Final Project #3

Gymnastics is more than a sport; it’s a way of life. Once your heart gets set in gymnastics, there’s no turning back. Gymnastics is a sport that we don’t really hear or see much of. People know about gymnastics, but never think much of it. Even though it isn’t advertised quite often, the gymnastics community is large. Once you start going to meets, you will soon become very close with other gymnasts, since they are technically your enemies. Because gymnastics takes so much training, girls that are involved with the sport make it their whole life. They spend a ton of time at the gym and a ton of time traveling to the meets. The teammates also end up becoming best friends and family. Even though these girls see each other everyday at practice, they still end up hosting sleepovers and parties. From the many years I’ve been in gymnastics I have realized that all gymnasts have many similarities. Gymnasts live for getting rips and calluses on their hands from swinging on the uneven bars. They live for going to meets and earning a medal for their routines in which they spent hours critiquing. Competing sometimes even meant a new leotard or glitter, which some girls loved! Appearance is very important in gymnastics, since you are being judged on how you look. It’s all about the way you show off! Gymnastics is not only fun and games, but also an important learning experience. Gymnastics teaches an individual many qualities someone normally wouldn’t think. I think gymnastics, more than any other sports, gets your body the physical fitness it needs. Gymnasts gain positive qualities such as improved self-esteem, coordination and teamwork. Gymnasts learn to set goals and do what they have to do to meet those goals. Another thing all gymnasts have in common is a saying we stand by: “if gymnastics were easy, it would be called football.”

Final Project Blog #2

Because I gained such a passion for gymnastics, I never really wanted to completely erase it out of my life. After a long four year break, I was up for a challenging return. I came back in full swing, and practiced my butt off every practice. I knew it was going to be extremely hard; my body became too out of shape during the years off. After one year of competing, I became too disappointed in myself that I couldn’t become as good as I once was and yet again, quit. I don’t really consider it failure, because I did try, I just couldn’t match up to my old skills. It made me very upset because I was coming to the conclusion wasn’t going to be around gymnastics ever again. But then of course, about a year later, I was called by my old coach asking to come help coach. Without even discussing it I told him I was up for the job and let me know when to come in. So, in the fall of 2010 was when I started the job I never thought I was ever going to have. When I came in to the gym to talk about the days and hours I could work, he told me I would be coaching kinderkids. Kinderkids is a class of three to five year olds. At the time I wasn’t very fond of children and never really had the experience of working with them. But after working at Gymnastics Sports Academy for five months, I can say that my view of kids has changed immensely. Each class and every kid I coach, I care for each as if their own and I call them my little gymnasts. I never would have thought five months ago, I kid that I see once a week could have that great of an impact on me. I enjoy going to work every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, and can’t wait to see the kids. They all say and do the craziest things, it’s quite hysterical. Every day, I’m making a new memory with each one of my little gymnasts. I love my job simple because I get to watch kids enjoy doing what I once loved.

Final Project Blog #1

During my gymnastics career, I had the time of my life. I considered gymnastics my life then, and even now. When I look back at old pictures and videos, I realize how good I really was. Back about 6 years ago was the time I was really at my prime. I was too young to understand anything that was going on and I was competing gymnastics for fun. The training and practices were serious, but I never thought anything of it. Back in the day, I trained for about 16 hours a week on top of meets which were every few weeks. I would show up at the gym prepared, ready to do my best. I would come with a water bottle, a gym bag, and my leotard. Gymnastics class, also known as “nastics” was a time for flipping and fun. I remember I understood the concept of practicing and critiquing my skills whenever the coaches would yell at me. I built a very close bond with all my coaches and teammates. I remember always considering them my second family. My favorite coach, Miss Julie, was like my second mother to me. And sometimes, I would see the head coach, Mr. Mike more than my dad. It wasn’t because my family wasn’t there for me, it was just that I was at the gym more often then I was home. Meets were the most exciting yet sometimes upsetting things about gymnastics. Gymnasts go to meets and compete against other gymnasts from other gyms. Either your better than them, or your worse, its simple as that. At each meet, you compete in front of a judge and earn a score for the routine you performed. Then, at each meet after, you would try to improve that score by working extremely hard at practice. I soon started to grow older, and not wanted to go to gymnastics as much. I began concentrating more on my social life and quit my life of gymnastics. Every now and then I’ll go to the gym just to have some fun and attempt certain skills. I will always wish to do now what I could do back then.

