dang you Gabby Douglas!

the olympics are AWESOME, im sure we all can agree, however those mesmerizing gymnasts make me miss like CRAZY coaching this ultimate sport. it all started when i was 16 years old, thanks to Renae Borgia i got the hook up to train (for weeks and weeks). to learn and do all this gymnasticy stuff was overwhelming at first but i had always admired the sport. long story short and 4 babies later i finally stopped coaching 16 months ago, but who's counting.
the list of things i absolutely adored about 17 years (off and on) of this "work" is awfully long. Of course it's all about the kid; taking these little balls of energy and teaching them to safely tumble, balance, spring off boards, and swing on bars.

i will say im pretty proud of the great friends i brought in to coach with me. bonding over cartwheels and handstands is something that's hard to describe.

Running field trips of 30+ big-eyed hyper-spazzes and the dozens of birthday parties i hosted were definite highlights. My special little caden was able to bring his class to the gym his 3rd grade year. my heart will never forget what it was like to work with those kids and their unique needs.

i miss chatting with curious parents about their child's athletic level,progression and mastery of the skills. i miss the chuckles amongst coaches at a gymnast's "attempt" at a certain skill, i admit it was more than a chuckle most times. i miss good bosses that supported me and appreciated my efforts. i miss herding my little turkeys from event to event. i miss setting up and creating different approaches to teach the same basic but crucial skills. but most most most of all i will whole heartedly miss the excited shout of, "coach laurie, i DID it!!!"