Parents Dare-devil kids

[Peachy88]

I am trying to get my mind around how dangerous this sport is for dare-devils. I am wondering if it is better for my kid that is to be in the sport or if it is encouraging her more. Do you find that kids get injured trying hard stuff they think they can do, or is it more repetitive use injuries and accidents? My child has always been a wild kid and never had a serious injury despite her best efforts.

 

[Gymmamabear]

My child was a daredevil. Still is in the fact that she is fearless. Gymnastics has tamed her as she gets older because she really, really likes it and doesn't want to get injured for gymnastics. She still does some stupid stuff but not nearly like she used to. I no longer find her hanging upside down from or stairwell or that sort of thing anyway.

 

[Aussie_coach]

It can be helpful for dare devil p kids to do gymnastics. They learn to fall and land safely. They learn to do the skills correctly, instead of just trying them at home. The coaches spend a lot of time teaching kids about safety, what is unsafe and why.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Mine is a daredevil and gym has taught her a lot about her limits. It's also surprising to me that she does not do her bigger skills outside of gym unless she has been cleared to do so by her coaches. I expected that to be a major battle. Also, knowing which ways of falling will hurt you and which will not is a big asset. The only thing that ever makes her (very sweet) coach yell is when someone is doing something unsafe, so she's really starting to get the difference between what is daring and what is stupid. Honestly, by the time she was a year old, I thought we'd be in for emergency room visit after emergency room visit, but she's had no real injuries. She's a serious daredevil, but she seems to have a sense of what she can handle and what she can't.

As for whether they get injured doing hard stuff they think they can do vs. overuse, at both gyms we have been in, you are not allowed to do skills on your own until the coaches feel you are ready to do it safely. (You still may not be successful, but you're not going to land on your head.) So while I have still seen some injuries happen, none of them were from gymnasts chucking skills they weren't ready for.

 

[Committed]

My kid was always the crazy one. When she was 7yo she asked her coach if she could do double backs on the tumble track. She's now a level 9 and is always looking to do that next big skill. Luckily, she has had enough crashes to know that she shouldn't throw a skill if it doesn't feel right (wrong footing, crooked, etc). However, it doesn't stop me from being terrified because I know that she wants it. Badly.
The daredevil part of her personality has, so far, kept her from mental blocks and skill fears.

 

[Peachy88]

My five year old discovered she could jump to the high bar. I was ok with it because there was a mat there but some of the other parents were freaking out. Also my child knows fear and wasn't afraid so I trust her, but maybe I am being naive. She fell a few times but landed like a cat on the mat...

 

[Aussie_coach]

My five year old discovered she could jump to the high bar. I was ok with it because there was a mat there but some of the other parents were freaking out. Also my child knows fear and wasn't afraid so I trust her, but maybe I am being naive. She fell a few times but landed like a cat on the mat...

Not good! Many have stated that the jump to high bar is the single most dangerous skill in gymnastics for younger gymnasts. If she misses and lands on the mat no big deal, the danger is when she catches and has some grip but not enough grip, and continues to swing and flies off.

 

[Gymmamabear]

The one thing I find is that gymnastics helps her to be safer. She will always just throw a skill. Always. But the coaches keep her in check and don't let her until she is ready.

 

[gymnastmom05]

Mine is not a daredevil at all and while I find comfort in that, it also has it's challenges. She's a thinker, which means sometimes that brain can get her into trouble. The few girls that are daredevil's are getting skills faster (not always pretty) but they don't think, they just go! I wish my DD had a little bit of it in her.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

The concern I'd have with jumping to high bar is, where is the coach? Is this something they've been taught and s/he is supervising? Because otherwise she shouldn't be doing it. I have to assume her coach was there, otherwise I can't imagine a 5 year old just being allowed to play on the equipment.

 

[duyetanh]

Dare devil kids can get very hurt if the coaching isn't there.

 

[John]

I was informed over the weekend that my DD is one of the only optional team members to show no fear. It explains her ability to get a new skill in just a few attempts, albeit not pretty. Reading this I am so glad we are in a new gym with rigid structure and attentive coaches.

 

[Peachy88]

This is the gym we have to work with. I will just have to be strict with her and make sure she doesn't do it anymore until she is ready, whenever that may be. She will be mad, but the coaches cannot watch her all the time. She performs above other kid's her age at her gym so is in a class with 7-10 year olds who are more capable of self-regulation, but she is only five and has impulse control issues any way. There are too many girls in the class, but nothing I can do about that.

 

[Flyaway]

Mine is not a daredevil at all and while I find comfort in that, it also has it's challenges. She's a thinker, which means sometimes that brain can get her into trouble. The few girls that are daredevil's are getting skills faster (not always pretty) but they don't think, they just go! I wish my DD had a little bit of it in her.

This is my dd exactly!

 

[SMH]

Mine is a daredevil, and that’s why we put her in gymnastics....to harness it. She is constanty wanting to try bigger ‘scarier’ skills- but now she has rules and progressions to follow instead of just jumping headlong into something that looks ‘fun’. Her daredevil nature helps her a lot in gymnastics but I’m glad she also has coaches who work to make sure she is safe at the same time.

 

[raenndrops]

My five year old discovered she could jump to the high bar. I was ok with it because there was a mat there but some of the other parents were freaking out. Also my child knows fear and wasn't afraid so I trust her, but maybe I am being naive. She fell a few times but landed like a cat on the mat...

Better that they are willing to attempt the jump and know how to land.
There is a kid in one of the rec classes at the gym - fine on everything but bars (including HIGH beam). Won't drop from a hang on low bar to the floor (matted and less than 12 inch drop)... would rather hang there until the coach helps.

 

[meganliz77]

My kid was always the crazy one. When she was 7yo she asked her coach if she could do double backs on the tumble track. She's now a level 9 and is always looking to do that next big skill. Luckily, she has had enough crashes to know that she shouldn't throw a skill if it doesn't feel right (wrong footing, crooked, etc). However, it doesn't stop me from being terrified because I know that she wants it. Badly.
The daredevil part of her personality has, so far, kept her from mental blocks and skill fears.

Is it wrong that I was my DD was still like this @Committed? LOL My DD was always the daredevil, crazy kiddo in our family. From the time she was very small (about a year old she was doing the monkey bars on the playground for instance) or flipping on cart-corrals - don't forgot standing on the kitchen table trying to reach the ceiling fan . But as you know, for my DD, gymnastics has not helped with not having any blocks/fears. She has learned her limits for sure and I feel like she now, more than ever, realizes the risk. Interesting how every kiddo is impacted a bit differently!

 

[sewgood]

Mine is a daredevil, and that’s why we put her in gymnastics....to harness it. She is constanty wanting to try bigger ‘scarier’ skills- but now she has rules and progressions to follow instead of just jumping headlong into something that looks ‘fun’. Her daredevil nature helps her a lot in gymnastics but I’m glad she also has coaches who work to make sure she is safe at the same time.

Same. Although, in the interest of full disclosure, I’m pretty sure that is the same reason my parents put my sister and me in gym, too.

 

[Lilou]

My child is a dare devil and I constantly have to watch her like a hawk if we are an open gym. She's starting asking me if she could do X skill now (instead of jus trying it) and I ask her if he coach would let her do it. If the answer is no, then my answer is no. Thankfully she's been honest about answering this question too. But at 7, it makes me nervous to watch her sometimes do back tucks while she's learning them. Her coach seems to like that she's fearless.

 

[sce]

Her coach seems to like that she's fearless.

A fearless kid who has good body awareness and listens to coaching is a great thing in gymnastics.