WAG Seeking the Owl.... Made me cry

[mOm2gymnast<3]

 

[mOm2gymnast<3]

 

[RisingGymnast]

Never fails to make me cry

 

[Ali'sMom]

First time seeing that.
Yup, cried.

 

[Committed]

Oops! Mommy fail. I started watching this, and then got up to make the kids' lunch. 7yo DD sat in my place in front of the computer. When I came back in, the video was ending. She looked at me and started crying. And.....she doesn't want to talk about it!

Pretty powerful, though.

 

[gothgymmom]

yup. Im at work bawling. Thanks lol. and awwww domalley. made me cry harder just reading that

 

[vagymmomma]

I found the script on another site. If you don't have time to watch the video, the words will probably still tear at your heart.

'Imagine being great at something that when it is gone you feel empty. You are not sure you will ever feel that much adrenaline pumping through your veins. And when it is all over with you are not sure you will ever find passion for something like that again. It is called “Seeking the Owl”.

If you have ever been a competitive gymnast you know exactly what I am talking about.
Us gymnasts started really young and grew up in the gym. We do not remember looking back and not being apart of a team. We traded our childhood for pain and devastation. The ups and downs were apart of our life but we always kept an eye on the goal. Through all the sweat, tears, gold medals, and failures we figured out who we are. We figured out where we belong. Then one day we wake up and it is all gone. Everything we knew and everything we were good at is gone.

“Gymnastics is not a lifetime sport. It is a happiness that is ours before we have to pass it on. After so long your body decides your have taken enough pounding, tearing, and scaring and you know this job is done. And then it all goes away in an instant. The life your knew, your world, disappears. There is nothing quite as empty as losing the thing that makes you shine. And it all happens so fast it doesn’t even hit you until you feel the ache. The hole you’ve tried to fill but you can’t because she’s still down there. The little girl who belongs in the gym aching for you to go back to the place that welcomed you so many years ago and made you special.”

I cannot deny that giving up gymnastics was one of the hardest days for me. I cried hysterically all day long. I remember trying to stay strong and knowing that it was the best thing for me but inside I felt like a five year old throwing a tantrum. It was the best thing for me though for many different reasons.

I am 3 years past my glory days. Some mornings I feel completely lost knowing that I wake up not knowing that I am excellent at something. I am still trying to figure out where I belong in this big world. Thankfully I know that I have to start somewhere, just like I did in gymnastics. In order to find my passion I will have to conquer going through the hard times. Right now I feel like I am starting at the bottom of the mountain and getting ready to climb it. I am “Seeking the Owl”.

After all I believe that “life is all about finding your gifts and using them to act passionately and beautifully. And in your best works you will find happiness and wisdom. Sometimes you have to let go of one to find the next.”'

 

[Aussie_coach]

From the first time I saw it I was very unimpressed with this video. I think it sends a poor message to young athletes.

The first being that gymnastics in not a lifetime sport. Secondly that the body takes too much damage. This is often a typical WAG mindset get a kid in young train them until they break and then send them away and do it to the next kid.

But gymnastics is a lifetime sport in many areas. In many countries in Europe gymnastics clubs have far more adults than kids, they pursue team gym and the idea is that gymnastics is one of the best ways for an adult to condition the body. They don't have kids in their gyms training 35 hours a week so that they are too destroyed to do the sport as adults.

Just a few weeks ago we had our national gym 4 life challenge and one of the teams had an average age of 70, their oldest competitor was 84.

Most gymnastics clubs in my area have very strong adult program's. There is one gym that specialises in Adult gymmastics from a novice to am advanced level 6 days a week.

Australia just had its national championships earlier this year and in MAG our first place winner, who won by a great deal is 36 years old.

I am at least double the age of our national team and I still do all the same skills as I did as a kid in my daily coaching.

The notion that gymnastics ends with childhood seems to be a very American idea.

The other notion I disagree with is that it is a fleeting happiness, one you have and then give up and have to pass on. Or that it is a gift that you let go of. If that's the case the. You have left the sport for the wrong reason (probably damaging coaching methods). Kids don't lose anything when they choose to walk out the door,for the right reasons. As gymnasts they have grown in their love and passion for the sport. Why leave? Because they find something they love even more and are even more passionate about and gives them even greater happiness. But they never let go of what they learned or what they can do, they put in it to their next pursuit amd gain even greater heights of excellence.

