WAG What keeps a girl in gymnastics?

[LTB~Mom]

I've been wondering this lately too - especially what keeps girls in gymnastics as they enter high school. I try to make sure my dd has enough social time with friends outside the gym and I let her miss practice occasionally for school functions so she doesn't want to quit for social reasons.

 

[John]

I only have an 11-year old, but I have watched closely for almost 6 years. I think everyone has made valid points about why they think girls stay in and why they quit. I would venture to guess if we took the reasons for staying and totaled them into a personality, that personality would match many of our children. It does mine. I can see almost every one of the reasons listed to stay within my daughter's personality.

I think many kids start gymnastics because it looks fun and who could argue that Rec classes are not fun? It seems to me that once an athlete makes team the game changes. I have said this before here. I liken team gymnastic not to having fun but to something far more important to each athlete. If you took your athlete to an amusement park for 4 hours a day 5 times a week, how many trips would it take before the fun stopped and they ask you not to go anymore? I have watched many summer practices and during those practices, I say self they have to have such desire to be great to endure this for hours every day.

I hope this thread continues the subject of what makes someone stay in the gym is very interesting.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Patience and persistence I find are the biggest factors. On an internal personal level,
.

 

[LindyHopper]

About 18 months ago, We were entering summer vacation, and I was worried. Worried that later in her life my daughter would think she'd wasted her childhood. That she would be resentful of all of the hours conditioning and repetition.

Then I thought about me as a kid. If someone told me that I could spend 16+ hours a week in a music room, dance studio, and auditorium rehearsing (in other words endless repetition) for a show choir performance with full sound system, and lighting, complete with sparkly costumes or a musical theatre production, I would have absolutely jumped at the chance. It would have taken crazy amounts of time and effort--a lot of work, but it wouldn't have felt like it.

As it is, I have a BA in music, and have been swing dancing for over 20 years.

Ultimately it's a passion for the activity.

But then, all of this applied for me in music and dance:

Kids keep going if they can tick all the boxes
1. They love it, it’s fun (not boring and repetitive)
2. They have goals they are working towards
3. They feel like they are good at it, doing well.
4. They feel like they are progressing and improving
5. They feel warm and welcomed, and part of the community at the gym, bind with team mates
6. They feel it has value.

For Short Stack and gymnastics, at 11 years old and where we are, she ticks all 6 boxes above. So, I am at peace with her doing what she loves--what drives her

 

[RTT2]

Then I thought about me as a kid. If someone told me that I could spend 16+ hours a week in a music room, dance studio, and auditorium rehearsing (in other words endless repetition) for a show choir performance with full sound system, and lighting, complete with sparkly costumes or a musical theatre production, I would have absolutely jumped at the chance. It would have taken crazy amounts of time and effort--a lot of work, but it wouldn't have felt like it.

That's how I felt about diving. I remember going to diving camp a few times while in high school and wishing I could stay there forever and do nothing but eat, sleep, and breathe the sport I loved.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Can I ask a question, you say not boring and repetitive but gymnastics to me seems very repetitive (and boring). At my dd gym skill progression can seem slow compared to other gyms as they won’t let a child move on to Y skill until X skill has been mastered. They seem to have a few key skills that they want mastered before progressing round off being one. So when my dd was learning a round off she seem to spend an age just learning a round off and perfecting it but from mastering it to their satisfaction she very quick went to round off flic back tuck to a round off flic straight back.
So how do you mean not repetitive as surely it has to be repetitive to master the skills?

Of course there is a great deal of repetition in gymnastics. But having the kids do the same things day in and day out in the same way is detrimental to their progress, motivation and health. Coaches should posses the ability to mix it up, change the surfaces, change the drills, use different equipment set ups, use different ways of approaching each apparatus, come up with different drills to target different areas of each skill etc.

