Parents Elite gym- room for other sport/ activities?

[Aussie_coach]

Hours are not the only thing to consider. When a gymnast is at the elite or near elite level their body development is very carefully planned on a daily basis, other sports will affect their training and recovery cycle. I notice you are in Australia, our high performance centre won't allow the kids to do a number of sports.

 

[profmom]

Yes on the recovery time being necessary! DS's hours went up this fall to about 20, and that kid is TIRED by the end of the week. Finally! DD is used to it and doesn't get as exhausted, but she really does need the rest days.

Once they are up in the 18-20+ hour range, we have also found that unstructured down time is essential to maintaining emotional stability. When they're not in gym, they are usually frantically trying to catch up on homework, music practice, and other responsibilities. Last year, we figured out that the one weeknight out of gym had to be a night off in which they would not be nagged or encouraged to do anything.

Neither of my children is elite or elite track or fast track or anything like that. Just workaday gymnasts doing the best they can.

 

[blueredzone]

The gym we go to will not allow other sports when u get to optionallyoptionally

 

[blueredzone]

The gym we go to will not allow other sports when u get to optionallyoptionally

Whoa talk about auto correct gone bad. When does optionals get replaced with that?

 

[veganmami]

My 10 yo gymmie has tried to add things but they always seem to conflict with practice. She does play the saxaphone in school and sings in choir. So far it has not interfered with her practice and she is going 16 hours a week. *crosses fingers*

 

[auswi]

Well an elite gymnast wouldn't have time for anything else. But I'm assuming you don't mean an elite gymnast rather one on an elite track.

Gymnastics is a high hour sport, doesn't matter if you are elite track or not.
Some clubs train their low level ndp girls more than many idp clubs. So what track you are on makes absolutely no difference.
If you continue in gymnastics the hours go up and other activities will have to fall to the side.
As to when that is, well some kids struggle with 9 hours of gym, others happily do 16 hours of gym and 4 hours of something else etc.
Personally I try to allow my kids to experience as wide a range of activities whilst they can. Music definitely, they have all learnt

Hours are not the only thing to consider. When a gymnast is at the elite or near elite level their body development is very carefully planned on a daily basis, other sports will affect their training and recovery cycle. I notice you are in Australia, our high performance centre won't allow the kids to do a number of sports.

Hi Aussie_coach, I understand the HPC policy at the higher levels, but one size doesn't fit all, as all kids have different physiology. Possibly if our kids had a little more choice then we wouldn't see such a fallout at our higher levels? I believe that letting our gymmie make the calls has contributed to the passionate and committed little gymmie that she is. In principle in years to come we would let her choose however in reality it won't happen as she has decided herself to primarily focus on gym after this bball season but because this is her decision she's very comfortable with it ( and it was a big decision as she played rep bball despite her diminutive size LOL- speed and fast reflexes helped- and it was her last other sport). Allowing Dd to forge her own journey has so far meant we have NEVER had a whinge about training.... but of course that's so far LOL

 

[Aussie_coach]

When she is training 36 hours a week as well as attending school where will sport fit in?

 

[sce]

I think it is hard to do other activities, if on the elite track but I know some do. Tabitha Yim was also an ice skater. Amy Chou was a fairly accomplished pianist.

 

[auswi]

When she is training 36 hours a week as well as attending school where will sport fit in?

As it won't apply to our Dd as she has decided to retire from bball I assume you mean any gymnast- and I guess if a gymnast was doing all that at 36 hours and another sport they would be exceptional. My post was because I was interested how other CBers in other countries as well felt. I believe gymmies do better if they drive their own sporting involvement. I guess I've seen too many kids whose parents totally drive the journey ( not as in guidance but as in deciding commitment etc.)

 

[OzZee]

When she is training 36 hours a week as well as attending school where will sport fit in?

The OP wasn't talking about an elite gymnast training 36 hours a week though. She was asking about a gymnast, in particular a lower level elite track gymnast spending time doing other activities.

Yes when training 36 hours a week there is no time (or energy!) for another sport or other activity bar school and sleep. But why limit the things they want to do when they still can. They can have those experiences/knowledge and fun whilst they can. They are unlikely to be one of those training 36 hours a week anyway. And if they are the majority that don't then maybe there will be something from those other experiences they can draw on to find something new to love when the gymnastics dream is over. Even without injury/fear/burnout/moving on/etc etc gymnastics is a childhood sport and childhood is short.

Her dd has reached a point in her training where she has had to make choices and it's great that she has had the experiences to be able to make choices and not think what if.

 

[Flossyduck]

If you're talking about whether a child training highish hours should be free to make their own decisions about what other activities they do then that's a different angle altogether. I don't see that them driving their own gymnastics journey means that they have to have free will to do anything else they want as well - quite the opposite.

I'm afraid in our household I can't let one or more children call the shots in that way. It takes a lot out of the family to support my dd's choice to train gymnastics - it's her passion and I am happy to support that, but she needs to take responsibility for that choice. Being free to do whatever other activities she fancies isn't always an option. I have to think about my other children and whether they are getting a fair shot at doing the activities they want to do, instead of just fitting around her all the time. And I have to think of the cost.

