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自信是成功的基石，正如文中的“我”对梅甘的父亲所说的那样：“你的女儿可能永远也成不了冠军，甚至可能永远也参加不了比赛；但如果她继续尝试，并且相信自己，她从中所获得的自信心将会比任何一枚金牌重要得多……”梅甘的事例证明，只要你认为你行，你就行！
“Tumbling time!” I called out. My group of giggling children lined up before the sea of blue mats. Megan trailed1 behind and stepped quietly into the back of the line. She was eight years old, the same age I was when I began sports acrobatics2.
I started the class with forward and backward rolls, cartwheels and handstand forward rolls. The children had mastered this series months ago. Two girls and a boy had even achieved back handsprings on their own. But Megan was still working on handstand forward rolls. It simply took her a little longer to learn the tumbling moves.
I caught her ankles as she kicked into a handstand. While checking her body alignment3, I reminded her to straighten her legs, to push against the floor and to tuck in her chin. I guided her as she rolled over, then we started the process again. Each time she stood up I made a special effort to find something to compliment.“What beautiful pointed toes you have,” or “Your legs were much straighter than last time,” or “That was the strongest handstand I’ve seen you do yet.”
One day before class, Megan’s father asked to talk to me. By his somber4 expression I didn’t know what to expect.
“I’m thinking of taking Megan out of class,” he said.
“Why?” I asked. Had I done something wrong? I wondered.
His arm draped protectively over Megan’s shoulders, he said, “She isn’t catching on like the other kids are. I don’t want her to hold them back.” I could see his pained expression as he said this. Megan’s eyes were downcast5 as if she wanted to disappear.
“I think you’re making a mistake,” I said. “Megan needs this class, possibly more than the other children need it. I didn’t start out as a seven-time national champion. I started out as an eight-year-old girl, just like Megan. My coach Igor used to say,‘There are children with talent, then there is Christine. She just works hard.’ When I look at Megan I see myself. She works hard.
“Sir, your daughter may never win a competition. She may never even compete, but I promise you that if she keeps trying and believing in herself, her self-esteem will be more important than any gold medal ever won. I believe in Megan. I believe that she can accomplish anything she sets out to do, in her own time.”
As I said these words Megan looked up at me. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she was smiling like a bud flowering into bloom.
Her father hugged me and whispered, “Thank you. Thank you so much.” He turned to Megan and said, “Honey, go and put on your leotard6. It’s time for your class.”
Megan eventually did learn handstand forward rolls as well as many other skills—in her own time. More importantly, she never again stood at the back of the line. From that day forward, whenever I asked the children to line up for tumbling, Megan ran to stand in the front.
Remember, if you think you can， you can.
“开始翻筋斗了！”我大声喊道。我那群咯咯笑的孩子们排队站在成片的蓝色垫子前面。梅甘没精打采地走在后面，悄悄地溜进队伍的末尾处。她8岁，与我开始接触运动杂技时的年龄相同。
我开始上课。我先让孩子们练习前空翻、后空翻、横筋斗和手倒立前空翻的动作。孩子们在数月之前就已经掌握了这一套动作。有两个女孩儿和一个男孩儿甚至还自己完成了向后翻筋斗的动作。但是，梅甘仍然停留在练习手倒立前空翻的阶段上。这样她学习翻筋斗动作的时间要比别人稍长一些。
当她做手倒立的动作时，我握住了她的脚踝。在检查她的身体是否成一条直线时，我提醒她把双腿伸直，手用力撑在地板上，把下巴埋进去。当她翻转的时候，我在一边指导她，然后，我们又开始另一轮练习。每一次她站起来的时候，我都会特意去找些可以称赞她的地方。“你的脚趾尖伸得真漂亮”或是“你的双腿比上一次伸得更直了”“你这一次做的手倒立是我所看见过的最坚实的一个。”
一天，在上课之前，梅甘的父亲请求跟我谈一谈。从他那忧郁的表情中，我不知道他会对我说些什么。
“我想让梅甘退出这门课程，”他说。
“为什么？”我问。是我做错了什么事情吗？我疑惑地想。
他伸出胳膊像保护她似地搂住梅甘的肩膀。他说：“她跟不上其他孩子。我不想让她拖他们的后腿。”当他说这话的时候，我能够看出他内心的痛苦。梅甘的眼睛低垂着，似乎想找个地缝钻进去。
“我认为你这样想是不对的，”我说，“梅甘需要上这门课程，而且可能比其他孩子更加需要。我起步的时候也不是一个获得七次全国冠军的人。我开始的时候也只是一个8岁的小女孩，就像梅甘现在一样。我的教练伊戈尔过去常说‘这里先有天才儿童，然后才有克里斯蒂娜。她只是刻苦练习而已。’当我看着梅甘的时候，我仿佛看到了我自己。她练习得非常刻苦。
“先生，你的女儿可能永远也成不了冠军，甚至可能永远也参加不了比赛，但是我向你保证，如果她继续尝试，并且相信自己，她从中所得到的自信心将会比获得任何一枚金牌重要得多。我对梅甘有信心。我相信她能够完成她着手去做的任何一件事，并且是在规定的时间之内。”
当我说这些话的时候，梅甘抬起头来看着我。她眼里含着泪，却像一朵含苞待放的花儿一样微笑着。
她父亲伸出双臂拥抱我，并在我的耳边低声说：“谢谢你。太谢谢你了。”他转向梅甘，对她说道：“亲爱的，去，穿上你的紧身连衣裤。上课的时间到了。”
梅甘终于学会了手倒立前空翻，并且还学会了其他许多动作——当然都是在规定的时间之内。而更重要的是，她再也不站在队伍的末尾了。从那天开始，每当我请孩子们排队练习翻筋斗的时候，梅甘总是跑到队伍的最前面。
记住，只要你认为你行，你就行。
紫烟砂摘译自Kids Story
“Tumbling time!” I called out. My group of giggling children lined up before the sea of blue mats. Megan trailed1 behind and stepped quietly into the back of the line. She was eight years old, the same age I was when I began sports acrobatics2.
