Score Out: Perfect Balance Gymnastics Series, #6

By Melisa Torres

Meet Carmen and her teammates; strong diverse girls reaching their goals!

 

Carmen Alvarez is new to competitive gymnastics, and it isn't quite what she expected. Her Level 4 season is having a rough start with silly mistakes and several falls. Carmen continues to work hard. But just when she has competition figured out, she learns she must score a 34.00 All-Around to be eligible for Level 5. What will Carmen do if her season ends without getting the coveted 34.00 All-Around? Can she talk her family and coaches into letting her attend one more meet to try to get the score? And if she can get to another meet, will she be able to score out?

 

Perfect Balance Gymnastics Books teach girls to be kind to each other, flexible in life, courageous, strong, and most of all, confident. The books set the reader in the world of gymnastics. The characters are relatable and have age appropriate challenges. Each book explores a major life lesson that empowers girls to understand their own inner strengths.

 

Perfect Balance Gymnastics Books increase reading level from 2nd grade to 6th grade as the series progresses. Score Out is the 6th book in the series and is a 4th/5th grade reading level. Score Out appeals to 8-12 year-olds. Perfect Balance Gymnastics Books are chronological, but each story can stand alone.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Melisa Torres
• Release date: Aug 15, 2022
• ISBN: 9781958613061

Book preview

Score Out

Illustrated by Zachary J. Christensen

Copyright © 2018 Melisa Torres

All rights reserved.

Written by Melisa Torres

Published by Dancing Water

Cover art and illustrations by Zachary J Christensen

Editing by Patricia Hoopes Professional Editing

Edited by Clara Somers Editing Services

Ebook ISBN: 978-1-958613-06-1

To my boisterous Mexican-American family,

Thank you for the happy, loving, and supportive childhood.

And to my grandma, Mary Blanca Alvarez,

I miss hearing you call me mija.

Chapter 1

Curtsy on Floor

I skip to the front door of Perfect Balance Gymnastics Academy with my mom and brothers trailing behind me. I push open the door and stand there holding it open for my family. A mom and her two girls walk out as I hold open the door.

Thank you, she says, as she smiles at me.

Welcome, I say, as I motion for my mom to hurry.

We are here tonight so I can order my competition leotard. Last week I officially made the Level 4 competition team when I performed all my skills in the intrasquad meet. My Level 4 teammates already have a their leotards because they competed for Perfect Balance Gymnastics Academy as Level 3s last year. I’m the only one who needs a uniform because I didn’t compete Level 3. In fact, I am skipping Level 3.

I don’t understand the rush, Carmen. Katie said she would be here all evening, my mom says to me, as she walks through the doors. My brothers follow behind her and we walk up to the reception desk where Katie is working.

Katie sees us and stands up. Well, hello, Alvarez family, glad you could make it. Are these your brothers? she asks me.

Yes, this is my older brother Miguel and my younger brother Carlos.

Nice to meet you both. Would you two like to do Parents’ Night Out while Carmen tries on leotards? she asks. Parents’ Night Out is held every Friday night; parents can drop off their kids to play on the gymnastics equipment while they go out.

Can we mom? Carlos asks, looking out into the gym where kids are climbing and jumping all over the gymnastics equipment.

They can go on out and play at no charge since we are just going to be a minute, Katie says, rounding the desk.

Carlos bites his lip and turns to look at my mom to see what she is going to say. Miguel plays it cooler and acts like he doesn’t care one way or the other. She nods and my brothers don’t need any more encouragement. They run to the cubbies, throw their shoes and socks in, and run through the glass doors into the training area.

Katie walks past us to a door that says Coaches on it. She opens it and gestures us in. The room has eight desks, four on each side, a refrigerator, and a door going out to the training center. I wonder which desks belong to my coaches, James and Melony.

I pulled a few leos that I thought might be your size, Carmen, Katie says, walking to a desk that has leotards laid across the back of the chair. This is the brand we use for Perfect Balance, the color and design is not what I will be ordering you, but the sizing is the same.

I suck in my breath as she holds up a beautiful long-sleeved competition leotard. It’s black with teal swirls along the chest and arms. Rhinestones swirl from the top and travel down one side. I reach out and gently touch the glossy fabric.

