Hi everyone! 

Well, it was a great competition! I am so glad I could start this letter off that way instead of the other way I said in my last letter :). I went to Nationals wanting to place in the top 8 and I knew to do that I would have to hit all eight routines almost perfect. Beam wasn't my best and both days I had a few wobbles but I just put it behind me and went on. My goal was to get at least a 9.0 on each event and even though I didn't, if I divide my 36 AA score by 4 events it averages out to a 9 on each event haha. I met so many cool people in Indianapolis. There was a group of people sitting in front near the floor and they were so great! They were cheering so loud for everyone and they made me giggle during my floor routine. I wish they could travel to all the competitions because I had my best floor routine that day! The girls in my squad were so much fun too and we laughed and joked so we would not be as nervous. It really helped. I am back in the gym now, getting ready for my first International assignment to Mexico on September  21st. I have also been experimenting with the new code and I have been working tons of new skills and combinations. 

I am not sure yet how I feel about the new code but I do have some suggestions. As long as they are changing the code, I think they should change some of the equipment too. If they add about 6 inches to the width and 4 feet to the length of the beam maybe we could actually do some skills or create new skills like double fulls or even front fulls. Also I think the floor needs to be bigger by like 10 feet so more combinations are possible or else everyone will be doing 5 tumbling passes to get their start value higher and then we might as well forget the floor music and dance and just call it power tumbling. I have been watching some old videos of gymnasts from before I was born and they did some awesome stuff before the bars were widened. I think if they added a third bar to the set, to be worked closer like it used to, we could take bars to a whole new level! Could you imagine swinging between 3 bars? Wow!!! 

I just started my freshman year in high school and my schedule has changed. I have a zero period so I have to start at 6:54am! I get out now at 12:24pm which means I go to gym earlier and get home around 7:45pm. I like it a lot better than last years schedule. I have some great teachers this year and so far my favorite class is algebra. I like Biology too but there is TONS of homework!! 

I just wanted to thank everyone again for all of your letters. I just love to read them! My coach misplaced two of them though, so if you did not get a letter back from me, Please, Please, Please write to me again so I can write you back and I am so sorry! I have some thank you I want to say. Thank you to Paula for coming all the way out there and helping me choose my day 2 leo. Thank you to my chiropractor Dr Potvin for keeping me healthy. Thank you to the group of people near the floor for making it fun. Thank you to my good luck friend. Thank you to all of the girls at the gym for your support, and thank you to Sara for this website! Well, that's all for now. I will write again after Mexico. Thank you for visiting and for your support.

Aloha,
Tessa

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