Yes it would be lovely if she could do piano lessons as well, but that would be another chunk of money and another journey and more hours fit around her. I decided no to that and I explained why and she accepted it. Will she regret not learning piano when she's older? - maybe, but there's nothing stopping her taking it up later.

None of us can do everything we want and have everything we want. She is driving her gymnastics journey by choosing to do that when she could quit and play piano, take up athletics and swimming and countless other hobbies. She's not driving it by doing a load of other activities as well just in case she's missing out. She is missing out and accepts it willingly.

 

[GYM0M]

My DD is a young elite tracked gymmie. She has tried competitive dance and competitive cheer. She's too small for other sports like softball or basketball. She stuck with dance for about 4 years or so, but then her coaches asked her to make a decision to stay in the elite track and quit dancing competitively or just be competitive in both. Obviously she chose gymnastics. It was a hard decision for her as she enjoyed dancing, but gym is her passion. I believe she has no regrets even though she might not have been ready to make such a definitive decision. However, it has made all the difference and she is such a stronger gymnast now.

 

[gwenmom]

Rule in our house: one expensive, time consuming activity per person. DD up to this point has always chosen gymnastics. Some day that might change. Hopefully not to something more expensive, like horses or figure skating.

 

[auswi]

If you're talking about whether a child training highish hours should be free to make their own decisions about what other activities they do then that's a different angle altogether. I don't see that them driving their own gymnastics journey means that they have to have free will to do anything else they want as well - quite the opposite.

I'm afraid in our household I can't let one or more children call the shots in that way. It takes a lot out of the family to support my dd's choice to train gymnastics - it's her passion and I am happy to support that, but she needs to take responsibility for that choice. Being free to do whatever other activities she fancies isn't always an option. I have to think about my other children and whether they are getting a fair shot at doing the activities they want to do, instead of just fitting around her all the time. And I have to think of the cost.

Yes it would be lovely if she could do piano lessons as well, but that would be another chunk of money and another journey and more hours fit around her. I decided no to that and I explained why and she accepted it. Will she regret not learning piano when she's older? - maybe, but there's nothing stopping her taking it up later.

None of us can do everything we want and have everything we want. She is driving her gymnastics journey by choosing to do that when she could quit and play piano, take up athletics and swimming and countless other hobbies. She's not driving it by doing a load of other activities as well just in case she's missing out. She is missing out and accepts it willingly.

hi Flossyduck, every family has a different style and rules that fit their family. I believe your gymie is 'driving her gym journey' by her realising that it's her choice ( and privilege ) to be allowed to participate in gymnastics. There are many elite track kids not allowed to experience the school swim program for one week ( 1/2 to one hour within the school day), or run the cross country within the school day or participate in general PE classes for example learning or trying a new sport. Now that's ok if the child is concerned for injury, is exhausted etc but for our Dd, it is her childhood and I believe part of childhood is learning to make these choices. They learn invaluable life experiences participating in other activities. However as I posted previously

The OP wasn't talking about an elite gymnast training 36 hours a week though. She was asking about a gymnast, in particular a lower level elite track gymnast spending time doing other activities.

Yes when training 36 hours a week there is no time (or energy!) for another sport or other activity bar school and sleep. But why limit the things they want to do when they still can. They can have those experiences/knowledge and fun whilst they can. They are unlikely to be one of those training 36 hours a week anyway. And if they are the majority that don't then maybe there will be something from those other experiences they can draw on to find something new to love when the gymnastics dream is over. Even without injury/fear/burnout/moving on/etc etc gymnastics is a childhood sport and childhood is short.

Her dd has reached a point in her training where she has had to make choices and it's great that she has had the experiences to be able to make choices and not think what if.

OzZee , you have expressed exactly what I was trying to say!!

 

[auswi]

Oops - these touch phones it posted too soon Lol

 

[COz]

No wonder you have all this extra time auswi Are you normally awake at 5:20am?

 

[DND]

Do Physio, chiro, laser or massage count as activities?

Couldn't resist as that is about the only other thing we seem to fit in and that's tough also!

 

[OzZee]

Do Physio, chiro, laser or massage count as activities?

Couldn't resist as that is about the only other thing we seem to fit in and that's tough also!

Haha well they are expensive enough!

 

[Dr Maleficent]

Do Physio, chiro, laser or massage count as activities?

Couldn't resist as that is about the only other thing we seem to fit in and that's tough also!

Laser??? I know there have been threads about gymnasts body shapes, but taking a laser to them seems just a teensy bit extreme to me. Just sayin.

 

[auswi]

No wonder you have all this extra time auswi Are you normally awake at 5:20am?

Dh starts work often at 6 - clever him forgot to change his alarm..... Of course he's back asleep in minutes while I'm wide awake.... I was probably a ghastly child Lol