Try this one, and probably this one too, Katie says, holding up another one just like it. Only this one is black and hot pink, and apparently a different size, although they look the same to me.

She hands them to me and says, You can go to the bathroom and try them on while I talk to your mom about competition dates and fees. She sits in her chair and touches the mouse next to her keyboard. She gestures for my mom to sit across from her. My mom grips her purse tighter and slowly sits. I hesitate for a moment. I heard it too: competition fees.

My mom sees me standing there holding the beautiful leotards to my chest. "Go ahead, mija, you earned it, my mother says to me. I did earn it, but still, I don’t move as I look at her knuckles turn white as she grips her purse. We will figure it out, she says. Go on."

I turn and leave the room. I hear Katie begin with, We have five meets scheduled this season . . .

I walk out of the office and up the stairs to the bathrooms. There is a bathroom down in the training area, but during PNO kids don’t stop knocking on the door, and I want to take my time. Plus, the upstairs bathroom is a locker room, which means I can shove my clothes in a locker when I go back to show Katie the leo. I walk into the locker room, and as I guessed, it’s empty. I strip out of my leggings and t-shirt and stuff them in a locker.

I’m thinking about what Katie was saying as I left, that we have five meets scheduled this season. I get to compete five times! Compete with my teammates, in front of judges, with my family there. It’s going to be so fun. All the hard work is paying off, just like my mom said it would. I trained in both Level 3 and Level 4 classes so I could skip Level 3. I went to all the extra practices over the summer to learn the Level 4 routines. I got my kip, my cartwheel on high beam, front handspring on vault, all of it. The list was long, but I did it. And now here I am trying on competition leotards.

I grin to myself as I select the teal one first. I step into it and gently tug it on. I slowly put my arms in the sleeves. The fabric feels thick, yet soft. Better than any I have ever worn in practice. I look down. It’s lovely.

I am dying to see what it looks like on me. I dash out of the locker room, across the hall, and over to the dance room. I peek my head in. Since no lessons are going on, I step in to see what the leotard looks like in all the mirrors. It’s even prettier on. I turn side to side and watch the light bounce off the rhinestones on the bodice and sleeve. I can’t wait for my mom to see this.

I leave the dance room and run down the stairs to the coaches’ office. I push open the door and when my mom and Katie hear me, they stop talking and look up.

Katie grins and my mom puts her hands to her chest. Mija, she sighs, you look beautiful.

That teal looks gorgeous with your skin, Katie says, referring to my light brown skin.

I grin and walk all the way in. Come here so I can see the fit, Katie says.

I walk over to her and she grabs my arm and starts moving the fabric around, It’s a little big, see how the arms are bunched up? It should be smooth. Turn, she says to me.

I turn and she tugs on the back neck of the leo. Fix the bum so it’s comfortable, she instructs.

I tug on the material at the back but I’m not sure what she means.

See how it’s baggy there? she says to my mom, taking my arms and turning my bum to my mom. It should fit snug. This one is too big.

My mom doesn’t say anything. Try on the other one; it’s one size smaller, Katie says.

I look at the sleeves as I walk upstairs to put on the other leo. Now that Katie mentioned it, I see how the arms have extra lines of fabric. In the competitions I have seen on TV, the leotards fit smoothly on the gymnasts.

I get upstairs and switch into the black and hot pink one. This one is hard to get on and I’m sure it’s too small. I pull, tug, wiggle, and jump until it’s all the way on. Once it’s on, I sneak into the dance room again. I look at myself in the mirror and I see what Katie is saying. This leo is tight, but it looks smoother and cleaner on my body. This one is the right fit. I do the curtsy dance sequence from my floor routine and it looks amazing.

I run out of the dance room and bound down the stairs to show my mom. I walk into the office and over to Katie for her assessment.

Much better, she says lifting my arm and running her hand down the sleeve. Do you feel the difference? she asks.

I nod.

But she will grow, my mom says, interrupting our conversation.

Oh man, I should have known. My mom buys everything one size too big because ‘I will grow.’ The cutest t-shirts become circus tents by the time my mom determines the size.

Not on this mom, please, I beg.

It’s expensive, mija, and they use this leotard for Level 4 and Level 5. Two, maybe three years. Why buy two?

