2020 olympics

[GGranny]

Here's a good one:
5y/o DGrandD dob 05/2005
She is now L3..35.9AA 3rd at State
Will she be to young for the Olympics in 2020?
Need to determine if I should start saving now for the trip.

 

[bogwoppit]

Your money would be way better invested in a college fund for her. She would be 15 in 2020, so would have to wait four more years until 2024, by which time she would be 19, now that is a long way to wait.

Some smart parent here once worked out that if a child started gym at 3 and followed through starting with L4 at age 6, that you would have paid for an ivy league college education at least twice over!! Considering only 8 girls even get the chance to represent their country every four years the chances of being one of those girls, in the right year, with no injuries etc etc are as close to zero as you can get!

Having said all that though I really want to take my girls to the Olympics in London next year, seeing those events live would be awesome, but I think London will be overwhelemed and grind to a halt, so I think I'll stick to the TV!

It is always fun to imagine though! ; )

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Great advice Bog!!! Not even mentioning the fact that a young child may change her interests over the years, suffer a gymnastics-ending injury, etc. It's so easy to get caught up in all the gymnastics' hype of "going to the Olympics." Common sense really does need to prevail before the possibility of travelling down this path!

 

[GGranny]

Lol..

LOL
I already calculated that she will to young.
That said......
D-Grand-D saw the 2008 Olympics and then decided that SHE wants to be there, up on the top of that podium getting the GOLD.
This is HER plan.
Until/if/after that plan alters I will support her.
Because...thats what Grannys do, and yes I will save my $ for that trip.
God willing, we will be there together, my DGrandD and I.
As spectator or participant, to me it matters not.

 

[bogwoppit]

Well if my three year old told me she wanted to go to the 'lympics, I would pat her on the head and say "that's nice, now do you want broccoli or peas for dinner?".

But whatever cranks your shaft eh!

 

[gym law mom]

LOL
I already calculated that she will to young.
That said......
D-Grand-D saw the 2008 Olympics and then decided that SHE wants to be there, up on the top of that podium getting the GOLD.
This is HER plan.
Until/if/after that plan alters I will support her.
Because...thats what Grannys do, and yes I will save my $ for that trip.
God willing, we will be there together, my DGrandD and I.
As spectator or participant, to me it matters not.

She and about every other 3 yo that watched the Beijing 'lympics said the same thing.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Well if my three year old told me she wanted to go to the 'lympics, I would pat her on the head and say "that's nice, now do you want broccoli or peas for dinner?".

But whatever cranks your shaft eh!

bwhahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!

 

[NotAMom]

At 3, we encouraged our first child to try harder and stay focused. We knew he can do it. I was right: less than a year after that he was toilet trained.

 

[GGranny]

Oh-my-goodness

OMG. Patting heads? Potty training?
Are you serious...LOL
At that age DD was begging to go to the gym every morning as soon as she woke. She drove us crazy. She walked at 8 months and from that moment there has been no stopping her.
Sometimes, extremely rare-but it does happen, a child does know what they were born to do. A parents job is to be supportive as they watch that child soar.

 

[bogwoppit]

Oh I can guarantee all our kids were all the same, that's why they do gymnastics, but it doesn't mean I have to indulge every whim they have. Otherwise I'd be bankrupt and have no life.

My oldest is a perfectly happy 14 year old who no longer does gym, she can laugh at wanting to go to the Olympics way back when. She can also celebrate the fact that she got to do so much more than just gym.

Just be careful that the wishes of a very small child, do not get tangled up in adults desires, that can be disasterous. We have seen some very talented kids pushed way too quickly and they end up losing their love for the sport , injured or just quitting. Meanwhile the parents end up scratching their heads and wishing they hadn't put their life's savings and family's life in the mix.

I have been at this game long enough to say, slow down, enjoy the ride, she is 5 and hasn't even reached L5 compulsories yet. SO many tough skills to learn and a lot of time in the gym. So many kids quit before they get to optionals, as gym is a very long and winding road.

Her passion is very normal on this board, that is why we are all here. How you direct that passion is key.

 

[lilgymmie7]

I believe what others are trying to say is that every little girl dreams of being a "Princess". We as the adults in their lives do indulge them, but we also have to mix a bit of reality into the 'mix'.
Yes, your little one may have said she wanted to do just 'that'- win medals like the big girls. Every little girl watching the Olympics may have said that across the world, but not every little girl will ever get that chance. Do we all, at least in the back of our heads, dream of the same thing for our DD or DS? Maybe/ probably/who knows. But we are (mostly all- less a few 'crazies) living this exsistence in our kid's gymnastics for the moment. At least I am assessing, not daily but occassionally, what DD is getting out of gym for the time being. DD is very young, but already she is far more independent, determined, strong willed, yet handles set backs with a mature level headedness. This is a far out cry than my older two children. My DH and I are amazed at this little kid. That is what we are in this for. I joined this CB site to talk with other parents in order to gain insight on how to make gym life productive with DD's unraveling of life skills. I want her to look back on her gymnastics and pick out more of the goods than the bad.
If I was to plan her Olympic trip now and she is currently six, what year she would go/ who cares, she would only be able to pick out the bad. This would be because she would note that gym was never about her, it was about Me. I would never let that happen. If you continue really assessing how much you need to save, when she will be eligible to compete, your GD will probably get burnt out faster than not. Let her choose her path on a day by day measure.