 

[vagymmomma]

The other notion I disagree with is that it is a fleeting happiness, one you have and then give up and have to pass on. Or that it is a gift that you let go of. If that's the case the. You have left the sport for the wrong reason (probably damaging coaching methods). Kids don't lose anything when they choose to walk out the door,for the right reasons. As gymnasts they have grown in their love and passion for the sport. Why leave? Because they find something they love even more and are even more passionate about and gives them even greater happiness. But they never let go of what they learned or what they can do, they put in it to their next pursuit amd gain even greater heights of excellence.

I loved this response. It shows how important mindset can be.

 

[gwenmom]

Cried here too.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I love that video. Gymnastics isn't a life long sport for a lot of people. One of my old teammates just had extensive back surgery. She can't do any gymnastics ever again.
I can't do any gymnastics ever again because I can't get another concussion or I'll have serious problems.
And it was really sad when we had to stop gymnastics. It's been almost two years now and it still makes me sad!!

 

[Gymsanity]

Wow, I cried too. It killed me to see that I just wasted 9:08 of my life......
Just because you aren't swinging bars or rocking beam, doesn't mean you still aren't a gymnast! Like I tell them, 'you can take the girl out of gym, but you can't take the gymnast out of the girl.' I'm sorry, but once a gymnast, always a gymnast! I have numerous girls I coached, now bring me their children, I have ones that coach for me, many of my competitive girls got gymnastics tattoos, etc. It's always in there, and is something that never goes away. It's what makes them who and what they are. Not some parakeet, or whatever that was about.

 

[Sarah Lorish]

From the first time I saw it I was very unimpressed with this video. I think it sends a poor message to young athletes.

The first being that gymnastics in not a lifetime sport. Secondly that the body takes too much damage. This is often a typical WAG mindset get a kid in young train them until they break and then send them away and do it to the next kid.

But gymnastics is a lifetime sport in many areas. In many countries in Europe gymnastics clubs have far more adults than kids, they pursue team gym and the idea is that gymnastics is one of the best ways for an adult to condition the body. They don't have kids in their gyms training 35 hours a week so that they are too destroyed to do the sport as adults.

Just a few weeks ago we had our national gym 4 life challenge and one of the teams had an average age of 70, their oldest competitor was 84.

Most gymnastics clubs in my area have very strong adult program's. There is one gym that specialises in Adult gymmastics from a novice to am advanced level 6 days a week.

Australia just had its national championships earlier this year and in MAG our first place winner, who won by a great deal is 36 years old.

I am at least double the age of our national team and I still do all the same skills as I did as a kid in my daily coaching.

The notion that gymnastics ends with childhood seems to be a very American idea.

The other notion I disagree with is that it is a fleeting happiness, one you have and then give up and have to pass on. Or that it is a gift that you let go of. If that's the case the. You have left the sport for the wrong reason (probably damaging coaching methods). Kids don't lose anything when they choose to walk out the door,for the right reasons. As gymnasts they have grown in their love and passion for the sport. Why leave? Because they find something they love even more and are even more passionate about and gives them even greater happiness. But they never let go of what they learned or what they can do, they put in it to their next pursuit amd gain even greater heights of excellence.

I'm glad you voiced your opinion, and I don't generally go out of my way to defend my video, but I think it's important that you understand the message and emotions I intended to communicate with Seek The Owl. I think it's fantastic that some people are able to continue with gymnastics into adulthood and I never meant to imply that a person shouldn't or couldn't make that decision if they so desired, but you have to understand that most gymnasts will retire young, and that period of time can be so hopeless and confusing. I made Seek the Owl so that people in that transition stage can feel a sense of relativity and belonging. My intent is for people to take away a thread of peace and to stir a desire to use all of the good things that gymnastics gave them to go and seek. To carry their childhood passion and take it with them wherever they go, and to feel inspired to be excellent for the rest of their lives. To be able to look beyond the now and see a life after gymnastics, and to believe there's happiness and fulfillment out there, too. I wrote it that way because that was my experience. Sure, I could have decided to stay a gymnast forever, but that's not the path I'm paving.

