Sports and Such
I enrolled my daughter in a local gymnastics club, in a class called Tumble Bunnies. Let me tell you, she thinks she is HOT STUFF in her leotard. In the past, she’s done some minor activities, but never at a real gym. Now, she informs me that she’s going to “real gymnastics.” There is nothing funnier than watching a bunch of three-year-olds purse their lips, lift their hands high above their heads, and do a forward roll down a mat. The Olympic stars have nothing on these kids. When she’s finished with her class, each child gets a lollipop and a hand stamp. No one is prouder than my girl when she skips down and flashes that stamp at me like a diamond ring.
Gymnastics was the only sport in which I ever had formal lessons. And at my best, I was mildly average. I never competed at the club circuit–only in my high school. But I think a small part of me always wanted to be an elite athlete. And the sport was so much fun. Endless variety, and if you were having a bad day on one event, there was always another skill that would probably go well. Some of my favorite high school memories involved going to meets with my team. I competed on vault, balance beam, and floor. Bars were never my strong suit, not because of arm strength, but because of lack of stomach strength. Who knew that it took great abs to do well on bars? 
Anyway, the best moment I ever had was at Districts. I stuck my balance beam routine and scored a whopping 7.95, taking sixth place in the district. Hey, that was a high score for me! 
My worst score was when my coach convinced me to do an uneven bar routine once, in order to get an all-around score. Yes, I scored a 3.5. Can you tell why I never competed bars? It was pretty sad. 
Now they’ve changed the scoring entirely. It’s all Greek to me, since now the high score isn’t a ten. I have no idea what’s a perfect score anymore.
Did you ever do gymnastics as a kid? If not, what sports did you play?
Michelle posted in Writing @ 9:49 pm | Viewed 2673 times
Holly Says:
I never did gymnastics. I thought it was cool, but was too shy and stubborn to get involved. Come to think of it, I didn’t participate in anything, even if my parents had wanted me to.
My dad’s boss’s wife opened a dance studio and my dad wanted to enroll both me and my sister, but my mom didn’t agree with him. She says she knew I’d quit it and she thought my dad was just trying to brown-nose his boss. LOL I remember thinking I couldn’t DARE get up on a stage in front of everyone’s parents and dance.
I do remember we went to watch one of the dance shows later, watching girls I went to school with flitting around in pink leotards and tutus. Even as little as I was I remember I got a severe migraine headache from the stress I felt just being there.
I think I had a touch of social anxiety on top of my shyness and we ended up leaving before the show was over and my dad was upset and went back to apologize to his boss that we were leaving and I got sick and threw up in the parking lot. Not really the best memory. LOL
Sounds like your little one really enjoys it and is all girly-girl. Sounds like mine.
She plays dress up, insists she’s a princess, tells me I have to watch her “exercise” program that she made up, or flits around the living room dancing and singing and tumbling about, telling me it’s her music video or concert. I think my daughter is going to be everything I wasn’t. She’s can be shy, but she overcomes it quickly and likes to show off.
Everytime she says “Mommy, look what I can do!” all I can think of is the Stuart skits from MadTV. “Look what I can do! Look what I can do!”
LOL
Hope you have a great day!
beth Says:
I did gymnastics for exactly one summer in elementary school, and only because I pleaded with my mom to let me try it. I was only good at vault - but boy could I kick some patootie on the vault.
My parents are kind anti sports, which I’ve always regretted because I am consequently not good at any kind of sport. Their focus was on music and only music (well, and church) for extra curriculars. And while I think those two are important, if I ever do have kids, I will probably try to encourage interest in a sport or two - if only to keep them from always being the last one chosen (and then with rolled eyes and shouts of “Ugh, really? Can’t we just play with one less person on our team?” in school.)
LauraP Says:
We didn’t have gymnastics programs out in the boonies where I grew up, and it got short shrift in the phys. ed program with the exception of the school district where I lived in 8th grade. Shaky, worn-out equipment, awesome teacher, an entire quarter on gymnastics and associated conditioning and coordination skills. She’s the reason I can walk and chew gum.
