Smile, Breathe, Solute & Point your Toes
Every gymnast competes in 4 events at every meet they attend.
Vault, bars, beam, and floor.
4 key encouragements every coach gives to their girls to help them obtain that high score:
Smile, Breathe, Solute and don't forget to Point your Toes!
It's good to have goals
At the beginning of the 2019 gymnastics season, Tayler set her goals. As captain of the Silver team, she wanted to beat her scores from the year before and so, on the white board in her room, she documented the motivation process.
The scores she listed are her top scores for that event from the 2018 season, and as you can see, floor is going to be hard to beat.
The FLOOR Routine
The floor routine is a series of tumbling movements performed on a cushioned surface 40 feet square. Elements required in any routine include cartwheels, front or back tucks (somersault in the air), round offs with front or back handsprings, jumps, tumbling and movements resembling ballet. Floor routines are generally 70-90 seconds in length.
Click here to see Tayler’s highest scoring floor routine from the Gypsum meet.
The VAULT
To compete in the vault at a gymnastics meet, the gymnast is required to run, jump, flip and land.
The “vaulting horse” a name given to the apparatus by gymnasts because of its resemblance to a saw horse, but padded, was used from the 1896 Summer Olympics to the 2000 Olympics. For safety reasons, in 2001 they began using a smaller, more table like version.
For the non-Olympic gymnast, they are required to jump over cushioned, block mats. As their skill levels increase, the vaulting requirements become more Olympic style.
Click here to view Tayler’s highest scoring performance on the vault.
The Balance BEAM
The balance beam, aka, beam, was developed in the 1700’s in Germany, yet didn’t arrive into the sports world until around 1934.
Roughly 4 inches wide, the gymnast is scored on elements such as leaps, hand stands, dance poses and other elements depending on their skill level, ALL ON THIS 4 INCH BEAM 3 FEET OFF THE GROUND.
Clicking here, you will find Tayler’s high scoring beam routine.
The Uneven BARS
This event consists of two parallel horizontal bars set at different heights. The gymnasts performs swinging, circling, transitional, and release moves and the difference in height allows them to pass over, under, and between the two bars.
Originally designed as fixed wooden rails, the uneven bars we see today are more flexible, more shock absorbing and allow more bounce helping the gymnasts achieve greater heights.
Click here and you will see Tayler on the uneven bars. Her highest scoring performance.
4 Floor Routines = 4 First Places
Montrose Meet
Scored: 9.45
Grand Junction
Scored: 9.45
Gypsum
Scored: 9.7
Rifle
Scored: 9.3
Each meet generally consists of 5 to 7 teams, and each team has anywhere from 3 to 15 girls. For scoring, the girls are divided into groups by age and compete against the other girls in their age group, including girls from their own gym. Tayler’s age group, 14-16 years old, general contained 15-20 girls competing against each other. So out of about 20 girls, Tayler scored the highest on floor in all four meets she attended giving her first place at all four meets.
Keeping track of her goals
She beat 4 out of the 5 categories, however, she is still very pleased with all her performances.
Floor: we knew coming into the 2019 season the floor routine score was going to be tough to beat. Although she came close at the Gypsum meet, only 5 tenths of a point away from tying her 2018 score, we think she earned it anyway.
Beam: she wanted to beat her score of 9.25 from the 2018 season and she nailed it at the Grand Junction meet with a score of 9.6!
Bars: she was aiming to beat 9.15 from 2018 and did so at the Grand Junction meet with a score of 9.2.
Vault: her 9.1 score from 2018 was what she was looking to beat and she accomplished that at the Gypsum meet scoring a 9.2.
AA: stands for the All Around score. This score comes from adding up the scores from all four events each gymnast competed in. Tayler beat her All Around score from 2018 at the Grand Junction meet with 37.4!
WAY TO GO SWEETIE! ! ! !
Our Rising Star
Scoring an All Around score of 37.4 for the 2019 Gymnastics season, Tayler earned herself the Rising Star Award. Her gym awards this to any gymnast that scores a 37.0 or higher for that particular competition season. At the dessert awards banquet, Tayler was the only one to receive the Rising Star Award for the 2019 season.
A determined trooper, to say the least
(if the play button is not visible, just click the video itself and it should play.)
In Conclusion
Our Gracious Heavenly Father, I want to thank you for keeping Tayler and her fellow teammates safe this past competition season. It has been such an amazing blessing, Lord, to witness the athletic ability you have given Tayler. Her strength and agility, focus and determination come from You. I lift Tayler and her teammates up to you and ask that You continue to protect them as they practice this summer and get prepared for their next competition season. I pray that these girls glorify You in all they do on and off the mat. Thank you Lord for the gift of our daughters and the talent you gave them. I ask this in the precious hallowed name of your risen son Jesus, Amen.
Speaking from experience as a mom with an athletic daughter, if your son or daughter shows any interest in tumbling, or athletics at all, I encourage you to look into Gymnastics. This sport does so much for kids, young and old. It teaches determination, in that the kids want to master a given skill. It teaches them focus and stick-to-it-iveness, in that they don’t give up. And it is a more productive and positive influence in their life.
Thank you for letting me share this amazing gymnastics journey with you. Please feel free to comment below letting me know any thoughts your have.