What are your child's goals

[gymbratsmommy]

My DD started gymnastics at the age of 4. At 4 1/2 she came to me and said, "Mom, me and Rachael are going to open a gym someday. I will be the coach and Rachael will run the front office because she says she isn't that good at the gymnsatics stuff."

At 6 DD participated in a clinic at Stanford University. When we walked in to the gym DD grabbed my arm and said, "Mom, I am SO going to Stanford!!!"

Now at 8 1/2 she will be competing Level 5 this Fall. Her coach has discussed fast-tracking her through Level 6 and then training Level 7 for a full year to compete in the Spring of 2010. She still talks about Stanford at least once a week and hopes to be eligible to compete on their team.

DH and I are hoping for a scholarship or a lottery win to help her achieve her dream, but we don't discuss that with her.

Good luck to all of the hard-working kids in achieveing their goals!!

 

[gymluvr33]

My dreams would be to become a college gymnast, however, seeing as how I am 13 and only in level 6, I don't think that it is very likely. My mom talks about doing high school gymnastics, but I would rather just keep doing it at the level I'm at in my gym. I would probably want to go to UNH, I love their team, and go to their gymnastics camp every summer.

 

[jls1969]

Part of the reason I asked is because I'm always hearing about elite gymnast saying that they have wanted to go to the Olympics since they were like 6 years old. I tend to disbelieve that they really have any understanding at that age what the Olympics even are. It also seems like that is a pretty universal goal amongst young gymnasts.

My dd is one of those...she wants to be an elite, go to the olympics and then also college. We have told her that while we (her dad and I) would support her if the olympics came her way, a more realistic goal would be college. When people ask her if she is going to the Olympics, she just says maybe and then talks about colleges. I think it is funny how people who aren't in the sport think the only goal in gymnastics is the Olympics...there are plenty of other goals to attain as well. Oh well...

 

[gym law mom]

There is a difference between dreams and goals. Most kids until at least 12 or so have dreams. Something catches their fancy and that is what they're "hooked" on for a certain period of time. They have no idea how to make the dream become reality and usually these ideas are replaced by others as time goes on, they experience more and mature. Goals are a specific action to achieve usually with a timeframe---get a kip in 3 months.

So, young kids have dreams. Some hold onto them and they do turn into goals as they get older. I would say my gymmie is at the stage where she is starting to switch from dreams to real goals. She does firmly want to get a gym scholarship and seems to understand how much work that will take----she also wants an academic one(just in case she gets "bored" with gym during college). She has talked about maybe trying an elite qualifier if she gets "really good" as a L10. Does she still dream of the Olympics? Of course, but I think its just wishful thinking of seeing herself in the US warmups and leo. What gymnast doesn't have that dream from time to time?