Where are all the gymnasts?

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Normally I find these threads really, really annoying, but

I see lots of parents posting. And coaches. But surely we have gymnasts here? I love reading/writing about gym and hearing other's stories. So feel free to post them. To get us started..

Started gym:
Reason why:
Level now:

Favourite apparatus/skill:
Least favourite app/skill:

Most encouraging story:

Goals:

For myself... I do tramp and gym

Started gym: Rec when I was a kid, quit. Tramp at 12, gym at 13-16. Still jumping.
Reason why: Friends from school did tramp, Sydney Olympics, looked really cool and fun!
Level now/hours: Gym L6 approx (aus optionals), tramp L7 (17+/junior intl); 12 hours max

Favourite apparatus/skill(s):
Gym- bars, beam and floor; punch fronts on BEAM! Yeah!
Tramp - individual tramp; double pikes, double layouts, HIHO, back twisting, doubles in a row.

Least favourite app/skill(s):
Gym - umm, cartwheel-back somi dismount on beam. Just do the roundoff. Front layouts on floor, because I also suck royally at them. I hate really bad choreography. Wrists. Presentation. Bad form. Blergh.
Tramp - double mini; rebounds, rudis (because I SUCK at them...which is why I hate them). Piked baranis.

Most encouraging story:
Watching my teammates train and make state and national teams and improve...they're so inspiring. Watching the determination in people. The will. The desire.
When people tell me that I'm not going to be able to achieve that. It only makes me more determined.

Goals:
Gym - get that kip (*almost* there), cast HS; giants; punch front on high bb, some tumbling on bb; gain some more strength; ro-ff-back on floor.
Tramp - my routine with 4 doubles; really really nice rudis --> into vol; full out pucked/straight; half in half out tucked on tramp; rudi outs :D
 
started gym: started at a competitive gym when i was 8 then later went to rec for about 4 years and then moved to competition.
reason why: my mom did gym in high school and i thought it sounded fun
level now/hours: i am now training level five and i currently do about 15 hours a week including open gym.
Favorite apparatus/skill(s): tsukahara, giants, anything on vault.
Least favorite app/skill(s): bars. i just cant get a good kip.
Most encouraging story: i dont really have an encouraging story but i think what really keeps me going is knowing that my whole family supports me and they are always there for me when i need it.
Goals: get a good kip and long hang kip. ansl get a consistent backextension roll. and a backwalkover on the high beam. switch leap on beam.
 
Started gym:
Started (artisitic) rec when I was 8 and then went to competitive when I was 10, training about 16 hours a week. I quit when I was 13.

Started competitive T&T in December.

Reason why: I went in to a gymnastics summer camp.

Level now: B

Favourite apparatus/skill: Floor/Aerials! (They are so useless, but fun.)

Least favourite app/skill: Bars/Flyaways

Goals: To be able to compete the next level in Tramp next year and to get double backs. Also, to not be such a wimp in tumbling.
 
Started gym:almost 11 years ago, at age 5
Reason why:my doctor told me I was super flexible.He said gymnastics or dance. And dance was boring.
Level now:6, hopefully level 7 in fall.

Favourite apparatus/skill:Bars: clearhip handstand, flyaway. Beam: leaps and jumps!!! Also the stuff I'm training: frontwalkover- fronthandspring, switch leaps
those are my faves! On floor though, I love pike jump-back extension rolls and fun leap/jump passes(switch side- starddle jump or switch leap-tuck full, or straddle full)
Least favourite app/skill:Vault! Actually I don't hate it as much anymore. I do hate the level six dismount on beam though and punch fronts on floor(fronthandspring fronts are fun!)

Most encouraging story:My first year of competition, I scored no higher than a 25 all around. That summer, I worked really hard and the next season, I did nothing lower than a 33.8.

Goals:Move to level seven, at least try giants, layout on floor, 180degree switch leap on high beam.
 
