What is the general public opinion of gymnastics?

[hakunamatata]

I've been "inside" gymnastics for so long that I don't really know what non-gymnasts think about the sport. The other day I was chatting with a friend, and he told me swimming was the most difficult sport. Naturally I responded, "Yes, swimming, and also gymnastics." He was quick to come back with, "What do you even DO in gymnastics...?" I think in his mind competitive gymnastics is cartwheels and forward rolls, the type of stuff every little kid is exposed to in a rec class when they're little, before it turns into such a serious commitment. I guess it's also because part of gymnastics is making difficult skills look effortless, but I feel like the sport is so unappreciated

But do most people you've talked to think about gymnastics like this, or do you think that generally people understand, at least a little bit, what a huge challenge it is? I know it's hard to know how much strength certain skills take when you've never done them yourself, but I didn't know that people really thought gymnastics was a piece of cake. Hmm... A tad frustrating when you know how tough it is.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

typical ignoramous response/opinion...

 

[clrmom]

As a parent of a dd (L2) and a ds (former L5), I have a seen a difference in the reactions to a male or female gymnast.

In general, I have found that most people seem interested when I say my daughter does gymnastics. As a matter of fact, a family member at Thanksgiving seemed to enjoy seeing my daughter do cartwheels and said she was never able to do any of that as a child.

When my son competed (he competed for 3 years), we sometimes ran into odd comments when people found out he did gymnastics such as "I would never let my son do gymnastics." and other such comments. However, when I would explain to people all the events he did, they would say "Oh he does all that?" and seem surprised that he did all 6 events. They would also seem pretty shocked when they saw all the muscles he had at the age of 7 and 8.

I think in general, you are right, that people just don't realize all the training that goes into being a gymnast.

 

[CoachGoofy]

Comments from the uneducated I've heard, as a former gymnast, current coach:

-So you're a PE teacher? (umm no)
-Trampoline isn't a SPORT!
-Isn't tumbling just, like, somersaults?
-I didn't know people TAUGHT gymnastics! (why yes, gymnasts were hatched with all the skills they'd ever have. Huh?)
-Isn't that just for little kids?
-Aren't you too tall? (no. at 5'3" I'm right around collegiate average).
-Aren't you too small to coach? (huh?)
-Did you go to the Olympics??!?!? (no). Did you want to? (once I knew what it entailed, no). Oh, you must not have been very good. (whatever helps you sleep at night)
-Are any of your gymnasts going to go to the Olympics? (I highly doubt it). Oh, then you must not be a very good coach (again, whatever helps you sleep at night, I guess...)

And there's this persistent idea I've run into that gymnasts are flexible and just walk into the gym that way, and that you need to be a gumby to do pretty much anything. Flexibility doesn't work that way.

 

[gymgurl]

When someone finds out i do gymnastics the conversation goes somewhat like this

Them: So you do gymnastics
Me: Yea....
T: You must be really good
M: well.......i don't know i guess im better than most people (i.e. most people don't do gymnastics)
T: Can you do the splits
M: Yea
T:
T: So are you going to the Olympics?
M:No
T:Oh
M: Yea.......

Bit awkward

I don't think most people know what it entails and in their mind it was like olympics or your crap

 

[NotAMom]

There is no point to get bothered. You can't change people's perception on something they have no exposure to. This isn't quite true for many other countries where gymnastics gets much more coverage. That holds true for any sport to anyone. For instance, just start watching Universal Sports (universalsports.com) and I'm sure you'll start to find out what other champion sports are all about too.

 

[NYgymfan]

Im a guy gymnast and I've had people ask why I do a girl's sport. They insult my manhood. Until they realize how strong I am as a result of gym. Then most non gym guys think that its really hot when a girl does gym because they are flexible and therefore....well ya know, wink wink. I think they really have no idea how, ugh hard work and commitment it is. They think their own sport is sooooo hard...big deal you can swim or kick a ball, but can you lift yourself onto a bar or flip on a 4 inch beam? Didn't think so! Most gymnasts could do all the so called real sports but other athletes wouldn't survive five minutes in gym.

 

[coachmolly]

I have found that a lot of other athletes acknowledge that gymnastics is a difficult sport and have a lot of respect for the hours and risk involved as well as the skills performed by gymnasts. My current roommates are D1 soccer players and they love to ask me about gymnastics, begged to come to the gym where I work to play around and see what I can do, and can't wait until NCAA gym seasons start so they can go see meets. Despite their respect for gymnasts, there are also some misconceptions. They asked if I was tall for a gymnast (I'm 5'5), assume that I was really good based on the hours I trained and my love for the sport, those kinds of things. Nothing really offensive though. Probably the least desirable impression they have of gymnasts is that NCAA gymnasts party hard, one which the girls on in-state gym teams have kind of created for themselves.

 

[gymgurl]

Im a guy gymnast and I've had people ask why I do a girl's sport. They insult my manhood. Until they realize how strong I am as a result of gym. Then most non gym guys think that its really hot when a girl does gym because they are flexible and therefore....well ya know, wink wink. I think they really have no idea how, ugh hard work and commitment it is. They think their own sport is sooooo hard...big deal you can swim or kick a ball, but can you lift yourself onto a bar or flip on a 4 inch beam? Didn't think so! Most gymnasts could do all the so called real sports but other athletes wouldn't survive five minutes in gym.

