Parents Article about year-round sports

[wnl256]

$2500 a year? Pfffft. My oldest daughter did equestrian sports in high school. We blew through $2500 in less than half that time. So glad my youngest is involved in a sport that is (a) cheaper and (b) indoors!!!

 

[thefellowsmom]

I too don't feel bad for one minute and like most of you this wasn't my choice. She drives this, not me and she would be miserable if I tried to control it. I agree with dunno entirely. If they are dong it because the want it then a lot of this becomes a non issue. I lived at the barn when I was a kid, every day after school, every weekend. I loved it. It was the only pace I wanted to be. Sure I got injured a few times but I wouldn't trade that time, those friends or the lessons I learned there for anything.

The lessons gymnastics has taught my daughter outweighs the costs and risks in my mind. it has changed her in the most amazing ways. I also feel very secure in the fact the her club and coaches are doing everything they can to prevent injuries, especially overuse. I think gymnastics is somewhat unique in this way. There are not a lot of girls running around our gym in braces and tape and that makes me feel better. And honestly most of the minor injuries that happen to our gymnasts are from them tripping over something. We seem to have a run on broken toes right now, most from bonking them on equipment or not seeing that wall right there

I also think that in good gymnastics programs there is a strong emphasis on conditioning and form. Gymnastics is a full body sport that used all the different kinds of motion. Yes, there are still parts of the body that gat neglected a bit, but nothing like a baseball pitcher or runner where the emphasis and movements are almost entirely one dimensional and conditioning the rest of the body isn't a priority.

Rah rah gymnastics!!! Hee hee.

I too laughed out loud at the $2500 number. Per year? For two kids? Oh if only.

I completely agree about education in this country. I simply do not understand the lack of priority of good education for all and don't get how people don't see that education is the answer to most of what ails us. Sigh, don't get me started. When my dd qualified for a highly capable program I jumped at the chance for her to learn that school is supposed to be challenging and be in an environment where her intelligences would be fostered and supported. You would be amazed how many parents think I am crazy for putting her in this program. Their arguments are almost entirely social and many just don't see how I would want school not to be easy for her. What?

Regarding adult athletics, just tell your son to move to the northwest . Almost everyone I know does some sort of organized sports activity. There are huge and active adult leagues for all levels in soccer, baseball, softball, rugby, lacrosse, hockey, you name it. There is also a fun run like every other weekend, running clubs, master swim teams, orchestras, choirs, robot clubs, hike with your dog clubs and pretty much anything else you can think of. I guess I assumed it was like this in most places but we are a little activity nuts around these parts and will pretty much do anything active even in the pouring down rain. LOL.

 

[raenndrops]

I was one of those kids who had to be doing something all the time. Over my athletic career, I was on teams for: Football, baseball, basketball, volleyball, track, and softball. I also swam whenever possible and taught myself gymnastics. If my school had had a gymnastics team, I would have been on that too.
My gymmies do gym year round, but they are on limited hours... and they have 2 weeks off in December, 1 week off in November, and the month of July off (generally... but Nationals are at the beginning of July this year... and they can be "junior counselors" during rec camps - 2 weeks where they can go 0-5 days each week for 2 hours a day... and 4-5 days of team camp over the following 2 weeks).

 

[Midwestmommy]

Not to totally discount that we should all be cognizant of the risk of overuse injuries (we should):

But,
1. $2,500? I wish!
2. I've never heard a coach lead any parents of elementary age gymnasts by the nose with the promise of a college scholarship in gymnastics.
3. I agree with the "whole picture" comments. I was just talking to a friend the other day about how when we were kids there were always at least two in the neighborhood who got hurt each summer climbing trees. On one unfortunate day an awesome multiple-story fort collapsed on us. Thankfully, no broken bones but there were some stitches. I really don't see any of the "nailed boards in the tree trunk ladders" up to a platform tree forts in my neighborhood these days. We had several when I was growing up. Not saying that was necessarily good, there were some falls resulting in casts... The tree climber fort-building types probably are doing less tree climbing and more organized sports these days...
4. I doubt anyone makes crutches out of old 2 by 4s anymore like my sister did when it was not bad enought to make the the trip to town and the dr.
5. The children playing video games 15+ hours a week may not be costing healthcare dollars now, but some of them surely will once they are over 35 if they aren't learning to balance things out with some exercize..

 

[wgymmom]

I don't feel bad at all either. Like others have said, DD is driving this and she would be devastated if she had to quit or even scale back. And the next time we turn around, someone will be bemoaning sedentary kids.

$2500 a year for two kids sounds like a dream.

 

[skschlag]

Yes, walk into most high schools and what is the first thing you see (after you get past security)? Trophy cases filled with sports trophies. Very rarely do you walk into the school and see their "Science Olympiad" trophies in the lobby.

Ahh. at my son's school, you first see Science O, RObotics, and Math Counts trophies It is great

 

[emorymom]

Yeah that was a pretty darn affordable swim team experience that parent was having. Maybe it was at a Y ... at any rate, a pure bargain to have two kids with excellent lung development.

 

[kandkfunk]

For me it's a safety issue with gymnastics. You cannot reasonably expect kids to be strong enough and have the correct form to safely throw the level of skills required by today's gymnastics if they are only practicing part of the year. Taking a few weeks off through the course of the year is absolutely necessary for recovery and recharging, but it's still a year round sport.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Gymnastics can't be compared to the average sport. Most sports use the same repetitive body movements over and over again. If your child was pitching a baseball 4 hours a night 50 weeks a year, guaranteed injury. But gymnastics uses a very wide variety of different muscle movements and works all parts of the body relatively equally.

Secondly gymnasts spend a great deal of time developing their strength and flexibility in order to prevent injury.

Thirdly due to the nature of gymnastics you are more likely to get hurt if you take time off. More injuries occur in gymnastics after a gymnast has had a break either due to a holiday or are iota injury than any other training time.

Fourthly, in other sports kids can wait until they reach their 20's to be of international standard, gymnasts need to get themselves there by their teens. They can't afford to waste time!

 

[txgymfan]

I agree Aussie but some gyms to train a huge amount of hours at a very young age and I do think that could be curbed some.

 

[dani4]

Gymnastics can't be compared to the average sport. Most sports use the same repetitive body movements over and over again. If your child was pitching a baseball 4 hours a night 50 weeks a year, guaranteed injury. But gymnastics uses a very wide variety of different muscle movements and works all parts of the body relatively equally.

Secondly gymnasts spend a great deal of time developing their strength and flexibility in order to prevent injury.

Thirdly due to the nature of gymnastics you are more likely to get hurt if you take time off. More injuries occur in gymnastics after a gymnast has had a break either due to a holiday or are iota injury than any other training time.

Fourthly, in other sports kids can wait until they reach their 20's to be of international standard, gymnasts need to get themselves there by their teens. They can't afford to waste time!

This is exactly what I was thinking. Gymnastics is different from all those other sports. So I wouldn't worry.

 

[shelovestoflip]

$2500?! Try $7000/yr!
Maybe we should move?!

My daughter chose gymnastics....I offered other sports...she tried skating, swimming, dance and track.....and none captured her the way gymnastics did.

I like to think that the conditioning they do helps them avoid injury?!
Our gym is never closed.....only the major holidays....but we take a few weeks off in summer and a week at Christmas....

And she's lived to tell the tale