When you tell someone you do gymnastics

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nicci1999

Gymnast
I actually had someone call me a dork the other day because I do gymnastics as an adult! Most people find it really cool, and I have heard quite a few "I wish I could do that". What do people say to you guys when they find out you do gymnastics, and Heaven forbid, maybe even compete?
 
What's funny is most people I talk to think its really cool. Its actually the gymnastics professionals that often give me looks and act like its crazy that I want to do gymnastics. When I first moved down here and went into a gymnastics place and asked about taking classes they just snubbed their nose at me like I must be crazy. This new place I take private lessons from is so much nicer and they actually had an adult program for a while it just kind of fizzled out except me. I love taking private lessons though and am still learning to do more and more so I don't think age should stop us from doing a sport we love. People are on adult soccer leagues, softball leagues and more so why can't we still do gymnastics.
 
when ever someone finds out that i do gymnastics they always say that i look like a gymnast, so they are not that surprised.
my parents went to the auu meet and said that i look more graceful now then when i was actually in gymnastics!
 
i'm 54 & have been trying to learn gymnastics for years (never took it as a child). i had a traveling job for 17 years and had a chance to beg my way into gyms all over the country. (vermont was the only state where i couldn't find a place that would let me take a class) i have been mostly in children's classes - many times with 5 y olds....many times with 16 y old coaches..sometimes not allowed on equipment....every time truly grateful that i was allowed in. i usually tell folks that ask me about my weight maintenance - that i dance alot & do some yoga....saves too much explaining & weird looks. however, those that i get to know- i try to get interested in at least adult tumbling. it does seem that those coaches that have had the most experience at the higher levels...are the ones that throw a jaundice eye. it could be that adults have had a notorious drop-out rate. one-two classes & either the pain or life takes them away. it could also be that the natural athletes - the ones who rise to the top quickly - haven't much experience in helping us figure out 'how' to do something because it was so easy for them...so they've gotten frustrated at older students. ...so the weird looks. anyway i've been ignoring the weird looks/laughter etc for a long time. keep going.
 
people seem to be pretty impressed most of the time. but then again gymnastics doesn't have the elitest little girls in pretty boxes and sparkly scrunchies feel it might have in the US (just guessing...)...it's just kind of rare.

People that actually know me better are just plain annoyed I guess. Just because I hardly ever quit talking about it:D
 
LOL, it's all about the shiny scrunchy! GK has super scrunchies, and yes, I talk about it all the time too. It's great b/c my mom used to be a JO gymnast so when I get frustrated or need tips, I talk to her, and I have my coach as well!
 
The first response is invariably, "Oh, I did gymnastics when I was 5!" After that, people always ask me if I'm good. I mean, how do you answer that? I'm really good compared to beginners, but I'm really bad compared to Olympians?
 
Next time someone asks you if you're any good, tell them no, you must not be, because you fall all the time :D
 
Anything from "oh, I thought only little kids did that" to something about cheerleading (nothing against cheerleaders--not my thing), to something silly about the olympics.

There are also the requisite comments about flexibility, of course *rolls eyes*.
 
honestly most people think it's pretty cool! They're usually a little surprised that there's adult classes. I think most of my coworkers now know I take gymnastics... otherwise I'm not sure *what* they must think of me rubbing random muscles every thursday, often wondering out loud "what skill was I working on to make my BUTT hurt this much??"

~Katy
 
Same here. Most people think it's cool that I do gymnastics. It's a lot more difficult than what most adults do for exercise (walking, jogging, and so on). And I'm happy today because the coach said I have nice lines and can start competing if I train hard for the rest of the year. I've had some negative folk saying that I'm too old and all that but I make them try the splits and that shuts them up. :p
 
Quite often they ask, 'You mean you teach gymnastics?' Then when I explain that I do it, they ask, do you do it with a college? I explain that I am out of college, and I do it with a club, and then they ask who is on the team, and I say teenagers :) When I was on the team and did 18 hrs/week and told them that, they were shocked that I took that much time. Basically after work I had no time for anything else, but I loved it so much it was worth it.
 