Leanne Says:
I always wanted to to gymnastics, but I knew I wasn’t flexible enough. I couldn’t even do a kartwheel.
I was in ballet though when I was little, and I loved it. I can remember dancing to Michael Jackson’s Beat It. (that was when he was cool) My daughter is pretty flexible, and I think I’m going to enroll her in a few years and see if she likes it. 
Hope everyone has a great day today.
Leanne
:rotf:
Allison Littlehales Says:
Hmmm, my gymnastics was strictly limited to school and let me tell you at 5ft 9inches, it was not a pretty sight. Walking without falling over was enough of a struggle,lol.
I loved dance and although I didn’t do any formal training the school put on a dance production every year. It was great. Apparently I WAS graceful and talented. Personally, I think the PE teacher was just being kind, especially as there were only four girls in our year and taking part was not an option.
Tori Lennox Says:
We did a stint of gymnastics in P.E. class and I totally sucked at it. Love to watch it on the Olympics, though.
kacey Says:
Never did sports growing up. Didn’t even like gym class. Okay, actually HATED it. I was an active kid, just not in organized sports.
Estella Says:
There were no sports that girls could participate in when I was growing up.
Melissa Mc Says:
I played tennis. I was horrible at gymnastics. Never could learn to do a cartwheel. I always wanted to do gymnastics and figure skating. Every time the Olympics came around I dreamed about winning a gold medal! Of course after reading the book Pretty little girls in little boxes (something like that) it changed my view of both sports.
Heidi Dahlquist Says:
I played two sports.
The first was Equestrian….horse show jumping. I started at age nine during one summer in Texas when I went to visit my grandparents. A week later was my first show and I won numerous 1st’s and placed as the Junior Division Over Fences Chamption. I competed for years until it was time to find a sponsor for the big competitions (like Madison Square Gardens) in the Chicago area (back home in Wis/Ill). I never found a sponsor so needless to say I cleaned a lot of stalls to pay for lessons from my Olympic coach. I was invited to try out for the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Tryout for the Olympics at age 17. I was devistated when I couldnt find a sponsor and didnt have my own horse, and due to money my parents pulled me out of riding. I creied for months.
I also tried golf. I played when I was 16 and 17, Junior and Senior year on the team. I made Varsity my first year (after only 3 weeks of lessons), and led my team to the state championships…..I think I placed 5th…..wow… for my first year of golf! My senior year, I was #1 Varsity and team captain, then hurt my back. I finished the season in pain and won a few medals. My golf pro’s wanted me to keep playing. I could play off the men’s tees and par the course, which ticked the guys golf team off (I LOVED doing that!). The pros told me if I practiced for a year I could join the pro circuit…..but I got married at 18, barely 18. What was I thinking? Maybe I would have been an Olympic champion and or Pro Golfer on the LPGA tour
today? Oh well, I can’t change the past!
Suzanne Says:
I wanted to do gymnastics but I sucked at it, LOL.
Melissa Marsh Says:
I always wanted to take gymnastics. I would watch the summer Olympics and then pretend to do the floor routine in my living room.
I played volleyball in junior high and as a freshman, then played recreational tennis and softball. But I mostly got involved with my drama club and working at the library in high school.
Crystal* Says:
I was a band nerd. We’ll leave it at that, shall we?
I saw you in Romantic Times where it talked about Schoolmarms as writers! Most excellent, woman!
Grins*
Donna Alward Says:
I did one year of gymnastics. Oy.
I was better in “less delicate” sports. I played basketball, volleyball, soccer, badminton, and softball. I had to give up a lot of sports because of tranportation issues (I lived in the boonies) though volleyball was my favorite. I was also a band geek for several years (and still play) and the sport that carried over after my school days was softball…LOVE it. I was catcher. Though I can’t hit second from a crouch anymore…