Victory Vault

by Jake Maddox

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  CHAPTER 1: THE BEST GYMNAST

  CHAPTER 2: A TOUGH MEET

  CHAPTER 3: A HARD LANDING

  CHAPTER 4: KAYLA’S DECISION

  CHAPTER 5: “YOU DON’T DESERVE IT!”

  CHAPTER 6: FAIR AND SQUARE

  CHAPTER 7: A PERFECT LANDING

  CHAPTER 8: A TRUE STAR

  About the Author

  About the Illustrator

  Glossary

  Discussion Questions

  Writing Prompts

  More About Women’s Gymnastics

  More Fabulous Sports Books!

  Copyright

  Back Cover

  • CHAPTER 1 •

  THE BEST GYMNAST

  “All right, Starz! Vault work, everyone!” Coach Steele called. He clapped his hands loudly, signaling the end of the break.

  On the bleachers, Kayla Meade shoved her water bottle back into her gym bag. “I don’t know why he’s making us do the vault again,” she muttered to her best friend, Chandra Howard. “We’ve already worked on our landings five times this week.” Kayla rolled her eyes.

  “Coach is just trying to get us ready for the meet with the Newton Twisters tomorrow,” Chandra said, pulling her hair into a tight ponytail. “Everyone keeps messing up. Except for you, of course.” Chandra grinned at her friend. “I only wish my landings could look like yours, Miss Regional Gymnastics Champion 2010,” she said. “You’re the best gymnast here.”

  Kayla smiled a little. “Hey, I can’t help being awesome,” she said, laughing.

  Chandra didn’t laugh back. Instead, she just stared at Kayla for a moment. Then she shook her head and got up to join the other gymnasts at the vault.

  Kayla slowly trailed to the end of the line. I don’t need to practice, Kayla thought. My landings are always perfect.

  She eyed Coach Steele. He was showing Madeline how to keep her back perfectly straight. Quietly, Kayla slipped her iPod out of the pocket of her warm-up jacket. She put one of the earphones in her ear.

  Kayla watched as Chandra ran forward for her turn. “Go, Chandra!” Kayla shouted, clapping her hands. Chandra sprang into the air but flipped too late. As her feet landed on the mat, she lurched forward, taking a step out of position.

  I would have stuck that landing, Kayla thought. Her routine isn’t even that hard. Quietly, she turned up the volume on her iPod. She nodded her head in time to the music.

  “Kayla!” Coach Steele called. “What are you doing?”

  Kayla jumped and swiped the earphone from her ear. “Uh, nothing,” she mumbled quietly.

  Coach Steele walked over and held out his hand. “I think you’d better give me that,” he said sternly.

  Kayla placed the iPod in his palm. She could feel her face getting red.

  “You need to pay attention during practice, Kayla,” Coach Steele said, frowning. “You know that iPods aren’t allowed.”

  Kayla didn’t say anything.

  Coach Steele sighed. “Why don’t you show us your Yurchenko vault, Kayla? I’m sure it’ll be perfect, since you obviously don’t think you need to pay attention,” he said.

  “Fine,” Kayla said. She slipped off her warm-up jacket and walked over to the end of the long mat. As she lined her toes up on the starting line, the other girls got quiet behind her.

  Kayla straightened her back and ran forward at full speed. She threw her body into a round-off, and her feet hit the springboard with a loud thwack.

  She arched immediately into a back handspring and felt her palms smack the surface of the vault table. She pushed off as hard as she could to get the height she needed to complete her post-flight.

  Kayla’s body soared in the air, twisting twice before coming back to the ground. With a thump, she landed solidly on both feet, knees bent, arms out to the side.

  Straightening her knees, she raised her arms overhead, and then brought them down by her sides. Behind her, Kayla could hear the other gymnasts break into applause. She glanced over at Coach Steele. He was smiling and shaking his head.

  “Another good one, Kayla,” he called out.

  Kayla grinned. Now maybe Coach would give her iPod back.

