University of Georgia Athletics
Freshman Gymnast Amber Trani Journals
September 30, 2008 | Gymnastics
Week One - September 30, 2008
From Amber Trani, elite gymnast from the Parkettes in Allentown, PA.
It is crazy to think that two weeks of mandatory have already gone by! There have been so many things going on that time just flies, and you don't realize it until it's already gone.
The first day of mandatory was Monday, September 15th. We started off with our usual 1:30 Monday meeting. I find those really helpful because Suzanne will always go over what we have going on that week and will also tell us if we have anything coming up within the next few weeks. That makes it easier for me to manage my schedule and plan ahead because I know what I've got going on for the next month or so.
After our meeting, we went out and did a team warm-up and then we all got ready for our first official workout. Instead of just a regular practice, we all stayed together as a team for each event to show where we were and to give the coaches an idea of what we needed to improve on before the season starts. It is easy to see that our team unity is already beginning to build. The gym echoed with our cheers for one another and it was a great way to kick off mandatory. We have been focusing on having fun as a team in everything we do, and I think that will have a huge impact on our upcoming season.
It has been a little bit difficult balancing my schedule. Between class, practice, tutors, studying and homework, it all gets a little crazy. It has taken some getting used to, but I finally feel like I am getting into the swing of things. I feel like I'm constantly running around, but there are so many people here to help. My roommates (Gina, Kat, and Mariel) have been so helpful because we are all going through the same thing. We can vent to each other or ask for help and it works out well. The upperclassmen have also been great. Since they've been through it before they have given us little tips and tricks that have helped them get through it. They are also more than willing to help us with anything we need. If we need a ride somewhere or even just someone to talk to, they are always there.
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These two weeks haven't all been strictly focused on school and gymnastics though. On Wednesday the 24th, I went with Courtney Kupets for a can-a-thon at a local Kroger. A bunch of us signed up for different times and the two of us were from 6-7 that night. It was to gather canned foods for the Northeast Georgia Food Bank. We really had a great time and we were even joined by Hairy Dawg at one point. As a team we raised a large amount of food for the food bank and it felt great to be a part of it.
This weekend was also a lot of fun. On Saturday my roommates and I got ready for the “Blackout” by dressing in all black and painting our faces. We had a ton of fun getting ready. Then we went to a tailgate that the swimmers were hosting until the game started. We watched the game until halftime and then we went back to our dorm and watched the rest on our TV. Most of Sunday was spent watching movies and just relaxing. It was nice to just spend some time being lazy because it is a very rare occurrence.
The next two weeks are going to be pretty busy and I'm not sure I will have the time to relax for the same amount of time. This Saturday is our team retreat and it will last most of the day. Then on Sunday morning, I will be participating in the third annual “Do it for Broph” walk in honor of Kevin Brophy. It is a 5K walk and all of the proceeds go to the Kevin Brophy Memorial Scholarship Endowment Fund. I look forward to telling you all about it in my next entry!
GO DAWGS!
Amber Trani
