She was a little wild – did crazy things. Stitched USA Soccer Jerseys . I remember her competing in France after a foot injury and she was limping on the runway, but determined to compete. When she first came to Cardiff, I discovered she was even more competitive than my original perception. She was also shy and quiet...that has all changed over the last four years!The words of Scott Simpson, the coach who has been taming, nurturing, calming, patching up, firing up, and ultimately supporting GBs pole vaulting queen Holly Bradshaw.Part of the job is listening to her gripes when travelling together. Bradshaw describes her coachs penchant for gangster rap music as bad taste. Does he mind such stinging criticism from his star pupil?Its a constant source of ridicule for me. But I dont care. I like what I like and if other people cant get on board with that, then they suffer on long car journeys!This is a relationship that will survive its musical feuds. Their bonding has developed since the 25-year-old Sky Academy Sports Scholar got fed up with commuting between the UK and USA after the 2012 London Olympics and settled in Cardiff to work with her new coach. Scott and Holly have hit back after a sixth place at London 2012 Its a brutally honest, analytical, open partnership that has overcome debilitating injuries, fall-outs in the heat of major competitions in China and is now moving swiftly on from mild irritation at not making the Rio podium to planning on ruling the world with a mixture of graft and giggles.Before she came to Cardiff, she was a young, talented vaulter on a super-fast development curve. Raw talent, very competitive, a gifted natural vaulter, says Simpson, also the Head of Coaching and Performance for Welsh Athletics.She has grown in many ways. She is much more professional in her approach to her career - she sees it as her profession now rather than something that was just fun to do and that she was good at. Check out Hollys Rio Olympics video diary This is shown off the track, like her lifestyle parameters, as opposed to during training. She is also far more open with her communications and listens to her body more. Her decision making is constantly improving and she is becoming a well-rounded world class athlete.Bradshaws journey includes a sixth finish at London 2012, gold at the 2013 European Indoor Championships and back surgery knocking her out for 18 months. She hit back with seventh at last years World Championships in Beijing, got injured again in January and arrived at the Rio Games with only two months of preparation.Physically tip-top, but lacking vaulting practice, Holly just failed at 4.80m in the Olympic final and missed out on a medal. It was a stuttering Rio build-up but becoming British champion was a high-point Its been a tough four years, Simpson adds. Weve spent more months rehabbing than weve trained and prepared to compete. Neither of us have enjoyed that. Weve made mistakes - too many - but I hope weve both learned from them. I am generally pretty optimistic, but realistic, and Ive never thought we cant get through this. Ive worried about Holly at times, because shes taken a lot of blows and set-backs and everyone has a breaking point. Its testimony to her determination that shes stuck with it.Three months before Rio, Holly hadnt picked up a pole in six months. At that stage I dont think either of us knew where it was going to end up - but we both remained optimistic - as always. There was an array of emotions along the journey, but in general, things went from strength to strength.At the holding camp in Brazil, Holly worked hard and I thought for the first time in 12 months since Beijing, that she could win a medal. I think Holly felt the same. The warm-up in qualification was a bit of shambles, but we werent shaken and she qualified with ease. Check out Hollys Rio Olympics video diary She was great in the final. The emotion for us both when she missed at 4.80 was obvious - disappointment and a feeling of what if? She was definitely capable of a 4.80/4.85 that day. It would have been a dream to have won an Olympic medal, but fifth after the journey we had - it was hard to remain disappointed.Simpson says Holly being crowned European indoor champion was one of his favourite memories having just been handed the full coaching reins from Dan Pfaff, and describes being invited to her wedding in 2014 as a privilege.There was one dark cloud in their relationship that quickly blew away in Beijing last summer. He says: Our disagreement after the World Championships will also stay with me for a long time. It was funny how in a moment where we should have been celebrating that we could clash so strongly on something.Simpson says their success is down to a fine balance - focused yet friendly and supportive on the track, while off it their friendship is growing where he is very comfortable in Hollys company. We dont agree on everything and we have different views in some areas of life, but that is fine, Simpson