Last Updated on April 18, 2024 by The Smetz Files
Santa brought fun experiences this year for our dimpled duo. For G that meant he got to go to the Duke/Wake Forest basketball game (thanks Grandmother and Granddad!). Santa brought S a trip to Chapel Hill for the UNC/NC State gymnastics meet. It was a bonus trip because one of her gym besties and her adorable mom came and we had a super fun mother/daughter date!
The girls were so excited, they chatted animatedly in the backseat as we made the short drive down I40 to Chapel Hill. We stopped for a quick dinner near campus and made our way over to Carmichael Auditorium for the meet.
As a family we’ve been to several USAG meets since S began competing in 2022, and we’ve seen the Optional girls at our home gym do some amazing routines, but I had never been to a college gymnastics meet. I highly recommend them!
From the moment we opened the doors to enter, there was excitement and enthusiasm at every turn. We were greeted in the lobby by the Carolina cheerleaders, there were tables with freebies (light sticks, magnets, stickers), and a great display of past Carolina gymnastics accomplishments (the girls went gaga over the Air Jordans in the display case!).
They were introducing the teams as we entered the gym; Carolina had a great pump up video on the screen with gymnast highlights and then introduced their team to thunderous applause, our girls were into it! We quickly found seats that gave us a good vantage point of the whole floor. Carolina started on vault while NC State began their bar rotation.
If you have never been to a gymnastics meet, they can be overwhelming; there is so much going on. Someone is always on an apparatus and I find myself not knowing where to look because I don’t want to miss a thing. This meet was nice because with only two schools competing, we only had to focus on two events at a time. The DJ played great music, an upbeat playlist our girls sang along to, and us moms could embarrass our daughters by dancing in our seats!
The first gymnast stuck her vault landing and the ENTIRE team charged her to celebrate! It was an amazing display of team chemistry and camaraderie. I assumed it was an isolated event (remember, I’ve never been to a college meet!), but after each gymnast completed their event, the teams ran out with great enthusiasm to congratulate their teammate and celebrate their accomplishment, what a great model for our girls.
Both teams posted high scores on their first events and when it was time to rotate the jumbo screen at the center of the gym displayed individual and team scores, along with each gymnasts’ class ranking. That’s when it struck me, our girls are the class of 2033…in ten years this could be THEM.
I thought about that realization for a second. S and her friend just began their competitive gymnastics journey exactly a year ago. It still feels so new. She’s still a beginner. And all of that is true; but it’s also true that in ten years she will be preparing to graduate and likely go to college. Who knows where her gymnastics or other interests might take her, but nevertheless, she has ten years left at home. Time is such a thief!
The upbeat music jarred me back to the present and I watched as our girls bounced in their seats, oohed and awed appropriately over amazing performances, and discussed the difficult routines with technical precision and expert knowledge I don’t possess. This was a perfect gift experience, it tapped into their interest, but more importantly, it showed them what’s possible.
The whole night was incredible. A fun outing with another mother/daughter pair, experiencing a sampling of life on a college campus, and seeing teammates genuinely cheer each on, all centered on the sport S loves most. Plus, it was great gymnastics. Santa, you did well!
But it was a great gift to me too. It was such fun to connect with a fellow sports mom (she’s become a super friend!) and take our girls out for a night to support their passion for their sport. I’m grateful I got to spend time with S, nurturing her interests, encouraging her dreams, and seeing what’s possible for her as she pursues her talents.
I love experiences that center the kids’ individual interests. What experiences have you and your kiddos shared?
