WAG Parents are probably gonna make me quit gymnastic- HELP?!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[JClaire21]

I'M FREAKING OUT.
I think I got a stress fracture and I've already broken my elbow once from gymnastics.
I started in August and am a level 4. (I'm fourteen)
My parents started reading about the injuries, back problems, possible paralysis, and possible eventual arthritis.
GYMNASTICS IS MY LIFE. I cannot quit. I've tried other sports, and i do not care for any of them. They know how insanely obsessed I am with it, but they say my body is more important.
I can't change their mind! I CANNOT QUIT. I want to only do it for a couple more years, then coach. And I cannot coach if I only got to level 4.
I NEED some articles or statistics on proving that gymnastics isn't as full of risk as they think. Plus, how many problems could I really get, I mean I started at 13 and am only doing it for a couple years. I neeeeeeed help. My happiness depends on it. :'(

 

[JClaire21]

Parents are probably gonna make me quit gymanstics- HELP?!!!

I'M FREAKING OUT.
I think I got a stress fracture and I've already broken my elbow once from gymnastics.
I started in August and am a level 4. (I'm fourteen)
My parents started reading about the injuries, back problems, possible paralysis, and possible eventual arthritis.
GYMNASTICS IS MY LIFE. I cannot quit. I've tried other sports, and i do not care for any of them. They know how insanely obsessed I am with it, but they say my body is more important.
I can't change their mind! I CANNOT QUIT. I want to only do it for a couple more years, then coach. And I cannot coach if I only got to level 4.
I NEED some articles or statistics on proving that gymnastics isn't as full of risk as they think. Plus, how many problems could I really get, I mean I started at 13 and am only doing it for a couple years. I neeeeeeed help. My happiness depends on it. :'(

 

[gymnastbeth]

Merged your two threads to keep the discussion in one place.

I don't really have much to say about convincing your parents, but I do think you should know that you can still be a coach if you only get to level 4! I know plenty of awesome coaches who were never high-level gymnasts themselves. Obviously it helps to have gymnastics experience, but being a high-level gymnast is in no way a requirement for becoming a coach. I think it's great that you're passionate about the sport, have you tried telling your parents what you said in your post? Do they know how much you want this?

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

Yes, you can get paralyzed in gymnastics. You could also get paralyzed crossing the street, or stepping out of your bathtub, or falling out of bed.

 

[aerialriver]

Maybe because you broke your elbow and may have a stress fx at 14 a year in they are concerned? We have coaches that only made it to 4 heck our top optional coach never did gym in her life! Try to see why your parents are reacting how they are. But sports wise you can get paralized or even die from most all of them. So in itself that thinking is absurd.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I747 using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[bogwoppit]

I made my dd quit due to stress fractures. She moved on to lots of new, and fun things. It was tough at first as her whole life revolved around gym, she was a L6/7 and 13. Sometimes parents have to do their job and make the tough choices.

 

[GymBee97]

I agree with bog. parents have to do their job and make the choices they feel are right even if they are tough and not exactly what our kids want.

And just for the record you can live without gymnastics. There are so many other opportunities for so many other things out there. also you don't need to be a high level gymnast to become a coach so if that is a dream for you it still can be on the table for you.

 

[xzandre]

You can't quit gymnastics

I'M FREAKING OUT.
I think I got a stress fracture and I've already broken my elbow once from gymnastics.
I started in August and am a level 4. (I'm fourteen)
GYMNASTICS IS MY LIFE. I cannot quit. I've tried other sports, and i do not care for any of them. They know how insanely obsessed I am with it, but they say my body is more important.
I can't change their mind! I CANNOT QUIT. I want to only do it for a couple more years, then coach. And I cannot coach if I only got to level 4.

I seriously started gymnastics when I was 15; I am now 22. I have never been a level 4, however I keep trying. I train everyday. I agree that gymnastics is life. Many people think I should quit: I have had a concussion, a dislocated shoulder, a severe wrist sprain, a dislocated patella, a jammed back, a torn hamstring, and a knee that was injured so bad I couldn't walk on the leg for a year and a half, but no one ever figured out what happened to it. Yet, with all of these I was still in the gym. None of them, including the bum leg that to this day gives me problems, kept me out of the gym for more than 3 months.