  • CHAPTER 2 •

  A TOUGH MEET

  By the end of practice, all of the Starz were panting and sweaty. “Gather around, girls,” Coach Steele hollered. “As everyone knows, tomorrow is our meet against the Newton Twisters. Last year, they beat us by ten points at this same meet. They’re extremely tough. That means we have to be tough, too. I want everyone to stay focused and alert. There’s no room for careless mistakes.”

  The coach looked out at the gymnasts in front of him. “That’s it,” he said. “Eat a good dinner, and go to bed early tonight. See you all tomorrow morning.”

  The girls walked toward the exit, lifting their bags over their shoulders and chattering excitedly to each other. Kayla had her hand on the heavy gym doors when she heard the coach’s voice coming from behind her.

  “Kayla, could you come here, please?” he called.

  Kayla glanced over at Chandra. “I’ll wait outside,” Chandra said.

  Kayla walked over to the bleachers, where Coach Steele was sitting. He patted the hard wooden bench, and Kayla sat down. He looked her right in the eyes.

  “Your vault routine was excellent, Kayla,” he said. “You’re a talented gymnast. In fact, you’re one of the best on the team. But you still have to work hard and pay attention during practice.”

  Kayla felt annoyed. The vault routine was so easy. She didn’t need any more practice. But she could never say these things to her coach. Instead, she just nodded silently.

  Coach Steele smiled. “Okay. I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said. Kayla jumped off the bench as if it had suddenly turned red hot.

  Outside, Chandra was waiting in the parking lot. Bright sunshine glinted off puddles of rainwater. As they trudged across the soggy grass of the athletic fields, Chandra was quiet.

  Kayla glanced over at her friend. Chandra was staring down at the ground as she walked. “What’s the matter?” Kayla asked.

  Chandra shrugged her shoulders and played with the zipper on her jacket. “I’m just a little nervous about the meet tomorrow,” she said. “My vault landing wasn’t very good today. And you heard what Coach Steele said. The Twisters are a really tough team to beat. Aren’t you worried too?”

  “What do I have to be worried about?” Kayla asked. “The routines are so easy. I could stick that vault landing in my sleep. Besides, I bet Coach is just trying to scare us. He’s so serious. He acts like gymnastics is the only important thing in the entire world.”

  The girls stopped in front of Chandra’s house. “You know, gymnastics isn’t as easy for everyone as it is for you, Kayla,” Chandra said quietly. “I have to practice ten times as hard as you do. Even then, I’m not nearly as good.”

  Kayla gave Chandra a hug. “You’re thinking about it too much,” Kayla said. “Stop worrying! Your landings are going to be awesome, okay?”

  “Maybe,” Chandra said slowly. “Your landings will be awesome, that’s for sure.”

  “Well, you’re probably right about that,” Kayla replied, laughing. She hugged Chandra. Then she waved as her friend went into the house and shut the door.

  • CHAPTER 3 •

  A HARD LANDING

  When Kayla got to the gym the next morning, the normally empty bleachers were filled with parents and other family members. The judges’ table stood against one wall with a microphone in front. The sound of the crowd echoed off the walls.

  “There are the Twisters,” Chandra whispered to Kayla, pointing to the other end of the gym. “They do look tough, just like Coach said.”

  The Twisters stood in a ti
ght group around their coach. They all wore matching white leotards with red and gold sequined stripes down the sides.

  At the other end of the gym, one of the judges leaned toward the microphone. She cleared her throat. Everyone fell silent. “We are ready to begin the meet,” the judge announced. “Balance beam is first. Twisters and Starz, please take your places.”

  Kayla watched across the gym as Chandra took her place at the balance beam. Chandra quickly boosted herself up onto the four-inch-wide beam. As required, her routine was a mixture of dance and acrobatic elements combined with gymnastics. Chandra launched into her first skill, a full turn on one foot followed by a cross handstand.

  She landed gracefully, walked down the beam, and launched into a front somersault. As soon as Chandra landed, she immediately went into a back handspring.

  Next, Chandra completed a low cartwheel down onto the beam and lifted her body into a handstand. As Kayla watched, Chandra completed a wolf jump, followed by a split jump. She was careful to extend both legs completely in opposite directions.

