First: All of the pictures were NOT taken by me. The pictures to follow were taken by the fantastic photographers of Team Photo at the DGS Invite that my team competed at this past weekend.
Second: The pictures to follow are not to show favoritism or anything like that. Like most entries on this site, I had a thought and wanted to get it off my mind. I work with so many wonderful kids, and this isn't to talk about any kid or two specifically just generally make my point, or get my thought out.
Hopefully that makes sense and won't make anyone mad, so here we go:
Why do I do what I do? Coaching that is. I've found over the years it can be a difficult thing for most people to understand. Most of my family and friends just know that about six months out of the year I live in the gym a little more then usually and my weekends are booked solid with traveling and competitions. It can get a little tiring, I'm not going to lie, but I get to spend everyday teaching kids about (in my opinion) the greatest sport in the world, and when it comes to my team I love having the opportunity to be there for them. Whether I'm on the floor coaching or up in the stands, it's such a great feeling to see all their hard work pay off.
My compulsory girls team competed in their first meet of the season this past weekend and included in their meet fee they get a disk of the professional photos. I browsed through them and that's what got me thinking about all this, about what I do, about the kids I work with, about all those little things. When you look at these pictures I'm sure most people will see some cute gymnasts, and you're right they are. When I look at them I see something a little more. For every athlete I can see the individual fears they've been fighting to overcome, I can see that skill they've been struggling with, I know the hours they've been putting in, the repetitions in the gym, the countless rips from bars, rolls of tape, and I can't tell you how many times I have listened to that same piece of floor music!!
These kids, that's why I do it . . .
HUGS!! I love 'em!! Especially when it's from my kiddos after a job well done!!
That's probably my favorite part :)
To my wonderful gym family, thanks for everything!!
To all my kiddos, keep up the great work!!
To my gym parents, thanks for your dedication and support!!
To my family and friends, thanks for your patience!!
To anyone who doesn't really "get it", that's why I do it!!
Cheers!!
I completely agree!! There's nothing like being able to share the hugs and some time with these kids!!
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