WAG Why does this sport build so much passion in its participants?

[cbone]

A little one at my daughters gym recently found out that she has a stress fracture in her leg. It made me think about how strong my stomach is for allowing my daughter to fight through the injuries that will inevitably come. I'm not sure how I'd react, but I guess we'll cross that bridge in due time. I decided to get my daughter's take. I asked her, "What would you do if you broke your leg like some of the girls at the gym? Would you want to quit?" She replied, "I wouldn't quit; I'd show up and do conditioning!" I said, "You're saying that because that's what you see the big girls do. Would you really think about quitting?" She looked at me like I had suggested that we go kill a few puppies. Then she said, "I. JUST. TOLD. YOU. THAT. I. WOULD. DO. CONDITIONING. I'll never quit gym!"

Why does this sport take hold of these girls the way it does? They torture their bodies. They put in more work than virtually any other sport I've ever seen. Still, they wouldn't even think of giving it up. It's not like there's a huge % getting their college paid for or anything. So what causes the fanatical devotion?

 

[wallinbl]

It's just what happens when a person finds an activity they're truly passionate about.

 

[MeetDirector]

cbone -

Very good question.

Having been associated with this sport now for 11 years, it never ceases to amaze me how dedicated these athletes of ours are. It is almost like there is something in thier genetic make-up that drives them forward. I can't tell you how many times I have wondered what keeps moving these kind of girls forward. The skills get way harder the further they go; thier bodies change the further they go; the frustration increases the further they go; the potential for injury increases the further they go; the increasing demand on thier time results in thier giving up everything else. The payoff at the end - maybe (just maybe) a college scholarship; but even that is no better than a 25% chance. As a dad, I am extremely proud of my DD's dedication to this sport (and resulting success); but I cannot for the life of me figure out how on some days she keeps moving forward. I am glad she does though.

 

[thefellowsmom]

The Fellows is the same way. She recently had a minor injury and she insisted on going to practice even though she couldn't do much. The coach suggested that she go home and she absolutely refused. She simply would rather be at the gym than anywhere else in the whole world, even if it means she has to sit there and watch others or just do conditioning or sit in her splits for an excruciating amount of time.

Not all kids at the gym are this intense, of course, but I think that gymnastics draws in kids with this type of personality. They are naturally driven, goal oriented and passionate. they wouldn't be out there doing what they do for the ungodly hours they do it and loving every minute of it if they weren't.

This is why I get so upset when I see kids that obviously don't want to be there but their parents make them keep coming. Why would you encourage your kid to keep doing such a grueling activity if they weren't so crazy dedicated to it. It's not fair to the child as they should be allowed to find something they CAN be passionate about. But also, it's not fair to the rest of the kids as my dds experience is that these kids tend to be distracting and disruptive. Sorry, I digress.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

, "I. JUST. TOLD. YOU. THAT. I. WOULD. DO. CONDITIONING. I'll never quit gym!"

I could see and hear my dd saying this, with this expression.

I think it's the long hours they put in at the gym, the trusting relationships they develop with the coaches, the strong bonds of friendship that forms between their fellow gymnasts, and the amazing feeling of pride and accomplishment they get when they finally master a skill or win at competition.

It's all of that, plus some strange mutation of genes that scientists have yet to discover that makes them slightly crazy, fearless, and gluttons for physical pain.

 

[catou]

And if you're canadian... you just can't go to college because of gymnastics... unless you're an elite gymnast. So why do we do it... Good question. I had a teacher at university who told me one day (she has a daughter in gymnastics) she would much rather go to a level 4 meet than to a national game of rugby or any other sport.

When I was a gymnast (been for 11 years), I was the one who was always injured. I quit because my physical therapist told me I would have long term problems if I kept going. Like cbone daughters, it was never an option to stop. It just never crossed my mind. I just loved it. Loved the commitment, the fact that it's easy to see that you're getting better. I loved conditioning, the fact that it's an individual sport. And loved being upside down, flying, twisting. Even until this day, I haven't found an activity that got me so deeply involved.

