Table of Contents

  Cover

  Title Page

  CHAPTER 1: A BAD DAY

  CHAPTER 2: "BUT I'M THE CAPTAIN!"

  CHAPTER 3: A CHANCE TO SHINE

  CHAPTER 4: DISTRACTED

  CHAPTER 5: TV READY

  CHAPTER 6: FAMOUS

  CHAPTER 7: FALLING OUT

  CHAPTER 8: MAKING UP

  CHAPTER 9: MAKING THE BAR

  CHAPTER 10: TEAMWORK

  About the Author

  Glossary

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  More About Gymnastics

  Explore More

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  CHAPTER 1

  A BAD DAY

  Tamaya Jackson leaned into a straddle stretch. She rested her elbows on the worn, green mat in front of her. Her shoulder-length, curly hair was pulled back with a blue velvet scrunchy that matched her leotard.

  She had three tests today and a project to work on when she got home. But for now, she was going to focus on gymnastics. No matter how hard her day had been, all her worries disappeared whenever she entered the gym.

  If they didn’t, she was good at forcing them out of her head. She needed to concentrate on what mattered most: gymnastics.

  “Yo, Jackson!” yelled her teammate Natalia. She had just completed a routine on the vault across the room. Wisps of her dark hair had fallen out of her ponytail. “Mrs. Kraft gave a killer test today, huh?”

  Tamaya closed her eyes and rolled onto her stomach. She reached behind her, grabbed her ankles, and pulled them to her head. “No school talk in the sacred room, Nat!” she called back.

  “The captain has spoken,” giggled Fatima. She raised herself on the uneven bars and did a flip.

  Tamaya smiled. Hearing “captain” always made her happy. She worked hard to get that title. When seventh grade ended last year, Coach Shelly pulled her aside and complimented her on all her hard work. “Don’t think I haven’t noticed your drive,” she’d said. “You deserve to be our captain.”

  That meant a lot to Tamaya. She loved gymnastics. She never thought twice about making an effort. But being noticed for all that hard work was also important to her.

  Tamaya finished stretching. She hit play on her phone to practice her floor routine. Her favorite song, “In the Moment,” came on. She swayed her hips to the beat. She had been practicing this routine for months. The regional competition at Orton High was only two weeks away. It was important the routine be perfect. However, she still had trouble with two tumbling passes.

  As the music sped up, Tamaya took a deep breath. She swung her arms and powered her legs to give herself the momentum she needed to hurl herself into the air. Her toes bounced off the mat. She sailed high above the floor. Her goal was to do two flips in the air and briefly tap the mat with her toes. Then she’d launch into a back-handspring routine. The sequence would end with two aerials.

  Tamaya somersaulted into the air twice. Bam! She landed on the mat as planned. Yes!

  She quickly took a breath and raised her arms behind her. Her feet flew over her head as her back arched into the handspring. Tamaya’s hands tapped the mat as her body moved itself into handstand position. Then her feet were back on the floor.

  Rinse and repeat two more times, she told herself. Tamaya knew the tumbling, back handspring, and aerial combination would set her apart from the gymnasts in the other schools. Kennedy Middle School had ranked first in the state for middle schools and junior highs the past three years. Tamaya didn’t want to end that streak.

  She moved to the music like lightning. One back handspring followed the other. Success! She raised her arms in the air, took a quick breath, and readied herself for the aerial, a no-handed cartwheel.

  Tamaya had done these before, but she always tired out when she had to perform them as part of her floor routine. Especially two in a row.

  Here I go, she thought. Tamaya raised her left leg forward while hopping slightly on her right leg. Then she planted her left leg on the mat and lowered her arms to her waist. She kicked off with her back leg to force herself into the air.

  Her feet were in cartwheel position, but something was wrong. She twisted her torso too much. Tamaya felt herself falling. She quickly put her hands down to protect her head.

  Grrr! She banged her fist on the mat.

  She turned off her music and watched Coach Shelly work with Fatima on the uneven bars. Fatima rocked the bars. When Tamaya wanted a break from her own head, she watched Fatima. She was awed by the height of Fatima’s giant, a move that had her rotating 360 degrees around the bar while fully extended.

