Winners never Quit and Quitters never Win

[Antione Hoefflin]

Antione Hoefflin walked into his studio at four thirty in the morning and flicked the fluorescent lights on. He always made it a habit of getting to the studio at least an hour before his gymnasts arrived so that the lights were at their brightest by the time they arrived and so the room was at the correct temperature - depending on what time of the year it was, luckily in the summer he didn't have to worry about anything as at this time of the morning it was never hot enough to need air conditioning.

He wasn't sure how many of the gymnasts were on campus, but the evening before he had sent messages to each of their rooms telling them that they had a training session that morning and attendance was mandatory as he wanted to see where they were up to so that he could see how soon he could start organising them to enter in competitions.

As the gymnasts began to arrive, he instructed them to get their warm-ups out of the way and then he would tell them what they would be working on. As his gymnasts had all been working on their sport of at least a year now, he trusted them with their own warm-up routines - though he did keep an eye on them to make sure they did it properly.

---

Calling:
Cara-Jean Kitchi
Elizabeth Toman
@lilithjohnson
Serenity Oliver

This thread is also open to

anyone who might want to

take gymnastics.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara never needed an alarm clock to wake her, no matter how early she had to get up. Needing to be woken meant that she would actually have to sleep. It wasn't that she didn't sleep, she just never slept deep enough to be able to dream. She took cat-naps rather than allowing her body to relax enough to get into a deep sleep, and so far it was working for her. And honestly, how much more damage could she do to her already fragile psyche than had already been done to it?

The bright green numbers on her clock read 0400, and she finally kicked the covers back. Being the only person on this floor of Blue Ribbon meant that she was very conscious of the person whom could be in the room beneath hers and she was always careful to remain off the floor as much as possible when another person might deem the time to be "ungodly". Stepping across the floor, she entered the bathroom and showered before brushing her waist length hair back and swiftly pulling it into a French braid and then winding it into a bun. The thought of cutting it crossed her mind, but she didn't act on it. She then walked back into the bedroom, her steps silent on the carpeted floor, and opening her top drawer, she pulled out underwear and turned to the closet where she took out a charcoal and yellow leotard. Getting dressed, she pulled a tracksuit on over the leotard, pushed her feet into a pair of sneakers and made sure that she had everything she would need in her gym bag. She then left her room and silently exited the House.

It didn't take her long to get to the gymnasium and she hurried down to the studio where the coach would be waiting. Walking through the door, she was surprised to find that she was the first to arrive, but then wondered if the others were in the locker rooms. Placing her bag on one of the benches that lined the wall, she quickly kicked her shoes off - putting them neatly under the bench - and then stripped out of the tracksuit, which she folded and neatly put away in her gym bag. She then walked over to the large floor exercise mat where she stretched her arms above her head, reaching her fingers toward the ceiling as she slid her feet along the ground and lowered into a forward split.

[Elizabeth Toman]

Libby groaned as her alarm went off. Surely since it was holidays, Coach could make their training a little later in the day? But no, Hoefflin worked like a machine and their training started at five thirty in the morning, no matter the time of the year.

Dragging her body out of bed. Turning her stereo on - not caring that it was so early - and cranked the sound up as she headed into the bathroom; where she quickly showered and dressed into her team leotard before she fixed her hair up into double braids which she then wound into buns, and applied the much needed glitter and make-up before she was ready to slip into the tracksuit and get her bag ready.

She moved her hips in time to Superchick's Rock What You Got as she piled the things she needed into her bag: a towel, clothes to change into after training, stuff she'd need for the shower, a couple of bottles of water and a breakfast bar. She then pushed her feet into her shoes and headed out of her dorm, making sure to lock the door behind her, and out of the House.

On her way to the gym, she ate half of the breakfast bar and wiped her fingers across her mouth as she walked into the studio. "Hey Coach!" She greeted as she toed her shoes off and slipped out of the tracksuit. Her eyes surveyed the room, landing on a new girl who was warming up on the mat. She narrowed her eyes, trying to work out whether she knew the girl or not. With a shake of her head, she left the tracksuit piled on the bench next to her bag and hurried over to mat so that she could start warming up and find out what she would be working on first.

[Deleted]

Zel's eyes snapped open, staring at the red illuminated lights in the dark of her room. Adjusting to her new sleep routine had already started out horrible, as she couldn't fall asleep at a decent time the night before. She screamed quietly into her pillow then swung herself out of bed, running her fingers through the matted, damp mess she called hair.

She fumbled for the lamp in the dark, whacking her hands on the desk, knocking her glass of water onto the floor and nearly pushing the lamp off. Gisella cringed as the light beamed in her face and reached for the leotard she had set out the night before. On top of showering immediately before bed, Zel had placed out everything she needed for the coming day.

Zel stood up and grabbed her brush from the dresser, only taking a look in her mirror once. She then bent over and vigorously brushed her hair, leaving small red strings on the floor in front of her. She put it in a high ponytail then twisted it into a tight bun. After loosening it up, Zel squeezed into her black and blue leotard. Over top of her leotard, she pulled on a pair of grey yoga pants and a very light jacket. She grabbed her prepacked bag and looked through it, making sure she had all of her necessities; an outfit, drinks, and some food for when she started starving in a few hours.

She stood in the mirror for at least five minutes, yawning and blinking. The morning shower seemed like a better idea than it did the night before, but she settled with splashing cold water on her face then flipped off the light. Zel locked the door behind her and tiptoed her way down the stairs and out of the House.

Zel hummed as she walked up to the studio but quietly entered. She smiled in the general direction of the others then she stripped out of her warmups. Her hands folded up the clothing neatly then tucked them away in her bag before she started warming up with the others.

