MARLBOROUGH, Mass. -- A critical catch. A gymnastics coach's quick reaction saved an athlete from serious injuries at a recent competition.
Coach Cal Booker noticed one of his athletes was nervous in warmups. The teen asked the coach to stand under him - which was the first good move. Coach made the next one.
Video taken by Noah Viera's mother shows the teen build momentum rapidly on the high bar, but his release is off and he falls awkwardly.
"Just got under him, did my best to soften the fall. Thank God things turned out the way they did," said Coach Booker, New England Academy of Gymnastics.
Booker says this happened Saturday evening at a prestigious national gymnastics event held in Springfield.
New at 6, how a local gymnastics coach knew he had to spring into action before an athlete began to fall dangerously toward the mat. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/zz4y1GkxcM
— Evan White (@EvanWhiteIII) February 1, 2018
"I could see his hands come off quickly," said Booker.
Hand placement. That was the signal that led this 18-year veteran gymnastics coach to spring into action - while Noah's body was twisting through the air.
"My job was just to soften the fall, protect his head," said Booker.
"It was really scary."
— Evan White (@EvanWhiteIII) February 1, 2018
-Noah Viera, 13 year old gymnast who nearly fell on his head after slipping off of a high bar during a gymnastics event. Thankfully his coach caught him just in time. They describe the frightening fall at 6. @boston25 pic.twitter.com/zsT2fANl56
Noah's head appeared inches from slamming into the mat.
"He's coming down head first - that's a broken neck - that's, who knows," said Booker.
"I'm thankful he was there for me, you know like if he wasn't there I think I would (have landed) on my neck it would have hurt bad," said Noah.
Noah had a rough start to the meet but finished so strong and the best part was he got a 10.1 on high bar! He’s been...
Posted by Colleen McGonagle on Saturday, January 27, 2018
Booker isn't looking for praise. He's shocked at the 80,000+ Facebook views his one catch has garnered. For him, there's nothing special here except that Noah is OK.
"I'm just coaching. That's what I do," said Booker.
But there is another bright spot Booker feels this incident can bring to the sport.
"To me, the best thing out of it, maybe a little bit of good press for gymnastics because it’s not so great right now in the media," said Booker.
Noah, by the way, nailed his routine after warmups. A credit his coach says to his level of focus.
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