Reflecting on my 2024 gymnastics season

Eight months ago, I moved back to California, USA looking for gyms near my house. I found four gyms near my house: Airborne Gymnastics, West Valley Gymnastics, CSC, and Gold Star Gymnastics. I tried out at Airborne, CSC, and Gold Star, and ultimately started practicing at Gold Star. After a couple of months, I decided that I could compete in level 7 and I started putting my routines together.

I remember thinking about how different every aspect of gymnastics was. It was an incredibly organized system. I remember being astonished that the host of the meet had our awards ready just minutes after I was finished competing. At the start of the season, every part of it was new to me. I had competed before but never in an environment where the staff and floor managers actually wanted to be at that meet. I had so many nerves going into that competition, but I was proud of myself for making only few major mistakes and for being able to partly control my nerves. 

Two days before my second meet, I injured my left middle finger. I was not going to compete in uneven bars and balance beam. I was unhappy but it was important to feel that way. I learned how to get through minor injuries.

My third meet was my worst meet of the season. My vault score was lower than I expected, I fell in my beam routine and during my floor routine. I was disappointed and I cried about it. I felt really bad. I learned that making mistakes is 100% okay, but you should also learn from them. After that meet, my technique improved, including my round-off back handspring and clear hip on bars. I also changed the order of my tumbling passes in my floor routine.

My fourth meet was a big confidence booster. I got a higher score than I had ever received on bars and I did a clean floor routine. I landed both my tumbling passes and my artistry was significantly better. I was shaky during my beam routine, but I was able to finish the routine without making any major mistakes. I also received my highest-ever all-around score.

My last regular season meet was slightly disappointing. I had decided to “go all out” for this meet because I had qualified for States so I had nothing to lose. I was very nervous before my beam routine and that was very clear during the routine. My bar routine was average: I had good form throughout the routine but my handstands were slightly short. I messed up my last tumbling pass in my floor routine, missed a requirement, and stubbed my toe. I competed in the last event even though my toe was hurting. That decision was both good and bad because my toe was hurting for several days after the meet but I scored significantly higher than the last meet. On the drive back home, I wanted to feel good about my last meet before the State Championships, but I couldn’t help feeling just a little disappointed because I wanted to do better.

I was super ready to compete at States. I decided to compete my clear hip on the high bar which was both risky and beneficial because I knew that that routine would score higher but I also did not want to fall in my routine. The meet didn’t start off too strong. I received a much lower score than expected in both floor and vault routines, but I was trying not to look at the scores. I was hyping myself up before my bar routine and I told myself to be in the moment. I was completely focused. I did an amazing routine which placed first! That was the routine I needed before my last event. I was really happy but I needed to stay focused for my beam routine. My warm-up wasn’t as great as I wanted it to be but I stayed focused on the routine. I was so pumped and ready for this routine. I performed a clean routine, stuck the landing, and placed third! I had confidently qualified for Regionals.

Between States and Regionals, I had a one-month break. The season had gone by so fast, but I was ready for it to be over and ready to learn new skills. My last meet did not go as well as I thought it would. On the bright side, I received my highest scores on floor and vault, but they weren’t enough to place. I was pressured to do a good bar routine because I had done well in the States. My nerves got to me, I made several mistakes, and I ended up getting a very low score. I moved on and finished my beam routine with no major mistakes and placed third!

I’m so grateful for this gymnastics season and the experiences I have gone through. I am grateful for my coaches and family who have supported me through the ups and downs of my season. Lastly, I am grateful for my friends and teammates. I never imagined that I would have the kind of “gymnastics family” I have now. Along with many other goals, I want to write more about my experiences throughout the season.

(P.S. The season ended more than a month ago, but I needed a chance to write about it in detail.)