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The other notion I disagree with is that it is a fleeting happiness, one you have and then give up and have to pass on. Or that it is a gift that you let go of. If that's the case the. You have left the sport for the wrong reason (probably damaging coaching methods). Kids don't lose anything when they choose to walk out the door,for the right reasons. As gymnasts they have grown in their love and passion for the sport. Why leave? Because they find something they love even more and are even more passionate about and gives them even greater happiness. But they never let go of what they learned or what they can do, they put in it to their next pursuit amd gain even greater heights of excellence.
From the first time I saw it I was very unimpressed with this video. I think it sends a poor message to young athletes.
The first being that gymnastics in not a lifetime sport. Secondly that the body takes too much damage. This is often a typical WAG mindset get a kid in young train them until they break and then send them away and do it to the next kid.
But gymnastics is a lifetime sport in many areas. In many countries in Europe gymnastics clubs have far more adults than kids, they pursue team gym and the idea is that gymnastics is one of the best ways for an adult to condition the body. They don't have kids in their gyms training 35 hours a week so that they are too destroyed to do the sport as adults.
Just a few weeks ago we had our national gym 4 life challenge and one of the teams had an average age of 70, their oldest competitor was 84.
Most gymnastics clubs in my area have very strong adult program's. There is one gym that specialises in Adult gymmastics from a novice to am advanced level 6 days a week.
Australia just had its national championships earlier this year and in MAG our first place winner, who won by a great deal is 36 years old.
I am at least double the age of our national team and I still do all the same skills as I did as a kid in my daily coaching.
The notion that gymnastics ends with childhood seems to be a very American idea.
The other notion I disagree with is that it is a fleeting happiness, one you have and then give up and have to pass on. Or that it is a gift that you let go of. If that's the case the. You have left the sport for the wrong reason (probably damaging coaching methods). Kids don't lose anything when they choose to walk out the door,for the right reasons. As gymnasts they have grown in their love and passion for the sport. Why leave? Because they find something they love even more and are even more passionate about and gives them even greater happiness. But they never let go of what they learned or what they can do, they put in it to their next pursuit amd gain even greater heights of excellence.
It isn't the mechanics and physical feats of the sport that I miss most, it's the essence of my childhood.
Thanks for coming here and sharing your thoughts and feelings Sarah. It's nice sometimes to hear directly from the artist and/or creator of something as to what they were thinking, feeling, trying to convey. The majority of great art was non commissioned work. It was what the artist was thinking, feeling, envisioning at that moment in time. It was their way to let it out for them, and it was a bonus if others appreciated it as well. As a fellow videographer, I can say I enjoyed a lot of techniques you used in the making of your video, and I'm fully aware of the amount of time, thought, work, and effort that went into making it. Since this appears to be something you did for yourself, there is nothing for you to 'defend.' If it is what you feel and think, then it is what it is. Others are then left to decide for themselves if it touches them, as apparently by many of the comments, it does. I wish you all the luck and success in finding your owl.I'm glad you voiced your opinion, and I don't generally go out of my way to defend my video, but I think it's important that you understand the message and emotions I intended to communicate with Seek The Owl. I think it's fantastic that some people are able to continue with gymnastics into adulthood and I never meant to imply that a person shouldn't or couldn't make that decision if they so desired, but you have to understand that most gymnasts will retire young, and that period of time can be so hopeless and confusing. I made Seek the Owl so that people in that transition stage can feel a sense of relativity and belonging. My intent is for people to take away a thread of peace and to stir a desire to use all of the good things that gymnastics gave them to go and seek. To carry their childhood passion and take it with them wherever they go, and to feel inspired to be excellent for the rest of their lives. To be able to look beyond the now and see a life after gymnastics, and to believe there's happiness and fulfillment out there, too. I wrote it that way because that was my experience. Sure, I could have decided to stay a gymnast forever, but that's not the path I'm paving.
I found a way to make peace with letting go of something I loved with all my heart. I will never fall out of love with gymnastics, but like most people, my life is calling me out of the gym. I could never be excellent elsewhere if I hadn't closed that chapter of my life. Sure, I could have continued with the sport, but the point is, it will never be the same. I will never be a little girl in the gym again. It's not that I don't think I could still swing bars or land a series on beam if I set my mind to it. It isn't the mechanics and physical feats of the sport that I miss most, it's the essence of my childhood. The emotions and words exchanged between my teammates and myself during the last rotation of my level 9 state competition. I can go through the motions all I want, but I will never be able to travel back to that specific moment in time. I meant for gymnstics to be a metaphor of life. Time and life are fleeting. Change is a constant in life, and there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is exist in the now, collect what we can from the present, and bring it along as armor for the future.
So fly your adult gymnastics flag high, if that's your owl.
I'm glad you voiced your opinion, and I don't generally go out of my way to defend my video, but I think it's important that you understand the message and emotions I intended to communicate with Seek The Owl. I think it's fantastic that some people are able to continue with gymnastics into adulthood and I never meant to imply that a person shouldn't or couldn't make that decision if they so desired, but you have to understand that most gymnasts will retire young, and that period of time can be so hopeless and confusing. I made Seek the Owl so that people in that transition stage can feel a sense of relativity and belonging. My intent is for people to take away a thread of peace and to stir a desire to use all of the good things that gymnastics gave them to go and seek. To carry their childhood passion and take it with them wherever they go, and to feel inspired to be excellent for the rest of their lives. To be able to look beyond the now and see a life after gymnastics, and to believe there's happiness and fulfillment out there, too. I wrote it that way because that was my experience. Sure, I could have decided to stay a gymnast forever, but that's not the path I'm paving.
I found a way to make peace with letting go of something I loved with all my heart. I will never fall out of love with gymnastics, but like most people, my life is calling me out of the gym. I could never be excellent elsewhere if I hadn't closed that chapter of my life. Sure, I could have continued with the sport, but the point is, it will never be the same. I will never be a little girl in the gym again. It's not that I don't think I could still swing bars or land a series on beam if I set my mind to it. It isn't the mechanics and physical feats of the sport that I miss most, it's the essence of my childhood. The emotions and words exchanged between my teammates and myself during the last rotation of my level 9 state competition. I can go through the motions all I want, but I will never be able to travel back to that specific moment in time. I meant for gymnstics to be a metaphor of life. Time and life are fleeting. Change is a constant in life, and there's nothing we can do about it. All we can do is exist in the now, collect what we can from the present, and bring it along as armor for the future.
So fly your adult gymnastics flag high, if that's your owl.
Finally, 'What's funny is that there are times, I am still very proud that I have a zoology degree... '
You should be very proud everyday! That's no small accomplishment.