Level 7 Regional Championships

Season.  Is.  Officially.  Over.

Sounds so weird!  I don't think it's sunk in yet because yesterday we were at a competition and today it's back to the normal grind.  When I realize we're not gearing up for another meet it will probably seem all the more real.

Our final trip took us back to Las Vegas (woo!) and we had to get up quite early to make it there.  Allan and Ericka picked me up Saturday morning and we parked the car at the airport instead of trying to deal with getting a shuttle/transportation.  SFO has been closing down runways lately and rescheduling flights so we lucked out when we left on time.  It was my first flight on Virgin America and the plane had such a cool vibe to it!  I slept most of the way in, we arrived smoothly, and were greeted by hoards of people and long lines at the rental car place.  Once on our way we went to check-in at our hotel (the Aria!), raced to change, found lunch, and made our way to the competition.  When I first got to the room it was really dark so I went to the curtains to open them; I couldn't figure them out until I realized they were automated and all I had to do was press a button and they would retract!  The whole room was set-up that way which made it all really spiffy.

Our first session was with the NorCal state team, made up of the top 12 all-arounders in the state.  NorCal competed against SoCal, Arizona, Nevada, and Utah, ending up in second place by 0.125; we won every event except for bars where we had three falls.  SoCal took advantage and came through with the win, but it was still a great experience to be a part of.  After that session ended we stayed for one more with two of our girls who ended their season with fantastic performances.  They both walked away with season-high all-around scores and one of them with the regional all-around and beam titles!  It was a lot of fun to compete with them because of their energy and excitement and I'm happy that their efforts and attitude were rewarded.

That night we (including Annie who we stole away from her Utah crew) went to dinner at the hotel and ended up talking for a few hours.  She really wanted to go out and promising me that we wouldn't be gone too long I humored her and we went up to change.  Of course we didn't end up coming back to the hotel at any sort of decent hour but our Vegas adventures were fun and it was worth the lack of sleep.  3.5 hours after my head hit the pillow I was up again getting ready for day two of competition.  Both sessions we had went well with the girls continuing the streak of personal best performances.  Although we were all exhausted we walked away from the meet feeling really good about how we had prepared the girls to peak at the right time.  We're proud of all the hard work everyone put in this year and it's exciting to continue to watch the program become what we want it to be.  All three of us, though in need of some serious rest and relaxation (we sat on the runway last night for about an hour after SFO notified us we weren't allowed to fly in at our scheduled time), are excited to get back in the gym and work hard.  Success is a definite motivator, as is looking back to the beginning of the year and now seeing just how far we've come.

I'm so proud and thankful to be a part of the Twisters family.  I love Allan and Ericka so much and am grateful for all the opportunities they've given me as well as all the important life lessons they've instilled.  Great job, 2013 optional team.  You definitely proved what is often said to be true about sport, that passion often has a funny way of trumping logic.  Congratulations  :)

Living The Beach Life

Mini-vacation!  Last weekend I had the opportunity to head down to LA for NCAA Championships and it turned out to be a great time overall.  I woke up at 3:25am Friday morning (so gross), was at Alex's house by 4am, and on highway 101 not long after that.  For it being so early in the morning, we were pretty energetic.  We played music and kept the mood up as the sun rose and found ourselves a few hours into the trip before we stopped at Denny's for breakfast.  I was a little stressed about making it to the competition on time so I rushed it a little, but it at least gave us a chance to get out of the car and stretch our legs.  Alex drove the rest of the way to Woodward West where I dropped him off for a fun-filled weekend of coaching kids and then quickly continued on my way.  I made it to the UCLA campus with about 45 minutes to spare...perfect timing!

Stanford had a really rough showing in their prelim session and it was a little difficult to watch.  Their season ended on a somewhat somber note and all we can hope for at this point is that they'll take what they learned from the experience and use it as fuel/apply it next year.  After the meet the alumnae that were there went back to the hotel, changed, and went out to a sushi dinner.  Funny thing about the hotel was that the original one we were booked to stay in actually didn't have room for us so they sent us to another one and paid for it all!  We lucked out with a really great, free room right on the beach...how awesome!  After dinner and a little bit of shopping I went back and crashed (such a long day for me) while some of the others stayed up talking at the bar.

