Once I’m parked, I take a moment to inhale and exhale slowly. Trying to put myself in the same state of focus that I do before a competition.
I can do this,I internally tell myself.And even if it’s hard, I have to do this. It’s my only hope to get where I really want.
It’s with that final thought that I exit and lock my car, my eyes falling upon the welcome center. The building is two stories,with a modern design and large glass panels surrounded by lush landscaping filled with different flowers and plants.
I didn’t visit the center much as a student here, seeing as it was primarily for staff and to welcome newcomers.
Unless I was in trouble, which happened often during my first few years here, so I was well acquainted with the principal’s office.
Opening the glass doors, I make my way to the front desk and am shown to Lisa’s office on the second floor by the receptionist.
Lisa has been the principal since I attended the ESA, and while we had a bumpy start to our relationship when I was a kid, things got better over the years, and I respect her immensely.
I knock on the oakwood door, signaling my presence.
Lisa looks up, glasses perched on her nose. “Hi, Teagan, welcome back.”
She gets up from her brown leather chair, walking around her desk to shake my hand.
I place my hand in hers, shaking it as I say, “Thank you for having me.”
Lisa smooths her gray hair to the side, a warm smile on her face. “We’re so happy to have you back here at ESA. I’m aware you’re an alumnus here, so I imagine it must be a mix of emotions for you.”
“You could say that, but I’m excited to teach what I love,” I say, which is true. While it may not be ideal, it puts me back in the gymnastics world when I could be worse off.
“That’s great to hear.” She claps her hands together. “Why don’t I take you to the gymnastics center? I’m sure you’re well acquainted with it, but I’ll show you where your office is and go over your schedule.”
About an hour later, I’m sitting in my brand-new office, spinning around in the black leather chair and wondering what the hell I’m going to do today.
Lisa informed me that my first class of the day is at one o’clock, giving me three hours to go over the training program the previous coach left behind. They’re seniors, and since I expect their skills to be more advanced, I’ll be implementing a training routine that would be more rigorous than one I’d give to the younger kids I’ll be seeing later today at four o’clock.
Three hours seems to fly by as I’m engrossed in my work, making rough plans for the rest of my classes this week seeing as today is already planned for me. I say rough plans because based on my observations today, I may need to tweak things based on their skills.
Whoever said being a teacher is easy has never once taught a day in their life. I haven’t even done the teaching part yet and I am already exhausted mentally from all the prep work.
I quickly change into my black t-shirt and tights I packed as Nina informed me that I would be teaching today, wanting to be comfortable to move around and model for the students.
It’s the first time I’ve worn a leotard since the competition, and my body thrums with excitement at the feeling of being back in my element.
Exiting my office, I enter the gym as the bell rings for the start of class.
The girls sitting on the mats all turn to me, their eyes widening as their mouths part in shock. They immediately whisper amongst themselves, and it’s clear no one warned them who their new teacher will be.
A slight shiver of trepidation runs down my spine, but I do my best to shake it off and appear confident. “All right, ladies,” I say, raising my voice to signal that it’s time to stop talking. All of the girls quiet down, their expectant gazes staring back at me.
Not wanting them to sense my fear, I clear my throat, using a confident tone as I say, “My name’s Coach Witt and I’ll be yourteacher for the rest of the year. When you come to my class, I expect you to be ready to train and wearing the proper attire so that we don’t waste any time. I know you guys have classes outside of this, along with personal obligations. But I’m going to train you hard, and I expect you to give it your all. Of course, we’re human, so if something’s up, just come talk to me. Show me respect, and I’ll give it back to you. Any questions?”
All twenty girls stare in silence, until a girl with a slicked back ponytail raises her hand.
“Go ahead,” I tell her.
“My name’s Zoey, and I think I can speak for all of us when we say we’re a little starstruck right now. You’re a legend, and you’re standing there telling us you’re our new teacher? That’s insane in the best way.” Her voice squeaks near the end, hair bouncing off her shoulders as she lifts them up in excitement.
“I’m flattered. I get it, if I ever got to meet my idol, I’d probably react the same way. Let’s get started with our training today, though, and if we have time at the end, you guys can ask questions or whatever you’d like, all right?” I hedge, hoping that’s the right thing to say.
All the girls nod in unison, so I break them off into their groups I made based on the report that was on my desk from one of the trainers.
By the end of the class, I’m surprised to find myself…enjoying it? The girls are well behaved, not as moody as I once expected since I remember how moodyIwas at that age. Maybe it’s the honeymoon period, and more behaviors will come later. Whatever it is, I’ll enjoy it for what it is right now.