I think a gymnast motivation is mostly intrinsic. That's why we keep doing it for so long, even with injuries. My parents asked me one day when I'll have kids if I'll put them in gymnastics. The answer: If they love it as much as I did and still do, I won't have choice. I'll want them to be as passionate towards something as I was. Yes I tweaked my parents stomach.. often. (broke my wrist right beside my mother...). Still, they kept me involved, they saw how much I loved it and that I was happy doing it. And that's something every parent want for their kid.

 

[Jabba]

I think it's a combination of a lot of things: risk/reward, doing things no one else can do, the pure joy of flipping, the satisfaction of extremely hard work, the individualness of the sport (your outcome depends on you).... It's kind of the same and then different for everyone.

What I do know is that even as an adult, I'm still hooked. While other activities might have come a little more easily to me (I was a mental gymnast!), my passion was to do gym. And now my passion is to coach it. In all honesty, I work in an office during the day, so I can afford to coach. I have virtually no free time and spend my evenings and weekends with 10 year olds. ...And I wouldn't have it any other way. When I'm not in the gym, I'm thinking about gym. To me, gymnastics is that one solid thing that has always made me happy, no matter what else was going on in my life. Even in the midst of a hurricane and having no power for a week (I'm in NJ), I found solace just being at the gym. I dont know what the hook is exactly and yes, it can be a rollercoaster at times, but I'd be happy your daughter has it. I think it's pretty incredible to find and be able to pursue one's passion. In my experience, most people don't ever get that opportunity.

 

[cbone]

think it's ... the strong bonds of friendship that forms between their fellow gymnasts

My daughter is far closer to her gym friends than her school friends.

I had a teacher at university who told me one day (she has a daughter in gymnastics) she would much rather go to a level 4 meet than to a national game of rugby or any other sport.

I am a Miami Dolphins fan and I would gladly give up tickets to see them in the Super Bowl if my daughter had a meet. I gave up tickets to see my favorite band for a meet this season.

 

[maryRS]

It's passion. It happens in many sports, not just gymnastics.

A little one at my daughters gym recently found out that she has a stress fracture in her leg. It made me think about how strong my stomach is for allowing my daughter to fight through the injuries that will inevitably come. I'm not sure how I'd react, but I guess we'll cross that bridge in due time. I decided to get my daughter's take. I asked her, "What would you do if you broke your leg like some of the girls at the gym? Would you want to quit?" She replied, "I wouldn't quit; I'd show up and do conditioning!" I said, "You're saying that because that's what you see the big girls do. Would you really think about quitting?" She looked at me like I had suggested that we go kill a few puppies. Then she said, "I. JUST. TOLD. YOU. THAT. I. WOULD. DO. CONDITIONING. I'll never quit gym!"

Why does this sport take hold of these girls the way it does? They torture their bodies. They put in more work than virtually any other sport I've ever seen. Still, they wouldn't even think of giving it up. It's not like there's a huge % getting their college paid for or anything. So what causes the fanatical devotion?

 

[gymgal]

I think for the girls who are destined to be higher level gymnastics, it's in their genes to be so dedicated. I'm sure if they picked another sport that required such concentration and hours, they would feel the same way - I'm thinking swimming, figure skating, dance. These sports cater to kids who are intrinsically motivated, who know they have to keep pushing themselves to get better. I'm sure there are other sports like this too.

Even for the girls who enjoy it but not head-over-heels into gym, they still love the family atmosphere of the gym and having trusting adults with whom the become very close. It's different than teachers, in that these girls are literally trusting the coaches with their safety and well being.

My dd broke her arm a few years ago. She never missed a day of practice because of it. Conditioning got boring but she never wanted to miss out on practice. And now, I would think the pull to be at practice would be even more because It is her second home at this point.

Good discussion question....

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

When my daughter broke her foot last year, she didn't cry. When the Dr told her she could not do gymnastics until the foot healed, THAT'S when she cried. She did not miss one practice or meet the whole time she was recovering.

The passion and dedication I see in this child versus my other kids is completely different. When my oldest had to have surgery 3 weeks before States, after competing in gymnastics for 7 years, her response was "oh well".

I think it's a combination of their personality and the bond with their coaches and teammates, that makes the difference.