Started gym: tumbling at age 13, gym at age 15, (6 months ago)
Reason why: i always wanted to
Level now: 3/4

Favorite apparatus/skill:
Floor: Full twist layout
Least favourite app/skill:
Floor: front anything
Vault: can't do anything yet!

Goals:
BHS on beam
Doubles on floor
Kip on bars... long way off for me
 
In regards to my goals, I tried giants on strap bar and I def. prefer clearhips for circling elements. I moved to level 7, got a gorgeous layout the second night I ever did them and the switch leaps are great!(though can be inconsistant) Good luck to everyone else with their goals!
 
Started gym: 5 years old
Reason why: My mom put me in gymnastics because I was doing round-offs down the slide at the playground
Level now: No longer a gymnast--retired after 13 years--ended as college gymnast at West Virginia University. Sadly I had to end my college career before it even really started due to a recurring back fracture that was never going to heal. Now I coach gymnastics--I coach kids from 18 months to rec level 4s and competitive level 4-6s.

Favourite apparatus/skill: Bars--giants, flyaways, double layouts, clear hips
Least favourite app/skill: anything on beam--except yurchanko mounts--i loved those.

Most encouraging story: My first year of level 5 I grew 10 inches, so my cetner of gravity was completely off and I did not even make states. The next year I went to states, and from that point on nothing could hold me back.

Goals: Start working out and doing a little bit of gymnastics here and there--even though I'm not supposed to.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
Nope....I'm a girl. Funny thing is that my brother's nickname is Hammy.
 
i started gymnastix and dance when i was 3 quit dance at 7 1/2 to do competitive gymnastics was level 7-8 when started was level 10 at age 10 then got injured and went down to level 4 (dont ask it was my coach) adn now i am still workin my way back up im 16 and i am a level 6-7 so yea i can throw harder skills though i started gymnastics because everyone thought i was good at it and i was favorite event: bars then floor then vault then beam i hate beam but im good at dance everyone loves my dance i guess my most encouraging story is what ive been through it was hard work but now its even harder so that just makes me work even harder goals: to be level 7 by december all i need is series on high beam and a giant and then i have it so im tryin
 
Male Gymnast!

Started gym: 2003
Reason why: i loved it when i saw the 2003 worlds on tv and enrolled right away. also my neighbors did it.
Level now: 8

Favourite apparatus/skill: floor/vault- double backs and yuchenkos[ starting them]
Least favourite app/skill: pommel horse- evrything.pbars- everything but dismounts.
 
Are you one of those raw power kind of guys??? If so, I can see how pbars and pommel horse would be a bit boring/less intense for you. Just wondering, don't take it personally. I've coached boys(less advanced than you-level 4/5) and can already tell that they are easily bored by those events but could spend hours doing front tucks and handsprings.
 
Woo..

Started gym:2005 (rythmic) 2007 (artistic)
Reason why:I started rythmic because my parents would
not let me do artistic but thats about to change HAHAHA!
Level now: I did not do offical rythmic just a club thing
and when I start my artistic I should go into level 2
straight away off the bat so thats going to be exciting!
Favourite apparatus/skill:Fav is Bars and Beam (vault
can also be fun because of the motion and the force)
Least favourite app/skill:Floor I just hate it
I love seeing be do it but I hate the motion
of the the bounce after bounce after bounce!
Most encouraging story:Hmmnn when my coach
said I had an unusual body type but was suprised
that I was so naturly talented and proved to her
even though I had her unwanted body shape It
does not mater it made me so happy and chuffed!
Goals:By next year maby get to level 3 or 4
 
Started gym: I started at age 4 in Dallas.
Reason why: I thought it looked like fun!! :)

Level now: Level 9

Favourite apparatus/skill: My fav skill is toe heck on bars.
Least favourite app/skill: I hate doing straddle backs... :(

Most encouraging story: IDK...

Goals: My goals are to get my bars routine by November.
 
started gym: when i was three
reason why: watched a gymnastics comp on tv and said "I wanna do that"
Level Now: It is called Advanced Gymnastics at my gym- :confused:

Favourite App. :BEAM BABY!
Least Favourite: Vault. :mad:

Most Encouraging Story: Adidas Ad, Nadia Comaneci

Goals: Get that handspring front layout done perfectly!!!!
 
