Excerpt: Blue Star Secrets

Salt Lake City. Not where I would want to go to a meet, but then again I did not pick the spot. If you want to talk about pressure, then yes, this fits. Why you ask? Well comming from a family that has Mormon roots and is still tied to it, competing here is like major nerve breakers. Add to that, my parents are in the audience and this is my first big meet.

Who am I? The name is Jennifer Madison Riordan, Jenna to everyone else. And yeah those in the sport know that name. See my dad, Micheal, was a member of the ill fated 1980 Olympic squad, before that he was burning up the ranks and winning nearly everything. When he got the news that we weren't going to be there to compete, he called it quits. And I know all this how? It's called the media and my dad's memerobelia room, otherwise known as his den. Of course things went great for a few years. He got married, went to college, had his first child, and then opened his own gym. Then came me, daddy's little princess who was a serious hyperspaz.

Oh and now that hurts. You see, were in the middle of this big meet as far as invitationals go. Yeah the top ten all-arounders get to go to Nationals, and there are alot of well known girls here as well as newbies. My team, the Eagales, are on the last of our rotations, the beam. Now I love that event, but for a newbie like Stacey, it can be a serious nightmare. Ouch that hurts and hard. She just fell and that is a slap to the face, hers, poor girl. Pressure in this sport can really get to you and if you dunno how to control your nerves it can seirously mess with you. Stacey is our first up and that sets the tone for the rest of us, which could be bad. You see, falling is contagious. I hope the rest don't catch it. On that note, I am going to find a spot and and get my head in the zone.

I got through ten repetitions before it happened, the all too familliar voice of my best friend Holly broke into my little bubble.

"Hey, you got to check this gal out, wow."

My attention is immediately pulled out of that bubble and to the bars area where this long limbed blonde dressed in an aqua and lavender leotard, is flying around the apperattus like she has wings and her form, wow. And her landing? Amazing, I mean it is like she has glue on the soles of her feet, and I can't help but join the crowd in applauding her.

Bad thing is I can't place the leotard, it looks familliar, but I am drawing a blank. I glance over at Holly with a confused look on my face. She immediately shakes her head and gives me a weird look, like I should know what I am looking at. I glare at her and she finally gives in and fills in the blanks.

"That is Nicole Lewis of Blue Star Gymnastics, only like the top club in the country. American Gymnast has her pegged as the next Olympic Champ."

I just roll my eyes and said to her, "Yeah, but how many so called next ones land flat on their rears when it matters, thus blowing it all?"

Kyle chose that moment to make his presence known as he answers my question instead of Holly. "Not too many and those that do make it pay a high price for it in the end."

That makes me jump because I was not expecting that sneak attack. I should know by now that he is not that far away, especailly after working with them for ten years. Holly wishes me luck and then heads over to sit down with the rest of the bunch. Alot is riding on me and I know it. I am the last one up. I am either going to sink or save the team. Kyle's last minute instructions are only half heard as I try to focus. I nod obiediently as I put chalk on my the bottom of my beam shoes.

"This is your best event. Use it to your advantage and leave the judges with something to remember you by, don't worry about Leslie or the past falls, focus on you and sell that routine."

I nod and smile at Kyle as I move to step around the chain link barrier and stroll over to the edge of the mat not far from my starting point. I take a few deep breaths and try to see myself pulling off the best routine while I fight the urge to look up into the stand and find out exactly where my family is sitting. It is then that I hear this tiny voice in my head that reminds me that my mother has not been to one of my meets since I became an elite. I shake my head. I cannot afford to think like that, I need to focus. I rub my hands together as I look over at the judges as I hear the announcer rattle off some comments about Nicole and I try not to listen to them.

I reach up to brush my hair out of my eyes and that is when I see it, Leslie's score. It's pretty good for some one that is apparently the top dog in this gym at this moment, and the fact that this meet has been going on for two days, two very long and tiring days.I took a long deep breath, my eyes rivited on the head judge. Moments later she raises the little green flag with a fast snap. I take another deep breath and hold it as I salute and then walk over to the beam.

My hands hover above the beam for a few seconds before I place them on the apperattus and I slowly shift my weight, slowly pulling my legs off the mat and into the air over my head and into a split position over my head. I hold the position for a few seconds, still holding the position as I execute a double turn. Slowly I right myself and silently I count to three before I push off into a series of flip flops ending with a two footed layout very close to the end of the beam. I am off a tad to the left and quickly shift my hips to compensate for it, but to the untrained eye I am right on and the series was perfect. I know I do not need the extra errors so I tell myself to relax and to sell the routine.

