Off Topic Introductions Thread (2025 Version)

[JBS]

Let's get the conversation going with some simple introductions. Tell us about yourself.

I'll start.

My wife and I are gymnastics coaches. We have 3 children that are all gymnasts. One in the NCAA at the US Air Force Academy (she was a 7 year L10).... one daughter that is a senior in high school that is a L10... and a son that is an 8th grader and a L9. We all enjoy gymnastics.

I started ChalkBucket in 2005 as a place for everyone to learn more about gymnastics!

Please remember... this is a public site... so only post what you want everyone to see.

 

[Coach Kate]

Hi! I'm a former level 10 gymnast and Division 3 cross country and track athlete (mostly pole vault and steeplechase), long time coach of all ages preschool to DP when it was called JO to Xcel. I stopped coaching the month before our now 2 year old daughter was born and added our son 7 months ago right as the summer Olympics were kicking off!

Now I'm just a big gymnastics fan who might look into judging one day. 2 under 2 was a lot and I feel like I'm just now coming up for air. Our youngest is currently exclusively breastfeeding and rejects all bottles and cups so I can't leave him for very long. Maybe once I feel like I have my life back...

 

[Mthegymqueen]

I am a 1st year xcel platinum, and this will be my 8th year competing (1 year XB, 4 years XS..., 2 years XG, 1 year XP). I am a sophomore in high school and this year, I started my high school's gymnastics team as the one and only member!

My favorite event is bars and my least favorite is vault.

My favorite skill on each event that I am working on/have is half on full off, clear hip handstands, bridge kickover to dive roll on beam, and front full.

The skills I would like to get before retiring would be to flip a tsuk (into the pit), uphill, cast handstand or clear hip handstand on bars, (I really don't have any skills I want to learn on beam, I am content with my beam routine the way it is), and a front full or front tuck front pike on floor

Over the summer, I started coaching at my gym. I am currently coaching preschool and rec classes for both boys and girls, hopefully someday coaching pre-team and team.

When I graduate high school, I am hoping to continue by gymnastics career by competing in club gymnastics in college and coaching when I can. I also love watching college gymnastics and I hope to get into a school that has a college program so that I could watch in-person home meets.

 

[hunterk]

Hey i am the father of and uncle of two girls who do gymnastic, my niece is the older one 16 years old and also plays rugby my daughter is younger age 9 and got into it because of my niece. I did gymnastics when i was younger as cross training for wrestling

 

[coachtmotivation]

Hi my name I Tricia my daughter Chloe started to learn gymnastics since 2020 she is 12 and has skipped a few and is now level 7. She scores high 37 and is gonna get to 38s as her growth spurt messed up her beam. Do you think she has a chance to be college ready. Do you all also advise skipping level 8 as discussed by her coach

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Former elite on floor/vault/rings (never really made it past about Level 7-ish on the other 3 events). Been coaching for about 20 years. MAG, WAG, T&T, all levels here and there, but levels 4-7 are what I've generally coached the most over the years.

Married, no kids.

Off-and-on professional juggler. Currently off and way out of practice.

Amateur (but fairly serious) guitarrist/banjoist/irish whistler/keyboardist/music producer. I mainly do remixes of video game tunes for a nerdy niche online music community called OverClocked ReMix (which, side note, is a largely-untapped gold mine for routine music).

Geoffrey Taucer is not my real name, but it might as well be at this point. It started out as a stage name when I first started juggling professionally in high school, and I've used it as an internet pseudonym ever since. Even some of my real-world friends call me "Taucer" now.

 

[raenndrops]

Hi. I was a mostly self-taught gymnast as a kid. I also played football (2nd grade), baseball (3rd-7th), basketball (5th), volleyball (7th & 8th), track (8th grade shot put and discus - first year our school had a jr high track team - my shot put personal best actually beat our high school girl's record ... and wasn't beaten until 23 years later by a senior and by 1/4 inch).

I'm not married and have no kids of my own. When we started babysitting for one special family, we became attached, and the younger two girls did, too. They ARE our family now. We got them into gymnastics because they were literally climbing the walls. They were almost 4-1/2 and 17 months the first day they walked into the YMCA gymnastics center. They were in love. So was I. I became a coach OG's 4th year on team. I was introduced to their younger stepsister in 2013. She did rec and then moved to team. She is a senior this season. My first time having a senior actually compete.
I am looking forward to our District Championships in March and YMCA Nationals in June.

