Parents 5 1/2 months out from being done

[Amanda]

Hello. I just thought I would post a little bit about how my daughter is doing after stepping away from competitive gymnastics at the end of July. I haven't posted a ton here but have always appreciated the feedback when I have- and have benefitted immensely from just reading posts over the years. My daughter got a late start to competitive gymnastics- starting as a 10 1/2 year old. She turned 15 right before bowing out. She competed Level 3 and 4, scored out of 5, and ended up doing 2 years at Level 6 (a combination of Covid and mental blocks prevented Level 7.) She also had some serious health issues that kept her training extremely limited for about 6 months during Level 4. She really loved so much of gym but honestly the emotional/mental strain of mental blocks along with a challenging relationship with one of her coaches brought an end to her competitive time. She knew she would likely quit some time during high school so it wasn't a major surprise. She had a very good final regional meet so that was a nice way to finish. While she was definitely sad to walk away, she has done well. She has been doing Crossfit a couple times a week which she really likes. She has also been doing a ballet class which she also likes. She is coaching about 5 hours a week at her gym which allows her to stay connected to gymnastics and she was also hired to teach some backyard gymnastic classes! She is liking having the extra time with friends and enough time to do homework with less stress. I am thankful for the perseverance, commitment, and ability to push herself that she got from gymnastics. I am also thankful that I found this board near the beginning which helped keep me from being too obsessed, kept me advocating for her, reminded me to make sure she kept up other things outside of gym, and made me resist the urge to freak out about time away from the gym for things like vacations and birthday parties of friends. I will continue to pop on from time to time. I have to admit it is nice to not have to stress about whether she is in a good place mentally for meets and just to have her around more- and to spend less driving to and from the gym. Good luck to you all!

 

[JBS]

Sounds like she is doing great... many gymnasts love Crossfit once they start.

One thing to be careful of... make sure she is certified through some organization and has insurance to coach. Lawsuits against gyms can reach 5 figures for a simple broken ankle very easily and it's definitely not unheard of them reaching 6 figures for basic accidental injuries.

If she is a "hired coach" not working under a gym... then you would be personally liable for any lawsuits.

 

[Aussie_coach]

It’s fabulous that she has found her gymnastics skills have transferred into so many other pursuits she enjoys with the cross fit, ballet and coaching.

That is simply the best way transition from the sport.

As a gym owner and coach, I would strongly recommend that you do not let her coach any backyard gymnastics though.

I don’t know how it work in the US, but in Australia to coach Gymnastics the coach needs to both have a chafing qualification and also be working in a registered gym. They are then covered by professional indemnity insurance. Even if they are qualified, if they teach out of a registered gym they are not insured. If someone is hurt and the coach is sued, they professional indemnity covers this.

Unless your daughter personally has professional indemnity insurance she is wide open to problems. If a child is injured in anyway while she is coaching them backyard gymnastics. The family can sur her and she will most likely lose, as it’s not considered a safe environment. It could financially ruin the family.

 

[Muddlethru]

Gymnastics can be all encompassing. But there is a whole world outside of gymnastics. Happy for you and your daughter to have transitioned out of gymnastics nicely.

 

[Amanda]

I should probably clarify that the backyard classes she is doing are SUPER low key! They are with families at our church that are just looking for something recreational and fun for their kids to do together and about the biggest skill they work on is a cartwheel as there isn’t much in the way of equipment.But it is definitely good for me to keep in mind as I hadn’t really thought about it!