Standing for Something

Standing up is hard. Even when those sitting in the crowd are respectful, being the one standing is uncomfortable. But when those seated speak unkindly and belittle the choice to stand, it makes staying on your feet that much more difficult.

Alyssa competed in her Sectionals gymnastics meet last Saturday. It is there that gymnasts qualify for the State meet. She did well, placing third in her age group. It’s been so exciting to see her thrive in her talents this past meet season. She has consistently been the highest scoring gymnast on her team, which consists of girls ranging in age from 7 to 15. The average of her all-around scores is 5.5 points higher than last year’s performances. Five points in gymnastics scores is an enormous difference! She’s shown a great work ethic and motivation to improve her skills. While it’s been a thrill to watch her succeed in competition, I’m even more grateful for the self-confidence she’s gained.

We knew the State meet was a two-day event, with sessions on Saturday and Sunday. But I had heard that if a particular gymnast wanted to avoid Sunday competition for religious reasons, all she had to do was request to compete on Saturday.

Once the Sectionals meet was completed and we could see that Alyssa had qualified for State, I started questioning how we might request a Saturday competition. I was not prepared for the resistance with which my inquiries would be met. One of Alyssa’s coaches was exceptionally firm and almost threatening in her advice that I not make any special requests of anyone. Evidently it is not just a matter of asking, but that such a request could be misinterpreted as self-righteousness and could furthermore cause a black mark-type effect on the rest of the gymnastics team. In other words, I’d better not ask for Saturday competition unless I wanted to risk putting the entire team in jeopardy of being misjudged.

I, in no way, desired to cause such a stir, so I determined to remain quiet. And in the meantime, we hoped and prayed that Alyssa’s competition would take place on Saturday. And because State meet fees had to be paid that very day, we were committed to investing $60 prior to knowing on which day Alyssa’s competition would happen to fall.

We got news yesterday that the level 4 sessions of the State meet would indeed be held on Sunday.

My heart sank.

I shared the news with Alyssa. Her face fell. I told her we would support her in whatever decision she felt was right. She responded by saying, “But it’s not a good idea, is it Mom?”

I can see that she is struggling to make the decision that she already knows is right. At her age and stage in gymnastics, it seems that keeping the Sabbath day holy is the clear choice.

We are standing for what we believe to be right. But our standing is bringing about snide remarks and intolerance from others. Because Alyssa’s absence will greatly impact the team’s score (a team score is determined by using the top three scores), the coaches are upset with our decision.

This choice has also caused us serious reflection on whether making concessions for Sunday competition will ever be appropriate. If, in a few years, she is much older and at a higher level of competition, would an exception be made? Is it ever o.k. to sit back down once you’ve chosen to stand? Tough, tough questions.

We feel so sad. We’ve cried. But for now, we will remain on our feet. And that Saturday which we had hoped would be occupied by competition will now be set aside for Alyssa’s baptism. We’re picking out a special dress and will celebrate this big event with family and friends. And I have a feeling that seeing her dressed all in white will bring far greater joy than any we might have felt from watching any leotard-clad success.