Poised For Term 2

Mondays are going to be busy once Term 2 begins in late April.

I have just enrolled Beth for recreational beginners gymnastics with the Hoppers Crossing Gymnastics Club.

We went for the 'try out' session this afternoon in a unit in a factory building where you walk past a delivery bay area to a blink-and-you'll-miss it glass door with the name of the club on an A4-sized sheet stuck at eye level.

The 4-6 pm class has 7 girls of around Beth's age. I hung around to watch and to give support, but once she starts classes properly, I won't be doing that as "PARENTS ARE NOT ALLOWED TO SPECTATE WHILE TRAINING IS IN PROGRESS", according to the newsletter.

I like that the club is a satellite club of the VIC High Performance Society in Prahran (whatever that means) and that it is the only club in the Western suburbs that is a member of the VIC Institute of Sport. The founder is an ex-Olympics gymnast.

It was interesting to observe Beth figure things out. She was the new kid on the block and I guess she felt she had something to prove. Luckily for her, the first exercise they did was the split, which she does amazingly well. In fact, she was the only one who did it perfectly, and the coach commended her. I felt so proud of my little girl, especially when one of the girls went: "She's good!"

She's not as strong in things that require strength and endurance, and her coordination and balance are not the best. But that's exactly why she's in gymnastics, so she can work on those areas.

It's a 2-hour commitment each week, which means less time for afternoon tea, rest and homework.

It's past 8 pm as I write this and Beth is next to me working on her literacy homework. We'll have to refine our schedule as we go along, until we find the one that works best for everyone. But if she enjoys the exercise and gains in self-confidence and athletic prowess, it'll be worth it.