They do stretch, Katie says, trying to save me from public leotard humiliation. I smile weakly at Katie. It’s over. I know it’s over. My mom will buy the bigger one.

My mom tugs at the fabric, I don’t think it will stretch enough for a growing girl. Get the bigger one, my mom decides. Now, tell me what else.

Katie tells her about the required warm-up jackets. Thankfully, there are used jackets that other girls  have outgrown. I can buy one my size for a fraction of the new price. The jackets are to be worn with any pair of black leggings, which I already have.

And just for fun, we have parent t-shirts and sweatshirts, Katie says, holding up a blue v-neck shirt that says Perfect Balance Gym Mom in glittering white cursive letters.

Why do I need that? my practical mother asks.

Just for fun, to cheer on the girls in the stands, Katie explains. So they can see all the parents together easily.

My mom touches the shirt. It’s so soft, she says. My mom never has new clothes, and that shirt would be so cute on her.

You should get it mom, I say. Her eyes drop to the price tag and she lets go of the shirt.

No, no, mija, not today. I can wear blue and white and you will still see me.

Chapter 2

Half Turn Dismount on Bars

Weekends are for soccer. Everyone in my family plays soccer; my dad, mom, uncles, aunts, brothers, and cousins. I play soccer, too, but last summer I decided I liked gymnastics more. My mom moved me out of competition soccer and into recreational soccer. My new soccer season is not until this spring. Even then, I will only have one practice a week and one game a week. That’s way less practice than I was doing last year.

We are seated at Miguel’s game with camping chairs and coolers. Today is a tournament so we will be here all day. Miguel has two games and Carlos has one. We have time between games, too. I brought a bag of books and a coloring book. I’m sitting between my parents, Miguel is on the field warming up, and Carlos went to kick a soccer ball behind us with a friend.

Carmen, we have to talk, my mom says. I look up at her with my coloring book halfway out of my bag. When she says ‘Carmen’ instead of ‘mija,’ I know it’s serious. What have I done to get in trouble? I did my chores last night, made my bed, and school just started. I can’t possibly already be messing that up.

About what? I ask.

About gymnastics.

What about gymnastics? I ask, looking from her to my dad. My dad nods for her to continue.

Well, Carmen, it’s very expensive. The competing, it’s much more than we expected.

Oh, no, I say, dropping my book in my lap and burying my hands in my face. Don’t say it, don’t say I have to quit! Please, Mom! I say, shaking my head. This can’t be happening. I worked so hard this summer. I finally found a sport I love and friends who understand me.

"Carmen, who said anything about quitting? Dios mio, you must listen child."

I look up, confused. What then? I ask.

As I was saying, it’s expensive, we have to get creative. There need to be a few compromises and changes.

Like what? I ask, cautiously.

Well, your father and I were talking about ways we could make this competition season work for you. We called Katie last night, and together, we came up an idea.

What is it? I ask again, looking rapidly between my mom and dad.

Well, there are five meets this season. Three regular season meets, one State Championship Meet, and one travel meet in early January after State.

Okay, that’s weird, why is there a meet after state meet? I ask.

Katie said it is a meet for the upper levels, but they are taking the 4s and 5s for experience. It is at a college. But this meet, it requires travel. And, well, if we cut out this one meet, it saves us a lot, mija, my mom says, looking down at me with regret in her brown eyes.

That’s it? I say. Just missing one meet? One meet after State?

My mom nods.

I can still do the other four meets? I ask to clarify.

My mom nods again.

That’s no big deal. Jeez mom, you scared me for nothing.

So, you are okay with this? my mom says, looking over my head at my dad.

Sure, just don’t make me quit team, I say.

My mom puts her arm around me and pulls me toward her until my chair lifts its legs off the ground on one side. She kisses my head, Not today, mija.

––––––––

––––––––

The next few weeks at practice our assignment has become tougher. We are expected to do three good vaults, three good bar routines, three good floor routines, and five stuck beam routines. It only counts if you don’t fall. I work hard the entire rotation and I still can’t finish the assignment.

Before the intrasquad we were focused on filling in our sticker chart that had all of our skills listed out. I thought once I got all my Level 4 skills things would get easier. But with a meet