 

[coachmolly]

I think it's like any other activity, some kids just dabble, others get hooked for a few years before moving on to something else, and some of them find that passion that you are talking about- but it definitely doesn't happen for all kids who make it to competitive level gymnastics. Whenever my parents run into old teammates of mine or their parents they are typically surprised to hear that I am still involved with gymnastics as they/their kids moved on long ago. And I was a VERY passionate, intense, all gymnastics all the time kind of kid, though far from the most talented/best kid on the team (in fact I was usually the worst). Even my teammates growing up were very much "we do gymnastics in the gym and we like doing it ourselves, but that's it." They thought I was crazy for traveling to watch meets, knowing names for every gymnast and skill, watching it non-stop outside of the gym, and for choosing to continue gymnastics after a 2 week stint in the ICU and doctors telling me I shouldn't go back.
I know girls who did gymnastics for years, reached the optional levels, and now have nothing to do with gymnastics. Just like my brother who was a high level swimmer, loved it while it lasted, did it for a while in college, was an incredibly successful coach for several years and now just doesn't want to be involved anymore.
I think most, though certainly not all, girls who make it to competitive level gymnastics have some sort of passion for the sport because it's hard and requires a much more serious commitment than most childhood sports and kids run into setbacks constantly, if they aren't at lest somewhat passionate, they aren't going to push through that.

 

[LizzieLac]

It is just like other sports kids and adults become passionate about. I was this way as a runner in high school and college. Injuries were emotionally devastating. When I was injured and couldn't run, I was so afraid of losing my conditioning. So, I biked like crazy and ran in the pool. I wanted to be ready to come back to training and my team the minute my injury was healed.

I think it is about the drive to see what you can accomplish, how far your body can take you, and the results of hard-work really look like.

My DD has had a bad case of osgood schllatters. Last year it was so bad she couldn't walk unless she was stiff legged, no bending. But she never missed practice - she did what she could while she was there and competed all year. Sure, her training suffered, but not as much as it would have if she took time off.

For those dedicated to their sport, taking time off is not an option!

 

[wallinbl]

For those dedicated to their sport, taking time off is not an option!

Absolutely. I've played soccer with staples in my abdomen after hernia repair, stitches in all kinds of places, fractures in my foot, broken arms that I begged the doctor to soft cast instead of hard cast, and sick enough to have lost peripheral vision while running around (which, I'm told, was the best game I ever played, though I can only remember 15 seconds out of 90 minutes). If you offer me a pickup game right now, I'll throw on some shoes and go play even though it will mean ibuprofen and ice on my knee for a week.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

To feel such passion for something you love to do is a gift. Many people go through their whole lives without something they really love to do and are that passionate about. Consider your DD one of the lucky ones.

 

[gymgurl]

For me gymnastics is my escape, my place of comfort, where I can focus on myself without worrying about anything else in the way. It is the place where I can tumble out my emotions, talk to my friends, make friends that I would never have made otherwise. Training is when I am happiest and even if I have a bad day I can't wait to go to the gym the next day. I think like any sport, once you find the spark and passion that drives you you are hooked. I sometimes tell people that 'Gymnastics is like a drug' once you start it you're hooked and addicted - you can take a girl out of the gym, but you can't take the gym out of the girl. So my 'addiction' takes me to the gym even when I am injured.

Another thing to consider is that gymnastics has so much variety and it is such a diverse sport that there is something to do with every injury, whereas in other sports e.g. soccer if you have destroyed your ankle and cannot run there isn't an awful lot you can do.

Finally, it is possible it is just a cycle and learnt practice. To me not going going to gym is not an option. It could be that when you are little you see the 'big girls' training with injuries and see that as normal then you train despite injuries and little kids see you training and the cycle continues.

 

[JessLW]

I do think, to an extent, it is just like any other sport. Some kids/people are just inherently very driven. When you combine that innate drive with a sport that is very demanding and can be very intense, well you end up with a little kids who are very intense about their sport. But like others pointed out, you see the same thing in other sports. I think one difference is that gymnastics requires a rather large commitment relatively early on. It is a bit shocking to see 7 and 8 year olds so dedicated to something perhaps because lots of sports do not really up the intensity until the teen years.

