Back on the Beam

by Jake Maddox

  Blaire walked away. Then Coach Levine said, “Nadia, I’m sorry. Blaire was being rude. I never said her sister would be on the team if you were cut.”

  “Thanks, Coach Levine,” Nadia said. She got to her feet.

  “Don’t thank me yet, Nadia,” the coach replied as she walked toward the bars. “Your performance today was not good enough.”

  Nadia swallowed hard as Alya walked over. “Did you hear that?” Nadia asked.

  Alya nodded. “Yup,” she said. “I guess you were right to worry.”

  “See?” Nadia added. “I’m doomed. I’m going to get kicked off the team.”

  Alya shook her head. “No way,” she said. She pointed at Hannah and said, “Hannah and I will help you out. What are friends for?”

  Nadia tried to smile as Alya gave her a hug. She just wasn’t sure anyone could really help.

  CHAPTER 6

  Practice

  On Saturday morning, Nadia and her friends were at the local gymnastics club. They had all been members since they were about four years old.

  “Okay, Nadia,” Hannah said. “All stretched out?”

  “Yup,” Nadia said. “I guess so.”

  “If you ask me,” Hannah went on, “all you need to do is go over the routine a lot of times.”

  Alya nodded. “Exactly,” she agreed. “It’s not second nature anymore, like our old coach Mr. Barkoff used to say it should be.”

  Hannah rolled her eyes. “Ugh, practicing with him was so boring after a while,” she said.

  The others nodded. “Yeah, it was,” Nadia said. “But it worked. After doing the same routine about a million times, I never messed up.”

  “That’s right,” Alya said, giving Nadia a light shove. “So get up on the beam and start making it second nature again.”

  “Okay, okay,” Nadia replied. She mounted the beam and started her routine.

  “Looking good, Nadia!” Hannah called to her.

  “How’s the ankle?” Alya asked.

  Nadia finished an aerial and landed perfectly. “Not bad,” she said, turning her ankle. “I don’t even notice it!”

  “Good,” Hannah replied. “You’re doing great.”

  Nadia really felt like she was doing great. Unlike at tryouts or the first practice, she was even having fun.

  The routine flew by. Soon she was dismounting. She did one flip on the beam, then one flip off. She stuck the landing perfectly.

  “There it is!” Alya shouted. She and Hannah clapped and hooted.

  “Now do it again,” Hannah added with a laugh.

  “Okay, Coach!” Nadia said. She turned to the beam and started the routine again.

  CHAPTER 7

  Nerves

  Nadia, Alya, and Hannah sat together in the locker room before Monday’s practice.

  “Does your ankle hurt today?” Hannah asked.

  Nadia stuck her leg out and rotated her right foot a little, first one way and then the other. “I don’t know,” she said. “I guess it hurts a little bit.”

  “Hmm,” Alya said, glancing at Hannah.

  “What?” Nadia said. “It’s probably just a little sore from practicing so much this weekend.”

  “Come on, Nadia,” Alya replied. She stared into Nadia’s eyes.

  “What do you mean, ‘Come on’?” Nadia said. “It’s sore!”

  “You’re just nervous,” Hannah said. “You’re nervous because now we’re back at practice, instead of at the club.”

  “Yeah,” Alya agreed, “and Blaire’s here.”

  “And so is Coach Levine,” Hannah added.

  “That’s crazy,” Nadia insisted. “My ankle is sore. It was in a cast all summer! Is it so crazy that it would be sore now?”

  “Well, we better get in there,” Alya said, getting up and stretching. “Coach Levine will be starting practice any second.”

  That day’s practice went much better than it had on Friday. Still, Nadia’s ankle felt sore through the whole thing.

  Her dismounts were the worst part. She just couldn’t get them right. Almost every time, she messed something up and ended up having to jump off of the beam.

  Alya came jogging over to Nadia during a water break. “Don’t let Blaire get to you,” Alya said, watching the beam team captain as she spoke.

  “She’s totally not getting to me,” Nadia said. She took a small drink of water. “It’s just my ankle. It still hurts. That’s all that’s going on.”