  Kayla wasn’t scheduled to compete until later in the meet. So as Chandra finished her routine, Kayla’s mind started to wander. She stretched back on the bleachers, crossing her legs in front of her. She tapped her fingers on the bleacher seat and wished she had her iPod.

  It’s so boring watching everyone do these little baby routines over and over, Kayla thought. They act so serious, like it’s the Olympics or something.

  The meet dragged on. Sometimes the Starz pulled ahead by a few points. Sometimes the Twisters were ahead. Kayla felt like a robot as she performed her floor routine, followed by the uneven bars and balance beam.

  Finally, she heard the judge’s voice. “The next gymnasts to vault should now meet in the corner of the gym,” the judge called.

  Kayla looked over at Chandra’s anxious face. “Don’t worry!” Kayla whispered. “This is going to be easy.”

  “Yeah, for you,” Chandra whispered back as they walked toward the vault area.

  “Chandra Howard,” the announcer called. Chandra stepped forward to the white line. Kayla watched as her friend ran hard down the mat. Chandra thumped the springboard solidly and smacked the vault with both hands. Then she soared into the air, twisted, and landed solidly on her feet.

  “Woo-hoo!” Kayla called. The other Starz clapped and whistled. Chandra ran back to the group, her face beaming. She and Kayla watched as the other gymnasts took their turns.

  Finally, only Kayla was left to vault for her team. The Twisters and the Starz were only separated by a few points. Kayla’s score would decide the winner. It’s all up to me now, Kayla thought. Piece of cake.

  “Kayla Meade,” the announcer’s voice boomed.

  Kayla stepped forward, her back perfectly straight. She raised one arm straight up and then slapped it down by her side to signal to the judges that she was ready. She turned toward the vault. It looked very far away.

  Kayla started running as fast as she could, pumping her arms. She hit the springboard with both feet, but to her surprise, her thump didn’t sound as loud as usual. Kayla fought to launch herself high enough to complete her handspring, but she could tell she wasn’t uncurling fast enough.

  She landed with a whump. Then, to her horror, she felt herself lose balance and pitch forward. Without thinking, she stuck one foot out in front of her. She fought to keep herself from falling.

  Before she could stop it, she hopped the other foot a few inches to steady herself. Kayla’s heart sank. With that one movement, she had ruined her routine and her team’s chance at winning the meet.

  • CHAPTER 4 •

  KAYLA’S DECISION

  Kayla could hardly bear to look at the judges. Moving both feet on a landing would definitely cost her points. How could she have messed up so badly? That landing was her best move.

  Sadly, Kayla raised her arms, then lowered them, signaling the end of the routine. She lifted her gaze just enough to see the judges’ faces. To her surprise, they were smiling and nodding their heads.

  Confused, Kayla turned back to her team. Instead of watching her, they were all looking at the uneven bars. Only Chandra stood off to one side, gazing at Kayla. No one else seemed to have noticed what had just happened.

  Kayla walked over to the group. “What’s going on?” she asked Chandra.

  “One of the Twisters fell off the bars during her routine,” Chandra replied, pointing across the gym. “She came down pretty hard.” Near the uneven bars, Kayla could see the Twisters coach and a paramedic kneeling next to a gymnast. They were checking her for injuries.

  “Oh no,” Kayla said. “I hope she’s okay.” Suddenly, the audience applauded as the Twisters gymnast nodded and slowly stood up. She was going to be fine.

  Kayla glanced around and leaned over to Chandra. “Did you see me mess up my landing?” she whispered.

  “Yeah, I saw you step out,” Chandra said. “But just as you landed, that girl came crashing down, and everyone looked. I think even the judges looked.”

  “The judges were smiling after the routine,” Kayla said. “But they had to have seen my landing.”

  “I’m not so sure about that,” Chandra replied. “Look, here come the judges’ scores.” Both girls looked up. The big scoreboard lit up with the words “Kayla Meade, Vault, 9.5.”