 

[Aussie_coach]

I respectfully disagree as well. Mine hits 2 of the 6, but definitely did not feel the other 4 for the majority of her career - yet she never once wanted to quit. I think it's really personal -- each gymnast sticks with it for his or her own reasons.
I do think your list would be a great way for a coach to try to make it something kids want to stick with!

As a coach it saddens me to hear that. Gymnastics is not just a sport they do, it becomes the main focal point on their lives and of their childhoods. As a result, gymnastics will play a huge role in shaping their futures.

If these kids are not chasing goals, feeling fulfilled, enjoying being a part of a community, and building their self esteem then is it really going to have the positive impact on their lives that we want it too.

As coaches (and parents), things like making nationals and making elite etc may seem terribly important. But at the end of the day, the vast majority of these kids will not do any of these skills again when they reach adulthood. Our ultimate goal should be sending kids into adulthood with confidence, self esteem and a strong ability to set and chase goals, work through challenges and break down fear.

As a coach I sit down with that list on a regular basis and look at each athlete and check the boxes are being ticked. If not, I ask myself what I can do differently to help that athlete gain that positive experience.

 

[Taxidriver]

Of course there is a great deal of repetition in gymnastics. But having the kids do the same things day in and day out in the same way is detrimental to their progress, motivation and health. Coaches should posses the ability to mix it up, change the surfaces, change the drills, use different equipment set ups, use different ways of approaching each apparatus, come up with different drills to target different areas of each skill etc.

Ok I see what you mean and they certainly do that at my dd gym but I do still see it as quite a repetitive sport verses say football.

 

[amgymnast618]

Gymnast here, also a senior in high school with 4-5 more months left of gym so I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The reasons why I've stayed:
1. It's a huge part of my identity
2. There's always a new challenge, and I never wanted to let whatever injury or mental block I was struggling with "win"
4. My gym and the friendships I have there. I've been there since I was 8 and it's a second home.
5. Most importantly: I love it. Every time I considered quitting, I was never able to go through with it. It's hard to explain to other people, but I think most gymnasts/parents of gymnasts understand what I'm trying to say. Nothing compares to the feeling of getting a new skill or doing a great routine in a meet. If I could go back to level 4 and do it all over again, I would.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Ok I see what you mean and they certainly do that at my dd gym but I do still see it as quite a repetitive sport verses say football.

I would call gymnastics far less repetitive than any other sport. Each gymnast learns hundreds of different skills, most sports have a significantly smaller number of movements.

 

[Taxidriver]

I would call gymnastics far less repetitive than any other sport. Each gymnast learns hundreds of different skills, most sports have a significantly smaller number of movements.

Ok I guess we will have to agree to disagree on that, as in my opinion whilst gymnastics has many skills to learn it takes many hours to perfect with lots of repetition, where as say in football even with limited skills kids start playing games from an early age they don’t have to master the skills in order to play a game.

 

[Aussie_coach]

The most popular sport in Australia is swimming. Kids train many sessions per week (not as many hours as gymnastice but often as many sessions). They do the same 4 strokes over and over. I know this is just one example but while there is no youth sport that takes as many hours as gymnastics, the hours seem to be ever increasing at younger and younger ages in many sports.

 

[Taxidriver]

The most popular sport in Australia is swimming. Kids train many sessions per week (not as many hours as gymnastice but often as many sessions). They do the same 4 strokes over and over. I know this is just one example but while there is no youth sport that takes as many hours as gymnastics, the hours seem to be ever increasing at younger and younger ages in many sports.

Ok I agree swimming is more repetitive than gymnastics, I guess between myself and my kids we have done many different sports and other than swimming (which my dd found boring) I would say gymnastics is the most repetitive but my dd loves it.

 

[Momma Bear]

Interesting topic...

Both of my daughters started gymnastics together. They both have very different personalities.

Daughter A is still going strong in gymnastics.
Daughter B has switched to competitive cheer a long time ago.

I think their personalities have a lot to do with their outcomes.

