Parents Advice for new gym parents?

[gymbeam]

watch practice if you and she like, but don't over scrutinize it as long as your daughter is happy & healthy- those two things should be every parent's primary goals with this sport. anything more that comes from it should be icing on the cake.

talk about it with your child! but, in doing so, avoid comparing her progress to others'; keep the focus on her progress and her personal goals. i really believe that as this sport gets more demanding, its important the girls know they have a parent who understands what they are going through and they'll only know that if you do keep communication open.

keep her well-hydrated with primarily water. sports drinks not necessary. provide her a protein source within 30-60 minutes of practice ending for maximum muscle repair and growth and encourage a balanced diet in general.

dream big, but keep it real! have fun! welcome to gymnastics!

 

[Anna's_Mom]

Aside from what others have mentioned...

Figure out a plan for younger siblings. A 4 hour meet is a LONG time to try to keep a toddler or preschooler engaged so they aren't a danger to themselves or an supreme annoyance to others. A couple of weeks ago I spent my entire time trying to prevent small children from sticking their fingers in the floor vans the gym was using to "cool" the gym. Not my kids, not my gym, but I wasn't going to watch those littles get hurt. Missed my own DDs routine because I was coping with someone else's child, who the parents weren't watching. Not fair to anyone.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

My advice would be, if she needs to go, make sure she DOES take a crap in the gym bathroom.

LOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! priceless

 

[raenndrops]

My advice would be, if she needs to go, make sure she DOES take a crap in the gym bathroom.

Just tell her to make she she gets it all out and wipes thoroughly (especially if she goes commando).

Make sure she at least TRIES to use the bathroom before meet warm ups... not so funny when, right before she is getting ready to compete her beam routine, your gymmie signs to you that she has to use the bathroom!

 

[notthatmom]

Just tell her to make she she gets it all out and wipes thoroughly (especially if she goes commando).

Make sure she at least TRIES to use the bathroom before meet warm ups... not so funny when, right before she is getting ready to compete her beam routine, your gymmie signs to you that she has to use the bathroom!

Oh hell no, if it's that far into the meet she's holding it. Tough love

When I figure skater, sometimes we were sewn into part of our costumes, if you had to pee you were SOL till it was all over.

 

[raenndrops]

Oh hell no, if it's that far into the meet she's holding it. Tough love

When I figure skater, sometimes we were sewn into part of our costumes, if you had to pee you were SOL till it was all over.

She did hold it. Her jumps just weren't as dynamic. She went to the restroom right after (coach approval and 2 others went with her)... I don't think she could have tumbled on floor if she hadn't.

 

[notthatmom]

She did hold it. Her jumps just weren't as dynamic. She went to the restroom right after (coach approval and 2 others went with her)... I don't think she could have tumbled on floor if she hadn't.

Smart choice I could see that ending up messy had she waited till after floor lol!


Sometimes I'm surprised that I'm an adult, yet still find things like this funny.

 

[raenndrops]

Smart choice I could see that ending up messy had she waited till after floor lol!


Sometimes I'm surprised that I'm an adult, yet still find things like this funny.

I find it funny even though it was fairly common for her (and she DID use the restroom before warm-ups). It is even funnier for those girls who don't know sign and do the squeeze leg, cross hands "gonna pee myself" motions.... but not until they are at least 10 years old

She knew enough sign language when she started team at 6 to say hi, I love you, father, mother, sister, brother, I'm sorry, please, thank you, I'm hungry, I'm thirsty, and I have to go to the bathroom. She was still using it at 12.

 

[mom23]

Hello all,

As a fairly new gym parent, about to take that next step into the crazy team world, any advice you can provide at all is always helpful!

So to help me further, or help any other new gym parents that might be out there...what is the best piece of advice you can think of that can help parents just starting out that can make this journey a tad easier?


Honestly it could be anything....I don't care if it's "make sure your DD doesn't take a crap in the gym bathroom"

Share away, and have fun!

I'll add mine learned the hard way. Trust her coach and if you don't or can't find a coach you can trust.

