TOMTNT's question about stopping gym

[tomtnt]

While I do agree with all the advices given - the poster does raise a point that I'd like to discuss. Given the inherent risks with gymnastics (read the injury thread!!) and the huge time committment (which takes time away from academics, other activites, etc.) - is there a point where is not "worth it" for an average gymnast to keep on participating in the sport? When does the risks and sacrifices outweigh the benefits?

And yes, I realize level 4 and 7 year old is probably not that time...

 

[bogwoppit]

I moved this to it's own thread as I didn't want to hijack KAmoms thread, and I also think that the topic meirts it's own discussion.

Personally speaking my 13 year old decided it was enough in May, she had reached L6/7 (Canadaian system) and had dealt with injuries for four years. It was a race well run, but her body wasn't strong enough and soon enough her m love of the sport died with all the hard work of rehabbing injuries.

 

[LizzieLac]

I don't think there is a set point. This is an individual sport with so many factors that I don't think we could ever determine this. It will be different for everyone, just as with every sport.

 

[cher062]

While I do agree with all the advices given - the poster does raise a point that I'd like to discuss. Given the inherent risks with gymnastics (read the injury thread!!) and the huge time committment (which takes time away from academics, other activites, etc.) - is there a point where is not "worth it" for an average gymnast to keep on participating in the sport? When does the risks and sacrifices outweigh the benefits?

And yes, I realize level 4 and 7 year old is probably not that time...

My 13yo LOVES doing gymnastics If I were to make her quit to try otherthings she would hate me, probably not give full effort into the other things and totally miss the whole gymnastic life. I figure she isn't missing anything because she really doesn't have an interest in persuing other sports like she does gymnastics. Its no different from the kid at 6 am on the ice rink practicing hocky for hours or any other sport like that. I say if the kid wants to do a sport let them if they want to quit and have lost interest they will let you know.


All kids sports have Risk of some type and believe it or not Gymnastics doesn't even make the top 10 list for sports that send youths to the ER for injuries.

Here is an article that has the top 10 (written in 2009)

I was surprised to find out the top sport for sending kids to the emergency room—according to a Loyola University Study based on 2005 data from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission—is basketball.

Huh?

Turns out, kids who play basketball at school or even in the driveway are at risk of the same knee injuries that derail NBA careers. The good news is most injuries can be prevented with proper training and supervision. And catastrophic injuries in kids’ sports—think little Bonnie on her pony in Gone With the Wind—are extremely rare.
There are other surprises on Loyola’s top ten list besides basketball and even more shocking, some sports that are traditionally considered dangerous (hockey, anyone?) are notably absent from the list.

1. Basketball
More than half a million kids went to the ER in just one year with injuries sustained playing hoops. Damage to the anterior cruciate ligament, or ACL, is a common injury and any sport involving twisting, jumping, pivoting, squatting, or making sudden stops puts kids at risk. Proper coaching is a must.
2. Bicycling
Yes, that favorite pastime sent more kids—485,669 to be exact—to the ER than football. Wearing a helmet greatly reduces risk as does educating children about the dangers of Link Removed.
3. Football
This sport sent more than 418,200 kids to the ER. Sports injury statistics vary based on methodology, and the Center for Injury Research and Policy found football to be the leading cause of sports-related injuries among kids.
4. Soccer
The ball is soft, but the sport can be dangerous, with about 175,000 soccer-playing kids seeking aid at an ER. One culprit is portable soccer goals, which should be securely anchored to the ground.
5. Baseball
Today’s kids train hard and hit the ball hard, which is why some 155,000 Little Leaguers ended up in emergency rooms. Children should wear proper protective gear and be taught how to safely slide into bases and other fundamentals. With all warm-weather sports, heat exhaustion is also a threat.
6. Skateboarding
They don’t call extreme sports “extremeâ€￾ for nothing. More than 112,000 kids turned up in emergency rooms with skateboarding injuries. The National Safety Council recommends the use of protective gear, such as closed, slip-resistant shoes, helmets, and specially designed padding for elbows, knees, and hands.
7. Trampoline
It’s not really a sport—or is it?— but 108,000 kids went to the ER for trampoline-related injuries. Newer models with nets to keep kids from falling off are safer. Backyard trampolines are for jumping, not stunts. More adventurous kids need a qualified trainer and a gym.
8. Softball
If a fast-traveling baseball can cause serious injury, so can a fast-traveling softball. More than 106,000 kids ended up in the emergency room with softball injuries.
9. Swimming and Diving
Anytime you mix kids and water, you have potential for an injury. Swimming and diving accidents sent 82,300 kids to the ER. Head and spinal cord injuries are a risk when kids are diving. Make sure kids know how deep the water is and that all pools, lakes, and beaches have qualified lifeguards.
10. Horseback riding
ER docs treated more than 73,500 kids for injuries related to horseback riding. A British study found serious head and spinal injuries were most common when jumping.
Other sports that prompted ER visits: weightlifting, volleyball, golf, roller skating, wrestling, gymnastics, inline skating, tennis, and track and field.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission names cheerleading the most injury-prone sport for girls

