- Moderator
- #1
I agree with the great majority of the posters. The longer amd longer hours, the younger and younger gymnasts, more and more difficult skills, more and more money out our pockets, crazier and crazier parents, greedier and greedier gyms (qualification: the previous statements probably apply to a smaller minority--mostly on the elite level). But what is the alternative? In order to be in the cutting edge, we must push the envelope. I am neither advocating nor not advocating the longer hours, pushing harder and harder skills, training at age 1! How does one regulate hours, skills, etc. We may incorporate more artistry. Though putting more emphasis on artistry can be just another addend and may in no way limit the gymnastics part. In addition, how can we just stay stagnant?
Also we've forgotten the role the masses, the audience, spectators role in gymnastics. They only know what they see during the olympics. Gymnastics may be like everything else--the idea is to give the audience what they want--higher tumbling, daring stunts and skills, the more out of the ordinary, the better. And don't you think the gasps and applause gymnasts and coaches get feeds into their desire to even surprise and amaze the audience, judges, fellow gymnasts. It seems to me it is the society as a whole, starting with the family unit, that may drive sports to such competitiveness. I don't think pulling back is the answer because we will fall off the charts. Do we have an alternative? If so, what? I am personally stumped.
I decided to make a spinoff thread from the TOPs thread. How do we advance the sport while encouraging artistry and not subjecting kids to crazy hours? What changes would you like to see gym's make? What changes would you like to see coaches make? What changes would you like to see in the code? I don't have answers just curious about evryone's ideas.