University of California, Los Angeles, Athletics
UCLA Official Athletic Site - Women's Gymnastics
Weekly diary by Valorie Kondos Field, head coach for UCLA's women's gymnastics team.
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Febraury 10, 2004
Our meet at home against Stanford ... it was a great event for us. We came out as healthy as we went in, and we came out with our highest score of the season. What wasn't as obvious to anyone outside our team circle was that it was a great TEAM effort because of everything that was happening "backstage" prior to the meet. Between the flu and recently sprained ankles, we had five of our slated competitors either out or on the bubble, not knowing if they could compete.
This was definitely one of those meets where everyone needed to be fully prepared to come in at the last minute, and those who might be taken out needed to be honest with us so we didn't risk getting them injured.
We went event by event, substituting when needed, checking in with our sick and wounded, and we were able to hit 23 for 24 routines. Once again, I was most impressed with how our team handled the situation. No drama, no worry about letting the team down, just a simple "yes" or "no" as to whether they could compete successfully.
The best part about competitions like this is that they allow for everyone on the team to feel needed. When you have two to three extra athletes per event warming up in case you have to dig that deep, it helps the alternates feel that they really are a part of their team's success.
It's on to Cal this weekend. It should be another great meet. As far as our line-up goes .... hmmmm .... still TBD.
However, at our next home meet against Oregon State on February 22, we should have Jamie Dantzscher competing on two to four events and Kristen Maloney competing on floor exercise for the first time this year. We are in the process of restructuring Jamie's routines to protect her ankle and minimize the amount of times she has to take off or land backwards. It will be exciting to see her back in competition.
NCAA Championship ticket sales are going really well. If you haven't purchased your tickets yet.... WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? Call 310-UCLA-Win. And in the meantime, practice your "grrrrrrrrrrrrrrr" and painting your body blue and gold!
~miss val