Parents Why gymnastics?

[curlymomof3]

Looking for some encouragement from parents. Dd is 9, training new level 5 and loves gymnastics. She is at a great gym, loves her coaches and gym friends and dreams of making it to the Olympics (don't they all). However, the hours and expense of the sport are starting to wear on me! This summer I enrolled her in a ballet/jazz/tumbling class just for fun and she loves it!! However she has informed that gymnastics is "her thing" and she will never quit for dance. But dance would be so much easier for us! Fewer hours, less commitment (they actually get a break in the summer), and less money.

I am also realizing that as much as she loves her gym, we will probably be looking for a new one soon. And the closest "good" ones would add about 20 minutes to our drive time.

So my question. Why gymnastics and not dance?? Will all this sacrifice be worth it? I would never pull her out of something she loves just for my own comfort, but it sure is tempting sometimes Maybe it is just the busy summer that is stressing me out. I just need some reassurance that I am doing the right thing!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

you can take the gymnast out of the sport, but you'll never take the gymnastics out of the kids. if you make the decision and yank her she'll be miserable. and our sacrifice is what we do as parents. it flies by...

 

[cbifoja]

I of all people understand how you feel. I wanted a ballerina baby so BAD! I was so excited when she was old enough to be enrolled in baby ballet. After the first class, the instructor brought her out by the hand and told me that she wasn't ballet material. She told me about a nearby gym and I ended up enrolling my DD there (after many weeks of embarrassed tears that my baby had been dance-rejected).

I have tried several times to get DD to love dance as I do but she just doesn't. She finds it slow and boring. She just loves gym. I can't explain why but I could no more take her from gym than I could remove her right arm. It is such a huge part of her life. She self-defines as a gymnast. I've quit trying to get her into the studio and she tolerates the dance instruction she receives at gym.

You can't fight something if it is that loved by your DD. Kids aren't thinking of convenience. They think of doing what they love. And our DDs love gym.

 

[sglemon]

She needs to want to leave the sport! We are getting ready to exit gymnastics ourselves and switch to dance, but unlike gymnastics, dance in my dds dream! She wants to be doing it 5 and 10 years from now, she wants to do it in college, she wants it to be her career, it is her passion. She does love gymnastics, but she doesn't want to go to the Olympics or even college for it. She looks at higher level gymnasts in the gym doing big skills and she has no desire to try them. We have done both for 7 years now, and she just turned 10. The 2 worlds will be colliding this fall, plus she is entering 5 th grade which is a heavy work load year at her school, it is time for her to choose and she chose dance. It was her decision and I 150%support her. I think the hardest things she will be giving up is her friendships at the gym and physical fitness level she is currently at. We are currently looking into additional activities for her, since she will be losing 12 hours a week of it, we may enroll her in a ballet Preprofessional program in additional to her current dance program and maybe soccer. She tried on pointe shoes today and you could see the excitement in her eyes! When your dd is ready to give up gymnastics, she and you will both know it.

 

[gymmiemom]

My DD is only 7 and training new L4, 4 days a week. Sometimes it is draining. I have 3 other kids in various activities throughout the year and the conflicts on weekends are becoming harder and harder to deal with during the competitive season. DH works shift work so he is only off 2 weekends a month to add to the chaos.

But what it all boils down to for us, is that she truly loves it. Gymnastics has made her a happier child and a better person. We tried several sports since she was 5ish and gymnastics was the only one she loved and thrived in. She is most definetely my "challenging" child out of all of them, and the difference that this sport has made in her is profound. So even though money is much tighter (I went and got a part time job. My first job since my oldest was born over 11 years ago) and scheduling is a nightmare, we will make it work until she says she is done.

 

[skschlag]

I think we have all asked that question over the years! I know I never set out to have a male gymnast! But they definitely know when it is for them.....and I know there is nothing I can do to dissuade my son from gym!! It is where he is happiest.

Enjoy the ride!

 

[gymmomof1]

I wish I could answer that question and us parents just walk around dazed and confused as to why our dd/ds do this crazy sport. But I can tell you how it has positively shaped her as a student, classmate, teammate and friend. Her attention to details, perseverance and time management are spot on. At the gym us parents muse is it because of gymnastics that the girls are this way or do the gravitate to gymnastics because it fits this need for perfection? I suspect a little of both lol. Welcomed to the" wonder why" club lol. Happy summertime

 

[BlairBob]

Gymnastics will better prepare her should she leave and try to get in other sports down the line, especially if they require upper body strength.

