I'll do it. Plenty of experience dealing with the aftermath of disaster, chaos, and crisis, grew up in the sport, went, dealt with similar abuse in a different high level sport, a very strong brain to mouth filter, and no reputation to live up to or destroy. Probably couldn't screw it up any...
They are truly amazing people, they know every gymnast that trains there by name, even the rec and tot classes (I think 400+ are enrolled for summer, more during the regular season) and do everything they can to make it a great, inclusive place. I've been banned from verbally thanking them, so...
My family took a huge financial hit after my dad was disabled in Iraq (my mom became sole breadwinner, and she was making about 30% of the income), and my gym gave me a scholarship when it became clear that gymnastics was completely impossible for us otherwise. I know my dad did some maintenance...
Also, since he went there so often, he may have obtained a Texas license. It's not hard, mostly the same as getting a new driver's license when moving states but more expensive and some extra paperwork (CV, license from previous state, background check). My sister was originally licensed in only...
Touché. I don't keep up much with psych research, I'm in the middle of a doctorate in an unrelated field and can't find it within me to care that much haha.
It definitely is a cultural thing, especially in the south and the midwest. I was raised more with the Norwegian-American stoicism, where you just don't display emotion beyond a calm and pleasant demeanor, actually, so it never felt "fake".
This. Faking cheerfulness and smiling actually makes...
That is exactly what I meant, sorry if it wasn't clear in my original post. Mostly I just think that if people are paying you for a specific product or service, you should do it in the manner they expect. I absolutely understand being tired, being burned out, having serious problems on your...
I worked in a pharmacy at that age. I had 400 to 500 prescriptions to sell, one right after the other, and I was expected to be just as upbeat, friendly, and attentive with patient #500 as with patient #1. And I was paid $7.25 an hour, not thousands of dollars, and the people weren't generally...
When I trained and competed, roughly seven million years ago, the dress code was known and followed, but not strictly enforced. In the gym, a lro or bar shorts and a full length fitted athletic shirt. Bar shorts could also be worn over a leo except during the week before a meet, and we wore our...
Trust your mom instincts above all else, but the guidelines I use are temperature under 100°F, isn't having any GI symptoms, and congestion is, if present, confined to above the neck. And that's my guideline from working in health care, not from coaching. When coaching, I trust parents, they...
This x100. I grew up spending a lot of time on the campus of a women's college where my mom studied and worked, and then attended it myself. So, you could say I know a LOT of women from extremely diverse backgrounds. For a research project, several classmates and I sent a campus-wide (anonymous...
Release moves are scary for even me, and I'm nearing 30, have 25 years of gymnastics under my belt, and specifically coach bars (and tumbling, but that's a whole different set of fears). So yes, 100% normal. It's frustrating, too, which can make it even harder. I'm assuming her coach knows what...
Not something that's done at the gym where I coach (though I only coach two or three days a week and only bars skills and tumbling skills, so I am not around for conditioning or "doing the numbers" of routines so I can't say for certain it doesn't happen sometimes). Since I work a lot on skill...
I have nothing of real value to add that hasn't been said already, but I do need to express my gratitude. Because of this thread, I watched the actual video and have now had the song stuck in my head ALL DAY. Thanks, y'all. :-)
On topic, awkward dance, blatantly copied, tumbling that didn't...
Haha, so true, but WI requires three semesters of music as a graduation requirement. Oddly, most of us didn't mind it too much. I'm from a rural area, so getting up at 4.45 or 5 to help with chores is really common, and we got done with classes early-ish, so sports practices and such could...
Our district (Wisconsin, USA) is kind of weird.
Elementary (ages 4-10/11) is 8.20-3.30, going from after labor day (first Monday in September) up to the 22 or 23 of December, then January 2 or 3 to June 21, with a week-long break around Easter (usually the week after Easter).
Middle school...
Add me to the broad shoulders (and no hips) party! It's helpful on bars and I also find it helps get way more power off the vaulting table. But really, body type only takes you so far-it's your drive and work that makes you a good gymnast.
I do 28 over 6 days, but that includes conditioning, physical therapy, skills, routines, and strength and flexibility training. I belong to two teams (one college club team, one gym team) so there is overlap in some of the training (LOTS of conditioning :))