I found a way to make peace with letting go of something I loved with all my heart. I will never fall out of love with gymnastics, but like most people, my life is calling me out of the gym. I could never be excellent elsewhere if I hadn't closed that chapter of my life. Sure, I could have continued with the sport, but the point is, it will never be the same. I will never be a little girl in the gym again. It's not that I don't think I could still swing bars or land a series on beam if I set my mind to it. It isn't the mechanics and physical feats of the sport that I miss most, it's the essence of my childhood. The emotions and words exchanged between my teammates and myself during the last rotation of my level 9 state competition. I can go through the motions all I want, but I will never be able to travel back to that specific moment in time. I meant for gymnstics to be a metaphor of life. Time and life are fleeting. Change is a constant in life, and there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is exist in the now, collect what we can from the present, and bring it along as armor for the future.


So fly your adult gymnastics flag high, if that's your owl.

 

[kandkfunk]

It isn't the mechanics and physical feats of the sport that I miss most, it's the essence of my childhood.

This is exactly the feeling and emotion my daughter and I felt watching your video. So many childhood memories in the gym. Really, that is where she grew up. Where she learned about hard work, dedication, triumph, disappointment and friendship. When we think about her childhood, we think gymnastics. Maybe it is a US phenomena, but choosing the right time to leave the sport and learning how to leave gracefully is something that the vast majority of kids will face before they become adults.

Thank you for the video. I personally believe it is beautiful and I know it speaks to many gymnasts, former gymnasts and parents just from the number of times I've seen it shared in different places. We are still adjusting to life after gymnastics and you have captured the emotions of the process very well.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I think your video is fantastic, you have done an excellent job and you obviously have an incredible gift for putting this sort of thing together. My personal critisim is for the whole view that Gymnastics is a sport that is only yours to enjoy for a short time. In particular a critisim of the way the sport is run in many countries.

 

[Gymsanity]

I'm glad you voiced your opinion, and I don't generally go out of my way to defend my video, but I think it's important that you understand the message and emotions I intended to communicate with Seek The Owl. I think it's fantastic that some people are able to continue with gymnastics into adulthood and I never meant to imply that a person shouldn't or couldn't make that decision if they so desired, but you have to understand that most gymnasts will retire young, and that period of time can be so hopeless and confusing. I made Seek the Owl so that people in that transition stage can feel a sense of relativity and belonging. My intent is for people to take away a thread of peace and to stir a desire to use all of the good things that gymnastics gave them to go and seek. To carry their childhood passion and take it with them wherever they go, and to feel inspired to be excellent for the rest of their lives. To be able to look beyond the now and see a life after gymnastics, and to believe there's happiness and fulfillment out there, too. I wrote it that way because that was my experience. Sure, I could have decided to stay a gymnast forever, but that's not the path I'm paving.

I found a way to make peace with letting go of something I loved with all my heart. I will never fall out of love with gymnastics, but like most people, my life is calling me out of the gym. I could never be excellent elsewhere if I hadn't closed that chapter of my life. Sure, I could have continued with the sport, but the point is, it will never be the same. I will never be a little girl in the gym again. It's not that I don't think I could still swing bars or land a series on beam if I set my mind to it. It isn't the mechanics and physical feats of the sport that I miss most, it's the essence of my childhood. The emotions and words exchanged between my teammates and myself during the last rotation of my level 9 state competition. I can go through the motions all I want, but I will never be able to travel back to that specific moment in time. I meant for gymnstics to be a metaphor of life. Time and life are fleeting. Change is a constant in life, and there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is exist in the now, collect what we can from the present, and bring it along as armor for the future.


So fly your adult gymnastics flag high, if that's your owl.

Thanks for coming here and sharing your thoughts and feelings Sarah. It's nice sometimes to hear directly from the artist and/or creator of something as to what they were thinking, feeling, trying to convey. The majority of great art was non commissioned work. It was what the artist was thinking, feeling, envisioning at that moment in time. It was their way to let it out for them, and it was a bonus if others appreciated it as well. As a fellow videographer, I can say I enjoyed a lot of techniques you used in the making of your video, and I'm fully aware of the amount of time, thought, work, and effort that went into making it. Since this appears to be something you did for yourself, there is nothing for you to 'defend.' If it is what you feel and think, then it is what it is. Others are then left to decide for themselves if it touches them, as apparently by many of the comments, it does. I wish you all the luck and success in finding your owl.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I'm glad you voiced your opinion, and I don't generally go out of my way to defend my video, but I think it's important that you understand the message and emotions I intended to communicate with Seek The Owl. I think it's fantastic that some people are able to continue with gymnastics into adulthood and I never meant to imply that a person shouldn't or couldn't make that decision if they so desired, but you have to understand that most gymnasts will retire young, and that period of time can be so hopeless and confusing. I made Seek the Owl so that people in that transition stage can feel a sense of relativity and belonging. My intent is for people to take away a thread of peace and to stir a desire to use all of the good things that gymnastics gave them to go and seek. To carry their childhood passion and take it with them wherever they go, and to feel inspired to be excellent for the rest of their lives. To be able to look beyond the now and see a life after gymnastics, and to believe there's happiness and fulfillment out there, too. I wrote it that way because that was my experience. Sure, I could have decided to stay a gymnast forever, but that's not the path I'm paving.

