Every gymnast has the same struggles at practice. Because of this, their simple one-liners used on coaches are used country wide. As an ex-gymnast, here are some of the notorious one-liners that every gymnast has said to their coach.
1. "Did you see that?"
It's a constant competition to get a coach's attention. So when you do something amazing that you know will never happen again, you have to scream this across the gym at your coach in the hopes that by some slight chance they did. Of course, usually they don't, and they tell you to show them right away, which is impossible.
2. "You only see the bad ones!"
Ah yes, the line no coach ever believes but is completely true. You can stick a skill 12 times in a row, but when a coach watches, you become a disgusting mess of flailing arms and legs. It is literally impossible to look good when a coach is watching.
3. "Can we play a game?"
Every day. We always know it is going to be a no, but there is always that hint of hope within our souls that our coaches will love us and allow us to play a game.
4. "OK, but does it count if it was this small?"
Cue reenactment of wobble. It never works. It never counts.
5. "I have to do another floor Z?!"
But I was only at 57 seconds! That's only two seconds off! Yeah well too bad — you are doing another one. So catch your breath and force your legs to move faster than humanly possible to get it done within the time limit.
6. "My steps are off."
When we say this, it is sometimes the case. Sometimes it isn't. Sometimes we just don't want to vault because we are scared. Note to the young ones, this trick doesn't work. You will have to vault whether you want to or not.
7. "Is it 'do' or 'make?'"
The most important question during meet season. This is the difference between a quick day on an event and spending 12 hours crying in your head and pounding your head against the beam. You better get good at making routines quickly!
8. "That was a good one..."
...She says sarcastically while laying face first on the mat. Everyone in the gym is laughing and you run to the Vivo to re-watch the horror.
9. "What event are we starting on?"
This can make or break your day. If you start on the event you love and end on the one you hate, it is a great day. If you start on the one you hate, it sets a bad tone for the rest of the day.
10. "I hate this sport."
Everyone says it, but none of us mean it. Even if we quit, we never hate it. The sport is a huge part of us. We will all put our kids through the torture we went through because we want them to experience the wonderful sport that made us who we are.