[Serenity Oliver]

Reni woke up with a start, almost launching the small feline who was tapping on her nose across the room. The room was beginning to lighten, which told her that the sun was rising. She looked at the clock and drew in a sharp breath. "OMG Luna!!! You saved my life!!" She bounced out of bed and quickly pulled her gymnastics uniform out of her drawers, along with some underwear and quickly got dressed before she pulled her fine blonde hair into a high pony tail. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten to set her alarm before going to bed the night before.

Grabbing her gym bag, not bothering with a tracksuit to go over her leotard, she pushed her feet into her sneakers and raced out of Yellow House, feeling slightly guilty as she knew that her panic would have Tommy awake, and no doubt pounding down the stairs the instant she was out of the House.

Leaving the building, she double-timed it to the gymnasium and raced down to the studio. "I am so sorry, Coach!" She said as she toed her shoes off while still on the move and throwing her bag onto the bench. "We arrived back yesterday and I forgot to set my alarm!" All of this was spluttered out as the girl who was normally as serene as her name, raced over to the area where the others were already warming up. She knew she was late, and would take any punishment that was handed out to her.

[Antione Hoefflin]

Ant watched as his gymnasts arrive, not too surprised when one of her newest gymnasts was the first to arrive - with what he knew of her past it worried him a little. He gave Elizabeth a nod as she entered the studio and greeted him. He watched as his newest arrived, quickly followed by a very apologetic Serenity. "I wasn't aware that you had returned, Miss Oliver." He told the girl. "But don't let it happen again."

Once a good number of gymnasts had arrived and were warmed up, he clapped his hands for attention. Sure, he wore a whistle around his neck like other coaches, but he only ever used it if there was an emergency and he needed the attention of people spaced around the studio. "There is a competition coming up in a month, though I haven't signed anyone up for it because I want to see where you are all up to." He began handing out apparatus assignments. "Toman, uneven bars. Oliver, Vault. Kitchi and Morgan, I need you both to come to my office for team uniforms and then Kitchi, you can work on the beam and Morgan, I want to see your floor routine."

He turned on his heel and strode to his office. At the door he pivoted again and studied both girls, sizing them. He walked to his cupboards, that looked like lockers, and opened one door before pulling out a leotard, tracksuit and black backpack, and handing them to Gisella. "Make sure you arrive in that tomorrow." He then looked at Cara again, arching an eyebrow when she moved away from him. He returned to the cupboard and pulled out another set and brought it out for the other girl. "Again, arrive in these tomorrow."

He then went to take a spot near the floor exercise area so that he could observe his newest girl.

[Cara-Jean Kitchi]

Cara continued with her warm-up, she could feel the eyes of the coach on her and she wanted to vanish into the mat she was working on. She hated being watched when she knew that he was weighing and measuring her with his eyes, so she just kept her attention on what she was doing and her eyes on the ground.

Her eyes widened when the others were assigned their tasks, while her and another girl were called to the coach's office. She clenched her fists to hide her trembling fingers as she walked slowly forward, though she stopped well clear of the office door. She all but turned away as she felt his eyes on her once again, measuring her with them, however her training kept her rooted to the spot.

She watched as he gave the other girl a uniform and instructions and then turned to her again. Although she didn't move her feet, she couldn't help but draw back from his look, and she caught the movement of his eyebrow.

She bowed her head as he handed her a uniform, with fewer words that he had given the other girl. She took the things over to her bag, where she folded the new clothes and left them on the bench beside her other things.

Walking over to the beam, she chalked up her hands, and then placing them on the beam, just narrower than shoulder-width and mounted with a press to handstand, then moved her legs into the splits and did a full turn, then lowered herself to a clear pike support (after the full turn, she straightened her legs, then piked them between her arms and moved her body through so that she had moved her hips above the beam and supported herself with her arms before swinging her legs back through her arms so that she was standing on the beam and moved into a squat), she then did a triple turn in tuckstand, then went onto a tucked Arabian back handspring (to turn herself around), followed instantly by a back handspring. She then did 2 back handsprings, a layout full (stretched salto with a full turn) then a Korbut.

Next came a front Aerial, Grigoras, Back Pike and Straddle Full. A Double Turn in Split. Switch Ring, Layout Step-Out, Tucked Full, Back Tuck and a Sheep Jump. Sissone and a Split Jump. She then paused a moment as she shook her head to clear it, then bounded forward to finish the routine with a round off and a Gainer stretched back salto with a triple twist, off the side of the fence, bending her knees just enough, and then straightened up with her arms in the air. Ignoring the twinge in her left shoulder that she had issues with after dislocating it while learning a new move on the bars years ago,, the competition smile vanished from her face and she lowered her arms.

[Elizabeth Toman]

Libby gave a triumphant grin when she was assigned the uneven bars, it was her strongest apparatus, something she liked to remind the other gymnasts of ever chance she got, and she now had two new girls to show up, though she didn't think she'd have much competition from the pint-sized girl who had been in the studio before she arrived.

Rising to her feet, he crossed the floor to the uneven bars. She walked up to the bars and reached up to the lower bar. She then worked at lining the springboard exactly where she needed it, knowing that if it was in the wrong place, she was seriously going to hurt herself. Once that was ready, she walked over to the chalk bin and after misting her hands with water, she buried them into the white powder and then clapped her hands together.

Standing at the edge of the mat, she looked from the spring board to the bars and then raised her eyebrows toward the assistant coach who was watching her every move. She then gave a bright smile and raised her hand in a salute before she jogged forward a couple of steps, went into a handspring and pushed off the springboard with enough force to do an Arabian salto over the low-bar and closed her hands to hang on the high-bar and then cast to handstand, making sure she hit her vertical, toes pointed perfectly.