The next morning we all got up, rented bikes from the hotel (again, free!), and rode along the beach.  It was great to cruise along the boardwalk and I felt very Southern California  :)  We ate breakfast at a little beach shack, played around at Muscle Beach, and stopped off at the boardwalk on the pier.  Afterwards we returned the bikes and went down to the water.  We saw dolphins, threw the football, and just enjoyed the sun and the company.

After showering we went back to UCLA to watch Super 6.  Even though Stanford wasn't in the competition, it was still a great meet to watch.  There was so much good quality gymnastics going on all at once and we were actually able to watch history being made; Florida finally broke in and became the 5th team to win the title.  It's been four teams for so long now, but hopefully the door has been opened and more teams will be able to challenge for the top spot.  After the meet was over we drove through Westwood and over to dinner at the Shapiro's house.  Their daughter, Sami, is a former national team member and current sophomore on the Stanford team and they live about 20 minutes from the UCLA campus.  They had a great setup going on and were very welcoming to all the team members, coaches, alumnae, parents, and fans that were present.  It was nice to spend some time with Kristen, Swiz, Tabby, and Allan and get there take on everything.  After getting our fill of amazing food and yummy desserts, those of us at the beach hotel went back with the intention of going out together but we ended up staying in the room just talking about anything and everything.  The weekend served as a great reminder of why I love the SWG program and of the fact that we really were and always will be a family first and foremost.

Sunday morning we walked to brunch but I had to take mine to-go so that I could get on the road in a timely manner.  I made my way back up to Tehachapi, picked up an exhausted and starving Alex off the side of the road, and continued up along I-5 for what felt like an eternity before arriving back in Menlo Park.  All the driving was definitely worth it for the experience and good times we had.  I'm looking forward to other SWG reunions coming up and also can't wait (on another note) to take my last trip this weekend and end the optional season in style!  I leave for Las Vegas Saturday morning, have four sessions to complete, and then I'll finally be reminded of what it's like to spend a weekend at home!!  There is so much to look forward to upon the conclusion of this competition and as summer approaches, woohoo!  Let the good times roll...I'm ready!

Phoenix Sun

The level 8 season has come to an end...and rather successfully I might add.  Last weekend I made my first solo journey as a Twisters optional coach and took our three girls to the Regional championships.  I wasn't stoked about flying alone but the trip was quick and painless.  I knew I was going to be rushed when I landed due to the flight choice we made, but the new monorail/light-rail system the city has going made it easy for me to find my way to the hotel.  Luckily the meet site was within walking distance so I quickly checked in and changed before making my way over to the first session of the weekend.  I didn't have the chance until that point to realize just how hot it was outside and I arrived indoors sweating much more than I had anticipated.

The arena had four sets of equipment set up and was divided into two gyms.  Flight A and B would run separately on both sides, one side designated for the 9/10 competition and the other side for the 8's.  The first session I had was with Cecilia who has clean lines and pretty gymnastics that was highly rewarded.  One of the coaches from UCLA who happened to be in our rotation with his club gym came up to us and said that her bar routine was like art...it was just that pretty.  It was really nice to hear that and she continued on event after event with her game face.  She ended up 2nd on floor and in the all-around for her efforts and I was ecstatic.

After the competition I went to the Hyatt where Annie was waiting with Eli and Debbie; they weren't in the same session I was so they had the chance to go to dinner together.  I was exhausted from the day so I came in and slouched on the couch while we chatted and then Annie and I went to get some food.  We ended up across the street at Hooters and while the food was good I was a little taken aback by the waitresses and both Annie and I remarked that we weren't qualified to work there, haha.  After dinner we found ourselves at the bar of our hotel with pretty much every other coach in Region 1.  It was a nice chance for me to get to know some of them a bit better and while I love traveling with Allan and Ericka it gave me the opportunity to go at it on my own and really talk to a lot of them.  I walked away feeling more a part of the club and was ready to tackle my 8am session the next morning.

