Parents Are gymnasts entitled

[PeanutsMom]

At a minimum a competitive gymnastics needs a ride to practice and far away meets and a lot of money. My gymnasts, who I consider a very nice girl, gets that plus the best medical care anytime she is hurt, homemade high protein smoothies for breakfast and a pregym snack, more leos than she could wear in a month, trips to see elite and college gymnasts, expensive camps in the summer, professional hair for meets sometimes. It's franky a lot. I am happy to do all of that for her but I would also like her to stay grounded.

Professional hair for meets? If a girl or her mom can't do it, then another teammate or a parent will do it. We have had lines of kids lined up pre meet getting hair done. Camps, trips to see elite and college gymnasts are great, but certainly not required to be a fantastic gymnast. My daughter has seen one elite competition (it was held in our hometown) and one college meet (one of her older teammates was a commit there and our gym set up a team outing to cheer her on for signing). She has never been to a camp. She is no further behind than any other optional level gymnast. Granted she isn't "ahead" like some her age and she doesn't home school or do shortened school days. She doesn't do 2 a day practices. We buy leos (she loves bling) but we resell the ones she has outgrown that are in good condition so she understands the concept of money. She does get new grips fairly often and she does see fantastic doctors (she has a slipped disc in her back and a fracture they are watching, so medical care I will certainly agree is necessary). However, this sport IS super expensive and travel and competition costs drive it up even more. We have 3 kids, only 1 is a gymnast, and the other 2 have their passions as well. So is she entitled? No. Are we supportive, yes. Does she have to help contribute to her gymnastics expenses? Yes. She works as a volunteer coach for our rec program and gets 10% off her monthly tuition and she is being trained so that when she is old enough to start coaching on her own, she will have been "working" and training already.

 

[JessSyd]

We have a competition we go to where there is a ‘hair station’ where girls can get their hair done in fancy braids etc before they compete.

But it is the opposite of entitled - the station is a fundraiser and is run by volunteers from the gym running the competition (some professional hairdressers, some highly experienced dance mums and older gymnasts who are good with hair). They charge really low fees - an amount a gymnast could easily afford with her pocket money, and it is fun. The gym running the station raises money, the volunteers running it seem to be enjoying themselves, and little gymnasts can experiment with fancy hair.

I thought it was a really clever idea and would love to see it at travel competitions.

 

[PeanutsMom]

We have a competition we go to where there is a ‘hair station’ where girls can get their hair done in fancy braids etc before they compete.

But it is the opposite of entitled - the station is a fundraiser and is run by volunteers from the gym running the competition (some professional hairdressers, some highly experienced dance mums and older gymnasts who are good with hair). They charge really low fees - an amount a gymnast could easily afford with her pocket money, and it is fun. The gym running the station raises money, the volunteers running it seem to be enjoying themselves, and little gymnasts can experiment with fancy hair.

I thought it was a really clever idea and would love to see it at travel competitions.

This is an amazing idea! What a clever and practical fundraiser.

 

[sw2017]

I think quite the opposite. Achievement in gymnastics is impossible without hard work, perseverance and commitment. Kids who want everything handed them on a platter and are after instant gratification, just wont get far in this sport.

The sport itself usually keeps them grounded, literally they fall a lot. They learn to fall and get up, and fall and get up and persevere.

I agree with this. I think gymnastics ca

We have a competition we go to where there is a ‘hair station’ where girls can get their hair done in fancy braids etc before they compete.

But it is the opposite of entitled - the station is a fundraiser and is run by volunteers from the gym running the competition (some professional hairdressers, some highly experienced dance mums and older gymnasts who are good with hair). They charge really low fees - an amount a gymnast could easily afford with her pocket money, and it is fun. The gym running the station raises money, the volunteers running it seem to be enjoying themselves, and little gymnasts can experiment with fancy hair.

I thought it was a really clever idea and would love to see it at travel competitions.

love this idea!

 

[Miles_leaf]

I gotta say, the gym I taught at was awful. All the competing girls hated me, for a combination of a few things. Possibly because I was male and better than them, and didn’t train around them. So maybe I was the entitled one, but they all came from much richer families than mine (not that mine was poor), and hadn’t experienced some of the nonsense I did. So it was hard to relate. And another thing, I hated the head coach/owner for being a monster. She was abusive, mostly vocally, but there was a lot of pressure to ‘work through injuries’ too. And she was really bad at coaching. But the girls still respected her somehow. And that meant they also had to hate me. I don’t know. I’m sure not all gymnasts are entitled, and I’m sure that there are plenty that are. On average, I would bet a feeling of superiority to the general population would be normal, but hey, every athlete is like that. It doesn’t help if your HC is pulling the whole place into a terrible pit of suck. But anyway, I’m sorry for my rant. She (the HC) recently refused me a job for no reason after never paying me for my old one. So I’m a little more vocal than normal

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

I don’t think gymnasts are inherently entitled, it depends on the parents. We know girls whose moms fawn over them and tell them constantly how talented they are, how they’re going to the Olympics and move heaven and earth to get them better practice hours, more privates, etc. those girls are hella entitled. On the other hand, last summer I opened the gym every day at 7 am, waking up at 5.30 am and my gymnast knew she needed to wake up at the same time and open the gym with me because no one was going to bring her to practice later. Did it suck? Yes. But she never complained about it.