  Normally Tamaya enjoyed Fatima’s complicated moves. Today was different. The more she watched Coach Shelly help Fatima work out the kinks of her dismount, the more Tamaya grew frustrated.

  “Coach Shelly,” said Tamaya, walking up to the bars, “I’m having trouble with my aerials. Can you please help?”

  Coach Shelly held up her pointer finger in response. That meant Tamaya would have to wait. Coach instructed Fatima as she finished her dismount. The gymnast’s feet stuck the landing perfectly.

  “Great job, Fatima!” Coach Shelly called. “I see you’ve been practicing.”

  Tamaya bristled. She’d been practicing too.

  “Tamaya, you and I worked on the aerials yesterday. I need to help Fatima today.” Coach Shelly smiled. “Keep practicing. We’ll see where you are with them tomorrow.”

  What Coach Shelly said was true. She had helped Tamaya yesterday, but she still needed help today. Fatima seemed to know what she was doing. And Fatima wasn’t captain.

  Tamaya walked back to her mat and watched the other girls doing their floor, beam, and vault routines. They were all sticking their landings. Every single one.

  Tamaya felt hot tears burn behind her eyes. She quickly swiped at them with the back of her hand. She wasn’t even sure why she was this upset. Was it because she was scared she was going to fail? Was it because she felt she wasn’t getting the help she needed?

  “Keep it up, Fatima!” she heard Coach Shelly say.

  Tamaya’s shoulders slumped as she tried her routine one more time. This time, she only managed one flip.

  “What’s going on?” asked Coach Shelly.

  Tamaya jumped. She hadn’t realized her coach was there.

  Tamaya shrugged. “I’m having a bad day.”

  Coach Shelly put her hand on Tamaya’s shoulder. “It happens. Tomorrow will be better.”

  Tamaya nodded. Coach Shelly walked away to work with Ivelisse on the vault.

  Tamaya felt the tears again. This time she knew why. She wanted Coach Shelly to say, “That’s a tough routine, Tamaya, but you can do it.” Or, “I notice how hard you’ve been practicing.” Or, anything else to let her know how great she was doing. Tamaya often felt there were different rules for a captain. She was expected to do more. She wondered if anyone noticed how hard she was working?

  Tamaya attempted her routine three more times. Each time was worse than the last. First it was the lack of flips. Then her foot slipped during her back-handspring landing.

  And forget about the aerials. She couldn’t even do one without her hands breaking her fall. Most days, Tamaya hated it when practice ended. Today she couldn’t wait for the clock to strike six. When Coach Shelly said she’d see them tomorrow, Tamaya grabbed her bag, mumbled her goodbyes, and sped out of the gym.

  CHAPTER 2

  “BUT I’M THE CAPTAIN!”

  “Clear over the fence!” Tamaya’s younger brother Jordan shouted, mouth full of roast potatoes. He waved his arms excitedly to show how far his teammate’s ball was hit in the last game.

  Pieces of potato fell out of Jordan’s mouth and onto the table. They just missed Tamaya’s plate. “That’s so disgusting!” Tamaya said. She placed her arms around her plate to protect it.

  “Sorry,” Jordan said, grinning. He didn’t look sorry. It didn’t help that Tamaya’s parents were trying not to laugh.

  Tamaya moved her potatoes from one end of the plate to the other. She took a bite of her chicken and pushed it away. No one seemed to notice she was in a bad mood. She knew she was being childish, but she wanted to be noticed.

  “I can’t wait until next year,” Jordan continued. “There are more games in seventh grade. That means more chances to be even better.”

  Tamaya made a production of covering her plate with her hands as another piece of potato flew out of Jordan’s mouth. “Mom, can you please ask him to finish chewing before he talks? How am I supposed to eat this way?”

  Tamaya’s parents exchanged glances.

  “Everything OK at school today?” asked Tamaya’s dad.

  Tamaya felt the tears again and swallowed. What was wrong with her? She was too old to be crying over gymnastics. She was too old to want so much attention.

  “Practice didn’t go well,” she finally whispered.

