Gymnastics/Personality

[ek2]

Our dd has been doing gymnastics for several years and after being around many coaches, gymnasts etc. it seems that most have a very stoic personality. It seems that as the girls progress through the levels they become more serious not just about their sport but in life generally. I am hesitant to say "not much fun" so maybe a better description is focused and not light-hearted. Perhaps that is the function of the gym the girls come from, but even at different gyms it seems that the gymnasts/coaches have very similar personalities. I bring this up because a good friend of my dd's quit gym over the summer, she was a fabulous gymnast, level 9 and sweet girl. Now that she has been "out" for a few months her whole persona has changed. My dd has really noticed that her friend "C" jokes more, is not as stressed about school and seems to be having a blast now. Normally I would think this was just her but another friend of mine mentioned the same thing about this girl.
Long term do you think the competitive sport of gymnastics molds personalities a certain way or is it something else?

 

[coachmolly]

I think it really depends on the individual. While I was never a very high level gymnast, I did have some teammates who were, and overall I found a lot of them to be very driven inside of the gym, but also very outgoing and fun loving outside of the gym. They got good grades in school and generally did well at whatever they tried, but always seemed to know how to take a step back and have fun as well. Personally, I am, and was as a gymnast, a very intense, introverted, driven person and I always felt like the odd man out in many team situations. My teammates didn't understand why I was so serious and "uptight" and, as a result, I was not the favorite teammate to invite to parties, sleepovers, those kinds of things. I always felt very left out because I was so different. I'm still very much like that to this day. As a coach, most of the coaches I work with are very light hearted, go with the flow type people and it's taken me a long time to really find my place in the gym where I work because I am so different. I often find myself trying to "fake it" just get by in this particular gym. It's very possible this is because the gym is a very laid back one with very few rules, but as a gymnast I attended a much more serious gym and was often the lone teammate who couldn't just let loose.
It could just be that the stoic personality is a way of dealing with stress for that individual, so when the major source of stress is gone they are able to lighten up a little bit. It could also be that at your gym those are the kind of athletes who are most successful with the specific training plans. I think often the girls who do succeed at gymnastics are those with a very naturally driven personality, because gymnastics is definitely not for those who give up easily or are not prepared to persevere through some pretty tough situations. But I also think the atmosphere in the gym and the personalities of the coaches and the environment they create can also play a role in how the gymnast acts.
At the higher levels, I think it is more common to find girls who have found a balance. Many girls who are very intense basically implode from the pressure they put on themselves, while those who are very fun loving find themselves drifting to less time consuming activities.
It's an interesting question though and I look forward to hearing what others have to say.

 

[lilgymmie7]

I have to say that my two DD's have totally, opposite-side-of-the-spectrum personalities. Older DD who is not in gym any longer was the very serious, determined gymnast. Now, little DD is also very determined but can always be seen laughing, joking, and simply having fun with her gymnastics.
Like Coach Molly said it all really depends on the gym environment. Older DD's start in gym was with coaches that almost outlawed talking during training. It was no wonder really why DD was so serious. She had no choice.
At little DD's gym, the training is much more serious but the push is through fun. The coaches are awesome and can often be seen kidding around with the kids. The optional girls are all each others biggest cheerleaders. They were taped last year by Gymnastique prior to our home meet and the announcer commented highly about this gym cheering. The compulsory levels look up to these girls and try emulating them. The cheering for each other is part of that package. The coaching staff is highly involved with all this.
Both of my girls are quite different personality wise, but I also feel that the gym environment they are involved in plays a huge part in their developing. Little DD just had a meet this past weekend and came home so serious about 'what' she has to do to get better. If I were her judge, I would have given her 10's for extreme cuteness! But that's just me!!

 

[GymnastJoy]

My dd is a complete optimist, glass half-full, sunny disposition child. If she weren't, I would worry about how competitive gymnastics would affect her. She is not a super-star gymnast so maybe that has something to do with it, but she just lets things roll off her back. She is super dedicated and motivated but not to the extreme. Her best friend, however, is what I consider over-the-top. She has literally given herself an anxiety disorder over it. She has that type of personality to begin with but with getting scores and medals at meets has made it much worse. She is obsessed with practicing and does unnecessary privates because she "isn't good enough". If she does not score "well" (above a 9), she cries and is inconsolable. Sometimes I wonder if this will break up their friendship but all I can do is guide my own dd and hope for the best for her friend.