More to gymnastics than just gymnastics...

[DND]

There have been various posts about life after gymnastics, scholarships from gymnastics, and just what benefits kids get from being in gymnastics. I noticed that no one ever seems to mention other doors that have opened for ex-gymasts that may be "over the hill" as far as being a gymnast goes.

In our small gym we have two "ex gymnasts" that went on to very successful lives in other sports that I believe would not have been possible if not for the skills developed as a young gymnast. Just from our small club one EG is currently in Mexico representing Canada in pole vaulting and the other made the Canadian National Team for Artistic Ski jumping. I am sure there are many other gymnasts that have moved on to be quite successful in other sports that we maybe just do not realize are out there as we navigate this gymnastics world with blinders on.

Really I am just trying to say gymnastics is great for all reasons mentioned so often, self discipline, strength, dedication etc., but when looking at the big picture when trying to make predictions/decisions for the future for your DD or DS don;t forget to take off the blinders as there may be doors that open that you never even thought of!

 

[sportyspice]

Downunder, we have had gymnasts move on and be very successful at:-
- trampolining,
- pole vaulting,
- aerobics,
- diving and
- olympic weightlifting.

One thing I have often heard from these coaches is "where can I get more gymnasts?" as I have been personally involved in 3 of the above sports.

 

[Shane]

Both of the above posts are very true. Gymnastics is a great sport in that it shapes the athlete into one that is able to do many things, physically.

 

[Kiwi]

One of our club's senior girls who retired from gymnastics this year was snapped up for athletics.

 

[bribri514]

I went to obvious way, cheerleading! Them back to gym. A bunch of girls on our team who left in middle and high school became pretty good freestyle skiers (park) and freestyle mogul skiers (the people who race down the giant bumps then go off a jump, flip, and land in the giant bumps, freestyle snowboarders (park) and one girl even went onto ski jumping, the Olympic training center isn't too far away. Many gymnasts have a lower center of gravity and more important a really good sense of awareness in space that sooo many other skiers and snowboarders don't have.

 

[10.0]

A lot of gymnasts also go on to be successful at academics and their chosen careers. I think a lot of this stems from the self control, discipline and drive to succeed that gymnastics teaches.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

My son plays hockey and one of the coaches saw dd doing some full turns in the lobby and asked if she did gymnastics. I said yes and he said, "Gymnasts make amazing hockey goaltenders!"

Also adding that one of the top athletes at dd's old gym retired and is now a provincial champion in athletics as well.

 

[Krystan]

And let's not forget another maybe obvious option. My dd just can't wait to be old enough to teach gymnastics to younger kids. She is dying to be a teacher/coach when she's older!

 

[Mike or the Don]

Gymnastics is a fantastic sport, and underrated in our opinion: MoTD’s 3 Most Underrated Sports | Mike or The Don

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

There are so many physical skills that are built during gymnastics. My art teacher is also a yoga guru - and I recently found out, yup, she was a gymnast. When I'm done with gymnastics, I really want to try modern dance and circus work!

 

[gymgurl]

an ex gymnast at my gym went on to diving and then aerial skiing and nearly started circus stuff. I know people who have gone into other types of gymnastics as well and athletics seems to be popular

 

[gymjourneymom]

Colleges also love gymnast to join the crew team because of their upper body strength

 

[kecks]

olympic weightlifting! all gymnasts we had at our club made *great* weightlifters, even when they started above age 13 when - coaches say - it is usually too late to be a *very* good lifter (international level). they are small, they have great body control and some are really fast. and they are flexible, also very important for olylifting. and they know how to deal with frustration when technique goes out of the window or disapears for days or weeks - also very important for elite lifters. they know hard work. and they get 'attention to detail' (margin of error is kind of none existing in lifting).

where can we get more (ex-)gymnasts? indeed!

 

[coachmolly]

Beyond building the foundation for other sports, I think gymnastics also provides a solid foundation for life at a crucial time. I'm in grad school currently for counseling, and I was just reading about the lack of adult figures in the lives of teenagers living in the western world. Provided gymnasts are in a positive and healthy training environment, coaches can provide crucial interactions and relationships with adults. Additionally, travel to/from meets and practices with parents provides great opportunities for parent-child discussions and relationships- something that a lot of kids are missing. Not to mention being so dedicated to an activity they are passionate about and making friendships with similarly minded peers is always a plus!
Gymnastics also teaches hard work, learning to take corrections, accepting feedback- both positive and negative, handling success and letdowns in a healthy way, overcoming obstacles, managing time, self-confidence, and a ton of other characteristics essential to successfully functioning in other aspects of life.
Of course, these skills and relationships can't be learned in less than adequate gym environments, so it's important for parents to stay involved and fully trust the coaches they are allowing their children to spend so much time with. But I would venture a guess that the mere fact that anyone reading this is here on the CB for support, advice, and feedback because they are invested in ensuring their child is in the best environment possible, so I think it's less of a worry here than amongst a group of CGMs who send their kids to crazy coaches (is there an acronym for those? )

 

[Kiwi]

so I think it's less of a worry here than amongst a group of CGMs who send their kids to crazy coaches (is there an acronym for those? )

CGCs??????