  “In what way?” asked Tamaya’s mom.

  “Our competition is in two weeks. I want a winning routine. I know my big combo could get me a great score. I just can’t seem to put it all together.” Tamaya stabbed a potato with her fork.

  “Not the potato’s fault,” said Jordan.

  Tamaya shot him a death glare. He rolled his eyes and went back to eating.

  “You have time,” said Tamaya’s dad. “If you just keep practicing—”

  “That’s not enough!” Tamaya shouted. “Why does everyone keep saying that? I am practicing!”

  “Tamaya,” said her mom in a quiet but stern voice, “there’s no need to yell.”

  “It’s just . . . ,” Tamaya began, but she wasn’t sure what she wanted to say.

  “Aren’t you all a team?” asked Jordan. He made sure to finish chewing before speaking.

  “Yeah. So what?” said Tamaya.

  “Soo . . . ,” he continued slowly, “it’s not just about you. You all have routines to work on. The scores will balance each other out.”

  Tamaya scowled. “Gymnastics is not baseball. We have team scores. If my routine is awful, that won’t help anyone.”

  “I get that,” said Jordan, “but you always act like it’s all about you—”

  “I’m the captain!” Tamaya seethed.

  Jordan raised his hands in surrender. “I know, I know. It’s a lot of pressure.”

  “It is,” said Tamaya quietly. “Coach Shelly told the other girls they were doing a good job. All she told me was to practice.”

  “I’m sure she knows how hard you’re working,” said Tamaya’s mom gently.

  “I guess,” Tamaya muttered. “It wouldn’t kill her to say that.”

  “You’re captain,” said Jordan. “She wouldn’t have given you that title if she thought you stunk.”

  Tamaya opened her mouth to yell at her brother again, but her mom put her hand on her arm.

  “Jordan, buddy,” said Tamaya’s dad, “how about you go start your homework? We’ll call you when it’s time for dessert.”

  “Gladly,” said Jordan. “Things are getting too heated here.”

  When Jordan left, Tamaya’s dad said, “Your brother is right, you know. Coach Shelly would not have made you captain lightly. She believes in you and knows how capable you are. Even if she doesn’t always say it.”

  Tamaya shrugged. She just kept remembering Coach Shelly praise Fatima. She pictured her coach raving about Ivelisse’s skills. Deep down, Tamaya knew Coach Shelly wouldn’t have made her captain if she didn’t believe in her. She still wanted her to say that out loud. She also knew that a good captain had to put aside her need to shine. Knowing that made Tamaya feel even worse.

  CHAPTER 3

  A CHANCE TO SHINE

  Tamaya leaned forward in her seat as her gym teacher, Mr. Yochai, turned on the Smart Board. The class was studying famous athletes this week. Today’s video was supposed to focus on the 2016 United States gymnastics team, known as the Final Five.

  Yesterday’s worries fled from her mind as Simone Biles and Aly Raisman appeared on the screen in front of her. These two gymnasts always inspired Tamaya.

  Tamaya was blown away by both gymnasts’ routines. She was amazed by Aly’s efforts. Aly had missed medaling on the all-around in the 2012 Olympics. She didn’t give up. She worked hard and came back in 2016 to win the silver.

  Tamaya couldn’t imagine putting in so much work only to have a medal slip away. She also didn’t know if she’d have kept trying.

  The video showed Aly’s silver medal routine. Aly’s routine included a double Arabian pass. Tamaya had not yet mastered that skill and imagined herself on the screen. She closed her eyes and went through the motions.

  She pictured herself running down the mat. Her hands touched the mat as she launched herself into a round-off. Her legs snapped together in the air. She twisted her body to the side and brought her legs back down to the mat. She pushed off and completed two somersaults. She sailed high with her arms around her knees.

  Like Aly, Tamaya landed perfectly. She didn’t wobble in her imagination like she did in real life. Behind her closed lids, her hands didn’t have to break her fall.

  She heard the speakers in the class crackle. Suddenly Mr. Yochai was beside her.

  “Better wake up,” he said. “They want you in the office.”

