It has been almost 25 years since the last time I actively participated in any type of real gymnastics workout and almost a decade since I taught my last gymnastics competitive team, but my love for the sport still runs through my veins. Gymnastics seems to be an infection that one can’t shake.

I follow the USAG updates regarding national and international events, I have to watch the gymnastics performances during the summer Olympics, and I love watching various competitions on line. There is just something magical about the sport. Gymnasts are unique people that have a special grit at their core. Not everyone can be a gymnast, not everyone has what it takes. Most children that pursue the sport will quit early on because of the physical rigor the activity requires, but some continue. Of that group, another great falling away will occur when the fun and thrill of the activity turns to the hard-work required to continue to excel in the sport and these young people must choose between having a social life and pursuing the sport they love.

In today’s society there is a great inability to set aside our short-term pleasure for our long-term gain. This is what gymnasts do every day. They look to their future, be it their next competition or their college career. These individuals are achievement focused and intent on accomplishing the goals they have set for themselves. They sacrifice the school dances, and hanging out to focus their time and energy on achieving their dreams.

I was privileged to coach competitive gymnastics for 25 years. Each of the kids blessed and impacted me in their own unique way. I am able to follow them in their adult lives thanks to the wonders of Facebook, and I can see the success in each of their lives. Some succeed at home, and some succeed in their career fields, but each of them continues to be a blessing to the others around them.

Gymnastics…there is no other sport like it. Period.