I always wonder why guys get a tough time for doing gym and ballet because if you think about it they are around fit health strong flexible girls in leotards doesn't get much better for a teenage boy

 

[gymdog]

Eh. Most of the comments I get about gymnastics are more or less positive or neutral.

 

[jenniffir]

there are two conversations that occurs when anyone finds out i am a gymnast;
1)
T: wow you do gym-mastics?!
M: Gym-nastics. Yes i do gymnastics
T: How long have you've done it?
M: about four years.
T: Wow thats a long time! can you do flips? (they forget to mention anything about the other even)
M: yes
T: Then flip right now

Then given the circumstances i might do a quick bhs or walkover the other conversation goes like this;
2)
T: so you do gymnastics?
M: Yep
T: what do you do? run around in a skimpy leotard going "yay-yay!" ?
M: really? thats what you think we do?

I would then get up to leave subtley show the gashes in my hands from the bars or my black and blue legs from splitting the beams and banging my shins on the bars. yay we just run around doing cartwheels

 

[All Chalked Up]

Most of my friends thought gymnastics was a waste of my time... until I got them to watch my conditioning/regualr practice. "WOW!!! I WISH I COULD DO THAT!!!" Now they think it's cool. I have non-gymnast friends who have told me that they think gymnastics is the hardest thing in the world. Though I do find it amusing when I do the spilts and people spaz or do like a RO-BHS-BHS and people assume I'm going to the Olympics.

 

[NYgymfan]

I always wonder why guys get a tough time for doing gym and ballet because if you think about it they are around fit health strong flexible girls in leotards doesn't get much better for a teenage boy

Haha yes...that's what I tell people. I wasn't complaining. I find that since I've gotten to college people respect me more. They see me get up early for practice and stuff. They know I work hard. I still love when guys who don't respect gymnastics get their butts kicked in armwreastling or pushups or stuff like that by tiny gymnasts!!

 

[NotAMom]

Let me retrack my words. A gymnast will get the respect when he/she is discovered by others what he/she is capable of outside of a gym, especially when it comes to strength.

For instance, in upper level competitive ski racing, core strength (and agility in certain events) is the utmost important. Athletes work their butts off in pre- and off-season just to work up those abs, etc. You'll be surprised how much respect a gymnast (especially a girl) will receive all of a sudden, on and off a course.

 

[gymnastbeth]

I was talking about gymnastics to my friend recently, and it really is just a different world. She looked at my hands, and said "Haven't you ever heard of LOTION?!?" It's just the callouses. Also, I have a friend who's a dancer, and when I was talking about getting new leos, she said "Oh, well that doesn't matter because you wear tights and shirts over it." I've beaten guys in push up contests, and am known to do random back handsprings on occasion. But hey, it comes with the territory of being a gymnast, and frankly, who cares what other people think of the sport? Once people know what gymnasts can do, their impression of the sport changes greatly.

 

[Gymnasticlover78]

Most of my friends understand that gymnastics is hard because most of them do gymnastics but I think most people should understand how hard it is physically if they've ever watched a meet before or looked at anything gymnastic related.

 

[Optionals United]

I think most people dont realise that much behind the routines they see in competition. like if you bring your friends to comp. or do some skills at school ect. they are like cool that is awesome. But i feel like they underestimate all the commitment, time, sweat, tears, hours that go into this sport. Most of them only see the outcome of all those things and its hard for them to grasp how all those things build up to getting a new skills, or competing at that level. ect. They dont understand how phisically demanding it is. Also beyond that how emotional and mentally demanding it is. Most dont see the fear, mental tricks your mind plays, and gut telling you why am i doing this this is crazy! Most people dont understand it, and gymnasta, coaches, and parents sometimes feel this way about the people who just see the outcome of the sprt. So the public eye doesnt see behind the competitions, and skills to what really the sport entialtels you too.
which is why i think that the public eye judges gymnastice on basicaly the olympics. They think that if your not going to make it to the olympics why do it. Well we do it because we enjoy it. When i hear people say that they do baseball i dont ask are you going to the MLS,or NFL, or World cup. All those people do their sports for enjoyment just like gymnasts do also. I think that the public eye forgets that sometimes.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Most don't have a clue. My dd's friends always say "Can you do backflips?" (they mean bhp). DD: "Yes"
Friends:"do one now." (On any surface or floor)
DD: "I can't do it here."
Friends: "Oh. are you not good at it?"

 

[3rd_time_around]

Most don't have a clue. My dd's friends always say "Can you do backflips?" (they mean bhp). DD: "Yes"
Friends:"do one now." (On any surface or floor)
DD: "I can't do it here."
Friends: "Oh. are you not good at it?"

supposed to say "bhs"
(my computer changed it. Stupid spell checker!!)

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

Roughly three different responses.
1) "Sorry, honey, I'm leaving you for a Swedish gymnast." (same tone as "Russian supermodel" or "professional masseuse")
2) "Oh, my 6-year-old daughter/niece does gymnastics. Cartwheels and spinny things, right?"
3) "OMG SWEET...can I see your arm muscles?" -> correct answer.