Our first day of practice, and I have never run track before. My palms were sweaty and my stomach felt like a volcano trembling. I didn't know what I would be good at, so I tried my hardest to stand out, and get attention so they put me in the correct spot, and also to be put in the spot I want. At first, I regretted it. The pole vaulting coach told me I was going to be a pole vaulter. Me. I had no clue what it was! So I asked around and they told me you run with a stick in your hand and try to jump over a pole. My first thought was, am I going to die? But then my coach explained to me that he wasn't going to make me jump right then and there, it takes baby steps. I was really scared to try something new, but my coach told me he saw something in me and that made me confident that I could do it. He started me out with getting comfortable with the pole. So I learned how to hold it and then just ran with it to feel the correct way to do it. We did a lot of basic drills including running, box drills, and putting the stick on the ground. I was getting the hang of them. After he noticed we were getting the hang of them, he sent us to the weight room and we did pull ups, and lots of exercises to help with our upper body strength. Of course I had to have help because I am not that strong. After our workout we all got together and talked about the day. My coach told Kayley and I that we did amazing for the first time trying it, and we would go nowhere but up from here. That meant a lot, and it made me feel very proud of myself for trying something new. He also invited us to a camp that Sunday. It was a camp for beginners, and people who haven't done it in about a year or so. He said we would go through the basics, we would do some drills, and then we would do a baby jump. Which is just jumping forward and landing on your butt. I thought it was a great opportunity and it would make me feel safe after trying it for the first time. Turns out...I was right. The camp was amazing, and I had so much fun! We did most of the stuff I had already done, but I got to do a baby jump! I remember standing there, about to pee my pants from all of the nerves. I didn't know what could happen. Would I land on my face? Would I go too far and fall off? I had all of these thoughts and questions running through my head, but I had to put them to the side for a minute because I just had to get over it and just do it. I ran as fast as I could, and jumped as high as I could and I landed the way I was supposed too. I was shocked I was doing it so quickly but they obviously know what they are doing, so I had to trust them. We even got in the pool and did exercises in there. I had a lot of fun, and I can’t wait to actually jump!