An American Girl: McKenna Shoots for the Stars 2012 Full Movie

McKenna Shoots for the Stars: A Journey to Balance and Greatness

Nine-year-old McKenna Brooks competes for Shooting Star gymnastics alongside her best friend Toulane Thomas. They both dream of competing in the 2016 Olympics. For now, their immediate goal is to make the regional competitive team.

Striving for Excellence

McKenna practices back handspring dismounts for her balance beam routine. However, her coach Isabelle Manning tells her that the move is too advanced for her and she should stick to the easier dismount for now. McKenna and Toulane discuss the new girl Sierra and a girl from another team who is guaranteed to get one of the three spots on the team.

Challenges and Choices

After practice, McKenna learns from her parents that her grades are slipping and Mr. Wu, her teacher, recommends she get a middle school reading tutor. McKenna’s parents believe that she’s spending too much time on gymnastics and not enough on school. McKenna refuses a tutor and promises to bring her grades up as there’s going to be a science quiz the next day. She starts to read the science book, but doesn’t understand it and quits.

The next day at school, McKenna struggles during the quiz and ends up cheating off of Sierra’s paper, but gets caught by Mr. Wu and is given a zero. McKenna’s parents then give her an ultimatum to either meet with a tutor or quit gymnastics. The next day, McKenna meets her tutor Josie Myers, who uses a wheelchair, at the school’s library. McKenna hides from Sierra to avoid embarrassment.

Overcoming Adversity

At a presentation run, the Shooting Stars gymnastics team perform for the parents. McKenna performs her beam routine and disobeys her coach by doing the back handsprings, but falls and breaks her ankle. McKenna is ruled out for eight weeks but starts exercises that don’t involve her broken foot in two weeks. Her parents suggest this gives her an opportunity to focus on her schoolwork, but McKenna gets upset and fears giving up her dream to make the team.

The next time McKenna meets with Josie, she spends their session trying to hide from Sierra again but is caught and ends up setting off the fire alarm, much to Josie’s disappointment. However, Sierra reveals she had a tutor once too and promises to keep McKenna’s secret. Feeling assured, McKenna apologizes to Josie and takes the tutoring seriously.

Embracing Support and Friendship

McKenna’s mother also assures her that it’s okay needing help with finding balance. One day, a suspicious Toulane spies on McKenna and discovers the tutoring sessions. She’s hurt that McKenna lied to her for so long. The Brooks invite the Myers on their annual camping trip while Toulane refuses to come. While sharing a tent, McKenna reveals to Josie Toulane’s struggles with living up to her mother’s expectations.

McKenna is excited when she’s able to understand A Little Princess while reading it. Josie admits McKenna inspired her and she found a program that allows kids with disabilities to ride horses. Josie invites McKenna to go but she refuses, remembering she gets her cast off the same day. They have an argument and Josie leaves, hurt. However, McKenna changes her mind and decides to support Josie.

Achieving Balance and Greatness

With the qualifying meet three weeks away, McKenna is cleared but becomes nervous and struggles with her dismount (the skill she was injured on). At the regional competitive team’s qualifying meet, McKenna finds a worn out Toulane in the bathrooms. She admits to McKenna that she’s sick of competitive gymnastics ever since her mother pushed her into it so that Toulane can follow in the footsteps of her older sister, a star gymnast.

Toulane reveals she has been watching the rhythmic gymnastics practices and wishes she could do that instead, as she used to be a dancer. McKenna convinces Toulane to talk with her mother after the meet. They successfully perform their routines and Toulane even supports Sierra. At the end of her beam routine, McKenna hesitates on the dismount, but after seeing Josie in the audience, she goes for it and sticks the landing.

In the end, McKenna gives her book report presentation on the importance of balance for professional athletes and how no one can achieve greatness without help from others. Everyone applauds and McKenna hugs Toulane and Josie.

Experience the inspiring journey of McKenna Brooks in “McKenna Shoots for the Stars Full Movie” and witness the power of perseverance and friendship to achieve dreams.