M
msl529
Thanks for the continued support! I am sorry you have to enforce a break w/ the oldest DD, and that she is so sad about it. But I think you are doing the right thing. I knew a young gal from my church in CA, who did gym all thru High School, up to L9. In her early 20's she began to have back probs, she ended up having surgery for completely obliterated discs, most likely the result of too much stress on her back from yrs of gym. Her Mom told me that the daughter said, "I think I was just pushing my body for so many years to do what it was not really able to/meant to do. She has really suffered-months of debilitation and pain-NOT what you want to deal w/ in your 20's! I beleive some girls have bodies who can take all the abuse, but they are few. I always felt that if my DD's body started acting up, I would pull her out. So far no probs, but she is only training L6-I know it gets much more intense the higher you go in Level. So, good for you for listening to her body. She may not see it now, but she will be so glad to enjoy her young adulthood in good health, and then even on into older age, there will certainly be less long term complications/probs in her life.I totally get the filling the void thing.
I have just taken oldest DD,11, out of gym for a month. She has a two year history of injuries, and they just were not healing with her in the gym. So she is taking a Mum enforced break, still stretching and icing, but no time in the gym.
She is finding it very hard, she of course did not want to stop, but if I don't make her take a break there will be no summer training or camp. We are hoping that the break does the trick or it may be the end of the line for her.
The void right now is tough to fill, she doesn't know what day of the week it is as she has no gym to clue her in, she is bored and has time on her hands, not used to that. She misses her friends at gym and she just aches to do something. We have her swimming and biking which is advised by her sport therapist and good for her too.
If she had to stop gym totally it would be awful for her. Her little sister still does gym and will continue as she loves it.
Right now big DD's school bus stops at the gym to let the girls from her school off, she'll still have to see that and the gym everyday on the way home. We live an hour from school/gym therefore she would not have any after school interaction with her friends from gym. She begins high school in Sept, there are a total of 150 kids in the school from grades 7-11, this of course means that there is only one sport and that is swimming, no teams to join and nothing to fill the sporting void. It is what worries me most about her having to stop, having absolutely nothing to switch it with. Town sports are basically soccer and hockey/skating just not her thing.
Right now I am trying not to dwell on it, as it won't help. No matter what there will be changes in her gym commitment, her body is just not up to the pounding. Tough when nobody is ready for change and we will just have to adapt.
As I said earlier this time will come to us all no matter what the situation. I think this is why so many people have so much great insight. Good to share, doesn't solve the issue, but it stops you feeling isolated in the problem.
SO many of you have raised so many great points, thanks for posting.
I must say I am jealous that your DD gets a ride from the school bus to GYM! How nice is that?! That has surely made it more accessible to you in the time that your DD's have been doing it.
Good luck finding replacement activities. We'll have to report back w/ suggestions as our dd's try different things. In fact, is there a thread or forum for Ex-gymnast sport interests? Might be a good resource, since so many of us do face the quitting thing...
Take Care!
