clipboard.

"Thank you." I said happy.