I found a way to make peace with letting go of something I loved with all my heart. I will never fall out of love with gymnastics, but like most people, my life is calling me out of the gym. I could never be excellent elsewhere if I hadn't closed that chapter of my life. Sure, I could have continued with the sport, but the point is, it will never be the same. I will never be a little girl in the gym again. It's not that I don't think I could still swing bars or land a series on beam if I set my mind to it. It isn't the mechanics and physical feats of the sport that I miss most, it's the essence of my childhood. The emotions and words exchanged between my teammates and myself during the last rotation of my level 9 state competition. I can go through the motions all I want, but I will never be able to travel back to that specific moment in time. I meant for gymnstics to be a metaphor of life. Time and life are fleeting. Change is a constant in life, and there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is exist in the now, collect what we can from the present, and bring it along as armor for the future.


So fly your adult gymnastics flag high, if that's your owl.

I did cry picturing my daughter one day, leaving the gym. I don't know if it will be when she's 12, 15, or going off to college. But I do believe it will come (I do not believe she is currently on a path to be on a college team). And it will be a hard day, because I know my daughter, she will be "done". And to her, she will no longer be a gymnast, but a former gymnast.

The search for the owl isn't limited to gymnastics.
This video spoke to me personally, as I remember the day I realized I'd never be a veterinarian. ALL my life, starting at age 7, I was going to grow up and be a veterinarian. It wasn't a passing fancy because I loved animals, it stuck, and grew as I grew. It was kind of my identity. (I realize now how I never should have put that much emphasis on what I planned to do when I grow up).
I was pre-vet in undergrad. It was my third year and all of a sudden, I realized I DIDN'T want to be a vet. I couldn't cut an animal. At all. Somehow I managed all of highschool and a 4 year biology degree without ever cutting an animal, dead or alive. (I always had great lab partners! LOL). I had a very hard time with that realization. I felt like "For 14 years I was "going to be a vet". Now "what am I going to be?" There were a LOT of emotions, and I felt them all at the end of that video. It was hard to give up what I'd "always been", and go seek my owl.

What's funny is that there are times, I am still very proud that I have a zoology degree...

Thank you for making your video!

 

[Gymsanity]

^^^Quitting gym for any child is one of the most difficult and impacting decisions they will ever have to make in their young lives. A 14 year old girl who started gym at 7 years old has dedicated half of her life to the sport! What have most adults devoted half of their lives to, and how would they feel when they walked away from that!? That is why we as coaches work so hard to make sure they quit at the right time for the right reasons, and hope to ensure that they leave with a feeling of accomplishment and not regret.
As a side note, I also worked since I was 13 at veterinary hospitals and attended a veterinary school for several years until I got side lined with a bone infection. I too believed for most of my life that I would be a veterinarian, but no, life had different plans for me and apparently felt I should be a gymnastics coach! Oh lucky me!
Finally, 'What's funny is that there are times, I am still very proud that I have a zoology degree... '
You should be very proud everyday! That's no small accomplishment.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Finally, 'What's funny is that there are times, I am still very proud that I have a zoology degree... '
You should be very proud everyday! That's no small accomplishment.

Thank you!

 

[truth-seeker]

Very nice. It captured a universal consequence (or risk) of putting everything you are into one thing, i.e., the risk of defining what you are without it.

It's a linear sequence of life experienced by people who dare to be great at something to the exclusion of others. If my daughter takes such a risk, I hope I can help mitigate the pain of loss by persuading her now to overlap her future vision of herself with some professional interests (preceded by college and graduate school, of course).