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.
]]>
As my “About Me” page states, I have coached recreational and competitive girls gymnastics for more than twenty years. One of the things I have learned during that time is that girls gymnastics is often a mystery to the gymnast themselves and their parents as well. I am going to begin to discuss miscellaneous tid-bits of gymnastics information in the hopes of helping to demystify the sport of girls gymnastics for you and you little gymnast.
Where to begin? If you (or your child) are currently enrolled in a girls gymnastics program, at a minimum you should be aware that there are four events that young ladies perform on – floor, beam, bars, and vault. Let me qualify that previous statement. Those events apply only to artistic gymnastics and not rhythmic gymnastics. Rhythmic gymnastics is a whole other ballgame that I won’t be addressing. Depending on the age and skill level of your child, they will be placed into a class (typically level one or two, or maybe a pre-competitive program). Keep in mind that this placement is not arbitrary, but instead follows guidelines laid out by the United States of America Gymnastics (USAG) association. These folks carefully develop guidelines and standards that help to ensure the proper placement of your child into any girls gymnastics program. Having said that I need to clarify that this is how it should work. Not all girls gymnastics centers adhere to these guidelines, so it might not be a bad idea to ask your gym if they follow the USAG program. The bottom line is that gymnastics is a great way to promote building self confidence in children of all ages, and I have seen it work wonders over the span of my 20 year career in kids. I hope this information helps you get your daughter into a sound USAG girls gymnastics program.
Now get out there and stick it.
]]>
Now get out there and stick it.
]]>
If you do buy a girls gymnastics leotard from them, please come back and tell us how you like it.
Now get out there and stick it!
]]>