Leaving Behind, Moving Forward

Not one much for New Year's Resolutions (0r many deep thoughts for that matter), my dear friend Faye's invitation to her New Year's Eve Party tonight asked that we bring an idea or an object "that we would like to leave behind this year" has got me thinking. Is there anything about this year and my relationship with Riley I want to leave behind?

Certainly there has been a ton of good stuff. Watching Riley turn 16; achieve some of his athletic goals; get his driver's license; and still knowing that he needs his mom now and again as I've cheered him on through his successes and consoled him through his disappointments (and helped him through a few travel emergencies) have all been important experiences and not ones to leave behind but rather to squirrel away in that very special place that holds our memories.

So what to leave? Perhaps the anxiety of building a new relationship in a shared parenting scenario. Accepting I will always be his mom but that as he grows older and our relationship changes, looking forward to more wonderful memories and being less anxious about the impact of the decisions I've needed to make. That anxiety has certainly caused me many sleepless nights and I'd love to leave that feeling behind!

There will be a tremendous amount of pressure on Riley this year and I can help him best by continuing to be his mom, his number one fan and provide the unconditional love that is so easy to do.

Here comes 2008 Riley and the poster on your bedroom wall that says "Its a long road to Beijing" is truer now more than ever. The road is much shorter now and I'll be there on the road in what ever way you need me.

Much love xoxo

It's Not All Hard Work

Last Thursday I went to the pool to pick up Riley after practise. As is my practise, I went early to watch and what a surprise. Our sixteen year olds had time travelled back to when they were ten and were playing up on the ten metre, or rather the eleven metre! Enjoy!

Twelve Days of McCormica

Some years ago, Riley decided to adopt his own version Chrismukka made popular by the TV show OC in which one of the lead actors Seth Cowen celebrates the holidays with his Jewish father and Protestant mother. While no Jewish blood has yet to be found in our immediate family, Riley loved the thought of getting gifts for both holidays and the twelve days of McCormica was born. Judging by the small pile under my tree, checking with girlfriend Bri on her list and knowing Riley's dad always a big Christmas gift buyer will have tons, McCormica is alive and well again this year.

I'm really having mixed feelings about it all. It seems every year the real reason behind the giving gets lost behind the monetary value of the gift. Riley so enjoys both so its hard to take that away but I have always struggled with the need to buy and buy. Not really sure how to express it clearly so I'll leave it at that for the moment.

One of the nicest holiday activities we enjoyed was an evening at Butchart Gardens. Bri's mom Jackie and I took her four and Riley for an evening of skating, hot apple cider and a wander around the brightly lit gardens. The twelve days of Christmas are featured and its really a wonderful way to get into the holiday spirit.

For me, the best gift Riley could give me is his time. It was a lovely evening and a lovely gift.

"What the Hell Happened to Me This Week?"

Well that was the tag line on Riley's Facebook account after a week of turmoil in Montreal. I'll cut to the chase - he came 14th! He was beat out by three other Canadians which meant he did not get a spot on the World Cup team and I'm not really sure what his choices are for Grand Prix.

After a few days to put it all in perspective, this is what I think happened. First the injury. Leading up to the event he could not train on 10 metre. He was only able to get one full practise in during the week in Montreal leading up to the event. That impacts consistency and confidence. The results showed that for sure. Some dives he did really really well for scores of 8.5. Others he missed completely, scoring 3.5 to 4. The field was incredibly strong and a lot of amazing divers dove really well. The Canadians not so much, the top Canadian came 10th and if Riley was in form, he likely would have been around 6th.

Next is the change in coaching. He and Tommy are doing well together and are making a lot of necessary changes to move Riley up in the World rankings. Unfortunately, they are in the middle of changes and as a result, putting the dives in cleanly is challenging. Tommy reported that all coaches, divers and judges really like the changes he is making and they are on the right track - its just a matter of time ... not so sure how much of that we have this year though.

Finally, I'm not sure Riley really understands the changes he personally needs to make in this very important year. He's still trying to fit in all his activities and sometimes that means late nights, not great nutrition and distractions. That has had an impact too.

Reality is, this was a disappointment and a wake up call but not that big a deal. I'm reminded of many top athletes who have set backs and come back with a vengeance. It's Riley's choice on how he deals with this experience - it will be interesting to watch. I'm still his biggest fan and will support him all the way.

The Road to Beijing Starts Again ...

Riley is on the road again, this time to Montreal. He's competing in trials to determine which top two Canadian 10 metre divers will go to the World Cup in Beijing in February. This event is really really important because 1)World Cup is the test event for the Olympics and 2)it sets the tone and course for his competitions for the rest of the season. Establishing himself as the top 10 metre diver in Canada gives him confidence going into the trials for the Olympics which will be held in June in Victoria (and yes you are all invited!!!!).

Hard reality of sport - Riley is injured. During a routine practise 2 weeks ago he landed wrong on a back 3 and 1/2 and has hurt his back. The medical diagnosis is "He compressed the facet joints of his lumbar spine and mildly strained lumbar musculature". He is getting good care and healing but the timing couldn't have been worse. He's going into this competition less prepared than he would like. Its a good lesson however. I read somewhere that elite athletes rarely compete in top form, usually nursing some kind of injury or another. Its disappointing for him but its the nature of the game.

Wish him luck! For those interested - his competition is Sunday December 9th and the results can be found on http://www.integratedsports.net/diving/LiveResults46/. I'll be on the computer watching and cheering him on!