Page 36 of Balancing Act
“Oh man, I thought that one was definitely going to get you.” Lily’s voice was laced with disappointment. Much like Jamie, she liked to win.
A familiar prickle ran down Jamie’s spine before, and she knew why. Sure enough, Beth was there, watching from the parents’ viewing area. She gave a slight wave, causing her cheeks to flush furiously.
“Oh, look! Mom’s here for the meeting already.” Lily beamed as she waved to Beth. “Good, she can watch me beat you.”
Jamie scanned the gym, thinking about what move she wanted to call for her turn before pointing to the balance beam.
Lily let out a groan. “You picked that on purpose, didn’t you? You know the beam is my least favorite.”
“It’s called strategy, Lily. You should try it. We’ll do a dismount—how about a roundoff double pike? Do you want to go first, or should I show you how it’s done?”
“No thanks. I can show you how it’s done.” Lily flipped her ponytail, and Jamie laughed quietly. Yup. One hundred percent a competitor, exactly like Jamie.
Lily mounted the beam, her eyes sharp with determination. Sprinting down its length, she launched into a roundoff double pike dismount. Jamie spotted the mistake immediately—Lily’s rotation was a fraction too slow. Her heels hit the mat first, the momentum carrying her into an unsteady step forward.
“That’s an ‘I’ for you,” Jamie teased.
“Yeah, but you still have to land it, or else I win,” Lily smirked, stepping aside.
Jamie stepped onto the beam, her body remembering before her mind could catch up. She was weightless in the air—until she wasn’t. Too much power. She hit the mat with a solid thump, the wind knocked from her lungs.
“Jamie, are you okay?” Lily was down on the mats next to her, concern on her face.
“I’m good.” She coughed, sitting up and catching her breath. “My ego, though, not so much. I can’t believe I lost.” She smiled at Lily, whose grin rapidly spread across her cheeks.
“What an embarrassing fall,” Amanda teased, as she approached them. “And to think you used to be the best in the world at that.” She held a hand to Jamie, who took it, letting her hoist her to her feet. “Lily, your moms are here for our check-in. Can you please take them to my office? Jamie and I will meet you there in a minute.”
Jamie grabbed her water bottle and hoodie, the latter crumpled on the edge of the floormats.
“She seems like she’s warmed up to you. Did my advice work after all?”
Jamie smirked, took a long swig from her water bottle, then wiped her mouth with her hand. “I guess.” Jamie shrugged. It was easier than admitting the truth—that Lily’s trust settleddeep inside Jamie, unfamiliar but solid. It had been a long time since she’d earned someone’s trust instead of breaking it.
Thankfully, they arrived at Amanda’s office before she could press her for more. The adrenaline from earlier still lingered, humming through her as they entered.
“Thank you both for making it to the first parents’ meeting,” Amanda started, taking her spot behind her desk. “We like to do these meetings regularly to keep an open dialogue going between us and ensure we’re still all working toward the same goals. Jamie, do you want to dive in?”
She pushed herself off the wall she had been quietly leaning against. Her eyes quickly met Beth’s before landing on Lily’s matching set. “Sure. As you all know, Lily and I have been working closely the last month, and that’s given me a lot of time to observe and assess where she’s at.” She caught a slight flash of nervousness in Lily’s gaze, still fixed on her. “From what I’m seeing, we have a shot at getting you to the Olympics next summer.”
A stillness settled in the room before Sarah clapped her hands together, and Lily squealed. “Oh my God! You really think so? Like, you’re not just messing with me!?”
“I do,” Jamie confirmed. “But I don’t think it will be easy. Lily, you’ll most likely be the youngest person there, competing against girls who are anywhere up to eight years older than you, but I truly think we can get you on that Olympic team. In the next few weeks, our focus will be getting your skills back to the same competition level you were competing at in the spring. You’re in a great spot with your floor routine and vault, but the beam and bars still need some finessing.”
“Our first big hurdle will be getting the US Gymnastics Federation to accept you competing as a Senior Elite gymnast,” Amanda added. “Because you’ve missed most of this season due to injury, we have to petition the federation for acceptance,but I don’t think we’ll have any problems there. You have the necessary skills, but this is more of a formality. I’ve already reached out, and someone will make the trip up in December for an evaluation.”
“I hate to be the one to bring this up,” Beth interjected, her usual light tone replaced by something sharper—almost hesitant, “but do we think Lily is ready for all this? This seems like so much. She’s only fourteen.” She reached out and squeezed Lily’s forearm.
“I’ll be fifteen in two months, Mom,” Lily shot back quickly, as if it made a difference.
Jamie’s eyes were still on Beth, and her mouth had opened slightly to speak, but Sarah beat her to it.
“What if the federation denies the petition?”
“It’s unlikely, but if that does happen, Lily would not be able to compete at the Senior Elite level, nor be eligible for the Olympic trials in June next year,” Amanda answered, her tone neutral.
“In which case,” Jamie chimed in, “I would recommend shifting our focus to planning for Lily’s collegiate career, possibly exploring specialization as a strategy for the Olympics in 2028. But, like Amanda said, we feel that’s unlikely.” She met Beth’s impossibly blue eyes, hoping she could offer her the reassurance she was seeking. “As for Lily’s readiness, Amanda and I wouldn’t recommend this if we didn’t feel it was a viable path for Lily.” Jamie paused as she carefully selected the words she next wanted to say. “Your daughter”—Jamie looked first at Beth and then to Sarah—“has got something I’ve never seen in a gymnast before, and we’re at a moment here where I truly believe Lily has the chance to be one of the greats of this sport.”
Silence fell over the room as Jamie’s words sank in.