Grips

Every gymnast has to have her grips. Worn in and chalked up. Hailey has had the same grips for years now! I keep thinking she will need new ones but, for now, she loves these old, dirty, smelly ones.

She is going to her 2nd meet of the season this weekend and I can't go. I am sick. Makes me ill to think about it. Seriously. She laughs at me because she knows that she will be perfectly okay without me. I am now the owner of the separation anxiety...not her. I really wish I could be there. I love to watch her. I love to watch all of those little girls who have grown up in that gym together. I get excited for all of them. They really are an extended family at this point. Hailey spends 20 hours a week with these level 7 girls and she has been with most of them for 6 years. That is a long time when you're 13!! And A LOT of time!!

At the last meet, Hailey had to scratch beam. In the gym world that means she didn't get to compete on the beam and she had to get a 0.00. She had to stand there and salute the judges, touch the beam, and then salute the judges again. She didn't quite have her back handspring without a spotter yet (a required beam skill for level 7) so her coach just wanted her to scratch and hopefully be prepped for the next meet. Hailey was okay with scratching. Not happy but ok. I was happy that her coach stood beside the beam with her and gave her a high 5 after she gave her final salute. That showed that her coach supported her...and had trust that she would get her skill in time.

Well we are pretty sure she IS competing on beam this time. AND I WONT BE THERE!!!! Oh well. I will be there in spirit for sure. Prayers her way! Grounding time...for both of us.