Archive for September, 2009

In dance, we have been working on turns galore… thanks for your enthusiasm levels 4-10 as we get back to basics and break down the essential parts to a turn. You’re looking good! Ask your gymnast what they’re learning during dance time… they’ve made me proud!

We’ve had a tough time focusing and staying on task lately. On saturday we did a mini meet for the girls so they could see what they need to improve on in the next two weeks. I think the girls were dissapointed in their overall performance and will hopefully work really hard before the Intersquad. We just aren’t quite where we would like to be, but, with a little hard work and dedication we will be there.

Great to hear from some of our “Alumni”. I am in between rotations right now but wanted to thank the girls, coaches and hopefully soon parents, who are participating on our blog. I am behind the times and will hopefully soon have a GTCO facebook page, but for now I like the community aspect of the blog. Keep up the good work girls, and don’t worry DES, the real world isn’t that bad. I am told you get use to it after a while. Gotta go, thanks again I really enjoy the extra input from everyone.

Well it is my senior year at UD, which is exciting and scary at the same time.  I don’t know if I’m ready for the ‘real world’ yet, so I guess it’s a good thing I have a little more time to sort everything out. I have to say that I am very proud of the girls that just started college this fall. It is an exciting time for them and I would give just about anything to be a freshman again. So enjoy it while you can because it goes by way too fast.

I can’t say that I have any exciting news like some of you guys did. It’s really just the same old, same old for me. I spend a whole month up in Ft. Lewis, WA this summer doing ROTC training. It was like our big ‘test’ if you will. You have to pass this camp in order to commission as a 2LT in May. No worries, I passed with flying colors, so watch out Army, here I come! I also spend a week in Ft. Hood, TX visiting my friend who is attached to an aviation unit so I got to learn all about the helicopters and sit in the apaches (these are the fighting helicopters…very cool). I find out my branch here in about a month, so I guess that is pretty exciting. I am hoping to branch medical services. I would like to be in a research lab doing some sort of work with microbiology, but it’s not really up to me to decide. The next four years of my life are all decided by the Army. I’m excited an nervous for the next few years. It will definitely be something different, that’s for sure.

I hope that everything is going well at the gym. I will try and stop by again sometime soon!

Practices are going pretty well. The girls seem to be loosing focus of the basics so we spent last week re-visiting those and they will continue into this week, especially in dance. We will also continue to work routines and routine parts focusing on making each turn better than the last and really thinking about what our bodies are doing. Saturday we did a mini meet for the girls to give them a break and also as reality check for the upcomming Intersquad in October. Hopefully the girls will see we still have some work to do before then and they will work super hard to improve. We posted some of our goals in the back of the gym so they can see what they want to work on this week. This will be a daily reminder of their goals and what they want to accomplish.
We have ONE MORE kip clinic before the Intersquad, it will be on Monday September 21st from 8.15-9pm.
Remember Ladies, We would rather see you miss with correct form and technique than make with incorrect form and technique. See you Monday with smiling faces and positive attitudes!

Hey Everyone,
This is Abbie Leber and I’m a gymnast at University of Illinois. I have been here since August 19th. It is amazing. I really love the campus and the college. My classes are going well, they’re a lot different than high school but I am enjoying them thoroughly. Gym is hard; we have cardio at 6:30 in the morning, which one-day is spinning. We have this really energetic instructor, but that doesn’t help the fact that you’re spinning for an hour non stop. We also have a circuit 3 days a week (a different one each day); it really gets the heart rate going and gets your whole body sore. Another big thing here is the cold tub. It just looks like a hot tub, but is about 40 degrees! It really helps with soreness and fatigue though, as long as you can survive the cold waters for the 15 mandated minutes. I’m not sure if there was been a day when I haven’t woken up

sore! The trainers here take such good care of you, as I’ve come to know with my foot and my surgery this past week. They really want to make sure you’re in top physical condition. There is no such thing as just working through it anymore. They want to know what is bothering you and they want to fix it, there is not 98 % anymore. My teammates are amazing. They are all I ever could have hoped for in a team. The older girls really look after all of us and are so helpful if we need anything. They are a really close-knit group, including with the boys team. It makes it like a nice little family in the gym with all your new sisters and brothers. I’ll mention before this gets too long how my surgery went. It was only about half-hour surgery. I’m in a half cast now with it ace bandaged on the front. I’m in this till next Thursday the 24th with crutches, and then I’m in a boot for a week. After that hopefully I’ll get my stitches out and I’ll be able to walk around with my tennis shoes. It’s going to be about 3 months till I’m back into the competitiveness of the sport and hopefully will be in routine shape sometime around the beginning of the season. That’s all for now, don’t forget to watch the BIG Ten Network and Illinois Gymnastics!!

Find me on:

—www.fightingillini.com—

or you can e-mail me at :
leber1@illinois.edu

Hey Everyone, Alaska here from West Virginia! Just letting you all know that everything here in the Mountains is going strong! Classes are going well and gym…LOVE IT! Though a few weeks ago I had a very close encounter with the vault (bashing my tailbone into the metal and somehow hyper extending my left leg) BUT I’m getting back into the groove of things and adjusting very well to the equipment…ahem…especially bars hahaha!

Though I’m glad to announce that  preseason is over, I repeat pre-season is over!! Thank goodness! It was hard physically, and in my case mentally, but with the amazing support from the team and coaches, I was able to push through:

The 4 Mile run at 6 AM…

Sprinting up and down the coliseum stairs…

Bench pressing 95 pounds…ok, that doesn’t sound like a lot to some, but man that was enough for me! Made it to 6 on my own :]

Running up law hill 5 times in like 80 degree heat…HUGE HILL!

And many other challenges along the way. There were times where I wanted to give up or I didn’t think I couldn’t do it, but I did it man! It’s great here and I’m so blessed to be a part of it all. (thanks to you guys!)

I really really miss you all at GTCO and I can’t wait to see everyone again in November! I’m loving it here (so very much) and the fact that we pretty much get new gear every 2 weeks…we’re so spoiled. But yea, that’s basically it for now. Official practices start Monday the 21st and I’m ready to show them how we do it in OHIO! Love you all and see ya all soon!

OH, and I’ll have you know they’ve got a nickname for me…it’s SWAY. Not because I can ‘move’ but mostly because of my “bad posture” with my sway back…hmm. We’re working on that…You can find me on:

http://www.msnsportsnet.com/

OR

email me at ajgirls222@aol.com

OR

aricha23@mix.wvu.edu

PEACE!!

I continue to be impressed with how our girls are handling themselves this year.  As we move closer to meet season…. which is a very short 12 weeks away… the girls are rising to the challenges of beginning full sets, taking extra mats out from under beams and tumbling on the floor.  We are very fortunate to have such a close knit group where they encourage and push each other, and provide support when someone is struggling.  I am so proud of how our teams have grown up over the last couple of years.  And I am really looking forward to this competitive season.  Awesome job girls!!

Happy Birthday to our coaches celebrating this month. Today the 16thI celebrate so I relate to your feelings….not as exciting as it used to be. With age comes the joy of seeing others grow, and recently have heard from Alaska at WVU. She is having a good time, with the exception of running in the mountains. Abbie is at Illinois and I believe having an ankle surgery this Thursday, so our thoughts are with her, and hopes for a speedy recovery. I have not heard from Jessica, T.C. and Becky for a little while, but I will assume no news is good news. Happy Birthday once again to our September Bday coaches and thank you to all who have been a part of GTCO over the years. On a day like today I look back and realize how blessed I am and what optimism I have for our future generations. Thank you all for letting us be a part of your lives.