Region 5 Championships

Rowan's hoop and rope routines from regionals!

We had the Region 5 USAG rhythmic gymnastics championships this weekend, in Princeton, WV. (Why there, I have no idea- sort of an odd choice, I think!) Rowan did GREAT! She got a trophy, and came in 4th for her level and age group. She got her best scores ever (by a lot!) on her hoop and rope routine.

For the first time, she was nervous. I almost told her to just sit it out- just watch this meet and cheer on her friends. I felt so bad that she was so nervous, because she is really little after all. But she did it, and did great.

Here are some photos taken at the gym a while ago. I waited to post them until I got prints mailed out. They went out today, so I am safe from harassment from relatives (cough cough mom and Ann cough cough).

A year and a month ago, Rowan started taking a rhythmic gymnastics class for 1 hour a week with a coach we knicknamed "Ivanka the Terrible". I was sure she'd never go back after that first class- the lady is TOUGH. All they did was an hour of painful stretching.

One year ago, the gym asked Rowan to join their pre-team for artistic gymnastics (regular gymnastics is artistic gymnastics- beam, bars, etc). Rowan asked if there was a rhythmic team, because she really wanted to do rhythmic. They said there was, but it was up to the coach. Rowan kept plugging away at her 1 hour a week class with "Ivanka", serious as all get out. In early summer, she was asked to join the Level 4 girls team- which would mean quitting rhythmic altogether.(I thought it was pretty dumb she couldn't do both- at the time she was 5, do you really have to plan out your athletic career at 5??!!) She promptly quit the team- to the immense surprise of the coach, her team mates, and her parents. Rowan just wanted to do rhythmic.

All summer long, she kept up her 1 hour a week class. Finally when her rhythmic coach (who we by now called by her name, Konstantza, and realized she isn't very terrible) opened her own gym in November, Rowan got her wish. She got to practice with the team.

At first she learned only the floor routine, with a possibility of doing 1 local meet. Then in January, she started learning hoop. And in mid February she learned rope. And now, one year later from that initial class I thought for sure she'd hate, she was competing all around at regionals!

Rowan made up her mind, and she did what she set out to do. One thing about Rowan- she is determined when she wants to be! Rhythmic gymnastics is obscure, there is no glory and fame. None of her friends even know what it is.The practices are long and intense, but she never goofs off and she never complains. We are so stinking proud of our determined little girl, and sad to see the season end.