Stick Your Landings

If you are following me on Twitter, if you aren’t click here I promise I’m a fun kind of crazy, you have noticed that I’m borderline obsessed with the Olympics. Okay fine, I’m absolutely obsessed with the Olympics. As I’m currently writing this, I’m cheering on Team USA in Men’s Water Polo.

For the love, the Olympics are just my favorite time. I love the Summer Games, and I love the Winter Games. I’m also incredibly emotionally invested in the games. I cry. I cry a lot. I scream, I cheer, and I holler. I am deeply invested in TEAM USA. I don’t care if you judge me or think I am crazy. I will still jump off my couch and practice my gold medal winning gymnastics dismounts every single time.

Speaking of gymnastics dismounts, I want to talk about the queen. I’m not talking about Simone Biles and Gabby Douglas, although they are queens in their own right. I’m talking about Kerri Strug, a member of the 1996 Magnificent Seven. One of my fondest memories of my childhood was watching the Team USA Women’s Gymnastics Team Finals. My parents let me stay up late and look at the event, of course, I had to do some begging. I loved those ladies. The gymnastics world had been dominated by the Romanian and Russian national teams and America finally had it’s shot. America was just points away from clenching Team Gold, but the unthinkable happened. Kerri Strug tore some ligaments in her ankle. Her vault score was the difference between where those ladies would stand on the medal podium. She was in searing pain. It was all over her face. She knew what she had to for her team to win. She vaulted. She vaulted for her life. SHE STUCK THE LANDING. FOR THE LOVE SHE STUCK THE LANDING!!!! If you don’t believe me, or you have forgotten about his amazing moment in American History watch this, and watch it now.

You might be thinking, Meghan what in the world does that have to do with education? Stay with me here; we are all Kerri Strug. Educators in Oklahoma have some torn ligaments in our ankles. The 2015-2016 school year was one that many would like to forget. We were met with body blows after body blows. We knew the budget shortfall and crisis would be bad, but we would have never imagined it being that bad. For many we are starting the 2016-2017 with less money, some with one less day of school a week and still the same expectations, some of us are having to absorb extra students into our classes because the teacher shortage is a real problem. But we still have to vault. Lean in close; this is good, we will stick the landing every single time.

We still stick the landing every time because our students need a champion. We still stick the landing every time because we are professionals, and we know the job we have at hand. We still stick the landing every time because we know the importance of that landing, and it is the difference between success and failures for our students. It is painful, and it is hard, but we do it anyways because we know that the result, in the end, is worth it.

So this upcoming school year, stick your landings. Raise your hands high on the dismount and enjoy every moment. Oh and GO TEAM USA!!!!