The deadliest sport: riding an all-terrain vehicle. There were 740 deaths in 2003, and one-third of those were kids under sixteen, according to the safety agency.

With the right training, supervision, and equipment, most sports can be considered safe for children. Parents of kids in extreme sports point out that danger is all around us, and you can’t raise your child in a bubble. I concur—in theory

 

[tomtnt]

The problems with those ER visit studies is just that - they only address ER visits. Many Gymnastic type injuries don't lead to ER visits. They lead to primary care visit. Or ortho visits. Or are chronic nagging injuries.

From one study of collegiate gymnasts: "Forty-five percent of the injuries recorded in their competitive years still bothered them at the time of followup, especially low back, ankle, great toe, shoulder, and knee injuries"

 

[Gymdad2]

Interesting, but these are only total numbers. Does anybody know of any injury studies that take in to account the percentage of kids who play any given sport that suffer an injury? Last time I looked at USAG numbers, the total number of girls doing usag was less than 50,000.

DD has only been to ER once. That was after a fall from bars onto her head - she had a minor concussion. As for trips to the family dr., it has become so common that the dr. just says, "Hi P, where does it hurt this time?" lol

 

[coachmolly]

I think there can be a time, if the costs outweigh the benefits too severely, that would indicate a time to move on. I don't think this relates to age, level, skill progression, meet results, or any of those kinds of things though. More like, if a child is facing serious injuries, mental/emotional distress, or the family is placed in a very difficult financial situation because of the sport and the benefits of gymnastics (fitness, scholarship opportunities, fun, friends, etc.) are limited, it might be time to move on. And if your child is passionate about gymnastics, as most serious competitive level gymnasts are, you might need to step in and do what is best for your child.
As a gymnast, I experienced a potentially life threatening injury that landed me in the hospital for 2 weeks and was encouraged by doctors not to return. Because of other life situations, gymnastics was really all I had and my parents could not keep me from that. Most parents would have disagreed with their situation, but the benefits gymnastics provided for me mentally were still great enough to outweigh the costs. However, as time progressed, the mental issues that plagued me in my daily life began to interfere more seriously in the gym and practice, interacting with coaches and teammates, and all that came with the sport became feared activities. The benefits of gymnastics no longer outweighed the costs and I was miserable. Fortunately, I was 15 at this time and knew for myself it was time to call it quits, but I hope that if I had not been able to do that, that my parents would have known to step in and end it for me for my own well being. If that situation would have come up several years prior, I feel like I would have pushed myself to keep going and made things even worse for myself.
However, this is not a common situation in gymnastics and while the injury was a direct result of gymnastics, the circumstances that pushed me to dread practices were not. But I think, especially for particularly serious and passionate gymnasts (or athletes in any sport), similar situations do happen and if the child is unable to see the negative effects the sport they love is playing on their life, it is the parents job to step in and make some changes.
But I will make it very clear again that this should not be related to a lack of progression or results at meets, but rather a result of more serious problems. If a child is enjoying the sport and the family can afford it, then by all means keep going even if the natural talent isn't there.

