I was freezing but yet slimy sweat was still dripping down my back. I was sitting on the lengthy blue rod floor with a huge long white strip of tape across it inside of Kids First Sports Center. I heard loud creaks in the blue rod floor as Zach walked over with his huge navy Hydro Flask with the “yeet or be yeeted” sticker and the “Brooke” piece of tape. I had such a creepy feeling hearing those creaks knowing something very unexpected I had never dreamed of was about to happen. Suddenly all I heard was Zach saying I couldn't compete and my whole heart shattered. I try to deny the fact I could only compete bars, but my thoughts kept racing, knowing this is actually happening. My heart was pumping fast like a race car, I was heartbroken. Zach says “I’ve never had a kid who has hated to be injured as much as you do.” I started to tear up, I really did hate to be injured. I never had wanted this to happen, especially not now.

Then, I lay down continuing to do my non-stop back. During, my body is filled with sweat, my head is expanding with thoughts, and I’m scared for what’s going to occur next. Before long, my arms fly up as I start my last set, suddenly I hear the loud creak of the rod floor again, a pound and I know it’s Stacy walking over to assess this situation with Zach and I. I hear Zach tell Stacy “I was just telling Soph that she wasn’t gonna compete at the intersquad.” Then my heart starts beating faster, my eyes develop more tears and my mind goes blank as I continue to finish this set of non-stop back. Once I’m finished I lay there on the fuzzy-ish rod floor not knowing what’s going to happen. I have millions of thoughts through my brain. I envision how I’m not going to be able to do three out of the four events for two weeks. Then I realize after that I’m going straight on vacation for another two weeks and how everything is going to be tremendously hard when I get back. I know I’m going to struggle really bad after this. Then with a meet two weeks out from when I return. Oh my how will I do this.

After that, I stand up and all my teammates have left already, Zach is getting ready to leave too. Stacy tells me to come over and talk to her. My body is shaking as I take about five steps over to Stacy. She tells me how this probably wasn’t the best idea to wait three months to tell them that my hamstring hurt because it could have been way worse. Plus if I told them three months ago I would have been able to compete at the next meet. She goes through this long talk as my brain is about to explode. Then she says she knows I’m going to very much hate this but I’m such a hard worker and these five weeks are going to be really hard for me but I’ll come back stronger than ever and will hopefully be able to compete at the next meet. I felt so relieved after she said that, I felt like it was going to be hard coming back but even my coaches knew that it was going to be okay and a few weeks after I come back I would be competition ready

Immediately, I really started to realize how much this amazing sport means to me, this proves how I definitely couldn’t do anything without it. I understood how grateful I am for my incredible coaches and my teammates and how they always support me through everything and help me get to where I want to be. I literally have no clue what I would do if I didn’t have this team and these coaches. I probably wouldn’t have been this far in gymnastics and probably wouldn’t be as happy without them. I also learned that I need to speak up when I feel pain and tell my coaches as soon as I can so I can compete and not get more injured even though I don’t want to and I hate being injured.

Meanwhile, I plod off the squeaky blue rod floor onto the soft light blue competition floor to get dressed and go home. I see the empty wooden cubbies except the one where my bright blue nike bag is. My fingers grasp my fluffy Queen City gymnastics sweatshirt and I put it on. As I’m ready to leave Zach is right near me putting the mats away. He asked me, “Are you okay?” My eyes felt like they were about to shed a million tears, I was so heartbroken. I still say “yes” though. I hike off the floor trembling but feeling so grateful for my coaches always being there for me. I trudge through the humongous Kids First Sports Center, through the cafe and the lobby. At last, my hand touches the smooth black handle of my mom's car as I open the door and hop into the car knowing everything is going to be okay. I'm gonna get through this, and this burden is going to transform me into a better person.