Women Missing practice guilt

[gymfan1]

im an xcel gymnast and every once in a while i miss practice for an event or something and lately ive missed at least 1 every week (we train 5 days a week). even if i need the break or have fun if i went somewhere I feel guilty about it every time. am i missing too many? any tips on how to not feel guilty after?

 

[raenndrops]

im an xcel gymnast and every once in a while i miss practice for an event or something and lately ive missed at least 1 every week (we train 5 days a week). even if i need the break or have fun if i went somewhere I feel guilty about it every time. am i missing too many? any tips on how to not feel guilty after?

What level of Xcel are you in and how old are you?
No matter what your answer, don't feel guilty!
Xcel was originally designed to be lower hours ... so you could still have a life.
Take a mental health day ... or a physical health day ... or focus on school work ... or go have fun somewhere!
As long as you're working hard when you are there, 4 days a week should be fine.

 

[Gymst4r]

Whatever you do, just take care of yourself!!!! I would understand the guilt if you were to skip practice to scroll through tiktoks or something, but aslong as its a social thing with friends and family, or even just a mental health day, don't feel guilty bestie! Rest up pookie.

 

[gymfan1]

What level of Xcel are you in and how old are you?

thanks for your responses! im training xcel diamond and im 16

 

[raenndrops]

thanks for your responses! im training xcel diamond and im 16

THEN 100%, don't feel guilty about missing a practice. Life is too short to waste time feeling guilty about not going to practice all 5 days.

The following is NOT recommended, but:

My youngest (LSS) only had practice 3 days a week (Xcel Platinum), and her last 2 seasons, she was lucky if she went 2 days a week between class projects, homework, school activities, mental health days, and physical health days.

Her senior year, she usually tried to go 1 day a week - never even staying for a full practice.
She actually qualified for YMCA Nationals in her 2nd meet ... without practicing between the 1st and 2nd meets (Wisdom teeth surgery that Monday ... not cleared to participate until Friday - Practice Monday, Tuesday, Thursday). Improved her AA by 1.20. Improved on all 4 events 0.20 to 0.35. I know not all gyms would allow that, but we had sent the excuse to HC, and we told her that LSS would be at the meet on Saturday.

 

[gymfan1]

THEN 100%, don't feel guilty about missing a practice. Life is too short to waste time feeling guilty about not going to practice all 5 days.

this helped a lot thank you! I spent my freshman and sophomore seasons skipping fun events like bday parties, concerts, sports games, etc and i really didn't want to look back senior year and regret not letting myself have fun

 

[gymfan1]

aslong as its a social thing with friends and family, or even just a mental health day, don't feel guilty bestie! Rest up pookie.

this made me feel a lot better thank you!

 

[Coachd]

This is what xcel is for. Hopefully you have supportive parents and coaches who can help validate that it is okay, especially at your age, to want to have a life outside of gymnastics. If more coaches and parents understood this, more gymnasts would be able to stay in the sport longer.

 

[carrieshawjs+]

im an xcel gymnast and every once in a while i miss practice for an event or something and lately ive missed at least 1 every week (we train 5 days a week). even if i need the break or have fun if i went somewhere I feel guilty about it every time. am i missing too many? any tips on how to not feel guilty after?

I believe either way we feel guilty, guilty for missing the “fun” with friends, guilty for missing practice because we have goals. We talk a lot about efficient practice - when we are in the gym making sure the moments count & then the guilt is masked. We keep in mind that Life is important and whether you’re in the gym or not- those memories are important for you. When you get to have fun outside of the gym - it makes gym more FUN

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I realize there's some irony in what I'm about to say coming from a former elite gymnast and coach of ~23 years who spends his off hours moderating a gymnastics forum, but

There's more to life than gymnastics. Not only that, but most of it is far more important than gymnastics.

Family time is more important than gymnastics. Friends are more important than gymnastics. Leisure time, even, is more important than gymnastics.

That last one is important. I think as a society in general we've over-glorified the grind, go hard or go home, always be working your hardest, blah blah blah.... and that's just not how we're meant to live. Life should be characterized by leisure, punctuated by bursts of productive effort here and there, not the other way around. It's true with gymnastics, and when you're an adult it should be true about work as well.

Enjoy your leisure time without shame.