Also know that I have coached. I did most of my coaching with these injuries. Also I have never had a back handspring. While technical experience is fantastic, it is not necessary; a thorough understand of the mechanics of gymnastics is. Injuries won't stop you.

I would never lie to your parents and tell them you won't get hurt; fact is you will, and it could be permanent damage (though may be not as bad as paralysis). However I would make it clear to them that just because they don't take you to the gym doesn't mean that gymnastics stops. Half the tricks I have I taught myself from YouTube. Without a coach or squishy floor to make mistakes on. Just because I don't have a gym doesn't make my gymnastics stop, why should it make yours? Just let them see you perfect that round-off back handspring on the lawn or a front walkover on a curb, see how their attitude changes.

I really want you to know though, that just because you aren't high level doesn't mean you can't coach. I think I mentioned I never got a back hand spring. Not only have I helped other girls get theirs in my coaching, but some of them even went on to be optionals, even as far as level 10. I have no doubt that someday some of those girls will compete on the collegiate circut...and I STILL won't have a back hand spring! Haha!

If the gymnastics doesn't die in you, then it simply will not die, regardless of where you are, or are not.

 

[tumble&turn]

I have been having the same discussion with my parents over the last 2 weeks as my lower back has been constantly sore for a month and particularly bad over the last 2 weeks. for example I would struggle to sit in the same place for 50mins and would constantly have to place heat on it. Good news is it's getting better and today I didn't have any back pain. (I have still been training 3-4 times a week and it usually feels better after training).

My dad kept saying to me that he thinks I should quit gymnastics as my body has to last me my whole life, but my mum supported me. I am absolutely obsessed with gymnastics and said there is no way that I would quit.

To get your parents support, you should explain why you love this sport, the benefits of doing gymnastics - both social, life skills eg. Organization, time management, goal setting etc and fitness reasons ( I told my coaches that my dad wanted me to quit and they were shocked and said that I should continue as the sport strengthens the muscles which support my back as well as keeping my body healthy), you could write a list with your parents with the pros and cons of doing gymnastics.

If you do have to quit you can still practice basic skills at home and do lots of strength and conditioning so that your parents realise that you are serious about gymnastics and they may let you return.

I think I managed to convince my dad but it always makes me angry when he brings up the issue.

Best of Luck

 

[krisnkids]

My 13 year old is having to quit as well because of stress fractures. She is okay with it and is moving on to soccer which she loves as much as gym. Have you looked into T&T? Still gymnastics but nowhere near as much pounding on the joints/bones as artistic.

 

[bogwoppit]

Sadly T&T is not a good choice if you have stress fractures. My DD did tramp and was great at it, but the specialist told her tramp is the very worst thing for the spine. Best avoided.

 

[aerialriver]

T&T is not easier on your body. I have done both, I had a little knee soreness as a kid with artistic and no issues as an adult. From T&T I have has a lot of back issues, 2 badly sprained ankles plus numerous "zings" a knocked out tooth, a sprained neck, a very hurt shoulder, a broken big toe and the list could go on and on and I am not alone with that. That trampoline does not forgive you if you flip up there and make a mistake, and neither does the floor below it lol. The double mini is basically like vault without hands and power tumbling while usually done on a slightly bouncier floor consists of 8 skills per pass, quite a lot when compared to the 2 or 3 usually in a floor pass.

I suppose rec. fun trampoline class is different and easier than serious training, but I would not suggest it over gymnastics to someone already prone in injury.

 

[CoachGoofy]

If you're prone to hyperextensions or to back injuries, T&T isn't any safer. It's easier to drastically hyperextend on our equipment, and it's absolute hell on your spine. We might have fewer injuries, but I suspect that's not so much because of lower impact--I suspect it's more because of lower training hours, even at high levels.

 

[GymBee97]

You know sometimes we have to listen to our bodies. Your's is saying its time to give it a rest at the very least and really probably Stop. Your parents can see this and It might be time to consider other options you may even like more.

The reality is this is Life and we don't always get what we want and have to be able to move on to something else.