WAG Can I post this? 3yr old gymnast on Ellen

[l.c.o]

Apparently this airs today, but my DD found this already:

http://aplus.com/a/emma-rester-gymnast-ellen-show

I worry this will only encourage the Instagram gym moms to continue pushing and posting their gymnast girls younger and younger.

 

[gymgal]

I am more concerned about gym coaches that she has, teaching her back bends and back handsprings at three years old. She still has a toddler body. Her arms are even long enough to prevent her head hitting the tramp or mat. Major Accident waiting to happen

 

[l.c.o]

Yes, I definitely noticed the head springs. And aren't back bends supposed to be avoided until age 5?

I wonder how much is coach-directed and how much is "home"-directed.

 

[Sari]

I just saw this and came to see if anyone had posted about it. I don't want to be judgy or write a long-winded comment on my thoughts (especially because a topic like this has escalated before) but as a coach, the headsprings concern me. I've seen her videos floating around Instagram and I have to admit I just look away. Scary.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

She is absolutely adorable and certainly very talented. But I agree, I didn't think that 3 year olds were supposed to be doing full bridges yet, let alone full backbends, kick overs and back handsprings. Couldn't this be very hard on a developing spine? I know that at our gym, they only do the partial bridges in preschool classes, I thought it was the norm to wait until age 5 or so to start introducing full bridges and backbends, etc.

 

[bogwoppit]

Cute as a button, but too much too soon.

 

[Flyaway]

To borrow a word- yikes! Reminds me of that little boy that shows up on Instagram reposts all the time (from gymnastics organizations who should know better!) Arat something? It's a novelty to see a child so young do this stuff, but I cringe at how unsafe it is.

 

[LadyBugGymnast]

Her mom posted on her IG account that she trains 20 hours a week, but cut back to 16 because her "coach" was going easy on her, because she was the smallest of the group. I believe she has an account here, and had posted once about her not focusing during practice and was worried and seeking advice, just to forewarn anyone.

 

[CoachMeg]

Cute girl......but this is absolutely terrifying. The Instagram accounts for tiny 3-7 yr old gymnasts, aka CGMs, is a scary thing. I see some accounts where they have FULL SIZED equipment in their living rooms! And the tiny kids go to regular practice and then come home to mommy giving them another full workout at home for all their Instagram "fans". It's sick. The kids are going to get burnt out/hurt so fast. Not only that, but the form on most of these kids is atrocious, as most of the skills are mommy-taught. They will never see their kids in the upper levels of optionals because they'll have such bad habits of chucking back-tucks off their couches and self taught closed-shoulder, undercut back-handsprings on beam. Just let the kids enjoy the sport at their own pace with the help from REAL coaches, instead of making everything about fame/$.

 

[CoachMeg]

Her mom posted on her IG account that she trains 20 hours a week, but cut back to 16 because her "coach" was going easy on her, because she was the smallest of the group.

UGH. I hate this. HATE this. How can a person be so crazy? I'm being serious. It's one thing to see potential in your child and sign them up for lessons at a gym with a good reputation, but at 3 years old she should not even BE on any sort of team. Her body is only just developing and this much stress on her developing bones could be detrimental. Shame on the coach for also condoning this. This child should be coming MAX 2 hrs/week if the parents wants to sign her up for 2 PRE-SCHOOL oriented classes throughout the week. But 16-20 hours??? Disgusting. Poor child.

I believe she has an account here, and had posted once about her not focusing during practice and was worried and seeking advice, just to forewarn anyone.

And if this post gets me in trouble, so be it. I do not care if the mother has an account and sees this. In fact, she should see this. I don't understand why we, as a gymnastic's community, have been giving these people a pass. And then to see well-known former and current Elite/Olympic gymnasts re-posting their pictures sends a horrible message. I think Nastia is a great person and athlete but I don't understand why she shares these CGM Instagram posts, only further expanding the heads of these moms?! It's most likely because they wear her GK leotards and it's good publicity/marketing since they have such a big following. But it sends a horrible message to other parents to get their tiny TODDLERS training at home if they want any type of recognition from the elite community - and also sends a bad message about practicing at home to other gymnast on social media, despite their age. I'm sick of looking away and giving these accounts a pass. It gives gymnastics a bad name when backseat fans think kids need to be introduced to the sport that young and train that many hours. Imagine what the viewers of Ellen are thinking when they hear about a THREE YEAR OLD training that much. I know what they're going to think, it's either going to be one of two things: 1) "That sport is crazy!" (not in a good way), or 2) "Well, I better get little 2 year old Suzie some home equipment or she's going to be so behind!!"

 

[flipnastic]

Her mom posted on her IG account that she trains 20 hours a week, but cut back to 16 because her "coach" was going easy on her, because she was the smallest of the group. I believe she has an account here, and had posted once about her not focusing during practice and was worried and seeking advice, just to forewarn anyone.

