During this part of our training cycle, numerous changes are made to help us ensure we are ready for competition in January. Medalist Club "Meet the Team Barbecue" signals the season is almost upon us and if you visit the gym you will see that the ladies are focusing on putting "full routines" together and working towards competition.

We have started intra-squads to see how each gymnast responds to "pressure of competition" and in most instances, it is exciting to see our ladies "rise to the occasion." Competition is the fun part and reward for all our hard training this fall, but if you ask the athletes, they will tell you; this transition phase of practice is definitely the most difficult time of pre-season training. Everyone is pushing for success, athletes and coaches alike. The stress of their upcoming final exams and the completion of projects just add to the level of anxiety everyone feels. My job is to help them relax, keep things in perspective and prepare our team for competition.

As you can tell from this Coaches Corner we are working hard in preparation for this exciting year. As I have told our athletes, nothing, especially success, comes without a price, and we are hopeful our efforts will be rewarded in April as we hope to join eleven other teams here in Coleman Coliseum for the National Championship!