Just Need to Vent....

[sophgymnast]

Ok, so basically I just need to vent. I have no one to talk to about this...
I've been doing gym since I was 18 months old, and have never stopped since. Lately, I've just been feeling a lost of interest in the sport...to be honest, I just don't really want to go to gym anymore! I know for a fact that I still like gym, but I guess just not much as I used to. If I could gain all my love back for gym again, then I would, but I just can't! Part of the reason for this is because of the gym. I switched gym's about a year ago. At first I thought I was going to love it there, but now I just feel out of place. My coaches are great, I'm just not comfortable around the girls. I'm one of those people that takes a long time to open up to someone. I'm very reserved and shy around people I don't know very well, I guess you could say. I just feel like these girls are intimidating-they are the total opposite of me...they're crazy! And they can be intimidating, like I said. I often wish I could have just chose to stay at my other gym. I got along with all the girls there because I've known them since I was very little. And my coach there was really good as well-I left because of personal reasons. But it's not only just the girls, it's my gymnastics too. I can only do bars and beam because I have foot problems. On top of that, I have even more injuries.. I just always feel so stiff, when I used to be flexible. Anyways, I just feel like I'm going no where. Like there's just no point anymore. I don't want to just quit the sport... it's been in my blood forever! It's my life! But I'm just getting bored, and I get more scared over the stupidest skills. I don't know what to do. I think my mom is starting to catching on that I don't want to go. She asked me if I still wanted to do gym the other day. I said yes, but really inside I was saying maybe not. I really like when I have time off because it gives me chance to be a normal kid, to have no worries and just go straight home and do nothing for once.
I'm sorry this is so long, I just wanted to let all my feelings out.

 

[Andersonortho]

Please consider talking with your mom. As a mother myself, I would want my daughter to be honest with me and with herself. Unlike the funny T-shirt says, gymnastics is not life. Life is life. Learning from your experiences IS living. You may not decide to quit. You may decide to quit. Face this decision with the same courage that you possess when tumbling 6 feet over a 4 inch beam! Sometimes just talking about a problem... aloud...and discussing possible solutions/ options helps to make a problem more manageable.

Talk to your mom, a friend, a trusted adult, a clergyperson... share your thoughts. Wishing you the best.

 

[JBS]

Don't worry...talk to your Mom about it. If you don't know what to say...just let her read your post.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

I agree with what JBS just posted. Either print out your post or just show it to her online. Good luck!

 

[MaryA]

I think that any happily married person will tell you that some days you love your partner more than life itself and other days you really need to work at it. Same with people who generally like their jobs... Some days it's wonderful and fulfilling and other days... Well, it's just work. This may be where you are in gymnastics... Just in a tough spot, and next week or next month you may be wondering how you had ever considered quitting. That said, gym isn't a marriage nor is it feeding your family, so if you're done, you dont have to feel guilty or sorry. Quitting won't negate the wonderful things gym has done for you or meant to you in the past.

I'm curious why you don't want your mom to know? Talk to your mom. Maybe talk to your doctor too. She might be able to tell you if the physical changes you are feeling are temporary or not. Hugs to you as you work through this.

 

[sophgymnast]

I'm very sorry for replying very late...I haven't been on here since I posted that. I just read all of your comments, and thanks for all your support. Right now, I am still in gym. Some days I just want to quit, but other days I wonder why I wanted to quit in the first place. I'm still trying to figure myself out. I've had the odd talk with my mom. Most of my family knows that I don't have the same love for gym as I did when I was littler, but that's alright, because I am getting older and people change and grow out of things. I know that in my heart, I still love gym..just not the same as I used to. Everything seems so much more difficult now. Some days, I wish I could quit. But then I think, what would I DO with myself if I did quit? Nothing? Just be with friends ALL the time? Those are the questions I think of in my mind. It may sound tempting, but what adventure and goals would I have? Pretty close to nothing. Anyways, for now I'm just going to stick with it and we'll see what the next days bring.
Thanks again