Sunday - Team USA Clinic - 8/21, 22/10

Sunday - Team USA Clinic -
More vaulting on Sunday. At 8am, we had an hour follow up Sports Psychology session with Katie Purvelle, doing a couple communication exercises and learning a couple more tools for focusing, concentration, preparation, and all that good stuff! Also going over some of the tools we learned the day before, settling into the ones that we all agreed would really be beneficial to us.

For the next hour, we had a session with Isabelle Bibbler. With Isabelle, we watched our freestyle on the computer and took notes on things that we needed to work on. Things like where we were looking, straight legs, pointed toes, making things exact... Mostly fine details. Then, Isabelle took her notes to the barrel and worked through our freestyle with us. It was very helpful. I am working extra hard on my straight legs and pointed toes after all of the critiqueing that Isabelle gave me!

The team continued to work on the freestyle with Emma Seely after our time with Isabelle. Emma continued the critique of our freestyle - little details, finess, and pin-points. We made a simple change to my flying part, which made it much more steadier. We were also made very clear that we need to have our freestyle set, and stick with it. I think that this was one of the last changes to be made.

After Lunch, we went back to the barrel to prepare for our photo-shoot with Lynne Owen, and Compulsory training with Craig Coburn. Pally was washed and braided and in all of his beautiful clean tack, and we were dressed in our freestyle uniforms with our hair up and makeup on, just like competition. One of the photos that Lynne took will be used for the cover of the Equestrian Vaulting Magazine. Can't wait to see which one!

Finally, after the photo-shoot, we got back into our training clothes, and got back on the horse. We all worked on flight and scissor turns with Craig on the horse. Craig also gave me some helpful tips on making my mount better. By the way, my mount has improved! YAY! Craig told us alot about the scoring of the scissors. A lot is based on the scissor turn - 1/4 turn at the top. Even in a complete handstand, if you aren't turned at the top, you could still get a 5 on you scissors!

TEAM USA BONDING - All of the girls, all of the guys, and the team joined together after the vaulting part of the day to have a group bonding/ sports psychology session with Katie. Katie led us through visualization, focus/ preparation tools, and she had us list our personal, team USA, and the sport of vaulting goals for WEG. It was great to see all of the ideas from ALL of the vaulters. I think that especially after this session, we are ALL going to be working as a WHOLE TEAM at the games. CAN"T WAIT!!!!! :-)

Last part of the day - more vaulting! Blake, Rosey, Mary, Mary, and I did a jumping workout. Following that, we worked lots on mounts, clicks, scissor clicks, 2nd half of flank clicks, and just flat out compulsories! Mary McCormick coached me as I did a runthrough of my compulsories. I learned an important factor of the mill, and a technique that I think is really going to be helping me get into a handstand in my flight more often. Thanks Mary!

HOME - Rode Okie down the road. Fed the horses and said "Good Night!" to a great weekend!

Saturday - Team USA Clinic - 8/21, 22/10

8/21, 22/10 - Team USA Clinic - Saturday
Congrats to all of the vaulters (and other equestrians) who have qualified for the World Equestrian Games! Now, it's all of matter of perfect practice and preparation this month, really getting into gear for the next! It's going to be so exciting! For vaulting, the qualified athletes are:
Womens:
Megan Benjamin
Mary McCormick
Ali Divita
Katherine Wick (Alternate)

Mens:
Kenny Giesler
Todd Griffiths
Kristian Roberts
Patrick Stevens (Alternate)

Team:
F.A.C.E. Vaulting Team (WHOOOOOOHOOOOOO!!!!!)

All of the qualified vaulters participated in the Team USA Training Clinics.

This year's team USA clinic wasn't all about the fitness aspect of vaulting. On Saturday, I woke up bright and early to meet my team in Woodside at 8am. First, the whole team USA had a meeting over Skype with Sarah Ike, about drug-testing. We learned all about prohibited/ restricted substances and permitted substances. It's very important that we watch the things we put into, and on our bodies. If we were drug tested at the games and accidentally tested positive, we could be disqualified. Even for an accident like drinking a little to much caffeine in morning coffee, having foods with lots of poppy-seeds, taking Advil, etc...! It was great to have that session to know how strict the "drug-list" is. We also learned how the testing process takes place...........

Following the session with Sarah Ike, our team a 3 hour Sports Psychology session with Katie Purvelle. We worked through lots of communication and bonding exercises, learned tools for "grounding" ourselves, focusing, communicating, preparing, etc... It was very interesting, and very helpful to learn all of the valuable tools that Katie had to teach us. I really think that they are going to help us make the most of our training to come, and make the best, most enjoyable experience out of WEG.

During lunch break, we learned to be models for our professional headshots, taken by Lynne Owen (for press releases), and we were custom fitted into Ariat Clothing for opening ceremonies. During the fitting, I found out that Ariat was going to make a custom sized outfit for me, because the picked out outfit didn't come in my size. So, I'll be the only 4'6, 14 year old girl in an Ariat adult outfit that's her size! COOL!

Our last class of the day was a session with the USEF Media Trainer. Our 3 hour session consisted of learning all the little hints and tricks of interviews, how to present ourselves during an interview, how to speak properly during an interview, how to get YOUR point across no matter what kinds of questions are asked, etc... We were also interviewed by the media trainer as testers so that the trainer could pin-point little things that we need to work on for our real interviews. My mom was very excited to hear that we got media trained, she now has no doubt that come an interview at the games, I'll do just fine!

