A few quick questions?

[Aussie_coach]

Just a few quick questions, I'd like to get an idea of different parents opinions.

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training?

4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?

5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)?

6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training?

7. What do you like best about your club?

[catesmom]

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?
After watching gymnastics on TV my 2 year old began trying to tumble all over the house. She was so cute.

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?
We started out in a community center program one day a week in our neighborhood. After doing that for a year we looked for a more structured program. We chose a gym that was close to our home and she began to love gym even more. It was great socialization for her, and she loved her coaches.

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training?
She loved it so much, as she learned to talk it was gymnastics, gymnastics, gymnastics. She was so tiny it was a natural way for her to have fun and exercize.


4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?
It is part of her life. She still loves it, and wants to go to practice. She is now at the point of learning the big tricks, and I can't believe that my dd will be doing the things that we watched the "big girls" do for so many years. Since we moved 5 years ago she has been with the same coaches. They are like family. The girls she is with are the same girls she started with, her best friend is a gym buddy, they aren't in the same level but they are together whenever they aren't at school or gym.


5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)?
She loves the training especially in the off season when they are learning new skills. The only time she ever gets bored is in season when they work routines day after day. But that is balanced by the love she has for competition. She seems pretty typical of the girls who stick with the sport.


6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training?
She has already deveolped great confidence in herself, and a love for performance. She has developed great study habits, and has learned to take responsibility for completing projects on time. She has learned to be a supportive teammate while still performing as her own highest level. She has empathy for those who my have a bad day, and is a caring person, one of the things that make me proudest.

And honestly she is in great shape, at an age when so many of the kids become addicted to video games and computers, she is active all the time. When not in the gym she is riding her bike or playing basketball with her sister.


7. What do you like best about your club?
Our club is family owned. The headcoach is also the owner, and a parent, he has two daughters in the program. He has a very talented level 10 and a up and coming level 5. Although both girls are in the classes, he treats all the girls fairly and his daughters are great team players and wonderful girls. His wife runs the office and they are both involved in a positive way in the parents club. The coaches that she has now as an optional are the same coaches she had when she started pre-team, they are involved from the beginning with the growth of the girls. As for the parents we all get along for the most part, and my best friend I met at the gym after we moved. My youngest also does rec and that program is just as good, and they have a dance studio also run by a family member, so we are there 6 days a week. I always laugh that I am glad they are closed on sundays because at least I know there is one day we don't have to go to the gym.

I can't wait to see what other parents have to say. Great questions! Sometimes something like this can really make you think.

[Shawn]

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?
Back when she was about 3, I wanted something fun for her to do. I found a little tumble tots class at the community center and she absolutely loved it.

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?
Right after the tumble tots class, we moved to a different state. We decided to put her in preschool gymnastics and we wanted a gym where she could also do "real" gymnastics if she continued to like it. We visited several gyms and chose one we liked fairly close to our home that had a good preschool program as well as girls up to level 10.

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your child's training?
She absolutely loved it. She kept talking about getting on the "team" and getting to use the "big" equipment. Her preschool gym teacher told us she was very dedicated not only to learning the skills but to learning them correctly and actually trying to improve. She said she'd never seen anything like it in a child so young (DD had just turned 4 at the time). So, we decided as long as she was having fun, we'd keep doing it.

4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?
She completely loves what she's doing. It helps that she's good at it but the most important thing by far is that she's happy. And gymnastics makes her happy. It also keeps her healthy and strong and active.

5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)?
That's a toss up. She really loves learning new skills and I enjoy watching the meets. The meets are fun for her (no stress or nervousness). She likes get all dressed up and show off what she can do. But, I asked her once if she liked placing at the meets and winning medals more or would she rather be learning new skills. She picked the new skills.

6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training?
She's already gained so much. She's strong and healthy and independent. She wants to go to the Olympics and be a UGA Gymdog, which I would, of course, love, too. But, she's 6 so she really has no concept of any of that yet. She did see Shawn Johnson's picture on the Coke boxes the other day. She said she wants to go to the Olympics but she does not want to be on a Coke box. I think she might actually enjoy the sport more than the "glamour" of the sport.

7. What do you like best about your club?
DD's head coach is a former Olympian and a former Gymdog. She knows what it's like and what it takes to go all the way in this sport. She's very down-to-earth and doesn't make empty promises. Therefore, what she says means a lot. And she's always willing to take the time to talk to the parents. The girls on her teams are happy and healthy and strong, and as an added bonus, they usually win.

