Parents Were you a gymnast?

[RTT2]

I'm pretty new to the whole thing- DD (recently turned 8) just started Xcel Bronze and loves it, but I wasn't a competitive gymnast and most of this stuff is new to me. Spending time at the gym I've begun to wonder if many of the parents were gymnasts themselves. I did some gymnastics as a kid and then spent years as a competitive diver, so I can relate a little, but gymnastics seems like such a world unto itself. Even just doing Bronze DD is working out seven hours a week and is so serious about it- very different from most kids sports at this age. So, as a parent, did you come into this having already been a gymnast yourself?

 

[MILgymFAM]

Nope. I played soccer and ran track growing up. Never even knew a single person who did gymnastics.

 

[lhmom]

I was not. I played team sports all through school (basketball, softball). I had zero knowledge when DD started gymnastics and after 5 years, I still don't know a lot, especially names of skills.

 

[duyetanh]

BAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!
No.

 

[flp07]

Nope. I grew up in a small town that had no gyms and I knew no one that did gymnastics, volleyball and softball was my thing. My DD is working on Level 5 and I still don't alot of the skills names. It really frustrates DD when I have no idea what she is talking about.

 

[momnipotent]

I did some gymnastics as a kid and then spent years as a competitive diver

Had to respond because this is my background exactly-rec gymnast and then competitive diver through middle/high school.

 

[OrangeKangaroo]

No! I spent my childhood failing at most rec sports.

 

[GymCMLA]

I was a high school gymnast...our school had a no cut freshman policy, so everyone who showed up made the team (I had taken a little class as a 7 year old or so at the community center for a couple 6 week sessions as my only experience). I was awful, but I loved it. I got hardest worker award all 4 years and got a varsity letter. It was my safe haven - there were no external expectations for me there. (unlike academics and music) And as a high school team, we had a PE teacher as a coach and the Spanish teacher as a asst coach. One resi, no in ground pits, no barrels or cheese mats, getting bar extenders for a set of bars was a BIG deal. It was basics set up in the upstairs gym at the school. All the good kids came from the "club" (USAG) program in the next town...the rest of us were teaching ourselves as we went along. We all wrote our own routines, spotted each other...craziness as I look back.
I just giggle thinking about my 3 passes for floor - dive forward roll; cartwheel, BWO, BWO; RO stop BHS stop BHS LOL
It did very much kindle my love for the sport as a spectator/fan...I'll date myself a bit, but the Mary Lou, Kim, Shannon olympic days....

 

[wnl256]

Nope. I was awful at sports. Spent most of my extra time playing music for the marching band and the youth orchestra, and the rest of it teaching myself how to program computers. I also grew up in the era before Mary Lou Retton and the rise of the popularity of gymnastics in the US.

All we knew about the sport before DD started was whatever we picked up watching the olympics. We were totally unprepared going in to it. But its been a fun ride.

I will always remember daughter's evaluation at the local gym. She had been doing a pre-schooler's class at a different gym that had about 30 minutes of gymnastics each week. She really seemed to like it, so we had her join a rec class at the local gymnastics gym. We thought it would be a fun thing for her to do once a week. After the very first class the head coach came up to use and said "we want her to be on the team." My wife said "is she really that good?" And I said "how much does that cost?" Ah we were so naïve.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

No, I was a swimmer. But, I grew up in a different country where gymnastics was part of PE so I did do gymnastics, just not for a club, and not past jr high.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Very interesting....hoping this is a glitch, but my avatar is currently a girl in blue jacket/black capris doing the splits instead of my DD doing a stag handstand on the beach. I didn't change it, so hopefully it's a glitch.

 

[leotardmakermum]

I did gym, but recreational only, and was not particularly good at it. I also played netball. I was not a very sporty kid, but I did enjoy those sports.

That said, I have all my certificates from gymnastics, for each new stage I achieved. I also have my netball trophies (few and far between). I treasure those things. I feel sad for my daughter that she's made it through about 8-9 years of gymnastics so far and has little to show for it. I don't need her to get trophies, but it would be nice to have a certificate when she moves up to the next level.

 

[TheGMom]

I was a gymnast. Not a super good one, but i have competed.

 

[cbifoja]

Did some time at the Y but nothing like what gymnastics is for my daughter. I enjoyed dance way more.

 

[cbifoja]

I'm pretty new to the whole thing- DD (recently turned 8) just started Xcel Bronze and loves it, but I wasn't a competitive gymnast and most of this stuff is new to me. Spending time at the gym I've begun to wonder if many of the parents were gymnasts themselves. I did some gymnastics as a kid and then spent years as a competitive diver, so I can relate a little, but gymnastics seems like such a world unto itself. Even just doing Bronze DD is working out seven hours a week and is so serious about it- very different from most kids sports at this age. So, as a parent, did you come into this having already been a gymnast yourself?

I think that even those parents who did gymnastics as a child had such a different experience from what our gymnasts have today. I think the athletic circle is so much more intense and at an earlier age now than what it was back when we were all kids.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Nope. I wasn't an athlete of any type really.

It's interesting how many of my dd's team mates were gymnasts though. At least 4 of her 10 team mates that I know of were competitive gymnasts. The highest I think one went was level 9.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Yes, I got to level 8, and then did just high school gym for a year after that. I was also a Rec level coach in high school and college.

 

[Faith]

I think that even those parents who did gymnastics as a child had such a different experience from what our gymnasts have today. I think the athletic circle is so much more intense and at an earlier age now than what it was back when we were all kids.

I think (hope) the experience is different because we have learned from, and moved on from, the 80's methods. Which basically looked to the Eastern European model of coaching, soviet bloc, Romania, Hungary, east Germany etc were the world leaders.

But my experience of gymnastics in the 80's was just as intense, if not more so, than my kids. It is accepted now that kids might be there for fun, or just to be the best they can be. My experience was that you did gymnastics to get to the olympics, anything less why bother. Coaches wouldn't coach you seriously unless they thought you were too.

 

[Committed]

Nope, I was a dancer. Gymnastics is interesting to watch, for me, because it's new. I don't know what skill comes next. I think DDs skills look great when she gets them...... then realize they were actually horrible once I find out what it's supposed to look like (think : BHS & kip)!

 

[needcoffee]

My intermediate (like middle school I guess, I grew up in New Zealand) had a team that I joined but I was pretty useless at it. I pretty much never mastered anything beyong a round off, BWO and a FHS vault. Lol.

I've always loved watching though. It's pretty much the only sport I'll get up for in the middle of the night during the Olympics and commonwealth games.