  Tamaya’s cheeks flushed red. “I wasn’t sleeping. I was just—” She stopped midsentence. How would she explain? Saying she was imagining herself up there on the Smart Board was even more embarrassing than falling asleep in class. “Sorry. It won’t happen again.”

  Tamaya grabbed her books and walked down to the office. Why did Ms. Davis want to see her?

  She walked into the office and waited for someone to notice her. After a minute, she cleared her throat and spoke up. “Excuse me?” she began. “I was called down here?”

  Her voice was scared and quiet, but she couldn’t help it. What could she have possibly done wrong?

  The secretary continued typing something on the computer and didn’t look up. She just pointed to the open door of the principal’s office. “Go on,” she said when Tamaya stayed frozen on the stained gray carpet.

  “Miss Jackson, come on in,” called Principal Davis from inside her office.

  Tamaya walked into her principal’s office. She didn’t know what she expected to see, but the flowered curtains and bright yellow couch surprised her. She didn’t think a principal’s office would look so cheery. She was also surprised to see Coach Shelly.

  “Hi, Tamaya,” said Coach Shelly warmly. “Have a seat.”

  The cheery room and her smiling coach made Tamaya less nervous. She sat beside Coach Shelly.

  “We have some exciting news,” said Principal Davis. She placed her palms on her desk. Her bright red hair matched perfectly with the room’s colors.

  “Our gymnastics program will be featured in a news broadcast!” said Coach Shelly.

  Tamaya’s heart beat quickly. “And I’ll be on it?”

  “Yes,” said Coach Shelly, beaming. “That’s why we asked you to come down. They will showcase the entire team. Since you’re team captain, they’ll spend more time with you.”

  “Really?” Tamaya jumped off the couch. She couldn’t hold in her excitement. “I’ll be on TV?”

  Coach Shelly and Principal Davis exchanged looks. Tamaya wasn’t sure why.

  “You will be,” said Principal Davis. “However, remember it’s not about being a celebrity. As captain, you’ll have to talk about the program.”

  Coach Shelly nodded. “You’ll tell the reporters what you enjoy about the program and what you find challenging.”

  “And they’ll see my routine?” Tamaya asked. That would mean she would have to work doubly hard to get it right.

  Coach Shelly looked nervous. “They will, but I don’t want you putting extra pressure on yourself.”

  “Right, right,” said Tamaya, trying to look calm. It was impossible. She turned to Coach Shelly. “You’ll help me with my routine then?”

  Coach Shelly sighed. “Of course, but I’ll have to work with the rest of the team too, and—”

  “When are they coming?” Tamaya was getting anxious. Coach Shelly didn’t seem to think helping Tamaya was important. The last thing Tamaya wanted was to look foolish in front of an audience.

  “On Friday,” said Coach Shelly.

  “But that’s only three days away!” Tamaya cried.

  Coach Shelly put her hand on Tamaya’s shoulder. “You’ll be the spokesperson for the team. Remember teamwork? It may make more sense if you saved your new routine for the competition and did something less challenging for the reporters. No reason to stress yourself out.”

  “Right,” Tamaya said again. “Totally. Makes sense.” Principal Davis and Coach Shelly smiled. Tamaya knew she’d said the right thing.

  “Wonderful,” said Principal Davis, clapping her hands. “Here are some forms for your parents to fill out saying they give you permission to participate.”

  “Thank you,” said Tamaya. She tried to focus on what Coach Shelly was saying, but her mind had already left the room.

  This would be her chance to show everyone what she was made of. She left the office and walked to her next class in a daze. She would be on TV just like Aly and Simone. She would finally get to shine!

  CHAPTER 4

  DISTRACTED

  “Which angle would look best on camera?” asked Camiel. She touched the tips of her toes with her fingers for a deep stretch. She rolled onto her stomach and turned her head left then right.

  Tamaya, Fatima, Ivelisse, and Natalia giggled and struck poses as well.

  Coach Shelly shook her head and smiled. “The bigger question is how I should pose.” She shook her head of shaggy, brown hair and placed a hand on her hip.

  The gymnasts laughed and rolled their eyes.

 

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