WAG Olympic bound!

[flipnastic]

Well shoot!!! I need to take my daughter to your gym!!!! See, that's the *real* reason we left our last gym...I'm looking for the one that can make an Olympic gymnast out if her!!!


Oh that poor child..and mom...

 

[Popcorn]

There was a mom at a previous gym of my DDs who was telling me how she told her daughter not to mess up at a particular meet because she was videotaping her.

"Thanks Mom. I was totally planning on messing up at this meet but now I know you're videotaping, I'll change my plan."

 

[GymDad9.9]

Surprised to see some of the reactions to this post. Having a good laugh at the expense of the misinformed. Sorry I can't join you.

 

[skschlag]

GymDad9.9,

After you have been here a while, you see this come around. Lots of people go into gymnastics with that idea in the head. And some coaches perpetuate it. While it seems people are laughing at the misinformed, it is more of a laugh at teh situation that we have seen repeated here many times. To tell a kiddo that young, or the parents, is a laugh on so many levels. Really. 4 girls? Every 4 years? And the coach can predict it at 9? That is what the laugh is for. Not necessarily at the family or the girl, but at the coach and the whole idea.

 

[rjb123]

This makes me wonder- how could anyone trust a coach that would say that to them? If one of DD's coaches said that to me- especially in the lower levels, I think I would never trust anything that came out of their mouth again! It is just so insane! If they are going to tell a parent "oh your little Suzy is going to the Olympics" at level four, well they would tell you ANYTHING to keep the money flowing! Their best interest is not in the child! Its so sad.

 

[gasrgoose]

This makes me wonder- how could anyone trust a coach that would say that to them? If one of DD's coaches said that to me- especially in the lower levels, I think I would never trust anything that came out of their mouth again! It is just so insane! If they are going to tell a parent "oh your little Suzy is going to the Olympics" at level four, well they would tell you ANYTHING to keep the money flowing! Their best interest is not in the child! Its so sad.

I thought along the same line, I hope this coach isn't coaching the OP's kid and I hope they aren't the head coach. If they are it is probably time to find a new gym. It's a good reminder there are crazy people everywhere.

 

[MILgymFAM]

This makes me wonder- how could anyone trust a coach that would say that to them? If one of DD's coaches said that to me- especially in the lower levels, I think I would never trust anything that came out of their mouth again! It is just so insane! If they are going to tell a parent "oh your little Suzy is going to the Olympics" at level four, well they would tell you ANYTHING to keep the money flowing! Their best interest is not in the child! Its so sad.

I see why you would say that but don't necessarily agree. I had a coach once tell me over and over that my DD had a shot at college gym... After her first season of gymnastics.. As an Xcel bronze... At 13. Yup. He want trying to get money out of us either- she was a scholarship gymnast and we were moving away anyway. He truly just didn't get what college gym takes and where the girls come from. He was a high level gymnast himself prior to coaching and had coached awhile- he wasn't mean just naive. I finally had to tell him to stop inflating her hopes. She and I have always been realists, but stuff like that can worm into your head.

 

[Faith]

This makes me wonder- how could anyone trust a coach that would say that to them?

I remember the owner of DD1's club sitting next to me in the bleachers when she was 8 and saying how they thought she was at least national squad material.

I looked at them sideways and said well as much chance as any of them, depending on growth, puberty, teenagerdom, school,strength to weight ratio, her body and mind being made of the right stuff to withstand intensive training required from elite athletes...

At that point I had a niggle that she had something, but it wasn't an obvious talent like some kids you see. 3 years later and it is actually not impossible that she could make senior national squad, and I do think if they hadn't said that to us we may have not let her focus so early.

Having said that I do think they say it to quite a few parents to keep them in, but they do invest a lot in kids early on so I can sort of understand it. And the kids are really, really talented, I just don't think you can rule kids in or out so young.

Look at it this way- the more parents you say it to, the more chance you have of being right....

 

[flipnastic]

I remember the owner of DD1's club sitting next to me in the bleachers when she was 8 and saying how they thought she was at least national squad material.

I looked at them sideways and said well as much chance as any of them, depending on growth, puberty, teenagerdom, school,strength to weight ratio, her body and mind being made of the right stuff to withstand intensive training required from elite athletes...

At that point I had a niggle that she had something, but it wasn't an obvious talent like some kids you see. 3 years later and it is actually not impossible that she could make senior national squad, and I do think if they hadn't said that to us we may have not let her focus so early.

Having said that I do think they say it to quite a few parents to keep them in, but they do invest a lot in kids early on so I can sort of understand it. And the kids are really, really talented, I just don't think you can rule kids in or out so young.

Look at it this way- the more parents you say it to, the more chance you have of being right....