Other than gymnastics, I am a tutor (have tutored pre-K to graduate level college students), a licensed teacher (grades 7-12 English, Math, and Social Studies), and a tax preparer (for fairly simple returns that shouldn't cost $50+ to file through the big companies).

I also have royal blue hair and will for life. I got another bottle of my dye for my birthday and 2 for Christmas, so I am set for the next year or 2

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I also have royal blue hair and will for life. I got another bottle of my dye for my birthday and 2 for Christmas, so I am set for the next year or 2

What do you use for this? I've been wanting to go blue, but not sure how best to go about it, and the couple times I've tried the color hasn't really popped out the way I wanted it to.

 

[Jerode]

Hello community. I am a dad of a gymnast and when my daughter is not competing I enjoy tracking scores during the meets. Currently, my daughter is competing USAG WAG and PIAA WIPAL.

 

[raenndrops]

What do you use for this? I've been wanting to go blue, but not sure how best to go about it, and the couple times I've tried the color hasn't really popped out the way I wanted it to.

I use Splat Midnight Indigo. I'm a natural blonde, so the slight purple of indigo is cancelled out by it. They also have another blue in the "Midnight" collection, but I haven't tried it. No bleaching required. No ammonia it it. Nothing to mix. I can reuse the same bottle over and over until it runs out. I just cover the tip so it is airtight.

My stylist tried to help me get a more permanent cobalt blue (same thing as royal), but hers first required bleaching my hair ... and the cobalt ended up more turquoise than I could handle, lol. I waited the 48 hours she said to wait before washing it, still didn't like it, and went over it with my color.

 

[jjt19]

Hi all! My daughter is a 5yo rec gymnast dreaming of joining a team someday. She has a tryout tomorrow for the rising stars/hotshots class (first step on pre-team path) & I’m crossing my fingers for her. Having learned so much from reading the previous posts from this warm and wise community, I just told her she’ll be taking a new class tomorrow & she has no idea it’s a tryout. Thanks for rooting for her!

 

[Chamomile]

Hi! I’m the mom of a 9 yo level 7 that is training tops/hopes. I have really appreciated so much of what I have learned on this forum.

My husband is a retired professional athlete. We both agree gymnastics is a wild ride given how young things get serious! So far our daughter is totally in love with the sport.

 

[raenndrops]

Hello community. I am a dad of a gymnast and when my daughter is not competing I enjoy tracking scores during the meets. Currently, my daughter is competing USAG WAG and PIAA WIPAL.

Which does she like better, gymnastics or wrestling?
We have had gymnasts do both, but they eventually choose one or the other.

 

[LCsMom]

Hi, I'm a mom of a Level 9 gymnast and I can't believe she's been at it for 12 years because that will make her almost old enough to drive and I am not ready for that!! I have another kid who is not an athlete at all and is driving and will be going to college next year. And I am not ready for that either!

 

[HurricaneLR]

Hi, I'm a mom of a gold level gymnast. She first walked into a gym about 2 1/2 years ago and has never looked back! I'm so grateful for all the folks on this site that have shared their knowledge and experience, and helped make this crazy gymnastics world make sense! I finally don't feel like a complete newbie and that I might, just maybe, even have some insight to offer myself!

 

[cecilyfarmgirlgymnas]

Let's get the conversation going with some simple introductions. Tell us about yourself.

I'll start.

My wife and I are gymnastics coaches. We have 3 children that are all gymnasts. One in the NCAA at the US Air Force Academy (she was a 7 year L10).... one daughter that is a senior in high school that is a L10... and a son that is an 8th grader and a L9. We all enjoy gymnastics.

I started ChalkBucket in 2005 as a place for everyone to learn more about gymnastics!

Please remember... this is a public site... so only post what you want everyone to see.

Hello I'm Mum to Cecily my 7yr old daughter. She's been doing gymnastics since 3yr old and first competed when she was 4yrs. She's now moved on to regional grades. Super proud of her progress and dedication

I also have a son who is 9yrs,he plays cricket at our local town. He's just moved to hardball so playing the big man's game now
My youngest daughter is 4yrs and enjoys swimming

We live in the UK and are farmers.

 

[JBS]

We live in the UK and are farmers.

Awesome... welcome... my grandfather was a farmer! My aunt and uncle still have 1,000 acre farm in Illinois too...