Since we can write about anything, I have decided to write about gymnastics.

I started gymnastics at the young age of 4. I was a child full of energy and my parents thought that it would be a good way to channel that energy. I started at LaFleur's Gymnastics in Largo. Everyone starts in a beginner class, and you work up from there. Within a few weeks, the coaches thought I had promise and thus i was moved up into an intermediate class. Than because of my young age I was moved to mini mights. It was an exclusive group of young girls who were too young to be on the team but to advanced for classes. After a year there I was moved to mighty mights. It was an older group of girls still to young for team. After another year there I was finally old enough. At the age of 7, I started level 4. My best friend and I moved up together so I was glad to have a familiar face around in a new setting and a new experience. Practice started out 3 times a week from 4-6:45 on tuesdays and thursdays, and from 12-3 on saturdays. Events to be worked on in that time were vault, bars, beam and floor. Before you started to practice you had to warm up. Warm ups would take about 30 minutes and than you would spend 30 minutes on each event, than you would have 15 minutes of conditioning.

After months of work out, everything you trained for was put to the test. For level 4's, competions would be as close as in our own gym, and as far away as Fort. Laurderdale. My strongest event was vault, and in my first meet I won and got the gold medal for my age group. The meet season for my level lasts from the first competeion in August until December with the state meet. State meet consists of every gym in the state with gymnasts in level 4. You are seperated into groups by your age, and each age group starts at a different time on a different event. I placed decently for being a 1st year, but our team won 1st place in the all around so our coaches were proud. You generally spend 2 years at each level so you can master the skills.

Right after our state meet, we were practicing for our exhibition. An exhibition is a show with all different levels of the gym, to show our parents what we have accomplished thus far. One of the things that we work on is criss cross tumbling. While practing for that I forgot what tumbling pass we were on so i just decided to try what i thought it was. Halfway through i remembered what it was so i tried to change my pass but it was to late. I fell and broke my arm badly. It was off to the hospital for me. It was probably the worst pain ever( or so i thought) and after 2 months of a lime green cast i was finally ready to go back to the gym. After intense workouts again, it was time again to compete. This was a turn around season and i did excellant. When it was time for state meet, I did great! I won 1st place in state in my age division on vault. This was a great accomplishment! My family friends and coaches were very proud.

After that season it was time for level 5. We began practicing for this right after the season was over. Practices changed to 4 times a week on tuesdays wednesdays and thursday's from 3-7 and saturdays from 12-330. My career did not last long. I was at open gym playing and hanging out with my friends on a friday night when i was practicing on bars. I slipped off and broke my ankle. By now my parents are not very happy with me. They thought I shoupld quit but i told them no, I loved it to much and wanted to continue. Needless to say, my first season as i level 5 was not a good one. Basically, I sucked. After my first year of complete horrible gymnastics, my second year came around. Private lessons (one on one's with the coaches) were necessary but worth it. Now we were traveling further, to Atlanta and Alabama. I placed very well at all the competitions and by the time state came, I placed first on vaulting and in the All around. Our team got 1st and once again our coaches were proud.

At our gym, we do not have a level 6 because our coach felt it was to similar to level 5. So therefore we skipped to level 7. Skills were getting harder and practices changed from 5-9:30 on monday tuesday wednesday and friday, and from 9-1 on saturday. In levels 4 and 5, everyone had the same routines for each event. Once you got to level 7 and above, routines had to be hand made by a choreographer and each girl had a different routine. We were practicing doing backhandsprings on balance beam when once again I mess up and hyperextend my elbow. This was a very bad pain sensation and put a halt to my level 7 season. At this time i'm starting to think thhat maybe i am accident prone and i should quit. Now my parents are telling me to keep going because I came this far, and with physical therapy i am better in a few weeks. So now it is time for our level 7 season. After being out for a long time my skills are not as good as they should be and i only do adequately. My second year of level 7 goes great and we got to travel to colorado and new york. These were the most fun meets because of the sight seeing and bonding experiences with friends. At state meet, I did very well. I got first place on vault and bars, second place on floor, fourth place on beam, and first place in the all around out of every gymnast in the state in my age group. These were very big accomplishments and now it was time to move to level 8.

In level 8, skills were increasingly hard and though i did not know it, the end of gymnastics was soon to come. I was practicing on bars and my coach was spotting me on my dismount. It was where you swing around the bar, let go, and flip backwards twice before you land on the ground. We were practicing on a squishy mat and as i landed i heard a popping sound and collapsed on the floor. THIS was the worst pain i have ever experienced. After being rushed to the hospital and having xrays and mri's, the doctors determined that i tore my ACL. It was a process that required surgery and a long time of physical therapy. After this I decided that gymnastics was over and it was time to find something that was less demanding on my body. I still love gymnastics and wish i could do it! =)

The end.