She does community service, is in the honor society, does safety patrol in the mornings, practices 4.5 hours a day and she’s happy to do everything. But man, she is lazy at home because she gets a free pass throughout the week due to her hours.

So maybe, gymnasts might be lazy outside their sport lol

 

[MuggleMom]

But man, she is lazy at home because she gets a free pass throughout the week due to her hours.

So maybe, gymnasts might be lazy outside their sport lol

So much this! My husband is like why don't our kids have more chores do you know how much crap I had to do at their age! I just feel guilty making her do a ton of chores when she has so little down time to herself.

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

So much this! My husband is like why don't our kids have more chores do you know how much crap I had to do at their age! I just feel guilty making her do a ton of chores when she has so little down time to herself.

Yep, I want her to clean up or do laundry but also… I think she might need to sit down and relax for a few minutes in the evening lol

 

[JPC13]

Yep, I want her to clean up or do laundry but also… I think she might need to sit down and relax for a few minutes in the evening lol

I once read about an ultra long distance runner who would only move to eat, shower, and go to the bathroom outside of his training runs. IIRC he set a world record for marathons so there's clearly some benefit to laziness.

 

[Tammie]

On the other hand, last summer I opened the gym every day at 7 am, waking up at 5.30 am and my gymnast knew she needed to wake up at the same time and open the gym with me because no one was going to bring her to practice later. Did it suck? Yes. But she never complained about it.

Omg! Your gym opens at 7am??? That is an un-Godly hour ;-) I tease, but most would be shocked at how late our gym was open, so just different ends of the same spectrum.

Just out of curiosity, what time did your DDs training start? It obviously wasn't 7am-lol

Congrats on a well-rounded daughter!!

P.S. my 2 non-gymnast little girls don't do many chores either. I have a hard time asking it of one & not the other(even if it's because of gym)-so just more stuff for mom.

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

Omg! Your gym opens at 7am??? That is an un-Godly hour ;-) I tease, but most would be shocked at how late our gym was open, so just different ends of the same spectrum.

Just out of curiosity, what time did your DDs training start? It obviously wasn't 7am-lol

Congrats on a well-rounded daughter!!

P.S. my 2 non-gymnast little girls don't do many chores either. I have a hard time asking it of one & not the other(even if it's because of gym)-so just more stuff for mom.

I opened at 7 am for summer camp - optionals at that location started at 10.30 am last summer. This summer she practiced at 8.30 am, but our practice hours go till 8.30 pm depending on the level.

7 am was truly ungodly since we lived an hour away, other people who worked there just had their partner bring their kid when practice was starting but I feel like if I’m there, she also needs to be there lol. I wasn’t about to rope my husband into driving her to a place im already at

 

[Tammie]

I opened at 7 am for summer camp - optionals at that location started at 10.30 am last summer. This summer she practiced at 8.30 am, but our practice hours go till 8.30 pm depending on the level.

7 am was truly ungodly since we lived an hour away, other people who worked there just had their partner bring their kid when practice was starting but I feel like if I’m there, she also needs to be there lol. I wasn’t about to rope my husband into driving her to a place im already at

Wow! Those are long gym hours!! Both this gym and our previous gym didn't open until afternoon. Since I only have those 2 for reference, I just assume everyone does things the same(same with training techniques & such, I'm like "what, never saw/heard that before?!" Or didnt you learn that??). You don't know what you don't know

Our previous gym was open 12/1 until 9/10pm(posted opening was 2pm). Our current gym opens 11 in summer/12 rest of year until 8/9pm(posted opening 2:30summer/3:30rest). With the first 2hrs being privates at both and here anything after 8/8:30pm being privates(its not unheard of to see people in our current gym until 10/11pm)

Especially living so far away, it's hard to justify having him drive 2hrs round trip to avoid her waiting for 3hrs, I totally understand that!!

I also believe that if you are doing something for her, like working the desk for summer camp-to support her sport/club, she should be there! We did the same when we volunteered for a xcel competition-my gymnast was there as a volunteer "runner" all 3 days ;-)

I give you beau coup credit for being there at 7am, leaving your house by 6, I'm not sure I could have done it!! Give me the afternoon shift, please-lol