MAG Excellent article on the decline of boys gymnastics

[J&A's mom]

I feel blessed that my boys are in a great program with great role models! But not everyone has this, and that is sad.

Do other areas have a YMCA boys team? We have a really small one here. For level 5 last year there was one boy on it. He looked like he was so happy to be competing and he had awesome sportsmanship!

 

[BlairBob]

I know at one city gym I worked at we had a shirts for boys policy typically. I do remember one night when the girls were gone I let them go shirtless. Then a bunch of girls ran back in because they forgot their backpacks.

All of the boy's team except one guy ran for cover. Of course, Zirkle was the local jock sensation in football, baseball, etc so him and I got a good laugh out of that at the other boys.

 

[skschlag]

LOL Blairbob! Our boys jump too, but that is just because it is a rule set forth by the owners of the gym. So, they do run for cover when the girls walk in. but they also eye them until they leave, and off come the shirts!

 

[BlairBob]

Ahh, these boys were more boys than the Zirkle. He had no problem showing off his muscledom for the girlies.

The difference between boys and young men.

 

[profmom]

Ah, in DS's gym, the boys are free to flaunt their sixpacks as they wish and flex and preen to their hearts' desire, but sadly they are showing off for a bunch of other gymnasts who just are not that impressed. (Though rumor has it that a bunch of the older L9-10 girls bugged one of their junior high teammates relentlessly until she asked one of the junior high L9 boys to be her boyfriend because the L9-10 girls had decided they would make a cute couple.)