Parents Any gymnastics parents who are also coaches?

[Rorysmom17]

Hello everyone,

I am just curious to hear about the gymnastics paths of kids of coaches! I know they are all super different and I would like to hear how it went for those of you who had kids growing up as gym rats haha!

I am trying to figure out if my kindergartener is really into gymnastics or just thinking that doing it pleases me. I have tried to keep the pressure off and she is actually the one who wanted to be on the JO pre team track not me (“mommy I want to be in that class where the kids are actually listening!”) and she has natural athletic ability but I don’t see the drive. (However, I am NOT and will not ever be her coach, so her attitude and work ethic is likely much different in class- when she asks to work on things with me she generally takes corrections very personally so I try to avoid helping her ha!)

She will be promoted to team this summer (level 2) but this is obviously a bigger commitment, and I just want her to be happy and enjoy the sport for herself, not me! I have no big expectations and while I like the JO route because bad form that sometimes happens in rec makes me cringe- I will happily cringe if my daughter is enjoying herself! Is it bad to allow your kid to join team and increase hours dramatically if you do not know how much they enjoy it? (Increase would be from 4 to 8 hours nothing super crazy!) is it normal to not really know at this age?

I know she really wants to be moved to team, but I’m not sure she really wants the extra time in the gym etc. I am hoping that once she is on team she will develop more drive and more ownership of gymnastics being her thing- but I don’t want her to feel pressure from me or force her to go. She is good at gymnastics, but she has also spent lots of additional hours in the gym and when I was a gymnast I had such a passion for gymnastics and it seems like she does love the gym, but she just likes the atmosphere and the social aspect!

Any advice, stories etc. would be awesome! Just curious about what path your kids took and how that path was determined! I might just be thinking about it too much because I am trying so hard not to force it! I actually didn’t start gymnastics until I was almost 7- so I am wondering if maybe once she gets a little older she will get more into it and develop more of a love for the sport.

 

[2gymkids]

I'd continue to let her do it as long as she's enjoying it and it's working for your family. She's 5. I think we put way too much emphasis on kids to have a "passion" these days....it's an extra-curricular activity, and if it's one she likes and you can afford, then go for it! She may develop into a gym obsessed kid, or she may still like doing it but like having a life, too, or she may eventually decide it's not for her. All of those are fine options but for now, if it's working and she wants the hour increase, great. I would (just since she's been in the gym a lot) make sure to expose her to some other activities asap before the time commitment of gym makes that harder.

Disclaimer: I am not a coach, just a parent.

 

[Seeker]

Agree. At that age they often have no idea what they like.

 

[raenndrops]

Our HC purposely kept her DD's hours short and didn't allow her onto team until she was 7 (old L4). She is currently a 2nd year L8/ training L9 AND coaching advanced rec at 15 years old.
All the other parent/coaches on our team didn't start coaching until AFTER their DDs were on team, so the girls "drove the bus" so to speak.
The ONLY coach that coaches her own DD is HC. The other mom coaches will never coach their own.

Good luck.

 

[mommyof1]

If she is the one asking to do JO, and it isn't a logistical or financial burden to your family, what's the harm if she only likes it instead of loving it? It sounds as if you are keeping the pressure off and following her lead.

I have a kid who has been singularly passionate about gymnastics since the day she set foot in the gym at age 4.5, and sometimes that kind of passion is not all it's cracked up to be. Sometimes I wish she just liked gymnastics. She loves gymnastics more than gymnastics loves her, and it might be easier if she were a little less intense about the whole thing.

 

[wgagym]

My Oldest loved gym from the time she was baby, but I have always kept hours low on what she “has”to do practice wise. She is a 10 year old level 6, training 8, new to JO this year. Did Xcel up to this point. She only practices 12 hours a week. Now she spends about 16-20 in the gym because she starts practice early and continues late since I am still there.

My 3 year old is obsessed currently and will do a full 4 hour practice with conditioning with the JO kids. She will spend every hour she can playing in the gym. But it is that. She has a blast and will work in whatever class she jumps in so as off now I don’t plan on competing her until age 8 but she will probably start at level 6 if she continues with her path but my thoughts is that if she really keeps up that ambition and talent then I want her to be having fun until that point.

Who knows either one of them may end up deciding. They are both young. The phrase I use with my 10-year-old a lot is it’s your gymnastics.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I’m both, feel free to PM me if you feel like it! DD is of a much higher level than I currently coach. I have helped out with her team from time to time but truly prefer not to, and I do NOT get involved with her coaching at all. It is hard, and I sometimes wish I had much less knowledge....

 

[ginnymac]

I coached my dd at a small program. No issues for us, I had been a part time coach before she was even born. She and I had no issues in the gym, and never "brought gym home" with us.

By 5th grade she "tried" another sport and by 7th grade she had completely transitioned to this new sport. Someone once asked her, "is your mom upset that you aren't doing gymnastics anymore?" Her reply was, "Nope, she can still love gymnastics and I can love my [other sport]. We are 2 different people and she loves me whether I am a gymnast or not!"

That was always my attitude with her and I was so proud to hear her verbalize it. She is now in college competing at a D1 school (not gymnastics).

 

[sewgood]

The phrase I use with my 10-year-old a lot is it’s your gymnastics.

I say that to my kids, especially my older one, all the time.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Not a coach but I am a mom. I don’t think this is necessarily unique to coaches.

Young kids tend to want to please and emulate their parents. Or they do the opposite and avoid what their parents like or want like the plague. I still worry at times if my girls is following her path or if she is doing what she thinks I “want” her to do.

I think as grown ups we need to make sure we keep our “stuff” from becoming their “stuff”. And give them the opportunity to try as much as possible. So they can figure out what they like and want. And talk about how it’s OK to try something else. To try something new and find out it’s not for you. This is how we learn.

Let her try lots of things. Let her know gymnastics is your thing but it doesn’t have to be hers. It can be but it doesn’t have to be. And revisit the choices from time to time. We have conversations a couple times a year. Anything new you’d like to try??

As she grows herworld will expand and she’ll figure it out.

For me when gym stops being fun. When she comes out of practices not happy more days then she is happy. She is done.