  Alya looked at Nadia with doubt in her eyes. “Okay, if you say so,” Alya said.

  Just then, Coach Levine came over. “How are you feeling today, Nadia?” she asked.

  “Okay, Coach,” Nadia replied.

  “You seem a little nervous,” the coach said, glancing at her clipboard.

  “Oh no,” Nadia said quickly, “it’s just my sore ankle.”

  Coach Levine looked at Nadia and frowned. “Have a seat over here,” the coach said. She pointed to the bench. Nadia sat down.

  “Give me your foot,” the coach said. She knelt in front of Nadia. She took Nadia’s heel in her hands and twisted gently.

  “Tell me if it hurts,” the coach said as she twisted Nadia’s ankle.

  Nadia said nothing. She watched as her ankle moved.

  “Does it hurt now?” Coach Levine asked.

  “Nope,” Nadia replied.

  “Now?” Coach asked again, moving the ankle more.

  “Nope,” Nadia replied again.

  Coach Levine got to her feet. “Well, I don’t get it,” the coach said. “Your ankle is totally healed, but you’re still a little weak on your right leg.”

  “It’s still sore when I’m up on the beam,” Nadia said. “I guess it just doesn’t hurt when I’m not standing on it, or something. Really.”

  The coach glanced at her clipboard. “Our first meet is tomorrow,” the coach said after a moment. “I hope your ankle stops being sore by then. Understand?”

  “I hope so too, Coach Levine,” Nadia said.

  CHAPTER 8

  Bad Attitude

  The next day went by too fast. Nadia had often noticed that when she was looking forward to something after school, the day seemed to go on forever. But on Tuesday, when she was nervous about the first gymnastics meet, the day zoomed by.

  Before she knew it, Nadia was in the locker room with Hannah and Alya. Soon they were dressed in their team leotards.

  “Are you ready, Nadia?” Alya asked.

  Nadia stretched out her leg and rotated her foot. “My ankle is a little sore again,” she said.

  “Just remember to relax,” Hannah said. She and Alya got up from the bench.

  “I will,” Nadia said. She got up, and the three girls headed out of the locker room.

  The rest of the team was in the gym, gathered around Coach Levine. Nadia and her friends joined the group.

  “Okay, ladies,” the coach said, “our first meet. It’s a big day!” The team clapped.

  Coach Levine looked at her clipboard. “I want Blaire up first on beam, followed by Nadia,” the coach said. “Then June, Katie, and Leah.” Coach Levine announced the order for the rest of the events. Soon, the meet was ready to start.

  Blaire’s first turn on the beam was nearly perfect. Still, her tricks weren’t very hard. That meant her base score wasn’t so high that Nadia couldn’t beat it.

  Nadia stepped up to the beam. Her first routine had her mounting from the springboard. She walked to the end of the runway and faced the judges. Then she turned to face the beam, took one deep breath, and started running.

  Her mount was strong, and her balance was good. As she started her first aerial, she glanced off the beam for a split second. But it was a split second too long.

  Blaire looked back at her and smirked. Suddenly, Nadia’s ankle started to hurt. As she went into the aerial, she knew it wouldn’t go well.

  As her feet hit the beam, she wobbled. Although she stayed on the beam, she heard gasps from her teammates. Nadia knew she’d
lost some points.

  After a simple dismount, Nadia headed to the bench. She sat down and hung her head.

  Soon the judges posted her score. It was 7.9.

  “Don’t let it get you down, Nadia,” Coach Levine said. “It’s just nerves.”

  “Okay, Coach,” Nadia replied. “Thanks.”

  Hannah and Alya walked over. They sat down on either side of Nadia. Then Coach Levine walked away.

  “It’s not nerves,” Nadia whispered to her friends once the coach was gone. “It’s my ankle! It’s killing me right now.”

  “Nadia,” Alya said, “that is nerves!”

  Hannah nodded. “Totally,” she said.

  “It’s all in your mind!” Alya added.

  Hannah sat up straighter. “When did the pain start today?” she asked Nadia.

