Gymnastics at its Finest

Chapter 3

I head down to floor. We have Dave for floor today. Dave looks over at me, then the floor, and then back at me. "Make 3 of each of your tumbling passes." I nod and walk to the corner of the floor.

3 of each pass. My passes include full in, two and a half, a one and a half step-out to a double back, and then a double pike. I decided to start with my two and a half. I warm up one into the pit, then just do it on the floor. I make all three of them in a row. Twisting is one of my strengths, so I get it done quickly. I move on to my one and half to a double back. I put my hands down on the first one, but make the next three in a row. I then stick my three double pikes. My last pass, a full in, is definitely the hardest for me. Just the thought of it scares me.... but I don't have a choice.

I walk over to warm up in the pit. I first do a really high tucked full to warm up. I get ready to throw the next one. I run, hurdle, do the round off backhandspring, and punch hard to flip. I do a really high full again, but no tuck out of it. "Darn," I thought to myself. "I've got to throw the next one." I go for it again, only to get the same outcome. I started to get frustrated. My best friend Olivia looks at me, and mouths "you ok?" I kinda look down at the ground, then back at her, and give a slight nod.

"Ok," I tell myself. "You are going to throw this one no matter what." I run, hurdle, do the round off backhandspring, and punch as high as I can.

And I still did a really high full.

I look over at Dave, and he motions for me too come over. I walk over, imagining all the things he could possibly say to me, and before I even realize it, I was standing right in front of him. "What the hell do you think you're doing over there?" I stood there, stunned. He just cussed at me. I've never heard a coach cuss at a student. I was speechless.

I didn't even know what to say. So I just said, "I don't know..." This expression, I don't even know what it was, settles on his face. He starts full out yelling at me.

"HOW DO YOU EXPECT TO MAKE A FULL IN, WHEN YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE HELL YOU'RE DOING?! YOU HAVE WASTED THIS ENTIRE PRACTICE. YOU ARE A WASTE OF TIME, AND YOUR PARENTS ARE WASTING THEIR MONEY SENDING YOU HERE!"

I felt the tears sting my eyes. I couldn't cry now, I just couldn't. So I just stare. I felt angry, upset, frustrated, and hurt. This guy is supposed to make me better!

"GET OUT!" he screamed. So I did.