Anon Non athletic body

[JBS]

Overall... gymnastics has historically done the wrong thing. Instead of taking the pros of each body type and emphasizing that... gymnastics has historically tried to change one body type into another. This is only partially possible and it is usually extremely unhealthy both physically and mentally... especially during the tween and teen years.

To add a bit more to this... gymnastics has also historically excluded certain bodies. Instead... we should be giving everyone a chance at the lower levels (which we are doing a much better job at now... still not perfect though). You never know what will happen as a child grows.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

If a coach commented on my daughters body I’d be out of that gym so fast. They are setting her up for an eating disorder.

 

[Anonymous Post]

Unless she's an elite gymnast, her body type isn't going to affect her that much. As long as she's having a healthy diet and gets enough exercise (which she definitely does) it shouldn't be a problem.

As a gymnast, I've struggled with eating for a long time. (Thinking that if I was anything above a "perfect" weight my gymnastics would worsen, panicking over how "fat" I looked in a leo, doing an extreme amount of conditioning to lose weight, etc.) when in reality I was in a great shape and definitely underweight. (I'm about 5' 5", 110 pounds, most of it muscle weight) I'm doing better now, but I still eat less than I probably should and am scared of eating anything unhealthy or getting an extra snack. So PLEASE, never make a gymnast feel like she could be thinner or in better shape.

 

[Anonymous Post]

I don’t do NEAR as much gymnastics as your daughter but I still partially understand. I also have a few more, uh, curves than what is normal compared to the other girls in my gymnastics group and they’re all the same age as I am, 12-15 (I’m 13). I am not fat and I am getting more visible abs (unless I’m bloated), but by no means am I super lean or skinny. I’m normal. For reference, I am 5 foot 6in and 120lbs. Very, very typical (but healthy) weight for someone my height.

I have given up on trying to lose more weight because it’s just not going to happen. I have accepted that. All the girls in my family are a bit curvier and that’s ok. The point is I’m healthy.

I went through a HUGE growth spurt last year where I grew 6 inches and a heck load of other changes that every girl goes through , and that was the year I started doing gymnastics. Not pleasant, to say the least.

My question is this: is your daughter healthy? If so, it’s fine. I feel 100x stronger with a 28 inch waist as opposed to when I was starving and it was 25in . I also have ridiculously thick thighs and even when I lost fat from my stomach my legs were always a bit fatter. I also accepted that. There is nothing wrong with wanting to be the best, leanest, healthiest version of yourself- but accepting things you can’t change, even momentarily, is probably best to avoid feeling like crap about yourself.

Another reason she could be ‘sluggish’ is growing pains. My ankles hurt a lot as I grew taller, and so did my legs in general.

It will pass.

Also, you probably know who Katelyn Ohashi is. You know, the viral video where she got the perfect 10. Does she have the most athletic body ever? No. But Is she athletic? Obviously yes, nobody does a double layout without being athletic.

Seeing I don’t do intensive gymnastics I couldn’t really give any advice- this was just my personal experience.

Good luck to her!

You are a shockingly poised and self-possessed 13YO. You are wise beyond your years, young lady! Bravo.

 

[TheXcelMom]

So....no. Just no.
No matter how she's shaped, she's going to get negative comments on her body for the rest of her life...*but not in the gym.*
When we went searching for a new gym (which I'd do immediately, though I understand you may not) for my daughter, I looked specifically at the body types of the upper-level gymnasts.
If they were all the same, I would have crossed that gym off the list. None of the gyms we saw had that problem....BUT IT IS A PROBLEM.
It means girls who loved the sport were shut out, either subtly or overtly, at the lower levels and it's not acceptable.
So, no.

Also, here's Kaetlyn Ohashi's perfect body type.

 

[Anonymous (2ca2)]

She is a gymnast, so she has a gymnast’s body. She may not have an elite gymnast’s body, but almost no one does! She has the body she has and that’s the body she will being doing gymnastics with. There is absolutely nothing to talk about on that subject.

I remember when I was a freakishly large, (I thought obese), gymnast at 5’7 and 115-125lbs. I eventually started restricting my food to lose weight, hoping it would help me do better on bars. I remember one of the gym moms came over and made a huge fuss about how amazing I looked and what a great job I was doing at losing weight. It was awful. This was a 1 minute conversation over 30 years ago and it is seared into my memory forever! Never comment on an adolescent girl’s weight/size. Never ever ever!

 

[Anonymous (68cd)]

She is a gymnast, so she has a gymnast’s body. She may not have an elite gymnast’s body, but almost no one does! She has the body she has and that’s the body she will being doing gymnastics with. There is absolutely nothing to talk about on that subject.

I remember when I was a freakishly large, (I thought obese), gymnast at 5’7 and 115-125lbs. I eventually started restricting my food to lose weight, hoping it would help me do better on bars. I remember one of the gym moms came over and made a huge fuss about how amazing I looked and what a great job I was doing at losing weight. It was awful. This was a 1 minute conversation over 30 years ago and it is seared into my memory forever! Never comment on an adolescent girl’s weight/size. Never ever ever!

