Another successful week behind us brings about the final week until we leave for Thanksgiving. I think I can speak for the entire team when I say this break couldn't come at a better possible time. Yes, the holiday will offer everyone's bodies a nice reprieve and chance to relax, but the break I'm referring to is the five days without classes (including the weekend of course). I've never really struggled much with the academic overload of tests and projects my freshman and sophomore year, but I sure am paying for it this semester!!
With the pressure and stress from classes accumulating by the day, it really is amazing to see so many huge steps forward in the gym. The ability to come into the gym and leave obstacles dealing with family, school, personal struggles, or illnesss outside the door says a great deal about this team. Our team chemistry is truly amazing and each girl is so willing to do what it takes. I'm telling ya'll, the potential in these fifteen girls is endless!
Well floor routines are pretty much finished so Dana is just adding finishing touches to several of them. I've really enjoyed working on a couple of the routines, adding my own ideas to certain areas, just trying to bring the routines to life and contribute my own flair. They are all so fun, but so different and unique to each gymnast's personality and style. My two personal favorites are Ashley O's and Kayla's routines. I absolutely cannot wait for them to get out in front of our fans...they are for sure going to be crowd pleasers this year!
Like I said before, lots of progress was made in the gym this week. Casey has gotten an awesome bar routine together and Brittany has added her half-in, halfo-out to her bar routine. On vault, Ricki has been vaulting 1 1/2s onto hard mats and of course Morgan and Kayla'a fulls are bigger than ever. On beam, Ashley O is working a huge double back dismount so that's been exciting to watch it improve so much over the past week. On floor, everyone's tumbling is truly phenomenal. Every day I'm amazed by how much higher the level of difficulty is in comparison to last year and it is still so early in the year. My floor highlight would probably have to be watching Terin do a full routine yesterday with a piked full in first pass and a sky high double arabian second pass. Talk about some amazing talent!
Well that's just a glimpse of the excitement going on in the gym...besides, reading about it doesn't even begin to give you an idea of how incredible Bama's team is going to be this year. So with that said, you're just going to have to come out and see for yourself January 11!!
