does GYMNASTICS equal POLITICS?

[Gymnasticgrandkids]

Absolutely not, in my opinion. Some gyms are just better than others and those little .1 deductions can really add up fast to those gyms that may not train as many hours...it may "look" as good going down, but the small deductions taken can really make the difference. My DGD's came from a small gym and when they went to the bigger, more gifted gym, those little deductions became less and less with the experience they gained at the better facility thereby boosting their scores significantly. Pay close attention to those bent knees, flexed feet and separated legs...it makes all the difference in the world.

 

[veganmami]

I'm fairly new with the gym scene and my DD is a level 3 so we are just starting our journey, but I do see what you mean. We are a fairly small gym and I feel like the bigger teams get scored higher. I understand that gymnastics is a subjective sport, but when my DD is doing a better routine than one of the bigger gyms, and they are still getting higher marks, it makes me wonder.

I'm not going to get disenchanted though. She really likes the sport and so do I. I guess we'll just deal with the politics as we go along

 

[sportyspice]

Conspiracy theories are dangerous......and very difficult to prove.....and ultimately it can do your head in to try and keep up with the politics of gymnastics. If you think you need to know the everything and everyone that is happening then you end up perpetuating the same "gym politics" that you dislike. I tell my kids that the competition is not the everything, and certainly there are some factors that they may not have control over, the one person they need to impress the most is themselves.

 

[gymster]

Conspiracy theories are dangerous......and very difficult to prove.....and ultimately it can do your head in to try and keep up with the politics of gymnastics. If you think you need to know the everything and everyone that is happening then you end up perpetuating the same "gym politics" that you dislike. I tell my kids that the competition is not the everything, and certainly there are some factors that they may not have control over, the one person they need to impress the most is themselves.

This is such great advice! Thanks for sharing! :O) I am not sure if you are a parent, gymnast, coach, or fan. However, If more parents had this attitude and could instill such values in their gymnast I believe we would see much more retention into the upper levels and Gymnastics as a whole could evolve into a much bigger and better sport!