 

[CoachGoofy]

It's time to move on if it's no longer fun. If it hurts more than you love it, you're probably done.

*mid 20s coach, nagging pain an awful lot of places, and I still love it more than it hurts*

 

[lilgymmie7]

This is like a page out of my DD's life book! She never really had the 'natural' talent, but she was always an awesome performer. What she did on that gym floor was short of miraculous. She had to work harder than the rest of her team to get a skill. However, as the years progressed and many gyms later, she herself didn't even know it was time for her to let go. Gees, ask her now and part of her still thinks she can go for it!
But as her mother, I saw the outside of her crumbling. Her insides were still burning for the sport, but outside she wasn't able to put it all together. Her school work suffered, her relationships with friends suffered, and worst of all she was feeling very down on herself. It was definitely time to let go.
However, pulling her from the sport had nothing to do with her gymnastics. It had everything to do with bringing her life back into perspective. Gym like any sport is supposed to help the child build a foundation for life. When it doesn't serve that purpose, plan B needs to be instituted.

 

[gymgurl]

Ok i have faced the facts many years ago that i am NEVER going to the olympics (only 6 girls do), I will NEVER participate in international events, I will NEVER in a million years get a scholarship to go to college (if i was in america), I would NEVER EVER get higher than a level 6 (probably level 5 even) but i'm still happy in the sport but i do know that when gym starts to interfere with studies, gym is gone, if i experience psychological stress or pressure from the sport i am gone from the gym and if i injure myself beyond a minor sprain my time is probably up as i am coming to that age wear if i am out for more than 2 - 3 months i won't be able to build up the skills and probably won't start again as i am going into the last two years building towards my HSC of final exams so i doubt i would start again.

I think if it takes over priorities like your education then it needs to go

If you are experiencing psychological stress due to it, it needs to go

Or if you no longer love it, it needs to go

Or if you are injured more than you are healthy then you should quit

 

[taximom]

This certainly is an interesting discussion topic.

I have wondered on more than a few occasions whether it was time for my gymmie to move on from gymnastics. She has struggled with fear issues and has now mostly overcome them! She has also struggled with nagging injuries (Sever's and Achilles tendinitis). Her stance throughout it all was Mom I'm not going to quit!

She has a love for gym even when she's frustrated and a perserverance that is admirable. Now that she is for the most part on the other side of it I can see how sticking it out was a good growth experience for her but it was really hard to allow her to struggle with herself like that. The Mom in me wanted to pull her out and rescue her from the pressure she put on herself. I didn't want her bringing herself to tears over tumbling.

With all of that being said our doctor's have said that her injuries are growth related and won't affect her long term as in adulthood. I must admit that if the doctor's had indicated that gymnastics was going to cause her life long problems injury wise I would have pulled her out. She would not have been pleased and I'm glad it didn't come to that for her but I must place her overall health over her love for the sport as her parent.

These decisions are never easy and we all will have to walk in these shoes at some point...my hope is that our gymmies will be well rounded enough at that point that they understand gymnastics is something they love to do but it isn't their whole identity.

 

[sportyspice]

These decisions are never easy and we all will have to walk in these shoes at some point...my hope is that our gymmies will be well rounded enough at that point that they understand gymnastics is something they love to do but it isn't their whole identity.

My DS (12yr old Level 6) decided very suddenly gymnastics wasnt fun anymore and for the past 2 weeks he has been trying to work out who he is without gymnastics.......7 years in this sport and no other has maybe not been the healthy choice.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I think it is very hard not only for us parents to decide if they should pull them out but also for the gymnasts if it is time to move on. I do not think there are any easy answers I think they should be at least exposed to another activity and let them miss practice for a specail occasion every now and then. I do think alot of times that they want to quit I know this is the case with my daughter that it is because they are struggling with a skill. I think by letting them have a chance to work through this alot of times makes them a stronger person. I know a couple of gymnasts who were forced to quit because of injuries and doctors advice which I find kind of sad because these girls really loved the sport and the decision was taken out of their hands.

 

[taximom]

My DS (12yr old Level 6) decided very suddenly gymnastics wasnt fun anymore and for the past 2 weeks he has been trying to work out who he is without gymnastics.......7 years in this sport and no other has maybe not been the healthy choice.

