Parents Advice for new gym parents?

[shelovestoflip]

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!

When you pick her up after practice, don't question what she did, what skills she worked on, what her coaches said.

Just ask if she had fun! That's what matters when they are younger (well, older too!)

Find out now how much money things cost. Meet fees, leos etc, how many travel meets. You need to know the expenses will multiply as you go up the levels!

Give her a nice snack before practice, a light snack for during practice (if they have snack) and a good dinner after practice!

Make friends with the other parents….as time goes on, you will be spending a lot of time with them Don't talk about parents/kids/coaches behind anyone's back!

Mostly, let her enjoy it and follow her lead.

 

[gracyomalley]

Keep it all in perspective - and make sure she and her coaches do too.

If you don't feel the coaches have your kids best interests in mind (NOT her best gymnastics, but her best interests) politely question.

If you can't trust the coaches , and can't find ones you can trust, then remember this is just a sport - no matter how good they are or how much effort they have put into it, all kids will stop doing gym at some point - whether it be L3, L8, L10 or the Olympics...but (baring the rare exception) they won't be making a career or lifetime of this - so listen to your kid even if she doesn't know what she is saying to you. There are places/regions where there are tons of gyms to choose from, and places where there is one. Whereever your child is has to be healthy and happy for them - if its not, then that may be the end of her (your) gymanstics journey..

Of course we should let the journey be theirs, but believe me, after all the time, money, travel, anticipation, coaches meetings, struggles, joys, medals, challenges, etc...its yours too - but you are just the spectator and the one to make the adult decisions...

Oh, and make sure that the whole family finds a way to enjoy the journey - make family trips to meets, etc. It not fair for it to suck all the family budget and time without there being some fun involved....

And know that your kid is learning how to fall and get back up/keep going...how to work on something for months without improvement -then finally master it...how to listen, wait their turn, speak up for themselves, manage friendships, competition, disappointment, and probably along the way some bullying and unfair treatment. They are learning how to make decisions about who to trust and when to trust. They are learning time management and how to make life choices.

And if and when they are done with gymnastics they will be able to walk into many other sports/activities with a dedication, strength and work ethic that is not common in kids today...whether it be school, sports, or work.

Oh, and make sure to leave the room when they are learning FHS vault the first time, and to breath on BHSBHS on beam and double backs off various things for boys....vodka can help as well!

 

[profmom]

Keep it all in perspective - and make sure she and her coaches do too.

Oh, and make sure to leave the room when they are learning FHS vault the first time, and to breath on BHSBHS on beam and double backs off various things for boys....vodka can help as well!

Came to gym a bit early last night. DS has just started working vault catch drills. The first one ended with him letting go after trying to catch in mixed grip and plummeting downward into the pit headfirst, all legs and arms a-flail like a dying spider. All the coach could do was shake his head.

Being a gym parent is a lot of fun, because you'll see your kid learning to do things you can't even imagine, and you'll get invested in the success not only of your own child, but your child's teammates as well. It's scary at times, yes. And you will gain a great and enduring appreciation for the sport itself. Most people have caught a little gymnastics on TV during the Olympics or flipping channels on a Sunday afternoon, but once you see what really goes into making all that stuff look effortless, you will be in awe of the athleticism, dedication, intelligence, and passion involved, and you'll see all of that on a smaller scale with your own child. It's good, really good, even though some patches of the road are tremendously hard.

Care about your child's gymnastics, but always be sure to care a little less than your child does.

 

[l.c.o]

Trust.

Trust your daughter. Trust her coaches. And trust your intuition. If you can't, there's a problem which needs to be addressed.

Be ready for the ups and downs. Gymnastics isn't a linear process. Some things come more quickly than others. Other things sometimes come and go. Sometimes progress is swift, other times it feels almost stagnant. Patience is essential.

Some days you'll feel more like a sports psychologist than a parent. Just always remember to hug them and let them know you believe in them.

Some days you'll feel more like a chauffeur than a parent. And a check writer... And a crafty accountant (wait, maybe that's just me!).

Remind them they're more than just this sport.

Let them BE more than this sport. Try to encourage other activities or hobbies so they have something to focus on when the gym days are long and hard. My kid also competes cheer, though this will be her last year with that. Thankfully she should start running track again this spring, and she has also discovered she loves to write (poems, short stories). It doesn't have to be an organized thing.

And you can't compare your kid with any other kids in the program.