Parents Can't get my gymnast to watch gymnastics

[flipper123]

Hey fellow parents, looking to get some advice and creative ideas here. I know there would be so much value my level 8 gymnast would get from watching college and elite gymnastics but she absolutely refuses. She loves and lives it, trains 26 hrs a week, super tough coaches and eats it up, does amazing (one of top 3 gymnasts at one of the top gyms in the country).. seriously, I put it on and it's like sunlight to a vampire. She says it will mess her up and make her do worse. I don't understand the logic there. She's done this since she was level 4 and we tried to get her to watch the Olympics. It's not like she is saturated with too much gymnastics, she makes us bring her to the gym 2 hours early just to hang out, and wants to homeschool at gymnastics.. also wants to become a coach and own a gym when she grows up!

Does anyone else have this challenge?? Any thoughts on how to get her to watch it and use it as a tool to learn from? Currently i'll just put it on in the background here and there and hope that something about it catches her eye and she stays watching.

Thanks in advance!

 

[Flyaway]

When it becomes a job, it's not fun anymore. I absolutely would let it go. If she's at the gym 26 hours a week or more, she definitely does not need to be coerced into watching gymnastics. Let her be.

Anecdotally, my gymnast is the same. I love watching and wish she would watch with me. She could care less.

 

[Scream4IceCream]

I don’t mean this in a snarky way at all, but why does it bother you? What are you hoping she’d get out of it that she’s not already getting?

I agree it’s a little odd given her overall enthusiasm for the sport, but it sounds like she is doing great!

I’m just brainstorming here, but are you looking for a way the two of you can enjoy the sport together? If so, maybe you could find a way to share one of your interests with her instead?

If it’s just about wanting her to improve her gymnastics, then I’d back off. It sounds like she’s found a balance that works for her, which is great!

 

[Faith]

I know there would be so much value my level 8 gymnast would get from watching college and elite gymnastics but she absolutely refuses.

What is the “value” you think she will get from it?

Why do you think it is so important?

She has achieved a lot without it. It’s her sport. Yes she may love being at the gym, but she probably doesn’t want to come home and watch even more.

Leave her be. If it’s because you want to find a joint interest, take the hint and find something else!

As for the messing up her gymnastics, yes it might. If she learns visually she may find herself subconsciously changeing her technique to match what she watches. Or watching falls and mistakes in competitions may be psychologically tough for her.

Dd loves doing her sport, but freely admits she finds it boring to watch!

 

[flipper123]

Great perspective! Thanks

 

[Flyaway]

Or watching falls and mistakes in competitions may be psychologically tough for her.

This is one reason my dd states she doesn't like to watch. She sees falls and suddenly things she wasn't worried about before move front and center in her mind and that really messes with her.

 

[flipper123]

Such an intensely mental and personal sport. I did diving and skateboarding/snowboarding, 2 very similar sports, and I have to say I can't relate at all. I watch others and listen to the commentators to find out what they are doing well/not well and how that's impacting their scores. To each their own I guess!

 

[Flyaway]

Such an intensely mental and personal sport. I did diving and skateboarding/snowboarding, 2 very similar sports, and I have to say I can't relate at all. I watch others and listen to the commentators to find out what they are doing well/not well and how that's impacting their scores. To each their own I guess!

I think it's natural for parents to want to give their gymnasts whatever they can to give them an edge. And watching gymnastics on the surface seems like a simple and cheap way to do that! I know that I do learn a lot from watching and observing scoring but I can't automatically assume that my dd would process that information the same way and that it would somehow translate into her improving or doing better. It's definitely better to follow your dd's lead with this.

 

[Flippin'A]

I didn't really enjoy watching gymnastics until after I quit club. The potential for disastrous falls freaked me out especially since the networks tend to replay bad falls over and over at the elite level. How many times did they show Riley McCusker's fall on her beam dismount at the 2017 American Cup? And in a world full of gymnastics fail youtube videos? No thanks. I doubt watching gymnastics in her free time would give her anything she isn't getting at practice, so let her take her mental break at home however she wants.

 

[Mish]

My lv 8 dd usually has no interest in watching others' gymnastics. She will watch things like the Olympics or sometimes a big college meet, but usually only when I ask her to watch with me, or she is at a sleepover with gym friends. Now if you are talking about watching "gymnastics fails" that is a whole other story...

 

[twinmomma]

My DD has very little interest in watching. She's been to two college meets, but honestly if it's on TV (or really, for her, YouTube - because Acro gets zero TV), she's not going to sit for too long generally. She'd much rather DO than watch. Doesn't bother me. I'd much rather her DO than watch too!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

When you train that many hours its a job. Who wants to come home from work and do more work?

I am sure between gym and school she has little free time. Let her decide how she spends it.

Mine rarely watches gymnastics as in pretty much the Olympics. Although recently her interest in women's college sports a gone up, but all sports, gymnastics, swimming, track, diving......

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Also I have to wonder if perhaps she is so resistant because you want her to watch it as a lesson. Not just to enjoy it.

I also find with kids in general, but especially the ones I have direct experience with. The more you push, the more they either resist or pushback.

 

[Tuppy]

My gymnast doesn't watch her teammates when she's competing so as not to let any falls or issues shake her up. It sounds to me like the same thing. It might be fun for her if you picked something else for you two to watch together.

 

[3cats]

My daughter doesn't really have any interest in watching gymnastics. She's gone to a couple college meets and enjoys them ok. She will watch an event or two of a college meet on TV. But only if it happens to be on, she won't search it out. She likes to go and cheer on teammates if they are in a different session. And every now and then she will tell me about a performance she seemed out on YouTube.

But some of her friends watch every meet for their teammates all weekend long. They DVR college meets. Know about all the college gymnasts. It doesn't seem to drive my daughter. She likes gymnastics just fine. I dont worry about it. So many other things to worry about with this sport.

 

[3cats]

The funny thing is my daughter has a school friend who will go to my daughter's meets. Watches college and elite gymnastics, learns names of skills. Just so she can support my daughter's sport. She probably watches more gymnastics than my daughter. Lol

 

[Peachy88]

I am a professional musician and so not like going to music concerts, but I live playing. I also love watching gymnastics which my daughter likes the highlights of, but won’t sit through a whole match.

 

[Peachy88]

That should say, do not like going.

 

[flipper123]

My lv 8 dd usually has no interest in watching others' gymnastics. She will watch things like the Olympics or sometimes a big college meet, but usually only when I ask her to watch with me, or she is at a sleepover with gym friends. Now if you are talking about watching "gymnastics fails" that is a whole other story...

Hilarious because last night she just made me put on a string of gymnastics fails videos! I thought back to the comment made about them freaking out about seeing bad falls etc.. cross that concern off the list!

 

[flipper123]

Also I have to wonder if perhaps she is so resistant because you want her to watch it as a lesson. Not just to enjoy it.

I also find with kids in general, but especially the ones I have direct experience with. The more you push, the more they either resist or pushback.

Wise individual, that’s pretty much it, no matter how much i say it’s just for enjoyment.