[mygirlflipz]

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?
It was winter and we were looking for an activity that we could do with both kids (2 yo twins). They hated swimming so we signed them up in a mom (and dad in our case) and tot gymnastics class.

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?
One of my friends at work told me about the gym. Her daughter had taken classes there.

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training?
Both kids loved gymnastics and were motivated to do more everytime they learned something new.

4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?
Now only my daughter does gymnastics officially. It has become a part of her life. She loves it, enjoys learning new skills and being with other girls that share her passion. I take her because that is where she wants to be and I think it is my role to provide her with the resources and support to attain her goals.

5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)?
She loves learning new skills. I think she also enjoys competition if she does not feel like there is too much pressure on her to do well.

6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training?
My daughter has gained so much...she is in great shape, she is confident, she has a place where she has friends that share her passion, she has excellent work ethic and is a great time manager. Her goal is to become an elite gymnast and compete on the US National Team, but she is very realistic and really takes it one skill at a time.

7. What do you like best about your club?
We were at the same club in the US for 4 years. It was a new gym so we were learning together. Everyone helped out and we made it work. The coaches were great and they knew every girl and how to motivate her and how to keep her engaged. For me it was a combination of good training and a positive environment for my dd and our family.

We have been at our current gym for 1 year and it is a little different. The thing I love most is the training and the respect that she is learning for the coaches and her peers (and the fact that she can speak pretty good Japanese now). She is in the gym training with elite gymnasts everyday and most days 5 of the 6 members of the 2008 Olympic team are there training too. Her current environment is really giving her a snapshot of what it is like to be an elite gymnast and the sacrifices that have to be made. The Japanese way is very respectful and after training each day the girls do cleaning jobs in the gym which is great since it is "their" gym. I just think the experience will make her a better person no matter where her gymnastics career ends up.

Great questions!

[gymmomntc2e6]

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?
Because she was ALWAYS climbing anything she could find (bunk beds, kitchen counters, the backstop at her brothers ball games, monkey bars....... I wanted to channel that into something structured where she could swing from things safely.

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training? she took a rec class at a local rec center

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training? she is still in the early stages so, right now it is her enjoyment of the gym. yes. her enjoyment.

4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now? her love of being in the gym

5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)? she loves bars. She is L3 and loves to work in upper level skills, like L7 skills.

6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training? self confidence.

7. What do you like best about your club? It is small and the owner / head coach loves all the girls.

[midwestgymmom]

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?
DDs pediatrician recommended it since dd has ADHD
2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?
It was the only one within 2 hrs
3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training?
DD loved it
4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?
DD loves getting new skills.And she is close to her teamates
5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)?
Meets and new skills
6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training?
Discipline, focus, and fun
7. What do you like best about your club?

DDs coach

[mtbmom]

Hi Aussie,

I'd love to answer your questions.

1. I did not choose gymnastics for my daughter, she chose it. She went to a gymnastics birthday party when she was in pre-school (I think she was 3). I made her wait until she was in kindergarten (well I finally relented a month before school started and her 5th birthday).

2. Found gym through above referenced birthday party.


3. What kept us coming back is her love for the sport.

4. What keeps us coming back is her love for the sport... and my flexibility to work extra shifts when needed to pay for this increasingly expensive sport.

5. Kayla looks most forward to learning new skills and having fun with her friends and coaches. She's having a lot more fun now that we moved to a new gym with more effective coaches for young children. She's learning tons of new things now as opposed to the stagnancy at the old gym. She smiles a lot more now. That is what I look forward to the most is a happy kid.

6. I would like Kayla to gain a sense of accomplishment and to learn the value of putting the work in to get something out. Also to understand that you have to love what you do in life. If you don't love it, it becomes very difficult to do it day in/day out. I believe gymnastics is already teaching her this. However, I consider this life lesson icing on the cake. Honestly, I'm just happy to see her involved in something she loves. Oh, and the healthy physical activity that she needs.

7. We've only been at our club about a month, so this answer may change... What we love most is the organized way that they run the developmental team. They have a plan and they stick with it. They use a lot of games during drills to teach them skills in a fun, imaginative way. Also, the coaching staff is top notch. They are really good at teaching and helping a child to overcome fears. For instance, my daughter is now doing handstand flops on the vault. Her previous coach had her so afraid of vault (do to her tyrants at the gymnasts) that she was afraid to even jump on the springboard. She is now starting to "like" vault... a little bit.