 

[tortuga]

OK, thought of one-- I was stunned to find out I had to pay to watch my kid compete! $25 for mom, dad and DS, after already shelling out $90 for her to flip. And another $10 for the grandparents. Heck, it's free to watch the NCAA kids flip!!

Brought to mind as a recent meet charged spectators per session (?!) so if you happened to have a Level 3&4 gymmie, not only did you get to be at the gym for HOURS, you had to pay to watch each gymmie's session.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

OK, thought of one-- I was stunned to find out I had to pay to watch my kid compete! $25 for mom, dad and DS, after already shelling out $90 for her to flip. And another $10 for the grandparents. Heck, it's free to watch the NCAA kids flip!!

Brought to mind as a recent meet charged spectators per session (?!) so if you happened to have a Level 3&4 gymmie, not only did you get to be at the gym for HOURS, you had to pay to watch each gymmie's session.

Yes this was a shock to us way back when.

 

[Gym Beam]

OK, thought of one-- I was stunned to find out I had to pay to watch my kid compete! $25 for mom, dad and DS, after already shelling out $90 for her to flip. And another $10 for the grandparents. Heck, it's free to watch the NCAA kids flip!!

Brought to mind as a recent meet charged spectators per session (?!) so if you happened to have a Level 3&4 gymmie, not only did you get to be at the gym for HOURS, you had to pay to watch each gymmie's session.

Most meets we go to offer an all day pass. It doesn't help though if you have DDs competing on two different days.

 

[kitkat]

I couldn't have said it any better....

Couple more..

1. Don't criticize what they are doing. It may look like nothing but it sure took a long time to learn or do. Sometimes it takes several little things to actually make a big thing. Its such a slow moving pace.

2. Don't worry if you think your gymnast is behind on something cause other kids are doing other things. Each gymnast has their own strengths and weakness and learn at a difference pace.

3. Be the mom - when they need a mommy hug or a high five... enjoy what they do... they are simply amazing kids.

Some of my tips learned from many years in the trenches

1. Don't watch practice.
2. Trust the coaches. Trust your gut if it tells you not to trust coaches, and find a coach you can trust.
3. Do NOT compare your gymnast to others. She is her own person and she will be awesome at some things and struggle with others. So will everyone else. They won't always match which is why comparisons stink.
4. It is your child's sport - not yours. Cheer at the meets, but don't try to coach. Ever.
5. Don't get sucked into gym drama. If there is a parent who wants to be your friend right away at a gym and has "all the dirt" - RUN AWAY!!! You will find you have encountered a CGM in their natural environment and they can be very dangerous. And they complain about everything. Don't join the negativity.
6. Cheer for other gymnasts at meets - especially during awards, our children learned how to be good winners and losers through modeling. Tell their parents how awesome their children are. Every single athlete at a meet has worked really hard. They all deserve recognition.

 

[beachgirl]

Spend as much time with her now outside of gym because soon you will barely see her. Don't watch practice, it will drive you crazy with how slow the progression is and you will wonder why she just isn't doing the skill, you have to trust the coaches as there really is a plan. On the flip side if something doesn't seem right, it probably isn't. Get a a job or a second job and just start saving. Make a plan with the other moms not to buy the candygrams, etc at meets. For the first year of L3 we ended up with a lot of candy and junk. L4 and L5 the other families nobody would buy. Don't worry when the skill is hard to come, she will get there. It's not too late for AYSO or swimming at the Y.

 

[IK'sMom]

Listen to your gymnast. Really listen..... sometimes they will not come right out and tell you what is hurting/bothering them. And trust your gut. 99% of the time it is nothing, but you need to listen.

Don't be afraid to rest an injury. As someone else said it is a marathon not a race. Resting an injury and missing part of a season when they are 13 will allow them to be healthy and hopefully continue to compete through college. Not healing properly is a recipe for disaster.

If they are tired, or have homework, or want to go to a birthday party let them. They are only kids once, and missing one practice will not make or break a gymnastics career. Sometimes the mind needs to rest just as much as the body.

