Tumbling

Every once in a while someone will ask me how tumbling is going. I usually answer with a positive. I love helping kids learn gymnastics. I have been thinking lately about why I love to help out at the gym and I think the main reason is because it is sort of thrilling to help kids achieve something they never thought possible. When I teach the little kids (3-4, 4-5, or older beginner classes) they are always watching in amazement as the older kids tumble. I tell them every once in awhile, you'll do that someday. You can tell that gets them excited. Their achievements happen little by little. The progress is slow but it is SO rewarding when they learn a new skill. I love to see the look on their faces when they nail their backwalkover or backhandspring or whatever the new skill is for them. I remember when I was young doing my whip (a backhandspring with no hands) for the first time and telling my father on the way home that it was like flying. I often wonder if the tumbling students I work with have those same feelings of achieving superhuman feats. I guess tumbling was as close as I have ever come to feeling like a superhuman and it is exciting to help other kids achieve something extraordinary.

So I am kind of embarrassed to share this picture, but I thought I would anyway. Here I am "flying" or doing a whip. I would guess that I was about 10. If you know anything about gymnastics you know that this is really bad form, so just know that this was one of my first whips. In addition, please ignore the fact that I am wearing a neon pink uniform. :)