Yes, definately truth to this, but you've got to be realistic... There are definitely ways coaches the canna word it… Your child has to potential to be really good, your child has the potential to go far, your child has a lot of talent, etc. As a parent, these are all things that I would absolutely love to hear about my time… And I have Heard it over and over. She's talented, but an Olympian? Elite gymnast? College scholarship? I will never say never, but the odds are stacked highly against her… Mostly, because life happens.

But, what happens when A parent here's that their child can be an Olympian? What if the parent truly believes that, and Three years down the road, the child decides she wants to try soccer instead? A parent is going to have a lot harder time letting her child quit if she is destined for the Olympics...

 

[bookworm]

Surprised to see some of the reactions to this post. Having a good laugh at the expense of the misinformed. Sorry I can't join you.

I didn't find what the coach said to that family funny at all....and I don't know if the "misinformed" you speak of means the family, the coach or both...at the very least, the coach should know better than to perpetuate myths like described in the original post....I was frankly horrified at what was said because I know how vulnerable some people can be.

 

[GymDad9.9]

I didn't find what the coach said to that family funny at all....and I don't know if the "misinformed" you speak of means the family, the coach or both...at the very least, the coach should know better than to perpetuate myths like described in the original post....I was frankly horrified at what was said because I know how vulnerable some people can be.

I was speaking of the family as being "misinformed" in this situation, assuming the OP was accurate in their understanding of the context of the conversation that was overheard. The whole post just didn't sit well with me, from the OP relaying an overheard conversation at the gym to some of the remarks that poked fun at the family and then others talking about other families in similar situations. Maybe my gymnastics humor filter needs changing.

 

[LJL07]

I was speaking of the family as being "misinformed" in this situation, assuming the OP was accurate in their understanding of the context of the conversation that was overheard. The whole post just didn't sit well with me, from the OP relaying an overheard conversation at the gym to some of the remarks that poked fun at the family and then others talking about other families in similar situations. Maybe my gymnastics humor filter needs changing.

Oh, you aren't the only one. I have a good sense of humor most of the time, but it is wearing really thin when it comes to gymnastics. And there truly are so many insanely talented kids in this country. It's all relative. Very, very doubtful that a 9 yr old level 4 is Olympic bound, but maybe she really is talented and the conversation was taken out of context. Coaches should exercise discretion when making pronouncements though. Most of these kids won't even make it to college, let alone the Olympics!

 

[bogwoppit]

Most kids will never even make it to L7, let alone college. A few bad coaches spoil it for everyone.

 

[GymmieC]

This makes me wonder- how could anyone trust a coach that would say that to them? If one of DD's coaches said that to me- especially in the lower levels, I think I would never trust anything that came out of their mouth again! It is just so insane! If they are going to tell a parent "oh your little Suzy is going to the Olympics" at level four, well they would tell you ANYTHING to keep the money flowing! Their best interest is not in the child! Its so sad.

But unfortunately TOO many parents believe this and kill their kid by letting coaches take the reign. It's incredibly sad how many 'Stars in the eyes ' parents there are in this sport. If the child is destined, the child will inevitably get there. Period.

 

[CCGymbug]

Is it wrong that when my DD said that was her dream I squashed it? I told her that even if she was good enough I could never afford the coaching those girls get. That she would most likely have to move away to get that level of coaching and we wouldnt be together.... there are so many good talented hard working girls but I wont lie it also come down to who can afford it or get the funding. At least my dd is firmly aware that is not a goal and can just enjoy the sport for what it is.

 

[flipnastic]

Is it wrong that when my DD said that was her dream I squashed it? I told her that even if she was good enough I could never afford the coaching those girls get. That she would most likely have to move away to get that level of coaching and we wouldnt be together.... there are so many good talented hard working girls but I wont lie it also come down to who can afford it or get the funding. At least my dd is firmly aware that is not a goal and can just enjoy the sport for what it is.

Oh absolutely!!!! It's a wonderful sport, but it's not worth the price/sacrifice of family it takes to "get to the Olympics."

 

[rosiekat]

Yes, my son recently announced he intends to be in the Olympics. I had to walk the delicate balance between reality check and trying not to crush him..."That's a great goal to work for, son, but meanwhile, let's work on that math some more so you know you can feed yourself when you grow up..."

He is talented for his age, and does live for the gym, but there is a real difference between encouraging and supporting a kid to do his/her best and deciding here and now that they'll be in the 2028 (?) Olympics. He probably has as good a shot at it as several hundred other kids his age - better than many, worse than some, but there's a lot of time and money and continued effort and lack of injury and continuing interest that have to happen for a whole lot of years before that's even a real target. All odds point to him continuing in this sport for a long time, which is great because he loves it, it's good for him in a million ways, and it is nice that he's good at it, too. But I'm sure not reserving my 2028 tickets yet...