Breath-taking Beam

You know that feeling, the one you have when everything seems to rest on that little strand of hope, or that little bit of studying. Well thats kinda how Balance Beam feels all the time. You have your feet on top of 4 inches of surface space about 4 feet above the ground and are often doing skills that seem, and well to be honest, are dangerous and scary. Competing and practicing Bean are two completely different things . Many gymnasts will say that in practice they enjoy working Balance Beam, it's challenging and often times involves conquering a fear or two. This is the way I feel about it, always a feeling of acommplishment when I have done a new skill. During a competition, Beam is one of the move nerve racking events with everyone staring at you and the big skills you are doing on the skinny beam in the air. You mostly likely will feel your nerves take flight, you begin feeling shaky and often slip from sweaty feet but again it always supplies that great feeling of accomplishment when you that stick that dismount after doing that all perfect, solid routine.

Fantabulous Floor

You know that sport that you love, well mine is gymnastics, but more importantly than that I love floor. There is just something about it. On the floor you have a routine that is choreographed to fit the music that you picked out. More often then not that floor music that you picked fits your personality. This process of finding the right music and right choreographer that knows you and your personality is sometimes hard, but alot of fun. When you step onto the floor with the lights shining down, you feel like you are the center of attention, and most of the time that is because you are! The adrenaline starts pumping and your mind is focused on doing the best routine of your life. This routine is about a minute and a half to two minutes long but when you are out there tumbling, jumping, dancing, showing off your stuff it seems like its over in a flash. I really don't know what it is about the floor that gets me but it has always been one of my favorite events and probably always will be.

Vivacious Vault

One thing that the movie, Stick It, has completely right is when it says this, "If running full speed towards a stationary object is what your thing, then hey vault is for you." I mean that is literally what you do. You might spend weeks doing runnin drills and not even do any of the bigger tricks. It kinda gets boring and you often feel like progress is forever away, but it's important to remember that the little thing like running practices and procedures are what make the vault better. Vault has that little something about it where you feel alive and powerful! It pumps your adrenaline, and that split second where your muscles put out an enormous burst of energy turns into that all powerful skill.

Abominable Bars

You know that feeling, the feeling when you know you have to do something but you really don't want too? Well that is the feeling that a lot of gymnasts get in the deep pit of their stomachs when they are about to compete bars at a competition. It's for me the most difficult event to compete. It makes me the most nervous and some how it just seems to be the event that causes me the most problems. In practice I enjoy bars. It is the most challenging and the one that makes my adrenaline pump every time. But in a meet it is most often my down fall. I dread going to the bar at a competition because if the whole day has gone well I know that thirty second bar routine can be the end of the joy and happiness. But every now and then I will surprise myself and hit the bar routine of my life to pull out that needed score. But bars has other difficulties too. Its a very mental event, it is so easy to let your mind psych you out before you even try a skill. Bars also can be hard because sometimes it is painful. You get rips on your hands and your wrists. You bruise your hips and to be honest sometimes inflicting pain on yourself doesn't sound too appealing. Bars is a test of courage, patience, physical and mental strength, and the true determination of a gymnast.

Blood. Pain. Tears. Gymnastics.

Sometimes gymnastics mocks you. It seems like no matter what happens you get the same results. You fall on your face, your front, your butt, and it seems like all you can do is mess up, you are ripping chunks of skin out of your hands, taping every part of your body, and soon the only one you will want to turn to is your best friend, an ice bath. It gets frustrating and the desire to quit, to give up, begins to seperate the people who truly love the sport. I have been doing gymnastics for 9 years and from experiences; I would say from my experiences no matter how hard it seems, it rewards you in the end.