Thanks for asking AC, I hope this helps you to be the best coach/club y'all can be.

Sue Z

[flippymonkeysmom]

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?

All of her friends were doing dance and she was extremely shy and introverted. There was no way she was going to put on a tutu and get up on a stage to do a recital at the end of the year - so I through her in a gymnastics class instead.

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?

She started at a small gym right by our house. It was a total rec gym - they didn't have a team or even all the equipment - it was just for fun. After going to a birthday party at a real gym she wanted to go there to learn more things.

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training?

She absolutely loved it and it gave her a lot of confidence. The girl who went through 2 years of preschool and literally did not utter a single word b/c she was so shy - now would not shut up if you asked her about gymnastics.

4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?

She still loves - truthfully, me less so. If I had known then how much of our lives it would devour, I'm not sure if I would have taken the same path. Of course she is a wonderful little girl with so much more self confidence, maybe I would. Can you tell I'm somewhat conflicted on this one, lol.

5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)?

She loves learning new skills and going to competitions. I love seeing her happy.

6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training?

I have no expectations. What it has already given her is enough for me. I have a really tough time with parents who place huge expectations on little kids. If they don't fulfill them they are starting off their lives thinking they have failed or let someone down. I truly believe what they hope to gain has to come from them and no one else. I let her choose her own path and support whatever she chooses.

7. What do you like best about your club?

Her coaches. They push her to her full potential whatever it may be. They don't play favorites or only focus on girls with elite potential. I feel that they really care about her as an individual and I trust them. If I am leaving my dd with people for that many hours a week - I have to trust they have her best interests at heart.

[bogwoppit]

I have two girls in and out of the gym right now. SO this may be long.

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?
Oldest was a monkey, she was always climbing up walls, on the fridge etc. She was very flexible and at 3 could do lovely cartwheels. So we signed her up for an hour week.

Youngest did gym because older sis did, she didn't take to it as quickly, but she does have an aptitude for it.

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?

Was the only gym within an hours drive.

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training?

Oldest just loved her coaches and made great friends. She loved learning new things.

4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?

Even despite oldest's injuries she just loves to go and be with her team. She has such great team spirit and has learned to be quite confident. Now she is one of the older girls and the little ones look up to her, she likes that.

Little one is the little cute one on team, she loves to be adored at gym and she gets that a lot. Her training group is strong and she is very happy in it.

5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)?

They both love to learn new skills. Youngest also loves to compete, oldest just does it as it is part of being on team. Though having said that if she had felt more successful in the last two years that might be different.

6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training?

Strength of body and mind. Self confidence and tenacity. Team spirit and respect for others.

7. What do you like best about your club?[/quote]

Small club, small team. Great parents.

[Livinatthegym]

1. Why did you choose gymnastics for your child?
A friend of ours was taking her dd and we though the two of them would have fun together. We were already there when dd2 was old enough to start, so why not?

2. How did you find the gym that you took your child too when they first began training?
Only gym within a 100 mile radius

3. What was it that kept you coming back in the early stages of your childs training?
How early? When they were really little, it was just fun for them (and dh hated dance recitals!) When they got older, it was a conscious decision to keep them busy--to busy to get into trouble!

4. What is it that keeps you bringing your child to gymnastics now?
Nothing. After 12 years (from peanuts to USAG level 8), they're done!

5. What do you and/or your child look forward to most about gymnastics (ie learning new skills, competitions, displays, club events)? Dd1 shined at competition time. She had more drive and determination than most. I swear, she simply outworked the other girls. Dd2 has always just liked going. I think it's probably the only thing that ever consistently burned off all her excess energy. Don't know what I'll do with that kid after next week.

6. What (if anything) do you hope for your child to gain from gymnastics training? Focus; however, I'm going to acknowledge that lots of activities can teach a kid to focus.

7. What do you like best about your club? It's pretty laid back. Don't get me wrong, when 2 of the 3 girls you send to regionals come back as AA champs, you're certainly competative enough, but there's no real "push" to get somebody up the levels "faster." In fact, our gym favors taking older girls over younger. I like that because I don't think that at a very young age a child can really understand what they're choosing. The owner also encourages the compulsaries to try other activities during the off season. I like that because when the girls do leave the sport (and the vast majority will), they're not so "lost."