But, like others pointed out, not every gymnast will go on to be that "gymnastics is life" girl. I think that attitude is also very common in younger gymnasts, who may or may not be engaging in a bit of hero-worship, who still think they've got a shot at the Olympics. When you see the elite girls and the promising higher level optionals, those girls are usually quite focused and intense, and I think that the younger girls probably emulate that to some degree. For some kids, there is an emotional payoff that comes from getting to feel mature and serious about a sport, knowing that while the other kids are having playdates, you have "training." But for every one of those kids who thrive on intensity, there are three or four who lose interest when they get to high school, when boys come into the picture, when they can drive and have their own social life outside of the gym, and when suddenly taking gymnastics so seriously seems kind of pointless.

Finally, gymnastics is kind of self-selecting. If you are not really committed, you won't get very far with it. That's why, I think, you see a huge dropoff in numbers after L6. If your heart just isn't into it you're not going to put up with the constant training, the injuries, the fears. You can play tennis or basketball recreationally your whole life, never really improving, and still have fun. But gymnastics isn't really enjoyable unless you're learning new things and advancing. You don't have to be talented, but you do have to have the drive to push through the hard parts, otherwise you won't get anywhere.

 

[iwannacoach]

I think it's a combination of a lot of things: risk/reward, doing things no one else can do, the pure joy of flipping, the satisfaction of extremely hard work, the individualness of the sport (your outcome depends on you).... It's kind of the same and then different for everyone.

What I do know is that even as an adult, I'm still hooked. While other activities might have come a little more easily to me (I was a mental gymnast!), my passion was to do gym. And now my passion is to coach it. In all honesty, I work in an office during the day, so I can afford to coach. I have virtually no free time and spend my evenings and weekends with 10 year olds. ...And I wouldn't have it any other way. When I'm not in the gym, I'm thinking about gym. To me, gymnastics is that one solid thing that has always made me happy, no matter what else was going on in my life. Even in the midst of a hurricane and having no power for a week (I'm in NJ), I found solace just being at the gym. I dont know what the hook is exactly and yes, it can be a rollercoaster at times, but I'd be happy your daughter has it. I think it's pretty incredible to find and be able to pursue one's passion. In my experience, most people don't ever get that opportunity.

^^^^^ That and a little more. As a gymnast there is a tremendous sense of accomplishment with every new skill learned, and a deeper sense of satifaction when you can do it exactly as you intended....the way that has others wondering how you make it look so easy, but it's not them watching, it's you doing it right that feels so good.

This thread made me realize that the biggest thrill as a coach isn't to have a winning team or athlete, but to pass that sense of accomplishment and satisfaction along to my gymnasts. The funny thing......working without it feeling like work because you want that next skill usually leads to winning anyway.

I got hooked on this sport when I was sixteen, and walked away from another sport I'd already "made it" in to focus on being the best gymnast I could be. Since that first year I can honestly say that there hasn't been a single day go by without at least a handfull of gymnastics moments whether I was active as a gymnast or coach, or away from the sport.....it really is, for some poeple, a passion that never leaves us, and will remain with us as long as we are here to enjoy it.

 

[sglemon]

I don't see a difference from any other sports, dance and even music. I have a girl who plays the sax and travel soccer. She is just as passonate, as a gymnast. When you play a team sport, there is also the motivation of a team. For example, if you sit out a game it could hurt the team. Numerous girls break arms in soccer, and they wrap that cast up in bubble wrap and don't miss a minute of it. I was a competative swimmer, same thing at the pool. Competative swimmers, live at the pool during high school, with both early morning and evening practices. They can even spend more time practicing and conditioning then a level 10 gymnast. You have to love a sport to be in the pool 5 am every morning. I am 42 yrs old and I finally gave it up 2 years ago. I still miss it, but after 5 straight years of constant sinus infections, my Doctor convinced me to try something else. Dh was a runner, same compassion. He is almost 50 and still running. Dancers can be extremely compassonate about their sport, so much so it becomes their life, with special boarding schools, intensives, Professional programs, etc...

I do not think a gymnast's compassion is any different, then the sport she chose to be compassionate about.