Retour sur la compétition de Larajasse qui a eu lieu au gymnase des Pinasses à St Symphorien !

Attending the competition in Larajasse for the first time was not how I planned to when we arrived. As soon as we arrived at the parking lot, I hear Milana saying she was going to vomit. Instantly, I said, ‘stop the car’! The car did not come into a complete stop, and I see her in the back seat opening the door and sticking out her head. Small pieces of solid food and liquid, which looked like the eggs and the croissant she had eaten an hour ago, came running out. I knew my daughter wasn’t 100% to competiting and flashbacks of her being ill.

About two weeks ago, Milana had the flu. She had 5 days of fever, and her body was still recovering from losing about 6 lbs. I opened my door and walked with her towards a corner where she could get some fresh air. Her face looked pale, and her eyes looked like she was going to tear up. I took out a tissue to wipe her mouth and got her to drink some water. I assured her that everything was going to be fine. She blew her nose and composed herself. The pressure of winning was the last thing we both wanted. Regardless if she competed or not, my daughter has always given her best.

As sweet as she is, she stayed strong, and she did not want to cancel her routines. She slowly walked away until I could see only a silhouette, and she disappeared. It was still 6:50 am and the sun still hadn’t risen. Milana walked away like a determined grown up with her teammate next to her. They walked towards the other end of the gymnasium where all the other competitors entered. 

I walked towards back to the red car to get all of my belongings that I always prepare during a competition. A cooler for all of our food, my camera gear, and Milana’s makeup bag. Milana had left behind all her costumes. I wished I had a magic wand, so a valet attendant could get all of our baggages or I miracusously blinked my eyes to add an additional hand to my body. My right shoulder was in so much pain. I couldn’t think about it.

I took out a water bottle and washed off the vomit on the inside of the door. Luckily, it wasn’t in the interior of the car. It would have been the end of me and Milana carpooling in a person’s car.

I was quite delighted to see the wooden floors and the great lighting as I walked inside the gymnasium. Most of the older gymnasiums have blue flooring and yellow tungsten lights, which is incredibly difficult to balance my camera settings. The large windows allowed a lot of daylight into the gymnasium from morning til early noon.

Milana built the courage and bravely performed all three routines. I was very proud of her. Whatever the outcome was, everything would be fine. The strut, duo and solo routines for preliminaire had passed so quickly, the red clock only turned 11:30 am. Many of the parents who have been attending these small competitions have said it’s a lot easier to attend them because there were less competitors, and the competition was less competitive. I concur! Twirling baton is a very competitive sport like any other sport. Many parents put a lot of pressure on their kids. It’s disheartening when a child is too afraid to say anything. And they don’t want to see disappointment in their parents eyes.

As a parent, my attitude in competition is not for me, but there is a borderline when a child wants to perform well and one who just doesn’t care. My third year attending these competitions, and I will not accept to see my daughter get injured because she did not stretch or have the proper dance training.

Seeing my daughter growing and showing signs of high discipline into the sport, it’s important as a parent to guide and show what their options are. I am not a twirler, but I am 100% for my daughter when it comes to the technicality of dance, flexibility and ballet. Training the body to move a certain way can go so wrong if he or she does not have the proper technique. I will go one forever about technique but that’s in a different story. Overall, getting some guidance helps a child become more motivated and passionate. From my stand point of view, each competition shows how she has progressed each month and she is still having fun.

Today, it’s a different scenario and Milana forced herself to keep herself hydrated and positive. Her face still showed some uneasiness but I know she felt some comfort knowing she stayed and not leave her team. Seeing her eat a madeleine was pleasant to see. She stayed by my side and didn’t play much with the other younger girls. She took her fluffy pink blanket and curled up next to me. While watching the competitors in front of us, her eyes started to droop away, and she fell asleep in my arms. An hour had passed and Milana woke up greeting me with a smile. Half of the day was over, and I still had some time to take advantage of the perfect lighting – atmosphere airy and bright – for natural light photographers! Unfortunately, when mid day arrived, the sun moved making some areas in the gymnasium moody and shadowy. The temperature had risen, and the athletes were perspiring by the warmth of the sun reflecting onto the glass windows. Getting my camera settings became a challenge especially when the competitors who were performing their Rhythmic Twirl routines. They twirled, jumped and danced from corner to corner like bumble bees.

When the competition was finally over, I was dreading to get back into the car. The roads here isn’t pleasant and having motion sickness isn’t the greatest either. Ten minutes into the wining road, we had to stop the car. Milana and I didn’t feel exceptionally well. Luckily, I found a small plastic bag, so if Milana vommited, there wouldn’t be a catastrophic accident inside the car. I had to give her doliprane as well and I took the other half because I felt a migraine inbetween my forehead. My eyes did not look at the scenery ahead of me. I adviced Milana to shut her eyes and drink some water while we still had an hour and a half til we arrived back. 

At around close to 8 pm, we arrived at our destination 25 minutes later because we took the wrong road. Navigating through small roads and very visible lights unlike driving in United States can be nerve wrecking. Regardless, my husband was at the parking lot waiting for Milana and I to get out of the car and go home. 

Recap from Larajasse, arriving to the competition with my daughter vommiting and returning with motion sickness, we both survived another competition. As a competition mom, I am committed to always be involved and to watch what is best for my daughter, including my son. Traveling to each competition takes quite some time to get used to, but for some parents, it doesn’t settle in. Many times it is out of our control. Remember, each moment is different, so enjoy the ride. 

Thank you Larajasse and bravo to all of the competitors especially to our Team BLV. Until next time, see you at Championnat Régional AURA Pratique Technique at Bourg les Valence.