- May 5, 2020
- 2
- 0
Hi, I recently turned 17 and started gymnastics when I was 14. Before that, I taught myself to master most of the basics (cartwheel, forward and back walkover, handspring, 1 min handstand hold) and was always flipping around at home. When I started gym I quickly got moved into a squad which trains only 4 hours a week, during which we don’t get coached properly or taken seriously. I’d love to join the better squad and train more, and to show the coaches that I am serious about it I don’t muck around during training and work as hard as I can, including working on my stretching and conditioning nearly every day at home. I know that the coaches have several times considered me to join the better squad, because I am strong, flexible, work hard and learn fast, but they always dismiss me because of my age! I am desperate to train more and be taken seriously, but at the same time I realise they don’t want to waste their efforts on a 17 year old like me who won’t ‘make it’ and is harder to coach because I am bigger (taller) than the other girls in the better squad, even though I am strong and lean. During the holidays I trained with the better squad and really enjoyed being pushed more and training more and generally being taken seriously for once! I realise that in the better squad there are 7 year olds that are better than me, but most of them have been doing it since they were 3 and so have been doing it for much longer than me. ‘keep trying to be the best me I can be‘ is what I keep trying to tell myself but sometimes it can be demotivating when your coaches don’t believe in you. I’m not sure what to do - should I speak to my coach about it? or switch gyms? This matter is pressing very heavily upon me as the more time passes I feel like there is less hope for them to consider me. Does anyone have any advice? thank you in advance!