Stressing About Gymnastics

This time, it's me. Davan seems to be taking things more in stride and I'm trying to hide how much I'm stressing about it. It's just been such a big, important thing in her life and to see her struggle with it so much on Tuesday really was hard.

I'm considering checking out the other near-by gym. Partially, I think it'll get better. The first night was the roughest because she wasn't used to the fix everything approach and that'll become more every-day for her as time goes on. Plus, she'll make friends and that'll make it easier, too. And she'll get to know all the little things the coach is talking about and not feel like she's flying by the seat of her pants so much. But.

I don't like the "Good girl" that the coach coos at the girls when they do a trick right. I do think there should be some pointing out of what has been done right, specifically, in addition to pointing out the specific things that need fixing. Those things aren't going to change.

I really feel like her first night was mangled. Just the whole relay situation was a set up for misery. The coach let the girls pick their own pairs and the results were vastly unfair. One of the things they were supposed to do was actually not possible for Davan to do - hand stand walk across the entire floor. If they fell, they were to go back to the starting line and try again. Davan just kept going back and back until finally the coach held her ankles for her.

That plus not being greeted and welcomed at the beginning or getting any words of encouragement at the end and the whole attitude of just being thrown into the deep end to sink or swim....well. I was up last night until midnight, fuming about it. I feel like crying for her. How can they take the sport she loves and ruin it for her?

Davan, on the other hand, is somewhat less enthusiastic than normal and really, really wants me to stay all evening again today (which I'm able to do because Anthony will be home early due to a doctor's appointment), but isn't talking about quitting anymore. And, last night, she was doing her scale on the practice beam and it really did look so much better than before. I commented to her on how much it had improved in just one night of team practice and she just lit up.

Still, though. I'm thinking about the other gym. Where maybe she'll get the coaching and still be able to improve without the stuff that's bothering me about this gym.