Hello! My name is Barbie. I just recently (well during the summer I guess), quit the level 6 team at Newhope Gymnastics in California.
Although I love gymnastics, and I always will, it just wasn't right for me anymore.
Everyone always asks me why I quit, so, here's a few reasons, just to set the record straight:
First of all, The average gymnast is four feet tall, no just kidding... but pretty short, and my five feet eight 1/2 inches, doesn't really give me an advantage over their tiny feet and tiny bodies...
I mean my coaches used to have to adjust the bars, the vault, everything for me (and a few other team mates...). I'm even taller than Diana, my floor and beam coach, (and how did she ever spot me? Don't ask!) and just as tall as Florin, my bars and vault coach.
Ahh, I always scraped my feet on the floor when I was on high bar!
So, you get the picture about my height.
The second reason, is that I wasn't getting anywhere. From the first year that I was there, it seemed that they held me back, or didn't really want me moving up anyway. I was put into the fourth level academy class when I first started and once I moved into the fifth and final class and got all the skills I needed there, they just sat me there! Okay, I was a little tall, but I was flexible and...for that level I was pretty good.
Finally my mom said something and I was moved into the team.
After that, things get a little fuzzy. I don't know exactly how they moved me up,but they eventually put me into a class where I ended up being the last original one and then new people came and we had our own level 5 class. I competed, but...that brings me to my number 3 reason.
INJURIES! I don't know what it is. I mean I've had my share of run-ins with the vault (man those knock the wind outta ya!) and before I got into level 5, I had split the beam at least 12 times... now I'm not going to go into that for those of you who don't know what I'm talking about, but...let's just say that it really hurts to stand, sit or lay down after you do that....
but it seems that once I was in level five, the first aspect came into play. I sprained my left ankle while on the bars... This is a good story, you otta listen to this one..
I had just done the low bar part of the routine, I jumped to the high bar, doing tap swings (yes, the simplest move in all of gymnastics) when my grips slipped (or something) I flew off the bar...backwards, under the low bar, my foot went in between the spring board and I did like a 360 and Now don't ask me why, but I didn't get better for a lllooooooooooooong time. My foot just wouldn't heal! I kept working out but i had to wear a brace most all the time and then I had to wrap my ankle. I went to physical therapy too.
But I did it. I was going to have to compete level five (for my third season =0( ... second fall season) again. But I did it. I was at the competition and I was ready and everything was great.
It was the first event, floor. I had adrenaline pumping through me and it was going to be great. But... through my first tumbling pass... ( a front handspring mind you) yep. You guessed it... I hurt myself. I sprained my OTHER ankle! It was horrible!
What's cool about it though is that i got it on video tape from two angles.
This one took even longer to heal, it still hurts sometimes. It practically ripped the ligaments off, it stretched 'em out and stuff.
Number 4, I was gone alllllll summer. First in the Philippines, then Australia, then Lake Shasta. I was gone so I got really behind.
When I came back, I just wasn't the same and I decided to quit.
but i couldn't do it, i went in to tell them and I broke down crying because I really did love it, I still do!
But my back began to bother me, it was just too strenuous. I was going the chiropracter three-five times a week, and it wasn't helping. He basically told me to either not do any tumbling or things involving my back, or it wasn't going to get better.
Umm... well basically EVERYTHING in gymnastics has to do with your back... so yeah.
Fifth reason. Time and rank. I was going into my Junior year in high school (this year) and they had me in level six. Well, it was "training" level six. And there were 12 year olds on the elite team. It didn't make sense to me.
they really treated the older, taller people badly.
And, because of the crappy time scheduling, I'd be late every day. I wouldn't be able to make it.
Sixth reason. I'm a real live fraidy-cat.
Once I sprained my ankle on front handsprings, I often got (and still get because I still tumble) scared.
I was afraid to do a back tuck, afraid to do an ariel, afraid to hit the vault.
you just can't be in this type of sport an be as afraid as I am. So, that contributed to it.
But in conclusion. I love gymnastics, no matter what the coaches at Newhope said about me or how foul I may have looked out on the floor. I still love it. When I get on the beam I still can feel the power that seems to eminate from it. (That was basically the only place I'm not afraid)
I'm mad that Newhope didn't give me a chance when I was younger, or push me harder, train me harder, and it really, really peeved me the way they treated me in and the other girls in our group the last couple of years.
but I don't hold a grudge and I still make the drive there every week to tumble on that same floor I used to.
Enough with my stories. I'm getting tired of writing. Just wanted to set the record straight.
More later
The stuff after this is not updated...it's from a couple of years ago.
My favorite gymnasts are : Shannon Miller, Vanessa Atler,and Jenni Thompson
My Past favorite Gymnasts are : Dominque Moceanu and Dominque Dawes (I think she's retired from competitive gymnastics)
These are my scores, I'm not to ashamed to share them with you, they weren't that bad and
I think I deserved some better scores on some things and a little worse on others, but in the end,
I guess it all evens out.
Floor: 8.0
Beam : 7.5
Vault: 7.4
Bars : 7.1
My cousin sent me this card and I decided I wanted it on my homepage so here it is
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