Grips, Grips, Grips

It could be gripes, gripes, gripes, but we'll stay positive! Kaylie got her grips as an early birthday gift from Gramme, and is now experiencing the joy of getting used to them!

When they arrived (super fast shipping by the way--we ordered them from Ten-O) we discovered that you have file open the finger holes---they come with small openings that you have to file open until they fit. That was a pain! Finally we got them to the correct size, and she was able to use them at practice. We did order her a pair made of softer leather, so they don't have to be broken in as much as the standard grips. For the higher levels, she'll eventually need the standard type, that can withstand the rigors of the bigger skills, but these are perfect for what she's working on now.

Grips are something that the level 4 girls really look forward to using when they move up to level 5.....until they actually use them! The feel on the bars is quite different when you're using grips, and they take a bit of getting used to. Kaylie, as usual, has a positive attitude about it all--she knows that once she gets used to them, they will help her do better on her bar routines. In the mean time, she's accepting that her bar work is temporarily suffering---or at least it feels like it is!

Still don't have the team warm-ups---apparently they were only just ordered this past Wednesday. Once they come in, the team will be scheduled for the team portrait, as well as individual photos--I know the girls are looking forward to having their photo up on the gym wall!