Dancers actually can crossover fairly well but not as well as gymnasts unless they already are predisposed to being stronger via their genetics.

 

[jago]

it flies by...

And it flies by too, too quickly!

 

[sjm2b3]

you can take the gymnast out of the sport, but you'll never take the gymnastics out of the kids. if you make the decision and yank her she'll be miserable. and our sacrifice is what we do as parents. it flies by...

I love this. My husband has tried for a year to sort of talk my DS out of gym, encourage baseball, encourage soccer, etc. BUT I think he has finally realized what Dunno said. DS went to gymnastics camp this week and honestly I've never seen him happier-he seemed like he was literally glowing with excitement. It was like he finally really fit in and just could flip all day long.

 

[htimcj]

Kids will find the things they like and there really isn't too much us parents can do about it. DD tried dance for a year and was bored silly. She NEEDS the challenge, hrill and excitement that the big skills give her that any other activity just doesn't supply. I do worry about the time and the money. I joke that I went back to work to pay for her gymnastics (actually I just got bored once she started school full time)! But I also know all of the positives this sport is providing her so we make it work. It is easier that I only have one child to work with.

 

[curlymomof3]

I love this. My husband has tried for a year to sort of talk my DS out of gym, encourage baseball, encourage soccer, etc. BUT I think he has finally realized what Dunno said. DS went to gymnastics camp this week and honestly I've never seen him happier-he seemed like he was literally glowing with excitement. It was like he finally really fit in and just could flip all day long.

Thank you all for the replies!! When Dd came home from gym tonight she was so happy; reminded me again why I keep her in this crazy sport!! I can totally relate to the husband thing! My husband hates that it is a year-round sport and always says that when the hours get too crazy we will have to pull her out. Our son does all the seasonal sports so it is hard for him to think of her just doing 1 sport all the time. But I do believe that if she does quit someday that gymnastics will give her a great foundation!

I think I also struggle with the fact that I have no role in how much she progresses in the sport. It is completely up to her and her coach. So different than other sports, like baseball, where a little bit of catch in the backyard can go a long way!!

 

[Muddlethru]

Why gymnastics not dance? Because right now it is what your daughter loves. I think you are also comparing apples and oranges. You have competitive gymnastics on one side and recreational dance on the other. In my opinion, your daughter will benefit more in competitive gymnastics just because it is what she prefers to do. Nothing will come out of recreational dance classes except end of the year recitals and expensive costumes she'll wear only once. Nothing wrong with that except that her heart is elsewhere and you'll just be wasting your money.

Btw, dance is more expensive than gymnastics if you want to master the art. You will need to do as many hours as you do in gymnastics and there is very little break on the hourly rate. You will get a nominal discount if you take multiple classes. But the hourly rate of a dance class will always be higher. Costumes are expensive and you will need several of them every year. And there are now competitions. "Dance moms" are now are crazier than gym moms. To truly benefit in dance, you need to take a lot of classes.

If by "will all the sacrifice be worth it?", you worry if she will reach her goal by being in the Olympics, or you are just wondering where all these sacrifice will lead, you will have to come to terms with what you are willing to give if nothing comes out of it. Olympics is a lofty goal. She may reach it, but the odds are a little high not because she lacks the talent but because so much comes into play to get there.

 

[alsmom]

My husband hates that it is a year-round sport and always says that when the hours get too crazy we will have to pull her out. Our son does all the seasonal sports so it is hard for him to think of her just doing 1 sport all the time. But I do believe that if she does quit someday that gymnastics will give her a great foundation!


I think things are very different now from when we(I) were kids. At least where we live it is unusual to find a three sport athlete these days as kids get older. I think the difference with gymnastics is that because of the time commitment kids may have to choose their sport at a much younger age than your typical soccer or baseball player.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Although over here the time commitment is not as great I am sat here reading all the replies thinking - Yep that's Pink and Fluffy. When we stopped gym for 6 months it was like her arm had been cut off - she was listless - her behaviour and achievement at school changed, she was basically unhappy. Gymnastics has turned my shy introvert into a strong confident achiever and I think that is worth any sacrifice.