1/10-1/14 Choice Blog

My choice blog is going to be on my current job because I am so obsessed with it. Every Monday, Tuesday and Thursday I work at Gymnastics Sports Academy in Lancaster. Each day I coach three different classes of about seven kids. I don’t even consider working there a job; it’s more like an activity that I get paid for doing. I coach kids from the age three to about seven. Some kids I adore and some kids are complete trouble makers. For only working there for a few months, I already care for the kids like their my own. Each one of the kids has touched me in a certain way. Each day I work for only about three and a half hours and time flies by. These kids say and do the craziest things, it’s so funny. At gymnastics, I first take the kids on the floor to stretch. Stretching is very important in gymnastics so nobody gets hurt. Then, I follow a schedule that is given to me before the class starts. I take the kids to all the normal gymnastics events; vault, bars, beam and floor. I let them try things out and have a good time. But for the kids to have more interest, I include games with the activity. We include fun activities such as relay races, obstacle courses, and many other games. What I noticed is that the kids enjoy the trampoline and the foam pit the most. One of the girls in my class is five years old and doesn’t talk or smile through the whole class. I try to get her to show some kind of emotion but I can never seem to do it. Then, as soon as I take her into the pit, she gets the biggest smile on her face. I gained a totally different outlook on kids ever since I began coaching. Gymnastics has been my passion my whole life and I think that’s somewhat why I love it so much. I get to watch kids love doing what I once loved. If I could work at GSA my whole life, I would.

1/10-1/14 Typical Superbowl Sunday

My typical Super bowl Sunday is not anything special and changes every year. I’m not a big football person so my family doesn’t really go all out. When I was little we always used to go to my parents friend’s house for a party. There were kids everywhere and I always had a great time. But now that I am getting older I don’t really care for it. On Super bowl Sunday I really am up for anything, I never have definite plans. For what I remember, Super bowl Sunday is now just like any other Sunday with a little touch of excitement. The football game is normally on playing in my living room, but I rarely watch it. I might come out and watch it for a few minutes, but I don’t think I have ever sat through the whole thing. The football game is too dragged out. If I was actually at the football game it would be a totally different story. Physically being at a football game is so much more different than watching it on TV. My favorite part of Super bowl Sunday would probably have to be the food. Even though my family doesn’t go to a party anymore, my mom still buys a whole bunch of goodies and snacks. What’s a football game without chips and dip? Chips and dip is my favorite food in the whole entire world. But you can’t just eat chips and dip for an everyday snack; it has to be for a special occasion such as the Super Bowl. The part of the super bowl that I never miss is the last few minutes and the celebration at the end. It’s so exciting watching the other team celebrate their victory. Watching the football players celebrate with their teammates and families is so cute!

1/10-1/14 Social Networking

Social networking has completely impacted and changed my life in so many ways. The only social network that I know how to work is Facebook. Facebook is not only informing but also entertaining. There is so much you can do with Facebook, it is crazy. Because I’m so in love with Facebook, I sometimes get mad that I even have one. I spend way too much time on Facebook and it drives me crazy. I’m not one of those kinds of people that sit there all day, but I do go on it at least once a day. It takes up so much of my time without me even knowing it. The positive sides of Facebook are being able to keep in contact with people and seeing what they’re doing. People are allowed to put their information up on their profiles such as marital status, job, and location. They could also post what they are currently doing and who their family members are. My favorite part of Facebook would have to be the uploading photos option. I absolutely love looking at and taking pictures. I love being able to look at other peoples pictures and seeing all their memorable events. Looking at pictures of myself and friends makes me laugh out loud constantly. Facebook is a great way to keep in contact with people you haven’t seen in a while or people you don’t see very often. On Facebook, I am friends with family that lives across the country. It’s beneficial if you don’t have time to call or visit someone because you can just send a quick message through Facebook. Also, some people I’m friends with on Facebook I never imagined keeping in contact with. I will sometimes come across random friend requests from people that I haven’t talked to in years. Facebook is also fun because you can comment back and forth on your friend’s profiles. I think Facebook has impacted my life and many other people’s lives around me.

1/3-1/7 Christmas Break and the Wisdom Teeth

This Christmas break was probably not one of my most favorite breaks I have had. The beginning started of wonderful, obviously, because it was Christmas! I love Christmas, who doesn’t? I got everything I asked for and a little bit more. I knew a lot of the things I was getting, but I also opened some surprises. Surprises are also nice and sometimes turn out to be your favorite gift! Well the whole Christmas break I spent a ton of time with family and friends. Then Tuesday, was the nightmare of an event. I had the unfortunate opportunity to get all four of my wisdom teeth pulled. I was more nervous than ever! I never experienced any type of surgery or anything close to it so I had to clue what to expect. I walked into the doctor’s office miserable, not wanting to get them removed. The secretary says, “Holly Groth,” and I was on my way to the dungeon. I took a seat in the chair, they told me some directions, and they began the torture. First thing they did was stick a needle in my arm. I despise needles and giving blood, I would rate it #2 on my list of most disliked things. Now, that the surgeons had me ticked that they put a needle in an arm without telling me, I didn’t know what was coming next. A few seconds later, I was out. In a certain amount of minutes I do not know because I was sleeping, I woke up. My mother was there by my side to comfort me. I don’t remember some of the things I said but I wasn’t complete knocked out like some people are. I remember driving home and feeling no pain at all. I wasn’t bleeding or anything. I was thinking in my head wow this is pretty sweet. But then day two, my cheeks were huge and I was sick as a dog. Every day I continued to get worse; it was awful! What a way to spend Christmas break although I still hung out with my friends.