Daughter A- determined, stubborn, perfectionist, hard-working, introvert, competitive

Daughter B- out-going, fun-loving, easy-going, dramatic, funny, and a tad bit on the lazy side!

I couldn’t be happier with two totally different daughters. Both of whom keep me on my toes in different ways. I’m glad they both found something they love that suites their personalities. But I do think personality has a lot to do with kids sticking with gymnastics.

 

[John]

Gymnast here, also a senior in high school with 4-5 more months left of gym so I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The reasons why I've stayed:
1. It's a huge part of my identity
2. There's always a new challenge, and I never wanted to let whatever injury or mental block I was struggling with "win"
4. My gym and the friendships I have there. I've been there since I was 8 and it's a second home.
5. Most importantly: I love it. Every time I considered quitting, I was never able to go through with it. It's hard to explain to other people, but I think most gymnasts/parents of gymnasts understand what I'm trying to say. Nothing compares to the feeling of getting a new skill or doing a great routine in a meet. If I could go back to level 4 and do it all over again, I would.

Thank you for sharing. It is nice to have a gymnasts take on this.

 

[mariposa]

I don't know what keeps my daughter in it. As much as she's been though mentally (tough coach, mental blocks, mind games) and physically (dealing with a chronic injury that isn't serious, but causes pain every day), I don't understand why she still goes in day after day and gives it her all, especially when she feels her coaches don't even believe in her anymore.

She does love gymnastics and has always loved the day to day hard work and conditioning. She likes her teammates. She doesn't love competing, but does enjoy it. But I just don't understand it, though I do my best to support her.

 

[LizzieLac]

Gymnast here, also a senior in high school with 4-5 more months left of gym so I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The reasons why I've stayed:
1. It's a huge part of my identity
2. There's always a new challenge, and I never wanted to let whatever injury or mental block I was struggling with "win"
4. My gym and the friendships I have there. I've been there since I was 8 and it's a second home.
5. Most importantly: I love it. Every time I considered quitting, I was never able to go through with it. It's hard to explain to other people, but I think most gymnasts/parents of gymnasts understand what I'm trying to say. Nothing compares to the feeling of getting a new skill or doing a great routine in a meet. If I could go back to level 4 and do it all over again, I would.

For a second, I thought my daughter wrote this! She might re-order 1-5, but this is definitely it!

 

[duyetanh]

Ok I guess we will have to agree to disagree on that, as in my opinion

The most popular sport in Australia is swimming. Kids train many sessions per week (not as many hours as gymnastice but often as many sessions). They do the same 4 strokes over and over. I know this is just one example but while there is no youth sport that takes as many hours as gymnastics, the hours seem to be ever increasing at younger and younger ages in many sports.

When i was a swimmer we trained 30 hours a week. Double workouts, and running and weights besides.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Ok I guess we will have to agree to disagree on that, as in my opinion whilst gymnastics has many skills to learn it takes many hours to perfect with lots of repetition, where as say in football even with limited skills kids start playing games from an early age they don’t have to master the skills in order to play a game.

My daughter had limited gymnastic skills when she started competing L2.

 

[momstrong]

Gymnast here, also a senior in high school with 4-5 more months left of gym so I've been thinking about this a lot lately. The reasons why I've stayed:
1. It's a huge part of my identity
2. There's always a new challenge, and I never wanted to let whatever injury or mental block I was struggling with "win"
4. My gym and the friendships I have there. I've been there since I was 8 and it's a second home.
5. Most importantly: I love it. Every time I considered quitting, I was never able to go through with it. It's hard to explain to other people, but I think most gymnasts/parents of gymnasts understand what I'm trying to say. Nothing compares to the feeling of getting a new skill or doing a great routine in a meet. If I could go back to level 4 and do it all over again, I would.

Love this! Thanks so much for sharing, it brings tears to my eyes. I hope the same for my (now 10 yo dd).