Lastly on Saturday, we vaulted on the barrels for a couple hours. I worked on compulsory exercises, drills, stretching, and runthroughs of my compulsories. Then the whole team worked on the freestyle on the barrel. Lynne Owen took some really nice pictures of our freestyle on the barrel, which next day lead to her taking some outstanding pictures on the horse!......... :-)

Training Weekend - 8/12, 13, 14, 15/ 10

8/17/10 - Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday, few! What a few days. Very accomplishing weekend. Got lots of good work done, on the horse and barrel. Thursday, was compulsory and freestyle based - the typical weekday practice. Friday, same thing, but no horse. Saturday, C O M P U L S O R I E S, followed by a choreography clinic with Katie Puevrelle. Sunday - Compulsories and freestyle - Big time!

This month and the next, the team is really working on all of the fine details - Perfecting each and every motion, move, finger, toe, arm, leg, face, etc..., in the freestyle. We did so many runthroughs. We are really focusing on boosting our composition and performance scores. We did lots of good composition boosting work this weekend, now it's just gonna be building on that and adding in all of the work to benefit our performance score. We have to become sooo steady - there can't be a single bobble in our freestyle, nor compulsories! Devon, Mary, and I have added in a pretty cool move to our first part. I think it's going to be a pretty amazing surprise! It's a little scary for me, but I have 100% trust in my base, so we're gonna rock it. I have a pretty good feeling that this year, the WEG audience is going to get the performance of their life! Knock on wood!!!

Compulsories are coming along. We'll have to do lots of work to accomplish gold medal compulsories. It ain't easy! On Saturday, we did compulsory work upon compulsory work. Everyone hit a handstand on the horse that day, but the whole team needs to put so much effort into gaining the perfection consistency. It takes more than just repeating compulsory moves, too. We have to be physically strong in so many ways. Core, arms, legs, back, push, pull, sprint, jump, coordination, all that good stuff. On our clinic weekends especially, the whole team does all kinds of exercises to improve our comps. This weekend, on Saturday, the team went on a good, 2 mile run in Woodside. We all have to keep up on our cardio fitness as well as strength, and FLEXIBILITY, which I need to do some more work on...

Palatine is doing very well. He is getting stronger and stronger, more aerobically fit, and supple, and gaining more dressage skills, which makes for the perfect vaulting horse. We are all very proud of him. He is the horse to be representing Team USA! Pally's one of those horses who you just never doubt. He's so good for us, and he knows his job. I love him so much. When I run out to him, I look him in the eye, and just think, "We got this, Pal," and he just knows. I've got a pretty good bond with that amazing horse, and I feel so lucky, so fortunate to have it.

Can't wait to write again about next weekend's training, and USEF camp. Talk soon!

P.S. Thank you everyone for your support so far, it's been such a huge help! I hope that you will be able to continue to help me - you can click the link to my website, and then from there, click the "MAKE A DONATION!!!" link. I could use all the help I could get. Please, please help support me, and the F.A.C.E. Team in Tennessee and Kentucky this Fall! GO USA!

Pictures

Woodside, FACE-Off, Aachen CHIO**, USEF/ AVA National Championships 2010. Amen.

Goal #1 - Accomplished.

8/11/10 - Ok, so it's been a really long time since I've written... Sorry readers. I've been so busy training (vaulting), riding, and playing in the Summer sun, that the days have just been flying by and I have missed so much writing time! So, I'll do a quick fill in before I get to the real deal!

In these few months (May - August), the team has been extremely successful. We won all of our selection trials after Garrods - Woodside Fest and FACE-Off. We also ventured to Koln, Germany, to train for the Aachen CHIO**, where we placed 5th. That was quite the experience! Then, just less than two weeks ago, our team became the 2010 USEF/ AVA National Champions, and I became the 3rd place Silver Womens Champion. Now - you know what that means......

...The F.A.C.E. Team is going to be representing the USA at the World Equestrian Games, September 25 - October 10, 2010!!! This month, and the month of September, we will be training very hard, with immense amounts of focus, concentration, and drive. We will do our country proud! In August we will be training every Tuesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Saturday and Sunday, all day. Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday, half days. The first week of September, the team, and Palatine, are off to Tennessee, where we will be training for the month of September for WEG. On October 3 or 4, we will head on down to Kentucky for final pre-WEG training at the horsepark, while being housed in athlete housing. It's going to be great! I'm very excited for the rest of this year. I can't wait to fly for the USA!

You all know that I've said this a million times, but I'm gonna say it again - This endeavour is going to be extraordinarily expensive. My housing in Tennessee/ Kentucky will be quite pricey per day, and for over 30 days. That will add up to well over $1,000! And that's just the housing, just a bed and a bathroom! I really could use your help. If you could donate just $5 or $10, it would be soooo helpful. Let's make this happen for Team USA! To donate, just click on the link to my website (on the upper right-hand corner of the blog), and click the make a donation link. It's very simple from there. Thank you sooo much for considering supporting me and the F.A.C.E. Team, and thank you a million times to the people who have been supporting me along the way.

GO USA! Go F.A.C.E.!!!