A Fresh, New Start...

Last night was the first official day of Hannah's fresh, new start...at her new gym. It starts a new chapter in her life and gymnastic career. This last year has been a long road that we traveled. It's been hard on me too. She was upset and they made me upset. The gym that Hannah had been going to--did not have a good coach...we stayed to give her a chance and after the first year we should of moved but did not and I feel that I did not do Hannah any justice and she is the one who suffered. The coach sat around and did alot of nothing--oh she did do somethings--she did alot of "texting" on the cell phone and talking on the phone too...no spoting, just yelling at the girls but how are they suppose to correct something if they were never taught in the first place??? hmmmm...that is a very good question Donna. Hannah who was a level 5 had basically taught herself this past year...very much frustration on the whole family. I told her I thought this was the time to make a clean break before the start of the new season. Hannah listened, nodded and simply said "ok Mom" let's shop around. We decided on Upper Bucks in Quakertown PA. The Coaches are many and act professional--YES we went down to nosy and YES we saw them working--actually spotting the girls, not talking or texting on their cell phones, and teaching and correcting the girls in a positive way--oh did I mention that the girls on the team were having fun and smiling. Hannah turned and said " I want to come to this gym Mom". And so it begins our commute of 45 minutes each way to train under new coaches. She has a fresh start, a new beginning and I have NO illusions. I know that nothing is perfect, except Jesus. But I know that I have made the right decision for our daughter. She started this fresh start by attending IGC (International Gymnastics Camp) this past week, and boy did she ever have fun and work hard. Hannah has her excitment and passion back--she said that she worked on level 6 skills and wants to prove to her new coaches that she is going to move up to level 6. She has her dream again for 2016 and her passion has returned! I love to see that excitement in her eyes when she is performing even at practice. This was a hard year for us but we are back on track...and Hannah hopes that you enjoy this picture of her standing in between Shawn Johnson and Blaine Wilson. She had a wonderful time at camp and can't wait till next year! (Guess that Craig has to budget!) Bottom line: Coaches need to be a great match because in the world of gymnastics--they often become like "second parents" away from home--we need to have a trust with that coach and build a good strong relationship. For the gymnast spends up to 20 hours a week doing something--it had better be something you enjoy especially if you are a 9 year old kid--and that means you need to have a great coach who is just as passionate about what they are doing...and Hannah's old coach did not have that passion to pass onto our daughter. I continue to pray for Hannah--as the jump from level 5 to 6 on bars is a tough one, both on the demands it makes on Hannah's body and from a standpoint of the kind of skills she needs to master. Hannah, as I said before has her sights on 2016 for trying out for the Olympics. There are probably only 100 elite gymnasts in the USA--and only nine of them (that is including alternates) get chosen....dreams do come true if you are passionate about them.