I started the class with forward and backward rolls, cartwheels and handstand forward rolls. The children had mastered this series months ago. Two girls and a boy had even achieved back handsprings on their own. But Megan was still working on handstand forward rolls. It simply took her a little longer to learn the tumbling moves.
I caught her ankles as she kicked into a handstand. While checking her body alignment3, I reminded her to straighten her legs, to push against the floor and to tuck in her chin. I guided her as she rolled over, then we started the process again. Each time she stood up I made a special effort to find something to compliment.“What beautiful pointed toes you have,” or “Your legs were much straighter than last time,” or “That was the strongest handstand I’ve seen you do yet.”
One day before class, Megan’s father asked to talk to me. By his somber4 expression I didn’t know what to expect.
“I’m thinking of taking Megan out of class,” he said.
“Why?” I asked. Had I done something wrong? I wondered.
His arm draped protectively over Megan’s shoulders, he said, “She isn’t catching on like the other kids are. I don’t want her to hold them back.” I could see his pained expression as he said this. Megan’s eyes were downcast5 as if she wanted to disappear.
“I think you’re making a mistake,” I said. “Megan needs this class, possibly more than the other children need it. I didn’t start out as a seven-time national champion. I started out as an eight-year-old girl, just like Megan. My coach Igor used to say,‘There are children with talent, then there is Christine. She just works hard.’ When I look at Megan I see myself. She works hard.
“Sir, your daughter may never win a competition. She may never even compete, but I promise you that if she keeps trying and believing in herself, her self-esteem will be more important than any gold medal ever won. I believe in Megan. I believe that she can accomplish anything she sets out to do, in her own time.”
As I said these words Megan looked up at me. Her eyes were filled with tears, and she was smiling like a bud flowering into bloom.
Her father hugged me and whispered, “Thank you. Thank you so much.” He turned to Megan and said, “Honey, go and put on your leotard6. It’s time for your class.”
Megan eventually did learn handstand forward rolls as well as many other skills—in her own time. More importantly, she never again stood at the back of the line. From that day forward, whenever I asked the children to line up for tumbling, Megan ran to stand in the front.
Remember, if you think you can， you can.
“开始翻筋斗了！”我大声喊道。我那群咯咯笑的孩子们排队站在成片的蓝色垫子前面。梅甘没精打采地走在后面，悄悄地溜进队伍的末尾处。她8岁，与我开始接触运动杂技时的年龄相同。
我开始上课。我先让孩子们练习前空翻、后空翻、横筋斗和手倒立前空翻的动作。孩子们在数月之前就已经掌握了这一套动作。有两个女孩儿和一个男孩儿甚至还自己完成了向后翻筋斗的动作。但是，梅甘仍然停留在练习手倒立前空翻的阶段上。这样她学习翻筋斗动作的时间要比别人稍长一些。
当她做手倒立的动作时，我握住了她的脚踝。在检查她的身体是否成一条直线时，我提醒她把双腿伸直，手用力撑在地板上，把下巴埋进去。当她翻转的时候，我在一边指导她，然后，我们又开始另一轮练习。每一次她站起来的时候，我都会特意去找些可以称赞她的地方。“你的脚趾尖伸得真漂亮”或是“你的双腿比上一次伸得更直了”“你这一次做的手倒立是我所看见过的最坚实的一个。”
一天，在上课之前，梅甘的父亲请求跟我谈一谈。从他那忧郁的表情中，我不知道他会对我说些什么。
“我想让梅甘退出这门课程，”他说。
“为什么？”我问。是我做错了什么事情吗？我疑惑地想。
他伸出胳膊像保护她似地搂住梅甘的肩膀。他说：“她跟不上其他孩子。我不想让她拖他们的后腿。”当他说这话的时候，我能够看出他内心的痛苦。梅甘的眼睛低垂着，似乎想找个地缝钻进去。
“我认为你这样想是不对的，”我说，“梅甘需要上这门课程，而且可能比其他孩子更加需要。我起步的时候也不是一个获得七次全国冠军的人。我开始的时候也只是一个8岁的小女孩，就像梅甘现在一样。我的教练伊戈尔过去常说‘这里先有天才儿童，然后才有克里斯蒂娜。她只是刻苦练习而已。’当我看着梅甘的时候，我仿佛看到了我自己。她练习得非常刻苦。
“先生，你的女儿可能永远也成不了冠军，甚至可能永远也参加不了比赛，但是我向你保证，如果她继续尝试，并且相信自己，她从中所得到的自信心将会比获得任何一枚金牌重要得多。我对梅甘有信心。我相信她能够完成她着手去做的任何一件事，并且是在规定的时间之内。”
当我说这些话的时候，梅甘抬起头来看着我。她眼里含着泪，却像一朵含苞待放的花儿一样微笑着。
她父亲伸出双臂拥抱我，并在我的耳边低声说：“谢谢你。太谢谢你了。”他转向梅甘，对她说道：“亲爱的，去，穿上你的紧身连衣裤。上课的时间到了。”
梅甘终于学会了手倒立前空翻，并且还学会了其他许多动作——当然都是在规定的时间之内。而更重要的是，她再也不站在队伍的末尾了。从那天开始，每当我请孩子们排队练习翻筋斗的时候，梅甘总是跑到队伍的最前面。
记住，只要你认为你行，你就行。
紫烟砂摘译自Kids Story