Disclaimer: I don't own Make It Or Break It.
Mindy Webbs
Mindy swung slowly on the swing set in her neighborhood's park. She was sick and tired of being at home, listening to her parents only talking about Owen, and moving back to Austin, Texas.
Austin, Texas; Mindy Webs' hometown, and the one place she hate with a passion. She hated everything about it: the heat, the college, her room, her school. She couldn't believe that her parents actually wanted to move back there. They had just moved into the most wonderful house that they had ever lived in; in the most wonderful neighborhood in Boulder. Yet, her parents couldn't stand being away from Owen.
Owen, she had lived most of her life in his shadow. It wasn't always like that, Mindy sighed remembering a time when her and Owen were equal in their parents' eyes. Owen hadn't started playing football yet, and she wasn't in gymnastics. They were just kids, not soon to be professional athletes.
Everything changed when Owen at age of ten started playing football and his coach told their parents that he was prodigy football player. Her parents' lives slowly started revolving around Owen's football career; they were at every practice and every game rain or shine. Mindy only four and filled with energy at the time hated sitting and watching her brother play. She couldn't sit still in the stands, so she would run off and play behind the stands. Behind the stands several kids would play and run around, it was there that Mindy was taught how to do cartwheels. Her parents didn't seem to notice their four year old running of and doing cartwheels on the grass behind the stands, during their son's practices. Some parent did though, they had seen Mindy performing cartwheel effortlessly behind the stands on numerous occasions; that same parent had suggested to Mindy's parents to put her gymnastics.
She remembers her first time going to gymnastics. Her mother had dressed her in a lime green leotard that had little pinks stars on the right shoulder. Her father had taken Owen to practice so he wouldn't be late, and her mother had taken her to the gym. The gym was just a normal gym, mainly catering to younger gymnasts. Mindy's mother had dropped her off, not staying to watch like many of the other little girl's mother. Mindy though didn't care; she was simply amazed by the gym. She had sat there before class watching girls flip and tumble all over the mats, and that was the beginning of Mindy Webb's love of gymnastics.
She was in a beginner class, and her coach was a young woman name Lisa. Mindy did exactly what Lisa told her do; a forward roll, a handstand, and cartwheel. She did them perfectly, unlike the other girls in their class who need Lisa to spot them. It seemed to take forever for Lisa to spot the other girls, but Mindy would wait patiently and watch the few older girls at the gym practice.
"Coach Lisa?" Mindy asked when it was her turn to do a kart wheel. "Can I do the back flippy thing the older girls do?"
The coach looked at the little girl, "A back-handspring?" The young gymnast nodded. 'I think we should work on our kart wheels first, sweetie."
"Coach Lisa," Mindy whined. "Kart wheels are so easy, see?" Mindy performed her kart wheel perfectly.
The coach smiled, "Just once." Mindy went over to her coach. "First put your arms out in front of you." Mindy did as she was told. "Then you're going to bend your knees and jump backwards into a back bend and kick your legs over." The gymnast nodded. "Okay on three." The coach put her hand on Mindy's back to spot her. "One, two-"
Mindy jumped before three, doing the back- handspring with barely any help from her coach. "Did I do it?" The coach nodded, making herself a mental note to talk to Mindy's parents about moving their daughter up a level.
Mindy swayed on the swing; her parents hadn't listened to Coach Lisa when she told them that their four year daughter was gifted in gymnastics. They were already too preoccupied with their prodigy of a son Owen; Coach Lisa didn't care though and moved Mindy up anyway.
Mindy smiled, Coach Lisa had practically had raised her in the gym. When she had gotten her standing back tuck at the age of five, Lisa had taken her gymnast out to ice cream. Then at her first meet at the age six, Lisa not only took Mindy but French braided her hair. By the time she was seven, Mindy wished that Lisa was her mother. At eight though, Mindy's parents decided to move an hour away to be in better school system. Lisa though had contacted the local gym there, and made sure Mindy would have a spot to train and be taken care of by the coaches; her parents on the other hand hadn't even thought about Mindy's training.
It wasn't until Owen had gone to college that they had paid a little attention to Mindy. She was twelve when she was scouted by the old Rock coach, George van Dason. Her parents took it in to consideration, until they heard the Rock was getting a new owner and new coaches. Mindy was crushed when she found out, but then one night reading an article about Payson Keeler did she realize that she had to go to the Rock. Mindy had ran into her parents room, telling them that she had to train at the Rock with the famous Payson Keeler and Austin Tucker as her coaches. Surprisingly her parents agreed.
Now here she was, the Junior National Champion, already training for a spot on the 2020 Olympic team. Her parents didn't seem fazed by any of their daughter's accomplishments. Mindy sighed, she wonder if they would noticed if she didn't go back home.
Mindy slowly got up from the swing, it was getting late and she needed to get some sleep. She felt her phone vibrate in her back pocket, "Hello," Mindy said into the phone.
"Hello this Jenny Michelson, I assume this is Mindy Webbs' number?" Jenny asked.
"Yes," Mindy replied. "May I ask what you are calling me for?"
"I am a sport agent, and you Mindy Webb's are US team's one hope for gold in 2020. I would love to represent you." Jenny said.
Mindy was shocked, "I would have to ask my parents, since if I would take any sponsorships I would lose any future scholarship."
"Of course," Jenny agreed. "Just call me back when you and your parents have talked, and we'll set up a meeting."
"I will," Mindy began. "Thanks for calling Jenny."
"You welcome, and I hope to hear from you soon." Jenny said, before hanging up.
Mindy slipped her phone back into her pocket. Her parents might not care about her gymnastics career, Mindy thought, but apparently she was the U.S.'s hope for gold in 2020. She slowly started walking out of the playground and back to her house; wishing that she would not only have the country's support but her parents. One tear slowly rolled down her cheek; she would show her parents, she thought, when she came home with an All-Around Gold Olympic medal.
Author's Note: I felt like I was neglecting Mindy a little bit so I decided just to write a little something about just her. I hoped that everyone enjoyed this! This is a companion piece to For The First Time.