I am so into selling it that I am not aware that time is just sailing by, until I hear the bell ring. I take a deep breath and rush to get to my spot for the beginning of my dismout sequence. I have thirty seconds to get off this thing, and it may seem like a lot, but it's not when you have alot of elements to squeeze in and then have to make sure that your feet are on the map before the next bell goes off or you get serious deductions. I can see Kyle waiting off the side of the mat ready to spot me if I need it. I take anouther deep breath and then launch myself off the apperatus. As I twist, I see Kyle step back off the mat, he knows I have it and know all I have to do is stick it.

As my feet come in contact with the mat, I hear my teammats cheering me on along with the crowd. My balance is slightly off so I have to fight to keep from falling forwards due to the impact. As I throw my arms up in a salute, I break into a smile. The crowd chees in approval of the stuck landing. Still grinning I turn and quickly salute the judges before I step off the mat and into Kyle's waiting hug. I can tell he liked what he saw because he is grinning. He puts me down and keeps his arm around my shoulder as he walks back to our seats and my waiting teammates who are just screaming like I got a ten or something. I wave to the crowd before being buried under an avalance of congratulatory hugs. Once I am able to come up for air I put on my warmups.

I take a seat in an empty chair and I pull off my beam shoes, stuffing them in my duffle bag as I pull out my socks and slide them on. Holly takes a seat next to me. I tell her that I goofed and she laughes at that.

Now I wait for my score. As a means of passing the time I scan the crowd again for any sign of my family. It takes me all of five minutes to find my dad, my brother Evan, and his friend Mark. Dad is holding this rediculous sign that says go for it Jenna in red, white, and blue. Really, that was so original. I wonder who came up with that one? What I don't see is my mom, go figure. I wonder what her excuse will be this time for not being here. It really hurts not having her here, but I make sure that nobody sees that.

I force myself to smile, but the smile is not so wooden as I hear the crowd cheer and the scoreboard shows my score. A 9.2! That is not so bad with this new system, so yes I am happy with it, but was it enough to get me to the next stop on my path? Now I wait more. Next to me I hear Holly squeal and that is all the warning that I need that my teammates are gonna bury me again in another avalanche of hugs.

As if he can hear my unspoken questions, Kyle appears in front of me grinning. I look up at him and end up laughing. Kyle's grins are infectious. Looking next to him I see one of the pages dressed in their uniforms of all white.

"Great job there spunky. You were amazing to watch."

I ask him how he thought I did as I blush at the complment.

"Oh I think you placed in the top 15 or higher. Lindy here was sent to escort you to the staging area for the awards ceremony."

I blink. Usually only the top ten make it into the stagning area. Nerves suddenly grips me as that dawns on me. I force that smile to stay in place and hide it as I look over at Lindy. She couldn't have been any more then ten years old. I wonder what she thinks of me. Still smiling I get to my feet, pausing to hug Kyle again on my way out. The Nationals would be held in Atlanta, ten months from now.

We don't have to wait too long for the start of the ceremony. We march back ingot the arena accompanied byt the theme that John Williams wrote for the 1984 Olympics, the song sends chills along my spine. It is magical. As we reenter the arena I can hear the crowd clapping int time with the music. My smile is genuine as i come to a halt behind the dais and I watch the coaches and the officals join us. One face stands out. Allison Blair among that group. My idol was here. Why? That group comes to stand opposite us on the map, smiling as the song comes to an end.

It seems to take forever for the placings to be announced and time seems to slow as the announcer climbes the latter frome 15th to first. As the group gets smaller my nerves start going haywire. When my third place standing is announced I nearly burst into tears in shock. I am still fighting the tears as I move to take my place on the dais. In the crowd I can hear my teammates hollaring and I can feel the heat from the blush that slowly appears on my face at that along with the tears. Carefully, I climb up on the dias, pausing to wave and acknowledge the crowd, and then I bend down to recieve my medal and get the shock of my life! Allison is there to present the medals. My idol is putting my medal around my neck! Oh my gosh!

Another girl hands me a boquet of flowers and I hug her as it tradition before she steps back and the siver meadalist is announced. Leslie Stevens is the winner of that medal. She trains with Nicole at Blue Star. It is no surprise that Nicole won the gold medal.

Afer the ceremony is done I join both Leslie and Nicole in posing for photos and in signing autographs. Next on the agenda? Relaxing beofre the Event Finals which happen tomorrow night. I don't like the idea of competing on the Sabbath, but what can I do anout it. I will have to go to services with my dad tomorrow though, he'll insist on it.

Then there will be more relaxation before I go back to Erie Ohio, my home town, and resume training with my Uncle Troy, something I am not looking forwards too at all.