20 hours a week at three? Oh that is heartbreaking!

 

[LadyBugGymnast]

Yes. They used the word "prodigy" but anyone with that amount of hours in anything, will have the same result.

UGH. I hate this. HATE this. How can a person be so crazy? I'm being serious. It's one thing to see potential in your child and sign them up for lessons at a gym with a good reputation, but at 3 years old she should not even BE on any sort of team. Her body is only just developing and this much stress on her developing bones could be detrimental. Shame on the coach for also condoning this. This child should be coming MAX 2 hrs/week if the parents wants to sign her up for 2 PRE-SCHOOL oriented classes throughout the week. But 16-20 hours??? Disgusting. Poor child.



And if this post gets me in trouble, so be it. I do not care if the mother has an account and sees this. In fact, she should see this. I don't understand why we, as a gymnastic's community, have been giving these people a pass. And then to see well-known former and current Elite/Olympic gymnasts re-posting their pictures sends a horrible message. I think Nastia is a great person and athlete but I don't understand why she shares these CGM Instagram posts, only further expanding the heads of these moms?! It's most likely because they wear her GK leotards and it's good publicity/marketing since they have such a big following. But it sends a horrible message to other parents to get their tiny TODDLERS training at home if they want any type of recognition from the elite community - and also sends a bad message about practicing at home to other gymnast on social media, despite their age. I'm sick of looking away and giving these accounts a pass. It gives gymnastics a bad name when backseat fans think kids need to be introduced to the sport that young and train that many hours. Imagine what the viewers of Ellen are thinking when they hear about a THREE YEAR OLD training that much. I know what they're going to think, it's either going to be one of two things: 1) "That sport is crazy!" (not in a good way), or 2) "Well, I better get little 2 year old Suzie some home equipment or she's going to be so behind!!"

 

[l.c.o]

Cute as a button, but too much too soon.

Yes, she's adorable, and their story was sweet. I loved the daddy kisses and her comment about not being afraid to fall because she'll just get back up again. She also seems to genuinely enjoy the sport.

That said, I'd be a little concerned by the wear and tear of 16 hours per week (at least it's no longer 20?) and the back bends/head springs so early. I'd really hate to see her hurt.

 

[CameraShy]

I have to say that I hold the coaches more accountable in all of this than even the parents - unless the parents have been educated on the matter and continue to do it anyway. I think most parents don't really know what is good and bad for a child of that age and if coaches think she should be learning back handsprings then parents think - well, they know best since they are the coach! The hours on the other hand.... I wholly blame parents for that one. It's just way too much.

 

[LizzieLac]

Ok, maybe I am in the minority...but were her skills really done impressively?

She is NOT clumsy. She is very coordinated and probably has some talent, but she didn't look like a prodigy to me. If she wasn't on the trampoline, she wouldn't have been able to complete her back headsprings.

Two things...she needs to be a kid! And, she needs to be safe. If she is truly doing 16 hours now, where does she go from there and how does school and friends fit into the picture?

None of it makes any sense to me.

 

[Flyaway]

I don't understand why we, as a gymnastic's community, have been giving these people a pass. And then to see well-known former and current Elite/Olympic gymnasts re-posting their pictures sends a horrible message.

Yesssssssss. It absolutely drives me crazy to see people who should know better perpetuate this. There is a well known gymnastics publication that posts stuff like this all the time.

 

[SeaActually]

Cute girl......but this is absolutely terrifying. The Instagram accounts for tiny 3-7 yr old gymnasts, aka CGMs, is a scary thing. I see some accounts where they have FULL SIZED equipment in their living rooms! And the tiny kids go to regular practice and then come home to mommy giving them another full workout at home for all their Instagram "fans". It's sick. The kids are going to get burnt out/hurt so fast. Not only that, but the form on most of these kids is atrocious, as most of the skills are mommy-taught. They will never see their kids in the upper levels of optionals because they'll have such bad habits of chucking back-tucks off their couches and self taught closed-shoulder, undercut back-handsprings on beam. Just let the kids enjoy the sport at their own pace with the help from REAL coaches, instead of making everything about fame/$.

And let them enjoy being a kid when they are not in the gym!

 

[GymDad9.9]

I have a feeling prodigy and novelty have gotten mixed up here.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Won't watch. Don't want to up the views.

Long way to go before she is a grown up. Same with early readers, speakers, whatever. For most kids they eventually get to the same place. For true prodigies time will tell.

 

[munchkin3]

Shameful......puts the sport in the total wrong light. Cutie pie, but the adults should be ashamed.......

Oh, by the way, did anyone see the story about the adorable 5 yo, who did a backbend at home and is in a wheelchair?
Terrible......