"Meet"ing Mary Lou Retton (kate's 2nd meet)

So, it is meet season.  Gymnasts train all year for a very short meet season.  I feel like I want to post about each meet but I am not sure if I should.  I really want to keep a record of how Kate does her first year.  I think that at some point she will want to look back and know how she did in the beginning.  However, I am sure most of you will be glad when the end of October comes and the meets are over;)

This past week the meet was at our downtown convention center. It was quite a set-up.  I did not bring my good camera and I really regretted it.  It was a very open set-up with much better light than the last one.  Harry was my videographer.

Kate's team getting ready for warm-ups.

Love this totally out of focus "ghost" picture of Kate running, smiling and waving during warm-ups.

Kate's started on the vault (which is by far her hardest element).  Apparently for vault, you need to run really fast.  Kate slows down when she gets to the Springboard.  She gets afraid.  The night before the meet, she did a perfect vault at practice (I was told) and her team was so happy for her.  She did not repeat that on Saturday.  She did okay and got a 8.1.  We did not get video of it as it was located at the back of the arena.

Then, they went to the floor.  Kate did well on the floor.  She got a 9.0






After the floor, Kate's team moved onto bars.  It is so funny because Kate really struggled with the bars when she first joined the team but now they are her best element.  She loves the bars because she feels they are the most challenging. Her team was so tired by now that many of them struggled to even get up on the bars.  I was worried a bit.  She ended up doing great and earned a 9.4!  That was the highest score I saw on the bars the whole session and top score for her team!

Finally, they moved to the beam.   We were sitting right in front of the beam.  I was so worried that she was going to look at us and wave or get distracted.  But she did not.  She stayed in the zone totally focused. All of our girls were kind of shaky on this final apparatus.  Their muscles were fatigued.  Typically, Kate does very well on beam.  Last week, she got a 9.4.  This week she did well but she was shaky a few times.  She got an 8.5.





What I am most proud of is how hard Kate is working and her determination.  She told me before the meet that she was going to get ALL blue ribbons (9's).  In the end, she got 2 blue (bars and floor) and 2 red (beam and vault).  But she was SO happy!! She does not know her scores and I think that is great.  She feels good about herself and that is the whole point (for me anyway).

Aside from watching Kate shine, the highlight of the meet was meeting Olympic Gold Medalist Mary Lou Retton!!!  Mary Lou gave each girl their medal and she presented the awards.  Our team placed 2nd out of 12 teams in this district qualifier!  We were very happy.

Mary Lou Retton giving Kate her medal.

Missed her arms up...slow old camera!

Mary Lou was so gracious and sweet to the little girls. She looked at Kate's scores and told her how good they were. Kate had NO clue who she was but we told her and then showed her video when she came home.  I was tickled pink to meet her as I have always admired her talent.  She lives here and I have seen her around town before.  In fact, we went to the same doctor office when I was pregnant with Harry.  She looks great.  She actually looks like she has barely aged since her Olympic days!

After, the awards, Mary Lou Retton signed autographs for the gymnasts.

She also auctioned off a signed competition leo and her signed wheaties box for charity.  It fetched $3,000.    BTW-- she was the first female ever to be on the Wheaties box.  First female US gymnast to win gold all around and score a perfect 10!

And to answer a few question--- 

Several people asked me on fb and in person if I get nervous watching Kate.  The answer is not really (surprised?!).  I am not too concerned with her scores at this level.  I want Kate to have fun and feel good about herself.  I don't think about or worry about her getting hurt either which is weird for me because in the past, I have been a bit of a worrier in life.  This past week, I was a little nervous when she was on beam right in front of us but other than that, I just enjoy watching her and don't feel too anxious.

Someone else asked me to explain the levels.  I don't completely understand them myself as we are really new to gymnastics.  This is what I know... at our gym...you typically begin at a level one. Kate was in level one for just a month but most people are there for about a year.  Olympic competitors are level 10 and very few people ever make it there.  Your level is determined/earned based on your scores in official US gymnastics meets and your ability to master specific moves.  Kate is a level 2 and will be a level 3 just after these meets.  So, she is a beginner. Her routines are compulsory meaning that all level 2's all over the US do the exact same routine for every apparatus at every meet. So, even though Kate can do more advanced moves she is not allowed to do them at this level in meets.  I believe at level 5 the routines are optional meaning you can choose your moves and more difficult moves earn more points.

If any of that is not correct, feel free to let me know in comments:)  UPDATED:  Doreen provides a better description in the comments:)

I promise to post other stuff aside from gymnastics soon but between back to school and work all I have time for is gymnastics right now!