Unfortunately, that session didn't really go as planned and the highlight of the day was actually meeting Annie for lunch and spending time with her by the pool before she had to go for her 4pm session.  I went with her and watched the level 9's on the opposite side, gathering ideas for my own kids who will be trying to move up next season.  Once again the two of us had dinner and we called it a night a little earlier this time because we were both so tired.

Sunday morning (felt like Groundhog Day at this point) came and this time the result was much better.  Avery was up and I have to say that I really enjoy working with this kid.  We just have a connection I can't explain and she was so cute when she expressed how grateful she was for everything I'd done for her this year.  She ended up 4th on vault, 3rd on floor, and 6th all-around.  For having a goal of being in the top 10, I'd say that was a success!  I walked away happy and sad at the same time...sad because I had to say good-bye to Annie and head to the airport.  I was so exhausted when I got there that I fell asleep at the gate and almost missed my flight, but luckily I woke up just in time and made it home safely.  Alex greeted me at SJC as did cold weather and a lot of wind.

This weekend it's a road trip down to LA to watch NCAA's, then lastly it will be to Vegas for level 7 Regionals.  I can't wait to wrap up this season; while I'm proud of everything we've accomplished, back-to-back compulsory and optional seasons have taken their toll on me.  I'm ready for some R&R before other big life events take place (Stanford graduation, my friend James coming to visit...).  This summer is shaping up to be a good one and I can't wait to get it started!!

April Showers

They say that April showers bring May flowers but to me it seems like April just brings allergies.  I can't remember the last time I suffered so badly from them, but there must be something in the air this year because it's hit me hard.  I'm feeling better now but for awhile I was down for the count.  I don't think all the traveling for work has done anything good for it either as my body is just so tired, but only one more month until season is over.

Speaking of, this last weekend was spent in Lemoore, CA and let me tell you...it was an adventure.  Allan, Ericka, and I drove from the Bay Area together and after over three hours we arrived in a very desolate looking place.  The theme of the weekend was "Keepin' It Classy" and we started off strong walking up to our hotel...the Travelodge.  It was pretty terrible, including a blood stain on the chair in Allan's room.  Both rooms had a certain smell to them so we spent a little time just hanging out with the door open to try and get some airflow.

After a quick nap (trying not to touch any of the sheets on the bed) we got up for dinner, which was actually quite good.  We went to check out the competition site before heading to bed, as we had an early morning session to get to.  8am the next day and we were back, ready to kick-off level 7 State with Monica and Lily.  Both of them, as well as Izzy in the following session, really had the meet of their lives and there isn't anything more we could have asked for them.  Their performances alone beat the final team score we had last year and left us in second place behind Airborne by only 0.05!  If you aren't that familiar with NorCal gymnastics, that's a true feat.  We coaches left on a high and went to celebrate.

It was like Groundhog Day because the next morning we were in the exact same position.  8am came around and back at the meet site, this time with our top all-arounder this year.  We were looking for her to come up big, but unfortunately she was nervous and had a fall on bars.  We didn't end up counting her for our team score which hurt us a bit.  Our last session of the day got us back on track and left us in a pretty good mood about the overall performance.  There were teams out there that were definitely better than us but in all of NorCal we ranked pretty close to the top which is something to be proud of.  All of our girls qualified to Regionals and we even placed one on the State Team; off to Vegas it is!

This week is already flying by and I can't believe I'm headed to Phoenix on Friday.  I'm super pumped to see Annie there with her girls and can't wait for our level 8 team to wrap up their season.  In a turn of events I'm the only coach going to the meet but I'm still looking forward to it.  After that it's down to LA to watch SWG at NCAA's (they qualified last weekend) and then finally to Vegas before some well-deserved rest time.  Final push...here's to a fun and successful finish!