 

[Flossyduck]

If she wanted to take dance seriously as a career, those hours would ramp up and up later. It's interesting to hear how much weight is put on the seasonal thing over there. My son does football training and swimming club all year round, my daughter plays tennis (and does gym) and it's all year round and when she did dance that was all year round too. Maybe it's because we seem to have ditched the idea of seasons in the UK and just have winter all year round?

 

[BlairBob]

"Dance moms" are now are crazier than gym moms.

That is a SCARY thought.

Seasonal sports are easy on parents. Couple of months and it's over, some down time and maybe something else. Wait till HS and it's pretty much out of your hands.

REC mindset.

Some dedicated talent will end up playing their sports pretty much year round anyways. Spring ball, summer ball, Fall ball, winter ball. Still, they don't practice as long and it tends to be cheaper.

 

[krisnkids]

Gymnastics, unlike any other sport, gives the individual such a sense of body position, strength, stamina, confidence, independence (I could keep going but will stop and let you use your own terms) that a child who has done competitive gymnastics can walk into any other sport and pick it up quicker than a child who has never done the sport.

2 cases for you.

My daughter who recently retired at the age of 13 (not by choice) was told that she needed to pick up a different sport. She chose soccer. Now if you know anything about soccer you know they start early and by the time they get to U14 its competitive and extremely physical. Dd had only played one spring season at U12, barely played because she missed a lot of practices due to gym. She walks onto the U14 team this spring and after the first game became starting defensive wing. Why? She is not a huge girl, 5'5 and 90 pounds, obviously not intimidating. She does however have the speed that her coach loves, the ability to shift gears, directions and focus without hesitating, is not intimidated. She went up against some girls that had 40-50 pounds on her and did not back down. If she got knocked down she would get right back up etc. Of the entire season she sat out for maybe 10 minutes? And that was usually because she had done something wrong, since the coach knew she didn't have the soccer background he would pull her out and tell her what she did wrong.

A friend of my daughter's retired at age 13 as well, went on to high school track. She now hold the record for pole vaulting in her state and is the pole vaulting champion of the state. Has a full ride scholarship to a prestigous west coast university.

 

[Muddlethru]

I think nothing compares to training elite in gymnastics. However, I agree with Alsmom, things ARE different now then when we were kids. And as Flossyduck states, "most sports now are year round" and rival gymnastics practice times. My oldest daughter does Div. 1 soccer. They practice 2 hours a day, 4 times a week, plus games and tournaments in the weekends. She also plays with her HS team, which is of course seasonal. But during that time, she practices 2 and half hours after school with her high school team and then goes home for a half hour before I take her again to her club practice for another 2 hours. That is soccer! My son does fencing and he attends a one and a half hour footworking and conditioning class, a 30 min private and then does open bouting for a couple hours. This he does 3 to 4 times a week, more if we can afford it. His coaches want him at the gym 6 days a week. He does both club and school fencing. Each child also do a rec sport which we do seasonally, i.e., track, tennis and dance. Though my youngest does dance primarily and we are upping her number of classes. It is not cheap.

You get what you put into a sport. As Blairbob indicates, "dedicated talent do their sport year round anyway". That is because these days EVERYTHING is so competitive. Never mind getting a scholarship with your chosen sport but just getting into a top school. Your school resume must be padded with high academics, 4 years of languages, community service, leadership and be at the top of your chosen sport. That is for starters. So, I think if your heart is not in it, this whole process becomes expensive and not worthwhile. I am a firm believer if you do what you love, you will excel in it. If you don't "excel" in it in the traditional definition, you still are enjoying what you are doing which is already a head above others.

 

[curlymomof3]

Thank you thank you!! All your replies really help me see the good in this sport and reaffirm what I already knew! When Dd started team a couple years ago, she was also on a competitive dance team and had to choose between the two. She chose gymnastics and never even wanted to go near dance again until this summer. Of course she is doing it with a friend and it is "just for fun" so that makes it easier. I know eventually, due to her competitiveness, she would end up on a dance team with lots of hours and $$$. As for the Olympics thing, it is just a dream of hers that I am 99.9% sure will never become a reality. College gym, maybe, but for now we are just enjoying the ride and writing the checks, haha Thank you all for the pick-me-up and reality check Now if only you had a solution for my darn sinus infection. . .