WAG Stress, L8 - and what I learned

[esor]

I am sharing this because I just learned a gymnastics life lesson. As a parent, one of the hardest things to watch is when your child struggles. My DD moved up to L8 this last year, and boy was it rough. Her confidence was whacked, she struggled with some skills, and was the youngest on the team trying to keep up the older girls. I was really worried about her, and concerned she might lose the love of a sport that has been in her life since she was 2. Very hard for mom to watch!

Fast forward through the season - and get to state. She had a terrible state! Fell on 2 events, but somehow just barely qualified for regionals. I thought she was going to be really upset, but something happened. First, she was just thrilled she made it to regionals! And then, she tells me, "Mom, I don't have to worry about anything anymore! There is nothing after regionals so I can just have fun!" And I tell her, yep, that's right! And scratched my head at her perspective. Little did I know what this meant.

So what happened - she had her best meet of the year at regionals. Bars was her highlight - during the season she was scoring low 8's and high 7's, and fell almost every, single, darn, meet. Regionals, I didn't know who she was - she nailed it (for her), and got a 9.35. Her other events went well too. And, ever since state at practice, she is all of a sudden working her L9 upgrades on beam, bars and floor (I am still scratching my head, she wasn't even close to thinking about working upgrades 2 months ago???) She wouldn't even do a flip flip on high beam this season, but now she has it and is now working switch leap back tuck on low beam??!. She is also flipping her vault by herself into the pit and on pit mats (she did a handspring this year during season). She is happy again - I chalk this all up to no stress.

I always say what a crazy sport. I also now know, don't worry, and don't stress, and quite frankly, just sit back, she's got this. Definitely a life lesson for mom.

 

[raenndrops]

That's great!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Tell her to click her heels three times and review this the next time she gets stressed.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Thanks for sharing! This is great to keep in mind. Congrats to her!

 

[kris]

I'm so glad it all worked out for your DD. I hope that momentum keeps on going for a long, long time!!

 

[AgingHippie]

Congratulations to you and your dd. So nice to read and great for us newer gymnastics moms to hear.

 

[Ali'sMom]

So wonderful to hear!!
it's so freaking crazy what stress can do to a gymnast...

 

[Rockygym]

Thanks for sharing for those of us early on in this crazy train

 

[CameraShy]

It's great to hear stories like this... A wonderful thing for mom's like me coming up through the levels to learn now and keep in mind as things getting harder and more stressful. Thank you!

 

[ShesAMonkey]

I'm so glad to hear that she is doing so well! I know that you and I have commiserated with one another over at the L8/L9 social group. My DD had a similar L8 season this year. (Minus the regionals--I wish our gym took L8's to regionals!) My DD is happily training her L9 skills now, with plans in the works for extra vault help. May both of our girls continue to grow and love this sport as long as they can!

 

[esor]

So glad to hear the same about your DD ShesAMomkey! i wish the same for your DD as well! I know mine will go L8 again this year, and looking forward to having a fun season while learning what she needs for 9 the following year. Just feels so good to see her smiling a lot more

 

[lovethelord]

How wonderful!! Congratulations!

 

[B.Gold]

Congrats! And thanks for posting, this really resonates with me. My dds L8 season went exactly the same way. She faced so many challenges on EVERY event that I actually tried to encourage her to move on. I took a break from it all and distanced myself.

But then she hit it out of the park at regionals, placing in the top 3 in more than 1 event and placed in the all around. She has come back into the gym fired up and doing L9 skills in a week that I never imagined would happen without months, or even years, of struggle. Esor....it has been a HUGE life lesson for me that still has me scratching my head and shameful I was ready to count her out. I also feel I can sit back and relax a bit because now I know, as she's told me a million times this season, she's got this....

 

[esor]

B.Gold, I hear you when you say you feel a bit shameful, because I was there with you. I also posted this as I know how hard this was for me, and figured there had to be others out there who migh be experiencing or will experience the same thing. I am glad your Dd did so well, and you survived it too!

The other thing that was good that came out of this is I also took a break from it. It really taught me that this truly is hers, I have very little place in it except to listen, get her to practice and meets, and pay for it! Hah! Oh yeah, and just enjoy seeing her grow with her maturity, her grace, dedication, her work ethic, her confidence, and last her gymnastics skills. There's that too.

 

[B.Gold]

^^^yes exactly!!!And it's very liberating isn't it!! You and I lived parallel lives this season.

 

[esor]

^^^yes exactly!!!And it's very liberating isn't it!! You and I lived parallel lives this season.

It sure sounds like it! I feel better too knowing I wasn't the only one experiencing all of this. And, that this seems to be a normal path for girls making the big transition to L8! Thanks for sharing your story as well!

 

[MeetDirector]

At the upper optional levels, I think we all lead much more parallel lives than we know. Now at the end of our gymnastics journey I look back and kick myself for ever doubting dd. Seeing the young woman that has developed from this sport and all of the trials and challenges does warm my heart. Seeing her absolutely ecstatic for being rewarded for her perseverance and academic accomplishments makes everything that has happened in this sport all worth it.

 

[MomIdidit!]

I love this post, it truly puts it all into perspective. Thank you for sharing and so glad that your dd has got this!

 

[flippingtogether]

The other thing that was good that came out of this is I also took a break from it. It really taught me that this truly is hers, I have very little place in it except to listen, get her to practice and meets, and pay for it! Hah! Oh yeah, and just enjoy seeing her grow with her maturity, her grace, dedication, her work ethic, her confidence, and last her gymnastics skills. There's that too.

THIS is one of the best paragraphs of wisdom for every parent out there - especially those in the first few years of the sport, still getting the hang of it all. I have a rising L7 DD and one of the best things I have done in the last 6 months is step back, stop watching practices, and let her "have it" since the sport is hers, not mine. I am trying not to let the frustrations she has frustrate me, and instead I am having fun watching her maturity, grace, dedication, confidence, and all other wonderful words of wisdom from ^^^ come from her.

I try to ask her as little as possible about practices, and let her tell me what's going on, but that is HARD. But I think that it is important for me to learn to step back more and more as much as I can.....it was so well put when the OP said it was "a life lesson for mom."

I am learning to understand she WILL get things, but just in her own time and in her own way, and I have no control over it at all. Just let it be, let it happen. I look forward to all the ways she will surprise me.

Thank you for sharing your story.

 

[flippingtogether]

And this image I think is another great thing to keep in mind through the gymnastics careers of our kids: