You can do both gym & track!!!Brag alert

[gymjourneymom]

This has been quite a season with DD doing both gym & track! I already posted about her earning 2 state championship titles this past weekend-floor & vault & 3rd AA. Well, yesterday was track championships(10 school districts competing). DD took 2nd in the 100m dash, her relay team took 3rd place & she earned 5th place in long jump with a personal record of 14.5ft. Pretty impressive with her little gymnast legs! Her gym coach didn't make this easy for her. DD promised him she wouldn't let track interfere with her gymnastics, and she didn't. Gymnastics is her 1st love, but she wanted to feel more a part of her school community. So she successfully "dabbled" in track & with her main focus on gymnastics. She pulled it off & did well in both!!! She is so proud of her wins in both sports! But she is most hurt that gym coach still has not congratulated her on her state titles. Her track coaches all gave her high fives when they heard about her gym wins & she missed some track practices & meets to go to gym practice(she always chose gym over track & the track coaches were always supportive of her). I believe that the supportive attitude of the track coaches HELPED DD with gymnastics. They gave her the emotional support that she craves from her gym coach. She proved to herself & to all of her coaches that she could do both & do them both well. I never doubted her...as I've said before...she always amazes me! What a week it has been:cloud9:.

 

[bogwoppit]

Great job and I am glad that she gets to see some great coaches at work, shame they are in track and field. I am sure that your DD's successes this year will help into the next season.

Tell her that I think she is awesome to do so well in two sports, what a girl!

 

[TDiver]

Congratulations to your daughter, that is so great! I'm really glad that your daughter was able to do two sports.. I think it's important to be involved in more than one sport or at least have another hobby on the side of gymnastics. My parents allowed me to be in two sports and piano so when i wasn't able to do gymnastics anymore I had something else to fall back on.

I'm really glad her track coaches are so supportive and that she was able to succeed in both sports!! Good luck to her

 

[MdGymMom01]

WOW GJM!!! That is so awesome!!! I knew she would do great ;-) !!! It just goes to show you that with the great attitude, drive and determination to succeed, ANYTHING is possible. I am glad that she has supportive coaches (with the track team) at least. Congrats on the end to the season in 2 great sports!!!

 

[msl529]

Good for her! I am so glad she had a great track season, on top of her great gym season. What a truly hard-working and gifted athlete she is.

I love that her track coaches can handle 'sharing' her, shows that they are healthy and supportive individuals. A shame her gym coach can't see the benefit of letting her spread her wings a bit. It only helped her feel better about herself (and consequently perform better at both sports), in the end.

I am so happy for you and your dd that it all ended so well this year. Give her a big high five & a HUG from us!

 

[Gillatard]

Thats greattt! Last year I did track and gym also. I decided I was 14 that I wanted to try a different sport since gymnastics is the only sport ive ever done. But for me I cared for track moree. I would go to gym practice at 5 instead of 4 and I skipped practice every track meet. But last year I was supposed to be my last year. Most gymnasts are good at the sprints and long jump, high jump and hurdless.

 

[mariposa]

Congrats to her!! Wow! Glad she has awesome, supportive track coaches. It is a shame the gym coaches have been such a disappointment.

 

[Jamarie]

Congrats to your daughter! We finished our middle school track season with the conference meet (10 teams) on Tuesday. My daughter's 7th grade 4x100 relay placed first and she placed fourth on long jump. Her longest jump this year is 13'11". Luckily it is over and she can start concentrating on getting ready for USTA Nationals in June. She was also state champion this year (trampoline, double-mini and floor). Her tumbling coach wasn't too excited either that she try another sport. I don't think she has even asked how she did. She missed a few classes because of track meets, but she really enjoyed trying a new sport. Her first love is still the gym, too!

 

[gymjourneymom]

Congrats to your daughter! We finished our middle school track season with the conference meet (10 teams) on Tuesday. My daughter's 7th grade 4x100 relay placed first and she placed fourth on long jump. Her longest jump this year is 13'11". Luckily it is over and she can start concentrating on getting ready for USTA Nationals in June. She was also state champion this year (trampoline, double-mini and floor). Her tumbling coach wasn't too excited either that she try another sport. I don't think she has even asked how she did. She missed a few classes because of track meets, but she really enjoyed trying a new sport. Her first love is still the gym, too!

Sounds like our DD's could be siblings,LOL!!!! Congrats to your DD on her accomplishments!!!! I wish coaches would be more supportive of our girl's desire to branch out & try new things. Why would anyone want to discourage a child like that???? I just can't figure it out . The track coaches made her feel special & wanted, like the team really needed her. It was a great self esteem boost for her. DD was very sad today realizing that track is over. She really gained so much from her track experience. She's really going to miss the track coaches & their positive encouragement regarding both track & gymnastics. Good luck to your DD at USTA Nationals!!!! Please be sure to let us know how they go for her.

 

[gracefulone]

That's really great! I had rough time balancing track and gym my soph year of high school (main focus gym). I thought I would always love gym more. Now I'm a senior and no longer a gymnast; just a long/triple jumping, pole vaulting, sprinting ex-gymnast.

 

[gym mom]

Big congrats to your DD!!!Sounds like she had a blast doing track and some great coaches.

 

[gymjourneymom]

gracefulone, I'm sure doing both in highschool would be tough. My DD wanted to try try track while she was still in middle school, just to see how she like it & how she would fair. And it worked out great for her. I'm glad you branched out & tried track & field, even though I'm sure that was a tough schedule for you. May I ask what made you decide on track over gym??? I'm sure my DD will be facing that decision next year, as she will be in HS, taking all honors classes. She is already nervous about balancing school & gym next year. I must say after doing gymnastics her whole life DD, is so proud & happy that she has found another sport she is good at. Just in case the gymnastics schedule gets too over whelming in the future, she has somewhere else to go. That's a comforting feeling to both her & I. Best wishes to you!!!I'm glad you found another sport in which to excel.

 

[gracefulone]

gracefulone, I'm sure doing both in highschool would be tough. My DD wanted to try try track while she was still in middle school, just to see how she like it & how she would fair. And it worked out great for her. I'm glad you branched out & tried track & field, even though I'm sure that was a tough schedule for you. May I ask what made you decide on track over gym??? I'm sure my DD will be facing that decision next year, as she will be in HS, taking all honors classes. She is already nervous about balancing school & gym next year. I must say after doing gymnastics her whole life DD, is so proud & happy that she has found another sport she is good at. Just in case the gymnastics schedule gets too over whelming in the future, she has somewhere else to go. That's a comforting feeling to both her & I. Best wishes to you!!!I'm glad you found another sport in which to excel.

It didn't come down to the point where I had to choose; I just wanted to. Fall of this year, I took on an (unpaid) internship 15 hours a week in addition to my 10 hours of coaching and my 12 hours of gym practice, plus 6 AP classes and my pole vault coach meeting me before school 3X a week to do workouts. That's when it started to be gym I didn't want to go to anymore. It just got to the point where I hated going to practice and would rather be doing offseason track workouts. I realized that I could go a lot further with track; I'm going to be competing next year at a small private college (one of not so many sports offered). So I actually called it quits mid season. just before Christmas break. I think you just have to look at what excites you more-always remember to do what you love and if you're not loving what you're doing, it's time to move on.

 

[kristilyn73]

GJM -

Congrats to your DD with juggling both Track and Gymnastics! And what great sucess at both!!

Beetle ran track this year for the second year as well.. she had very understanding coaches both Track & Gymnastics.. Since she missed her first few Track practices due to Regions Training. Her gym coach wanted her to run to help her vaulting.

Beetle & her Relay team won the City Meet for the 4 x 100! she also competed in the long jump but only tried it once.. and got a 10. 8 or something like that..

 

[BlairBob]

Hmm, many HS coaches will not share athletes.

I, however, would rather see and allow an athlete to train and compete Track&Field somehow...depending on event ( I probably wouldn't bother with long distance or XC ).

IMO, if they are going to do HS cheer, they might as well quit gym or go into a rec TnT or team or the teen/adult class. It depends on how much of the practice they are going to miss.

 

[polevaultpower]

Most gymnasts are good at the sprints and long jump, high jump and hurdless.

Uggh as a track coach I have to disagree. Most gymnasts have terrible running form and their cardiovascular fitness is not as good as they think it is (but obviously very strong and flexible). Once they learn how to run properly, some are fast and some are so-so.

Most gymnasts enjoy the pole vault (most like gymnastics!), hurdles, high jump, long jump, triple jump, sprints.

I would encourage any gymnast of any size to try the pole vault, but the taller and faster you are the better Being fast is more important than being tall.

Track is a lot of fun in the right environment and lots of current and former gymnasts enjoy it.

 

[polevaultpower]

Hmm, many HS coaches will not share athletes.

I, however, would rather see and allow an athlete to train and compete Track&Field somehow...depending on event ( I probably wouldn't bother with long distance or XC ).

Very few HS athletes make HS Track their primary sport, so most HS track coaches are happy (or at least are willing) to work with athletes in other sports and to try and work things out to make both work, within reason. If they don't, most kids will choose the other sport! Lots of track kids also do soccer, and club soccer is crazy.