Is your child a performer?

[lovemylifex4]

I have yet to have a child compete, however...

Alexis is on the level 4 team and will have her first competition this fall. She is very shy and I thought this would be a problem, however, I don't think it will be. When they practice there are TONS of parents and children watching... and she loves getting out there by herself and doing her routines. I'm sure she will be fine.

Now Rylee... my 4y/o... she LOVES attention. She 'basically' knows the level 4 routine and will get out on the mats in front of everyone and do her 'routine'. Haha! And she loves having everyone watch her. It's kind of funny.

 

[NGL780309]

It's good to know. I guess I'll see soon enough how much her shy personality effects her ability to compete.

I was also thinking because she's so young that she might not even be old enough to realize that she's being judged. I don't think she has any idea about scores. In August her team will start competing and we will go and watch all their meets. She's been to more meets than I can count, but never her friends doing the same routines she's working on.

 

[NGL780309]

I have yet to have a child compete, however...

Alexis is on the level 4 team and will have her first competition this fall. She is very shy and I thought this would be a problem, however, I don't think it will be. When they practice there are TONS of parents and children watching... and she loves getting out there by herself and doing her routines. I'm sure she will be fine.

Now Rylee... my 4y/o... she LOVES attention. She 'basically' knows the level 4 routine and will get out on the mats in front of everyone and do her 'routine'. Haha! And she loves having everyone watch her. It's kind of funny.

I guess DD does her floor routine at the gym with everyone watching and it doesn't bother her. It did the first few times. She had these really embarrassed look on her face and she kept looking at me. Now she doesn't even notice or care whose watching.

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

DS and DD have always had the attitude that "it is just gymnastics, and we know how to do that", an attitude that I am happy to reinforce. DD also has singing lessons and peforms but only in a choir. She says there is no way that she would ever get up and sing a solo "with everyone watching me". I pointed out that people watch her at gymnastics, her reply "but that's just gymnastics".

I think by the time you get to a comp the routines have been done hundreds of time in practice, they are with a friends that they know, a coach they trust and maybe that helps with feeling a bit more confident.
I personally don't think I would like to get up there on my own ( not that I could and do gymnastics anyway ) ... I'm sure I would buckle under pressure.

 

[Granny Smith]

My dd is a performer. To me a performer, in the gymnastics world, is someone who goes out there and sells their routines. They hold there head high and just sell it. You can see a difference from the girl who is selling her routines and the one who is just out there doing it.

I have always told my dd, in regards to competing - especially floor, you walk out there like you are the best in that building. You hold your head high & you own it. If you fall you take a deep breath and continue on holding your head high. I truly believe that she has embraced this advice.

 

[cher062]

I think it's different for every girl. My DD when it's her turn goes into a "zone". When she performs any of the events she takes 3 deep slow breaths with eyes closed then goes. She says she doesn't even notice the crowd because she is consintraiting on her routine.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

My daughter is very outgoing and loves performing at the meets. I would be very intimated by those judges but I do not think it bothers her. I think she tends also to focus and probally does not notice everybody watching her. I think the sport is probally good for shy girls because it gives them alot of confidence.

 

[NotAMom]

I guess when I said performer I was really talking about the ability to compete.

That is so individual and I think shy-ness has little to do with it (maybe with the exception of the first time). Also, dancing (especially in a solo) is very different than competing a gymnastics event. In a dance recital/competition, all eyes are on the performer and the performance sees the whole audience. OTOH, when doing a routine, the gymnast is only watched by the judges and a limited few, and she must make direct eye contact with the judges.

When it comes to the ability to compete, it's like asking how one feels during an exam. Of course, like taking exams (but not like all things), the more one does and the more confident one is, the better one will become.

 

[gymjoy]

My dd is like cher's above - when she is competing she notices nothing else, so she tells me.

I'll also second Granny Smith as I have told dd the exact same thing.

Off the competition floor she is almost the total opposite, more of an introvert. Definitely not a "hey, look at me" person.

 

[gymdog]

When it comes to the ability to compete, it's like asking how one feels during an exam. Of course, like taking exams (but not like all things), the more one does and the more confident one is, the better one will become.

I got worse. When the skills were easier I could compete them better. Once there were more opportunities to mess up (miss connections, fall more, etc), competing was worse for me. I had pretty significant success up through level 8, and if I could manage to do a routine without falling, I've scored as high as 9.6+ in optional levels. But most of the time it was not very good, pretty isolated success after a certain point. However I would say an exam is a pretty good (although not completely perfect) comparison in terms of how I feel and perform to competing.

Edit: also I don't notice anything when I compete either...it just kind of happens. I don't hear music really or anything. But you can still psych yourself out without any distractions.

 

[NotAMom]

gymdog,
Ha. That proves my bit about confidence then. Experience without confidence won't cut it.