Amara has come full circle in her search for a good gymnastics coach. We started back when she was 5 in Richmond where she started with coach Ms. Arianna. Amara studied with her for over a year. We loved Ms. Arianna, she was skilled, professional and was great with kids being firm but kind. But the school had some issues and after the coaches left and the school started to crumble we also bailed. We had a good run for well over a year but we were left with a gymnastics void because Amara loves gymnastics. Not a day goes by where I don't think I see her feet up in the air more than I see her head!
After Flip n Flops folded, we tried Orinda Rec. That turned out to be a lot of standing in line to do a few exercises. Havana gave it a go with Big Sis, along with our friends Hana and Angie. All of them were left bored. Suffice to say, we only lasted one session. I couldn't find another school that was feasible in location due to bearish Bay Area traffic so we took a break for a couple of years. Amara may have loved gymnastics but I was not heading into the Maze for classes or out east after commuting to Hayward in the morning.
Eventually we found Liberty in Concord and signed up. That went fairly well. Good coaches, big gym, shared commute with other friends which meant only driving every few weeks. That alone sealed the deal. Amara worked hard at Liberty and even got to compete last Spring, getting her first medal. But then my job changed and I couldn't manage getting her out to Concord any longer. And honestly, while Amara progressed, she had several coach changes and I didn't love the school. We both liked it an awful lot but I still missed the coaches from our first school. We were also disappointed how the competition was run so taking a break in June felt like the right choice.
This summer, due to time and location restraints, we ended up doing camp at El Cerrito Rec. Amara, who does countless handstands, cartwheels and bridges daily, did even more when I told her I signed her up for a week of gymnastics camp. Each night she came home complaining how sore her legs were but that her coach Bindi, (whose name sounded so familiar but I couldn't place) taught her new things and trained her in a way that she felt "like a real gymnast." No matter how tired or sore she was, Amara would immediately head out into the yard to practice more. Girlfriend was committed.
When the school year arrived, we found out a friend was signing up for Bindi's Monday class and her dad was willing to drive Amara with them from school (new job, crappy hours, can't drive the kids anymore). Amara was ecstatic to keep going with her flips and flops, stretches and bars. About a week in, Amara said, "Mama the other teacher with Bindi knew my name. I think she knows me but I don't really remember her." "What's her name?" I asked. "Arianna but we call her Ms. Ariann." I could feel my owns eyes grow wide. "What does she look like Amara?" When she described her I could only smile at the divine intervention. It had to be her first coach that we loved so much. And Bindi, no wonder it sounded familiar, as a lightbulb when off in my head; she taught the older kids at our first gym, taking them on to win many trophies.
So here we are full circle, back with not one but two skilled coaches and each week we see Amara progress further. Amara is the best gymnast but she is pretty darn good. Most important, she loves it and is committed. I am thrilled we can support her passion with coaches who also support her passion. I am thankful for Divine Intervention in all of this. And I think I may start to count just how many cartwheels, bridges and handstands Amara does everyday because she may hit a world record!
Here are Amara and Ms. Arianna when Amara was just 5. No wonder she didn't remember her, it was half her life ago!
No comments:
Post a Comment