Remember you are the parent and you have the last say. It is your child. Don't be afraid to speak up on behalf of your child. You are a consumer, and if a coach/owner gives you a hard time do not be afraid to look for a gym that is a good fit. Sometimes as gymnasts grow (or family circumstances change) the coaches/gyms are no longer a good fit and moving on is a business decision, not a personal one.

Most importantly ....Have fun! Be Proud! It is a wonderful sport and you and your gymnast will meet a lot of great people!

 

[Gymmommy71]

Watching practice as your child goes trough the fun journey of acquiring all the beginner skills is cool, but once they are on team and working on skills that take a longer time to acquire it really does a lot more harm than good - I'd say a good guideline is to stop watching when practices become longer than 2 hours on any single day.

The reason is that when you watch, it's impossible to not compare your child to others, and, as many have said, this can lead to a lot of misery (unless your child happens to be the next simone biles). Pretty much every child on team is there because they are talented in one or more aspects of gymnastics, so wondering why your child can't tumble as well as the most powerful kid in her training group, or can't do beam as well as the most flexible kid, is just going to eat you up. And no matter what you say or don't say, a child can pick up on their parents disappointment and stress through body language.

Also, I'd advise to be sure to have some balance in your life so that your entire life doesn't revolve around gymnastics. I see so many new to team parents get completely sucked in to the gym to the point that they spend just as much time there as their child. The reality is that very few gymnasts who start out on the level 2/3 team ever become graduating level 10's w/ full rides to D1 schools, many don't even make it to optionals. And it will be a much lighter shock to your family's life if your child some day wants/has to quit if their entire family's existence doesn't revolve around the gym.

 

[mommyof1]

Decide what your family's priorities are, and then have a serious talk with your child about them. My daughter knows that school and adequate sleep come before gymnastics. She once forgot to bring home her books on a Wednesday when she didn't have practice and could have worked ahead on an assignment that was due Friday. When she wasn't able to finish the work before practice on Thursday, we picked her up from practice early so she could finish. She cried bitterly over that one, but hopefully she learned her lesson. She also knows that gymnastics is an enormous privilege, and that we are only willing to make the necessary sacrifices (in money, time, and parental sanity) as long as she is totally committed. This means that she needs to be managing her time well outside of gymnastics, attending every practice, and paying attention and putting forth 100% effort in the gym on a regular basis. We are not asking for any specific results, just her best effort.

Beware of the temptation to buy way too many leotards. They are just so cute and so hard to resist. My daughter started out with one for every practice day of the week plus one extra, and I was so proud of my practicality. Then with Christmas gifts, spirit leotards, camp leotards, etc., it somehow ballooned to an entire drawerful, of which she only actually wears about four favorites. I have been telling myself that when she grows into the next size, I won't buy her any practice leos other than the mandatory and souvenir ones.

And definitely don't watch practice. Once I felt confident leaving my daughter at the gym, I instantly became a much more relaxed gym mommy. Still not as relaxed as I'd like to be, but much more relaxed than when I was watching practice.

 

[wgymmom]

Get out while you still can!

 

[IK'sMom]

Get out while you still can!

HAHAHAHAHA!

 

[lovemygymnast]

Don't watch practice. I don't but now & again, she begs me to. The good news about doing it occasionally is that you get to see more results.

I would say, do not ever under any circumstance get caught up in the whole "my kid is better than your kid" thing. There are moms baiting you & you just cannot compare gymnasts. Some may get skills faster but others perfect them but get them slowly. You just can't get caught up in that craziness.

Never critique your gymmie. The only thing you should be is a sounding board when she needs it, encourage & support her & make sure she's having fun.

While I will say, always trust your coaches, trust your child too. If your child isn't an emotional kid & suddenly something is making her very emotional, listen, pay attention & be her advocate, even if that means changing gyms. You should always feel your child is safe, if you question that, if you have a bad feeling, stick around to watch.

Just always know, this is a slow sport. And just when you think things are fine, a fear issue or injury pops up. You just never know, so don't push & no rush.