Parents The Path of a Gymnast?

[Ausi_poppet]

As you've probably heard, we don't have college scholarships in Australia, so unless our kids can bag a spot at an American college, they are looking at funding their own university and training expenses. I have found that in gymnastics you have to have one eye on the present and one eye on the future. Making sure that they are having fun now and enjoying the sport for what it is, and keeping their eye on their longer term goals, both life, school and gymnastics. As the kids get older they have to start to choose between their long term goals and things they want to do now more and more.

That's where I feel the best gym parents excel by helping their kids navigate that tension. I'm not an expert on this, but I'd like to think that my daughter will be one of those kids that the younger ones in the gym look up to in the coming years because she's able to do the juggle well.

 

[pt coach]

One of my former gymnasts is now a top ranked college hammer thrower. I always suggest this as an option to my daughter as something to try when/if she gets tired of gymnastics. (I find pole vault a little scary).

 

[dani4]

My kids are in gymnastics so that they will have the body awareness and strength to start rowing when they are 13. By that point they will be too tall to do gymnastics, so it will all work out. It's easier for girls to get a rowing scholarship than gymnastics. And it's a sport we can all do together (parent-child double, watch out!). It helps that we live in a town where you can't throw a rock without hitting a former or current rowing national team member, and there there aren't any elite gymnasts anywhere.

Of course I'm at least half kidding. We did go to a D1 track meet over the weekend and the girls were fascinated by the pole vault. It's nice to think that by doing gymnastics they are getting the best possible start for any sport they later choose to do. Although I'm starting to see ODD as a cross country runner, and I doubt that gym is helping her much in that direction.. but whatever, she's 6, and I don't actually think she's going to be much of a competitor in anything. She's more of an artist.

 

[cassafrass]

OK nnm. U it

 

[lovemygymnast]

Our little one has high aspirations (as in sure they all do). We are here to support, encourage and pay. My hope is that she continues through middle & high school to keep her busy and physically fit. If she is good enough and is able to do it in college and still loves it, icing on the cake. We just want her to continue loving it as much as she does right now.

 

[cassafrass]

Sorry, please delete my above post. I don't know what happened!

 

[needcoffee]

There's no college gym in Aust so no goals of that calibre here. Honestly, for me personally, I would be beyond thrilled if DD sticks with it throughout her high school years and doesn't have time to turn out anything like me.. (I had her at 16).

 

[duyetanh]

My short term goal is that she has fun, and takes something away from every practice. The long term goal is for her to keep doing it so she stays away from the boys.
Her goal? To make optionals this year.
I love that she has short term goals, because really, that is all she should have in my opinion right now. She is only 7 years old...more than half of her life is still to be lived before she departs for college, and that life is unpredictable.

 

[gracyomalley]

We had an all gym parent meeting yesterday and our team "mental toughness" guide reminded the parents that the USAG motto is "start here - go anywhere".

With three kids having settled on this sport (for now) after trying many others, I think partially because they actually like doing it together, each kid has had different goals at different times and my "idea" of their path has changed.

When DD started she had a coach who really wanted to get each girl to college gym if that's what they wished - which of course as 8 yo old level 5s and 10 year old Level 7s they ALL did....DD fell apart when that coach left and lost faith in all coaches and herself - because she had that ONE path in her head and although had she not lost all confidence and taken time off that path could still be open to her, she realized that its probably not even what she really wanted! She also doesn't like the idea of quitting or repeating a level that she's mastered (really, she had) - but she's still working out what she wants - and how to face scary skills, and skills she lost or is now doing "funky" (had to stop flipping her yurichenko because something was making her almost do layouts over the vault) because of taking such a prolonged break - I don't know what her path will be - but I know she's learned so much about herself - she's so much more physically fit and strong than most girls her age, as well as emotionally mature. She does know how to work hard in a way that schoolwork never would have taught her at this age (its easy for her).

My boys are totally different kiddos at the gym - my oldest joined late (almost 11) and sat at level 5 for 3 years - each one I thought would be his last but I wanted him doing a sport and he hates all things involving balls...low and behold he is now in love with gymnastics and training L8-10 skills...

My youngest has been doing gymnastics probably because its the family sport now....although I made a point of having him try others. He loves hanging out with his friends, makes slow steady progress (he's a 2 years a level compulsory guy - but I don't know what will happen if he sticks with it through puberty) and hasn't gotten injured or stopped liking flipping and bouncing about.

