Resurgence

There's good news in these parts. As the season approaches, our little Level 4's are looking good. Really good. They're sanctioned, and have all their skills, and the tears have subsided. For now.

But the polish is lacking. I have them practice the arm positions of their floor routine in front of the mirror. "Look at your arms. Look at your hands. Where's your neck?" I say dozens of times, the latter in reference to the popular habit of dropping one's chin. Nobody seems to have caught on to the fact that if they're looking in the mirror, they can watch what their body parts are doing and notice the things I'm repeating.

"You need to express yourselves," Coach P. says, but at ages six through eight, those words mean nothing to the girls (nor does the Madonna reference).

I'm thinking the next step may be good old-fashioned new media. Show them solid, high-scoring routines from the Internet. Film their routines so they can get a sense of what they look like. And push for that epiphany.