  Nadia shrugged. “I don’t know,” she said. “During my routine!”

  “No, exactly when?” Alya asked.

  Nadia thought. “Before the first aerial,” she replied. “When I looked at Blaire.”

  “See!” Hannah said, jumping to her feet. “It’s totally nerves. Anyway, I have to get over to the bars. See you guys.”

  “Good luck, Hannah!” Alya called. They watched their friend run off.

  “I don’t get it,” Nadia said. “What’s she talking about?”

  A whistle blew and Alya got off the bench. “That’s for me,” she said. “Think about it, Nadia.”

  Nadia sat and watched her friend head over to the floor exercise area of the gym. Then she looked over at Hannah as she mounted the uneven bars. Her routine was flawless, as usual.

  She turned back to the floor and watched Alya. She was graceful and strong. Her leaps were perfect.

  Nadia smiled. This is what gymnastics is about, she thought. It’s fun. It’s me and my friends. It’s what we love.

  She turned to watch Blaire take her second turn on the beam. Blaire’s routine wasn’t very difficult, but she made it look totally easy.

  Nadia couldn’t help smiling, watching Blaire. She’s really good, she thought. I wonder if she’s enjoying her routine at all.

  Then she realized something. “That’s what Alya meant,” she muttered to herself. “It’s not about Blaire, or Coach Levine, or my stupid ankle at all!”

  Soon Blaire was done. The judges gave her an 8.9.

  “Second turn, Nadia,” Coach Levine called out from the other end of the bench. “Let’s see something great.”

  “You got it, Coach,” Nadia said as she hopped up from the bench. “Sounds like fun.”

  CHAPTER 9

  The Meet

  Nadia stepped up to the beam and smiled at the judges. She mounted the beam from the side, right into a split.

  Her routine was going perfectly. She stuck all of her aerials. Her rhythm was totally smooth. Each dance step flowed perfectly into the next skill.

  But most importantly, she was having fun. The cartwheels were fun. The handsprings and pirouettes were fun.

  Finally, Nadia remembered why she still did gymnastics after all these years. She loved gymnastics. She loved spending time with Alya and Hannah.

  She loved the feeling of power and freedom as she tumbled and tucked and flew through the air. And she loved that she was great at it!

  She could hear Alya shouting, “Woo!” from the sidelines.

  “You’re doing great, Nadia!” Hannah yelled. She was standing right next to Alya, jumping and clapping.

  Nadia threw up her arms at the far end of the beam. Then she turned to face the dismount.

  She took a deep breath, smiled a real smile, and took off.

  First, she did one cartwheel. Then Nadia tucked and flipped twice before landing with a thud on the mat.

  Beaming, she threw up her arms and faced the judges, then ran to her team’s bench.

  Alya and Hannah met her halfway for a hug. “That was awesome, Nadia!” Alya said.

  “Yeah,” Hannah agreed. “You were great. How’s your ankle?”

  “Fine,” Nadia replied. “Never felt better.”

  “So it’s all better?” Hannah asked.

  Nadia nodded. “What can I say?” she said. “You guys were right. So was Coach Levine. Once I stopped being nervous, my ankle felt great.”

  Just then, Coach Levine walked up. She was glancing at her clipboard and smiling big. The girls rarely saw their coach smiling like that.

  The coach put a gentle hand on Nadia’s shoulder.

  “Great job, Nadia,” Coach Levine said. “That’s the Nadia I know. I’d say your place on the beam team is safe this year.”

  “Thanks, Coach,” Nadia said.

  “With that performance,” the coach went on, “I think you might even have won the beam for the Ravens!”

  Nadia shrugged. “I hope so,” she said. “I’m just glad my ankle finally healed!”

  “Healed!” Alya said, laughing. “Get it? Healed? Heeled! Ankle, heel?”

  Hannah and Nadia rolled their eyes as they headed to the Ravens’ bench.

  “Come on, guys!” Alya said, following them. “That’s funny!”

  Meanwhile, the judges posted Nadia’s score: 9.4. She was laughing so hard with her friends that she didn’t even notice.

