S
standsonherhands
After reading another active thread about child versus athlete, I started thinking about when I first knew my child was also an athlete.
For me I think it was about five months after her first gymnastics class when she was 5. She did a beautiful cast to squat on, feet between her hands, stood-up tall, then crashed with her chest onto the bar. I remember watching her from the parents area, having my first instinct to run to my hurt child, and literally holding the edges of my chair (to keep myself in it) thinking, "First let her coach help her, then she will know that coaches take care of her, then she will know that falls are part of gymnastics, then she won't develop fear because mom looks afraid." Of course coach helped and comforted her, then coach invited me over to do the same and dd was OK.
My thinking surpised me. I had never gone against my parenting instinct before. I had never considered her as doing anything more than taking rec gym for fun. Sitting there holding my chair was the first time I saw her as an athlete.
When did you first see the athlete in your child?
For me I think it was about five months after her first gymnastics class when she was 5. She did a beautiful cast to squat on, feet between her hands, stood-up tall, then crashed with her chest onto the bar. I remember watching her from the parents area, having my first instinct to run to my hurt child, and literally holding the edges of my chair (to keep myself in it) thinking, "First let her coach help her, then she will know that coaches take care of her, then she will know that falls are part of gymnastics, then she won't develop fear because mom looks afraid." Of course coach helped and comforted her, then coach invited me over to do the same and dd was OK.
My thinking surpised me. I had never gone against my parenting instinct before. I had never considered her as doing anything more than taking rec gym for fun. Sitting there holding my chair was the first time I saw her as an athlete.
When did you first see the athlete in your child?