As an extracurricular activity for our homeschooling single mom family - gym has a different perspective for us probably - if the kids weren't supporting each other and sharing each others pain about it, if we didn't make sure occ. meet trips involve little family vacations, and if they didn't still like going to open gym together I'm not sure I wouldn't have had one or all of them move on by now - and they are all at least middle of the pack gymnasts, and all win medals frequently enough to be considered successful at meets...but its a huge commitment and expense so our path has to include being "good for the family" too...

I don't see any of my kids doing athletics in college truely - its not clearly their personalities, but I'm not taking it off the table if they wish to still dream a bit about it. I do see them remaining fit as adults and strong. I know they are learning the love of physical movement and how to teach their bodies to do new things. My kids are small - except the youngest - and being strong as a tiny woman and short man can go a long way toward confidence. Also, not giving up on something you enjoy and are "good at", if not "amazing at" until you are no longer enjoying it is such a life lesson.

In our gym there are now 3 former elite gymnasts involved in the coaching staff and as my kids continue in gym I keep meeting more people who have their own gym story. Of course gymnastics makes them primed for almost any sport they wish to try - just ask any track coach!

Anything you learn to any level of mastery as a child is helpful in adulthood - I can still play the piano and read music, although not Rachmaninov, I can still do splits and enjoy dancing in the kitchen, but I don't think I should get up on pointe anytime soon...running, staying fit as an adult would not likely be something I'd try to do with my busy life had I not been an active kid. When things get hard in life I know there is "a way" to get through it - one step at a time. Relatively high level activities as a kid teach you that...so countless hours on the mushroom or doing cast handstand drills, watching some kids move faster than you but sticking with it and learning something, etc will "take them anywhere" they wish to go!

 

[Mrs. Puma]

My short term goal is that she has fun, and takes something away from every practice. The long term goal is for her to keep doing it so she stays away from the boys.
Her goal? To make optionals this year.
I love that she has short term goals, because really, that is all she should have in my opinion right now. She is only 7 years old...more than half of her life is still to be lived before she departs for college, and that life is unpredictable.

My DDs goal is also to make opitonals this year. Our season won't start until October, so she still has some time to get her bars up to par...she's struggling right now! Good luck to her!

 

[gwenmom]

DD still has dreams of the Olympics. It is really not an option for her, but she still dreams of it. And I'm not telling her anything different.

Realistically I hope she learns all the lessons from gymnastics that have nothing to do with skills. And has something that keeps her away from boys and the wrong crowd in Junior High and High school. College gymnastics is a big maybe but if she's striving for it, I'll support her all the way.

 

[purpleleomom]

My 9 year old isn't going to NCAA, elite, etc. I suppose never say never, but I don't see a kid who wants that. She's never thinking past the next couple of skills and not even mastering them first. The first time she swung on a bar though, we knew it was the sport for her. My goal for her is fitness, management of ADHD symptoms, life lessons, and self-esteem. The rest is gravy.

 

[raenndrops]

OG (13-1/2) has determined (after quitting in 2010 for 2 months - bowing to family pressure ... and taking a break this season - since mid-August, again family pressure and drama) that gymnastics IS her sport. She used to like softball, but family pressure led to her quitting after one minor injury. She played soccer for a few summers, but in an "Upward" league - everybody plays, everybody wins = no fun for a competitive girl.
She tried Jr. High cheerleading and hated it, but stuck it out for the season and she tried Jr. High track this season and hates it (which I knew she would since she hates to run).
Next season, the plan is volleyball (if she makes the team) and Xcel Platinum. Since volleyball is a team sport, I am hoping she doesn't get down on herself if the team doesn't win. We are working on volleyball drills in between gymnastics drills, lol.
Her gym goal is Platinum for 2 years, then L7 thru high school... MAYBE L8 senior year, but she doesn't think so.

YG (10-1/2) has tried Upward Basketball, cheerleading, and soccer but didn't really like any of them. She loves flipping and wants to stay in gymnastics until she is a L7 at least ... she even has it planned out and in her mind, L7 will be at about 17 years old I can handle that! This coming season, she is working on upgrades for her 2nd season of Xcel Gold... then she plans on one more season of Gold after that before she goes to Platinum at 13 (like sissy). 2 years at Platinum and she will be ready to petition into Level 6. 2 years at L6 and she will be ready for L7. 2 years at L7 and she will get flowers and a speech by HC at Championships

 

[Sneezyone]

DD would certainly be on the college track if we stayed put, but DHs job takes us all over the world and gym at our next post is sketchy (no pit, no tumbletrak for a rising level 7/8 gymmie). We continue to emphasize, rather than comps, the friendships DD develops and the team camaraderie. Hopefully our two years overseas won't completely extinguish her passion. If we keep up the conditioning, she should be able to rebound well. In the mean time, she loves to swim, and will maybe learn to dive.