What is that advice we so often hear? "Life is better lived for the moment. If not we miss all the small stuff." I translate it as we do what is right for the now. If we don't we do miss the little things that make up the larger whole. The little things are mostly our kids. Life is precious! I want to live life relishing what my little ones do. Every night I tuck my children into bed, and I realize just how special and endearing they are. The thought of what sport they do never crosses my mind at this time. What does is the people they are becoming due to the goodness of spirit they have.

 

[gymcoach34]

There is NOTHING wrong with encouraging these little girls to dream and to dream big! Most of the time, the childs (and parents) dreams and goals change naturally as the reality of gymnastics unfolds. I think the OP will realize her 2020 Olympic Fund will be put to good use long before 2020 for other gymnastics related expenses! I say Keep DREAMING and DREAM BIG !

 

[ek2]

At 3, we encouraged our first child to try harder and stay focused. We knew he can do it. I was right: less than a year after that he was toilet trained.

I am absolutely rolling!

To the OP.... interesting post???

 

[cher062]

Here's a good one:
5y/o DGrandD dob 05/2005
She is now L3..35.9AA 3rd at State
Will she be to young for the Olympics in 2020?
Need to determine if I should start saving now for the trip.

You can't be serious with that question. She is only 3 years old.

Children are born with an innate curiosity about the world. They enjoy exploration and discovery. Ideally, if we as parents simply provide for their safety needs when they are young and foster their joy of learning, our children will thrive and grow on their own. What they are interested in at 3yo may totally change at 4yo.

As a parent we should be committed to our child, model an active life style, exposed our child to different sports and activities and see if this is really their dream, attended meets and practices, and provided considerable encouragement and support.

3 yo is just too early for the adults to even have the Olympics on the plate for their child. Yes she may say she wants to do that now but I think every gymnast regardless of age has that dream at some point. Encourage her to do her best with comments like if you try your hardest and listen to your coaches you can do anything, but seriously you need to be realistic too. According to USA Gymnastics, there are more than 91,000 athlete members in the JO program 75% are women (thats just over 65,000 girls!!) and only 6 of them will make it to the Olympics.


If the olympics are in her future the coaches she has will steer her down the right path.
​

 

[gymjoy]

You can't be serious with that question. She is only 3 years old.

Children are born with an innate curiosity about the world. They enjoy exploration and discovery. Ideally, if we as parents simply provide for their safety needs when they are young and foster their joy of learning, our children will thrive and grow on their own. What they are interested in at 3yo may totally change at 4yo.

As a parent we should be committed to our child, model an active life style, exposed our child to different sports and activities and see if this is really their dream, attended meets and practices, and provided considerable encouragement and support.

3 yo is just too early for the adults to even have the Olympics on the plate for their child. Yes she may say she wants to do that now but I think every gymnast regardless of age has that dream at some point. Encourage her to do her best with comments like if you try your hardest and listen to your coaches you can do anything, but seriously you need to be realistic too. According to USA Gymnastics, there are more than 91,000 athlete members in the JO program 75% are women (thats just over 65,000 girls!!) and only 6 of them will make it to the Olympics.


If the olympics are in her future the coaches she has will steer her down the right path.
​

Cher, I just wanted to point out that the little gymmie is 5yo, but in
Level 3.
Otherwise all else that you said still applies 110%

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I don't want to be too discouraging, and it is certainly a good idea to encourage your kids to aim high and pursue their dreams....

However, statistically you are -- and I'm not exaggerating in the slightest -- more likely to win the lottery than you are to see any specific kid go on to make the olympic team.

Kids should always dream, but their parents should stay grounded in reality.

 

[Gymdad2]

I say start that fund now, today! Put aside all you can afford so when she turns eighteen you will have a good start on a college education! It is worth a lot more.

 

[Future Elite Mom]

I say, "Go for it!" . If she is that talented, she just might make it. There will always be those that want to rain on the parade of super-talented little athletes. That just makes it all the more important for the parents and grandparents to be there all of the time to push their dreams forward. Good luck!

 

[hakunamatata]

I think it's fantastic that you support your GD's goals! That is a great thing to do as long as you recognize that those goals will naturally change as she continues in this sport. I wanted to go to the 'lympics, too, along with every other little gymnast in the world. My coaches thought I was good enough to at least become an elite. I won almost every meet I competed in. Turns out I ended up being so exhausted by level 8/9 that I just up and quit. I had dealt with too many injuries, I was pulled away from the team and coaches that I loved when my family had to make an unexpected move and did not feel at home at the new gym, and I was emotionally and physically drained. So I quit. Never would have predicted THAT when I was a little girl hoping to go to the Olympics. Gymnastics has been the best experience of my entire life and always will be incredibly important to me. I am just so thankful that my parents were there to support me no matter what I chose to do. It was MY decision, not theirs, and they did not push me to continue when I had decided otherwise. I think that if their goals for me had gotten tied up with my goals for myself, we would've been in a bad situation.

So continue to support your granddaughter and be the awesome, loving grandmother that you are, but don't have any expectations other than that your GD has tons of fun and loves what she's doing. If you expect her to win the next meet, let alone go to the Olympics, she's going to start feeling that pressure and she probably won't love gymnastics quite as much because of it. As long as you're careful about that, I think your GD will really appreciate all your support and remember it forever.

 

[cher062]

Cher, I just wanted to point out that the little gymmie is 5yo, but in
Level 3.
Otherwise all else that you said still applies 110%

thanks for pointing that out I thought I read 3yo
witht said though 3 yo or 5yo she is still a preschooler and really she should be in it for the fun of it more than anything else.