Last edited:
^^What kind of skills do you do (other than the front hand-layout) ?
 
Started gym: 2000
Reason why: Saw the 2000 Olympics, thought it was cool
Level now: Prep Opt (hopes to make it to lvl 7 after this season)

Favourite apparatus/skill: Beam-backwalkover
Least favourite app/skill: Bars-kip

Most encouraging story: Don't know...

Goals:
~make it to YMCA nationals
~make it to lvl 7 next year
~be able to do handstand presses
~be able to make a straight arm kip
there's like a ton more...
 
I love gymnastics!

Started gym: about 4 years ago
Reason why: I hated dance and I heard about gymnastics.. and I immediately fell in love with it


Level now: Modified optionals

Favourite apparatus/skill: Floor, Front Handspring Punch Fronts
Least favourite app/skill: Bars, uprises

Most encouraging story: I was really struggling on bars for about a year, and then I lost about 15 pounds and worked on my upper body strength, and I skipped 3 levels. =D

Goals: Clear hip to handstand on bars, Layout flyaways, piked Gainers on beam, backhandspring on beam, layout on floor
 
Hello!

started gym: started at a competitive gym when i was 8 then later went to rec for about 4 years and then moved to competition.
reason why: my mom did gym in high school and i thought it sounded fun
level now/hours: i am now training level five and i currently do about 15 hours a week including open gym.
Favorite apparatus/skill(s): tsukahara, giants, anything on vault.
Least favorite app/skill(s): bars. i just cant get a good kip.
Most encouraging story: i dont really have an encouraging story but i think what really keeps me going is knowing that my whole family supports me and they are always there for me when i need it.
Goals: get a good kip and long hang kip. ansl get a consistent backextension roll. and a backwalkover on the high beam. switch leap on beam.

Started Gym:
When I was four so about 11 years ago! And I still like it!

Reason Why:
I saw the Olympics on T.V and I really like it so my parents signed me up!

Level Now/Hours:
I am a level six but I do rec, I dont know how much that changes and I only go for two hours but I like tumbling on the soccer field if that counts!

Favorite Skill/Apparatus:
I really really to the tenth power love floor and my favorite skill would have to be fulls on the tumble track! Vault is really fun too!

Least Favorite Skill/Apparatus:
I dont like bars or beam at all, I could live without it I dont have the arm strength or balance for either. I dont like any skills that have to do with them except straddle backs, those are fun!

Most Encouraging Story:
I dont really have a story but the fact that my friends and family will support me no matter what, and the fact that we can goof off and have fun and we dont have the pressure of having to be absolutly perfect. Having fun with it is the best and all the crazy drills we have to do (hanging and spinning upside down to get a full, it worked and it was fun!)

Goals:
Work on getting my full on floor, I have a half but I need to get the power out of my backhandspring to make the full. My coach told me I could easily do a round-off full becuse i have so much power but one with a backhandspring would be nice too! I have the power just not the endurance to keep going.
 
Started Gym: When I was 3
Reason Why: My parents put me in
Level/Hours: My gym is rec and we only go to Level 6 but they have us do harder skills so 6 but I do harder skills...four hours but I do Open Gym too
Fav skill/event: I love all events and my favorite skill, o geez I don't know. I like a variety of things. I love fulls and straddle backs and half-ons/offs, backhandpsrings on beam. It differs on each event.
Least fav skill/event: i love it all!
Most encouraging story: Shawn Johnston had only one arm but her best event was bars and she was really good. I also love knowing my coaches and friends and family support me.
Goals: Be the best I can be and do well. I want to get a straddle back w/o mats and do a keep immediately after...I want to coach when I am older too!
 

New Posts

DON'T LURK... Join The Discussion!

Members see FEWER ads

Gymnaverse :: Recent Activity

College Gym News

New Posts

Back