Give him some time...it is a big adjustment and hasn't been that long. Hindsight is always 20/20, as parents we all do the best we can at the time. Thinking of you!

 

[tumblerK]

Given the inherent risks with gymnastics (read the injury thread!!) and the huge time committment (which takes time away from academics, other activites, etc.) - is there a point where is not "worth it" for an average gymnast to keep on participating in the sport?

This is something I have thought a lot about since finishing gymnastics.

Gymnastics is a huge time commitment, but I now have outstanding time management skills because of it.

My parents told me I could be involved in as much as I wanted but they would limit my activities if my grades dropped. I managed to get a 4.0 high school GPA with AP classes while training level 7, working at 2 places, being on two cheerleading squads, and being in band.

Gymnastics is a huge mental challenge as well. I went through a month long mental block with my front handspring front tuck two months before my first level 7 competition, and over coming that mental block is one of the accomplishments I am most proud of.

My grandma made an observation during my high school graduation. While many students felt self-conscious while walking across the stage to receive their diploma, she remarked that I walked with a purpose and with my head held high. A lot of that confidence comes from gymnastics.

Yes, I worked out on shin splints for nine months. Yes, a year and a half later, I still get shooting pains down my legs if I go for a run outside or run on a treadmill. I also have a huge tolerance for pain. Although it's debatable whether that's a benefit or not...

Gymnastics teaches more than back handsprings and giants. It teaches perseverance, courage, mental strength, the value of hard work.

One thing gymnasts and their families tend to have trouble with is finding a balance in their lives. It can't be gymnastics alldayeverydaywithoutabreak or they will burnout. But if you can find this balance, I think you will find there are far more benefits than you realize.

Another benefit I realized during my senior year was the passion I have for gymnastics. How many 17 year olds can say that they know what their passion in life is? The only reason I finished gymnastics when I did was because I needed to give my shins a break and because I was going to college 4 hours away. If I could, I would go back right now and start training and competing again.

So is there a point when it's not worth it anymore? Yes, when a doctor says you physically can't. Or if you're burned out, but I think it has to be the gymnast who makes that decision. I always found the benefits outweighed all the other sacrifices.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i have said before...i don't regret 1 day that i have spent in gymnastics. why, if my parents had ever...even after i...and i'm still here.

 

[gymkat]

I think I officially 'retired' from gymnastics this week (ick, saying 'retiring' makes me feel old). I was never going to be more than a slightly above-average gymnast due to physical limitations and lacking a bit in the talent department, but I made it to L9 as a senior and then competed in the college club league and did pretty well there. To be honest, gymnastics did take a toll on my academics in high school-- I ended up with a full ride, but there's no question that I would have performed at a higher level if I hadn't been constantly exhausted.

I decided it was time to move on because I was no longer learning anything from gymnastics (in terms of gymnastics skills and in life skills) and because it was no longer a viable social activity. Gymnastics slowly moved from being an obsession (through high school) to something that I did because I could be around friends (beginning of college) to being a way to escape from intense academic work (later in college) to... well, being none of those things (post-college and now living abroad). I don't regret doing gymnastics, despite the fact that I did not exactly have the happiest and healthiest gymnastics 'career,' because it paid off an incredible amount in teaching me time management skills, teaching me the value of a strong work ethic, and teaching me how to set goals.

And now I've moved on to figure skating. I always did like sparkly sports.

 

[flipper's fan]

Gymkat, I am having visions of Suriya Bonaly- you're not skating in France, are you? j/k. Thanks for your story. Be sparkly.

 

[MdGymMom01]

Gymkat, I am having visions of Suriya Bonaly- you're not skating in France, are you? j/k. Thanks for your story. Be sparkly.

Surya Bonaly...I loved her!!! She was such a rebel the way that she "ignored the rules" and threw that back tuck in her routine at the Olympics anyway!!!!! And her costumes--she had some wild ones didn't she??

 

[flipper's fan]

She sure did- lots of spunk, high energy, gymnastics on ice, and she could skate, too.