 

[Anonymous (68cd)]

She is a gymnast, so she has a gymnast’s body. She may not have an elite gymnast’s body, but almost no one does! She has the body she has and that’s the body she will being doing gymnastics with. There is absolutely nothing to talk about on that subject.

I remember when I was a freakishly large, (I thought obese), gymnast at 5’7 and 115-125lbs. I eventually started restricting my food to lose weight, hoping it would help me do better on bars. I remember one of the gym moms came over and made a huge fuss about how amazing I looked and what a great job I was doing at losing weight. It was awful. This was a 1 minute conversation over 30 years ago and it is seared into my memory forever! Never comment on an adolescent girl’s weight/size. Never ever ever!

My daughter went through the same thing with some off the cuff comments that a coach made. She struggled for years with eating disorders and I think still is constantly worried about her weight which causes a lot of extra stress that does not help her gymnastics. She was able to keep going and now has gotten better, but I bet in another 20 years she will still remember every word that coach said to her.

 

[PandallKip]

If your daughter hasn't left that gym, do so. As someone said, the only problem I see is the coach.

 

[Mish]

Not only the coach, but you also, should watch what you say, no matter how well intended. I sadly made this mistake when I thought I was being helpful, but even just a few words had the complete opposite, and negative affect. I wish I could take them back as I feel terrible about it every day.
Someone wiser than me on this board said that if they are putting forth effort at practice they are more than likely fit. In addition, they are in a leo almost every day of their life, so they certainly know what they look like in it. If there are some issues, they are already aware.

 

[superNova08]

I have been and still am in and out of eating disorder treatment. I've found that its best to just steer clear of any comments about weight or body type. If its not possible to avoid, just say that everyone is beautiful no matter what. I t will keep the gym a judgement free zone, at least from your part! Another thing would be to ensure no comments are coming from other children.

 

[Anonymous (46ea)]

I also want to add that if my daughter’s coach made a comment on her body type or shape at any point, but especially as a teenager, we would never walk in the doors of that gym again.

This

 

[Aussie_coach]

In Australia all gymnastics clubs need to agree to a set of guidelines called body positive guidelines in order to be allowed to register as a gymnastics club and to be covered by insurance.

Those guidelines include nit making any sorts of comments about a gymnast size, weight or appearance in any way.

The gym would lose its accreditation if a coaches discussing these things with gymnasts parents.

There is honestly no such thing as the ideal gymnast body. Gymnastics is a diverse sport and by the higher levels gymnasts can play to their strengths.

Girls are supposed to change during puberty, the body is supposed to look different and prepare for adulthood. It’s a good thing, not a bad thing.

Celebrate the joys of growing up.

 

[Anonymous (68cd)]

I also want to add that if my daughter’s coach made a comment on her body type or shape at any point, but especially as a teenager, we would never walk in the doors of that gym again.

So, it is not always so easy to walk away when you are in a small town and the only other option is a gym with an even more abusive coaching situation? The only option was to quit gymnastics which my daughter clearly didn't want to do, and in some respects, I didn't find out the extent of the issues until after the coach had left. The new coach helped my daughter immensely, but I think by that time the damage had already been done and well then Covid hit and then she broke her ankle, so ya it was a **** show for a couple of years. I am happy to say that she does have a spot on a D3 school, and she is thrilled as am I. I am hoping that she has a positive experience for the next adventure in her life. Unfortunately, there are a lot of coaches that still carry over the way they were treated 20 years ago that often was inappropriate. It all goes back to training, and certification for coaches which USGA should do more of.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

In Australia all gymnastics clubs need to agree to a set of guidelines called body positive guidelines in order to be allowed to register as a gymnastics club and to be covered by insurance.

Those guidelines include nit making any sorts of comments about a gymnast size, weight or appearance in any way.

The gym would lose its accreditation if a coaches discussing these things with gymnasts parents.

There is honestly no such thing as the ideal gymnast body. Gymnastics is a diverse sport and by the higher levels gymnasts can play to their strengths.

Girls are supposed to change during puberty, the body is supposed to look different and prepare for adulthood. It’s a good thing, not a bad thing.

Celebrate the joys of growing up.

The more I hear about gymnastics in Australia, the more I wish we could just throw out our system and copy yours.

 

[Aussie_coach]

The more I hear about gymnastics in Australia, the more I wish we could just throw out our system and copy yours.

The US produces far higher caliber of gymnasts than we do though.

And you guys have College gymnastics, which seems like an incredible way to motivate kids to stay in the sport longer.

 

[Anonymous (4051)]

The more I hear about gymnastics in Australia, the more I wish we could just throw out our system and copy yours.

That’s so funny as I’m the opposite. The US seems to cater more for all levels. Even having the XCEL program which they still compete but it isn’t as intense. We have Rec or NDP. Rec don’t compete and NDP comps are a mix of all the elite clubs with kids with entire gym set ups at home, and that more ‘casual’, for lack of better word, clubs that train lower hours. The comps are a real mixed bag! Would be good to have that middle ground like xcel.