SERIOUSLY Proud

Nationals 2011

My baby girl just nabbed the spotlight on her baton team tonight!  

She's been doing baton solos at competitions now for two years, she works pretty hard at it, and her new solo has a ton of tricks that get harder and harder every year.  For a while now she has been trying to catch a one spin.  For those out of the loop it means she has to toss the baton ~spinning~ in the air and spin her body one complete revolution and catch it as it comes down.  Seems simple right?  Well it's SO not, sometimes it goes too far away to catch it, sometimes it comes down and hits her if she's not paying attention, there are a LOT of variables here.  The girls that can do it make it look so darned easy.  It looks like anyone could do it, throw it up spin and catch...uh huh..No.  I tried it, now I never did baton as a kid or as anything else.  I tossed it up, spun around, landed on my ass and the baton hit me in the arm.  Not graceful at all.  

Anyway, tonight her team was practicing for the upcoming competition and they were finishing up their routine.  The girls all make a circle around my daughter in the middle and then she does her one spin AND SHE CAUGHT IT!!!! Several times!  I was so excited, she was so excited, her coach was so excited, it was AWESOME.  She's thrilled about it, and can't wait for the next practice.  Hallelujah!  Finally after all the blood, sweat and tears.  WTG Baby girl!