admits. We are learning more about each other every year and learning where the boundaries start and finish. Ready for action in Brazil despite limited chances in competition Im not a slave driver and Im not a dictator. I believe in creating a conducive learning environment. This is different for everyone. Holly is receptive to learning and development when she is relaxed. To create this environment, I do what I need to do. You dont get to a World Class level without working, but I dont make it harder than it needs to be. There are times to build an athletes resilience but there are ways to do that without setting stupid workouts, or acting like an idiot.Next years World Championships on home soil is fast approaching, followed by a Commonwealth Games in Australia in 2018 and the Japanese Olympics in 2020. Whats on the Bradshaw-Simpson radar with winter kicking in?All our focus currently is on the Worlds, Simpson says. Plans are laid out to get us there in the best way possible. If we can travel that journey without too many detours, then I could see her doing very well in London. Beyond that, lets wait and see, but I know Holly is totally committed to winning a medal in Tokyo. Because of the difficulties shes encountered, shes realised that enjoying the good times is a critical part of the journey. Its not always going to go to plan and that is part of the experience.But the moments when it all comes together - thats what makes it all worth it. My hope is that this happens at a major outdoor Championship next summer.WHATS COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS....NOV 14 - 18: Jack Bateson, GB boxing campNOV 20: Quillan Isidore, BMX Winter Nationals, Manchester DEC 9 -11: Elise Christie, World Cup short track speed skating in ShanghaiDEC 16 - 18: Elise Christie, World Cup short track speed skating in Gangneung, South Korea Also See: About the Scholarship Meet the athletes Blogs Videos Galleries USA Soccer Jerseys 2019 . Mesoraco hurt his hamstring while scoring from second in Friday nights 5-4 loss at Atlanta. Chapman was hit by a line drive during an exhibition game on March 19, breaking his nose and a bone above his left eye. The left-hander looked strong while throwing 43 pitches in batting practice before Saturday nights game against the Braves. USA Soccer Gear . The 25-year-old native of Milford, Conn., has 18 points in 41 games this season. The five-foot-eight 166-pound centre also has 28 points (10-18) in 15 games with AHL Oklahoma City. https://www.cheapusasoccer.com/ . "Uuufff," was all shortstop Adeiny Hechavarria could come up with after Stantons latest mammoth shot.BEIJING -- Adelina Sotnikova of Russia took the lead after the short program at the Cup of China on Friday. The 17-year-old from Moscow skated to "Habanera" and earned a score of 66.03 points. Sotnikova, the 2011 world junior champion, opened with a triple loop-triple loop combination and received high marks for her technical elements. Carolina Kostner of Italy, the 2012 world champion, fell on her opening combination jump and is second with 62.75. Anna Pogorilaya of Russia is third heading into Saturdays free skate. Pogorilaya, who took the bronze medal at last seasons world juniors, is competing in her first senior Grand Prix event. Kanako Murakami of Japan is fourth after getting relatively low technical scores, while Agnes Zawadzki of the United States fell on a double toe loop and is seventh with 53.73 points. In mens singles, Han Yan of China opened with a triple axel and landed a quad toe loop on the way to a personal-best score of 90.14. The 2012 world junior champion has a huge nine-point lead over Maxim Kovtun of Russia. Yan, a 17-year-old from Harbin, skated to "Vipers Drag" and thrilled the home crowd with his excellent technique. His scoore is five points higher than he has ever achieved in the short program. USA Soccer Jerseys China. Kovtun is second with 81.84 after landing two quads in a routine that was marred only by a fall in the step sequence. Takahiko Kozuka of Japan two-footed the landing on his quad and struggled with his combination jump and is third with 81.62, followed by Denis Ten of Kazakhstan in fourth with 77.05 despite touching the ice on his triple axel and missing his combination jump. Florent Amodio of France is fifth after hitting the ice on his quad salchow and struggling with his program, and Richard Dornbush of the United States botched his opening quad salchow and touched the ice on a tripel axel and stands sixth. In ice dance, Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloview of Russia are first after the short dance. The duo scored 65.70 points and lead second-place Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France by more than three points. Madison Chock and Evan Bates of the United States are third with 56.77. The Cup of China is the third stop on the six-event Grand Prix circuit this season. The competition will culminate with the Grand Prix Final in Fukuoka, Japan, in early December. ' ' '