  About the Author

  Eric Stevens lives in St. Paul, Minnesota. He is studying to become a middle-school English teacher. Some of his favorite things include pizza, playing video games, watching cooking shows on TV, riding his bike, and trying new restaurants. Some of his least favorite things include olives and shoveling snow.

  About the Illustrator

  When Tuesday Mourning was a little girl, she knew she wanted to be an artist when she grew up. Now, she is an illustrator who lives in Knoxville, Tennessee. She especially loves illustrating books for kids and teenagers. When she isn’t illustrating, Tuesday loves spending time with her husband, who is an actor, and their son, Atticus.

  Glossary

  attempt (uh-TEMPT)—to try to do something

  compete (kuhm-PEET)—to try to outdo others in a contest

  competition (kom-puh-TISH-uhn)—a contest

  dangerous (DAYN-jur-uhss)—not safe, risky

  doomed (DOOMD)—sure to suffer a serious fate

  event (i-VENT)—one of the activities during a sports competition

  improvement (im-PROOV-muhnt)—if you have made an improvement, you have gotten better

  leotard (LEE-uh-tard)—a tight, one-piece garment worn for exercise

  performance (pur-FOR-muhnss)—if someone is watching your performance, they are taking note of how well you are doing

  second nature (SEK-uhnd NAY-chur)—if something is second nature, you are used to doing it

  tryouts (TRYE-outs)—a test used to measure ability

  FEMALE GYMNASTIC EVENTS

  Balance Beam: A gymnast performs a choreographed routine of flips, leaps, turns, somersaults, and other skills on a narrow beam. The beam is only 4 inches (10 centimeters) wide.

  Floor Exercise: A gymnast flips, dances, jumps, turns, and tumbles across the floor to a choregraphed routine. The music must be instrumental.

  Uneven Bars: A gymnast moves between two bars by flipping, swinging, circling, and releasing. The height of the bars is always the same, but the width may be changed.

  Vault: A gymnast must sprint down a runway, hit the springboard, and flip over the vaulting table.

  GYMNASTICS WORDS YOU SHOULD KNOW

  aerial (AIR-ee-uhl)—a move performed in the air

  cartwheel (KART-weel)—a sideways handspring with arms and legs straight out

  dismount (DISS-mount)—a move used to get off a piece of gymnastics equipment

  flip (FLIP)—a somersault done in the air

  handspring (HAND-spring)—a flip forward or backward where the feet go over the head and then land back on the ground

  mount (MOUNT)—a move used to get on a piece of gymnastics equipment

  pirouette (pir-oo-ET)—a fast spin of the body

/>   routine (roo-TEEN)—a full exercise consisting of all the moves a gymnast performs

  splits (SPLITS)—a move in which a person’s body is on the floor with the legs extended in opposite directions

  springboard (SPRING-bord)—a flexible board that helps a gymnast jump high into the air

  Discussion Questions

  Why did Nadia’s ankle hurt?

  Blaire doesn’t treat Nadia very well. What are some things Nadia could have tried to get Blaire to stop being mean?

  At the end of this book, Nadia is able to do her routine without stumbling. What happened to change how she was feeling?

  Writing Prompts

  Nadia and her friends have fun doing gymnastics together. Write about something you and your friends like to do together.

  In this book, Blaire tries to be the boss of the group of girls who do the balance beam event. Write about a time someone tried to boss you around. What did they do? How did you react? What happened?

  Sometimes it can be interesting to think about a story from another person’s point of view. Try writing chapter 3 from Blaire’s point of view. What happens? What does Blaire see and hear? How does she feel?

  OTHER BOOKS BY JAKE MADDOX

  Molly has always dreamed of taking horseback riding lessons, and now she is! Everything is great . . . except that two girls at school keep making fun of Molly. She’ll need to figure out a way to keep her confidence both in and out of the saddle.

  Allie loves everything about volleyball—except hitting. Finally, she asks for help. Her idol, Nikki, agrees to coach her once a week. If Allie can learn to spike as well as she blocks, she could become one of the team’s strongest players.