I actually went through a lot of persecution from not only friends, but relatives as well. They all told me to "grow up". I was made fun of, with comments about trying out for the Senior Olympics. I was only 22 at the time and everyone said I was "too old"! There were many other rude comments I won't even mention. My husband was my biggest fan, however. I never quit. My love for gymnastics drove me onward. In the end, I proved them all wrong with what I accomplished. I believe everyone should have a dream and go for it with all their hearts. If you don't agree with someone's dream, my suggestion is to "Zip It!!" :)
 
I agree that negative comments should be kept to oneself. I have had my fair share of those. Even though the comments can sting, I try to remember that the people who make them must be very unhappy to feel the need to criticize others, and that I am living my life for myself, and to be the happiest I can be.

My first meet back as a 25 year old, the meet director decided I must have been 15 instead of 25 (thought my birth date was a typo) and I earned a silver on bars in my age group, 16+, but because they put me w/ the 14-15 year olds, I didn't get my medal. I thought it was pretty funny though, that they figured I must be 15, not 25! I didn't think I looked THAT young!
 
Wow! I feel for you! The same thing happened to me at age 36! Even though I had to drive 2 hours one way to make it to workout, (after training another whole year), because I was the only Level 8 in the 16 yrs and Up Division who qualified for State Championships, instead of giving me medals for all my events just by competing there, they stuck me in the 14-15 year old Division! How cruel! I was sooooo flabbergasted! The nerve! I had to scratch from that State meet anyways because I felt competing with a back injury against an age group of girls that I wasn't competing against all year was unfair, not to mention, inconsiderate. So much frustration and discrimination against adult gymnasts, to endure. Even Charlie Brown would say, "Good Grief!" :eek:
 
I am afraid of not being taken seriously because I am 27. I am aiming for prep opt because there are older girls, some that are my age, doing prep opt, but I would love to go through the regular levels instead. There are only a couple of people at my regular gym who are either competing or looking to compete, and the other gym I go to, no one there but me seems to have an inclination to compete. Sometimes I feel silly saying that I want to compete in gymnastics at my age, almost as if I should have gotten over it. But I love doing it, and the fact that it is a great form of exercise is a huge plus~! But no one has made any comments to me since that one person I mentioned when I started this thread.
 
Yeah, really it can be bad, although my coaches for the most part were good. But, the sad thing is that was the only medal I would have won all year, NH has lots of 16+ level 8s, so it would have been nice to get the medal I earned!
 
Little Lady, your husband being your biggest supporter made me think of mine. Despite the fact that we are among the people getting hit the hardest with the economy, he wouldn't let me give up gymnastics, even if I wanted to! Plus, he thinks its really cool, and can't wait to see me compete. I personally think he just likes saying he is married to a gymnast lol :p
 
Its nice to hear all your comments. I didn't even start gymnastics until I was 14 because my mom wanted me to dance instead. She didn't like all the time and commitment it would take to do gymnastics. She finally let me take gymnastics but limited my involvement. It wasn't until I got married that I was able to get more involved in it. My husband wanted to make me happy, but he still thinks I'm crazy and is almost embarrassed by my involvement in the sport. If I get a little disappointed he says I'm being crazy and its like him getting upset over a video game. I'm still only training 3 or 4 hours a week but when I added an hour thursday night he got really upset with me. So I'm a little frustrated because it seems like the coaches at the gym I'm going to are coming around and are very supportive and people in general think its cool but the people closest to me are the ones trying to hold me back. I'd like to practice even more but I think my husband would get pretty upset with me. Any suggestions to gain his support?
 
Hi Kyliesmith1,
Ask your husband what bothers him most about your passion for gymnastics. I found out that most of the time, it's people's fear of you getting injured. I heard that a lot. "You're going to break your neck!" or "Why don't you take up a safer sport?" Maybe he secretly has this fear. Maybe not. Tell him the advantages of being a gymnast. It gets you into shape. It builds strong character traits such as patience, discipline, persistence, hard work ethics which all will be very valuable in everyday life. I'm sure he sees how happy it makes you. Try to get him more involved. Share training experiences with him. Explain the rules and progressions which may ease his worries if he fears you'll get badly injured. These are just a few suggestions that I used that worked with me with not only my husband, but negative relatives as well. Eventually he'll see (hopefully) that it's a wonderful sport and will become your biggest fan like my husband is still mine! :)
 

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