  The rest of the team started cheering. They gathered around Kayla, patting her arms and back.

  “Nice work, Kayla!” Coach Steele yelled. He reached over to slap Kayla’s hand. “That score puts us over the top,” he added. “The Starz win!”

  Kayla just stared at her celebrating teammates. They all thought she’d performed a perfect routine. No one but Chandra knew she hadn’t. Even the judges didn’t know.

  For a long moment, Kayla stood frozen in place. She knew she needed to tell the coach what had happened. Kayla started to walk toward him. But before she could say anything, music blared over the loudspeakers.

  “Starz, please approach the podium,” the head judge announced through the microphone.

  The team marched up to the front of the gym, and Kayla accepted the big silver trophy the judge handed her. “Kayla, as the tie-breaker for the meet, the trophy is yours to keep,” Coach Steele said.

  Kayla turned around. On the other side of the gym, the Twisters were looking down at their feet and talking to each other quietly.

  Kayla looked down at the trophy in her hands. Etched on the shining surface were the words Southeast Regional Gymnastic Champions. She hugged the trophy to her chest. The silver felt heavy and warm in her hands.

  Slowly, Kayla turned to face the audience. She raised the trophy up over her head, and the audience cheered.

  Kayla beamed. She looked around at the smiling faces of her teammates. Chandra was standing off to one side, frowning. Kayla gave her a big grin. But Chandra didn’t smile back.

  • CHAPTER 5 •

  “YOU DON’T DESERVE IT!”

  Kayla shoved open the heavy locker room door. She was still clutching the trophy with one hand. Inside, the big room echoed with the excited chatter of her teammates.

  Kayla set the trophy down on a bench and pulled a pair of warm-up pants over her leotard. Just then, she spotted Chandra sitting on a bench, putting on her sneakers. Kayla slid onto the bench next to her.

  “That was a great meet, huh?” Kayla said.

  Chandra didn’t look up.

  “What’s the matter?” Kayla asked, putting her arm around her friend’s shoulders.

  Chandra pushed Kayla’s arm away and looked up. Kayla was surprised to see anger in her face. “This isn’t right,” Chandra whispered.

  “What’s not right?” Kayla asked.

  Chandra looked around the crowded locker room. She pulled Kayla into a quiet corner by the sinks. Then she turned to face Kayla, hands on her hips. “You don’t deserve that trophy,” Chandra said. “You messed up your landing. You and I both know it.”

  Kayla’s eyes widened. �
�What are you talking about?” she replied. “It’s not my fault the judges didn’t see the landing. That’s their job.”

  Chandra shook her head. “They should have seen the landing, but that doesn’t matter,” she said. “You’re accepting a trophy you didn’t earn.”

  “So, what do you want to me to do?” Kayla asked. She snorted. “Give it back?”

  She was joking, but Chandra nodded. “Yeah. I think you should give the trophy back, and tell Coach Steele what happened,” she told Kayla.

  “What!” Kayla exclaimed. “No way! The trophy is mine, fair and square. Besides, the scores have already been recorded. The judges aren’t going to change them.”

  “Maybe not, but that’s not the point,” Chandra replied. “You’re lying if you take the trophy and don’t say anything.”

  Kayla threw her hands up in the air. “How can I be lying? I never told a lie!” she almost shouted. A couple of girls glanced over. Kayla lowered her voice. “Look, no one knows what happened. Let’s just forget about it,” she said quietly.

  Chandra crossed her arms over her chest. “I didn’t think you were that kind of person, Kayla,” she finally said. “But you’ve been slacking off in practice all year. You act like you don’t even care about the team. Just because you’re the best doesn’t mean you don’t have to follow the rules.”

  Open-mouthed, Kayla stared at her friend. She’d never heard Chandra talk this way before.

  Chandra turned away. “I’m not friends with liars,” she said as she crossed the room. She plucked her gym bag from the bench and threw it over her shoulder. She slammed the locker room door closed behind her, leaving Kayla standing alone in the center of the room.

  • CHAPTER 6 •

  FAIR AND SQUARE