WAG Typical gym lobby drama

[Moxiegrl83]

^^^LoL I feel bad for the girls. We have some super sweet talented little gymmies, but their moms make me cringe. :-( There's something wrong when it's the mom who's dancing around the waiting room counting down days to the first meet.

 

[cbone]

Show a little compassion for those of us who will never be the proud parents of a Level 3 state vault champion. Trust me, we are all highly aware of our kids' limitations, but maybe we think they deserve our support for their dreams anyway.

(By the way, I am not a gym lobby drama mama. I never say anything to the other parents other than "She's so cute" or "She looks like she's having so much fun" or "She must be so excited about that new skill she just got.")

Wow! This is EXACTLY what I am talking about. My comment had nothing to do with my daughter at all. YOU mentioned my daughter's accomplishments without any prompting. I'm proud of her, but my family is about supporting a Level 4 gymnast now, not reveling in past Level 3 accomplishments. That's part of what I see. Other parents focus so much on what other people's kids are doing. "Why did that group more time with the head coach today." or "That girl doesn't belong on team; she barely has her skills." or "Obviously the coaches have a favorite!" or "He thinks he's so great just because his daughter won state in Level 3- that doesn't really count anyway!"

The flip side is that they compare their gymmie to other gymmies and usually in areas where their child is weak and the other child is strong. Who cares?!? Some kids just have more natural talent than others. If you're the parent of a natural talent, be grateful, but realize that your gymmie may struggle to work as hard as others since it comes so easy. If you have a worker that wasn't blessed with the raw talent, you'll need to let them know that they may spend their entire gym career struggling to make the podium. Support YOUR child. Find out where they struggle and support what it takes to make them better. If they're Olympic bound, that's great, too! But remember that greatness without humility is empty.

Every child is a unique gymnast with unique potential and needs, but as a parent- own who they are. Own the good, the bad and the middle. If you can't be honest with yourself about your child, you'll always look elsewhere for validation. That's where the drama comes from.

This isn't coming from the easy perspective of a parent whose child won multiple events at state. I've been labeled as "that guy" since I celebrated too openly for the comfort of many (including myself, in retrospect). Being overly proud of my children is who I am, but I wish I had toned it down. Many on here may always remember me as the bragging Level 3 dad. I refuse to be stuck as that. My daughter will likely struggle to podium in most events in Level 4. My new perspective is coming from a person who has honestly evaluated both themselves and their daughter and is starting to "get it". If my daughter never made another podium, but still maintained her love and passion for the sport, I'd happliy continue on this journey without the slightest regret. I plan on watching her pass people and get passed and grow at the rate that's best for her as a person first and a gymnast second.

 

[sglemon]

Funny side story, to lighten the mood, when my current gymnast was 4 and in Level 1, we had a mom bragging how her DD can jump into the foam pit then any other girl out there. Well, where did that get her? she dropped out after Level 2.

Ignore! Ignore! Ignore!

Even state titles are a Crap shoot, I have seen girls consistently score mid 38, score a 38.5 at states and finish without a state title. I have seen girls score 36 and low 37s, walk away with it all. Both the same age, where just the month they were born determined which group they competed in. It is the luck of the draw. A state title does not make you a better gymnast, you were just better than the girls in your group that particular day.

 

[cbone]

Even state titles are a Crap shoot, I have seen girls consistently score mid 38, score a 38.5 at states and finish without a state title. I have seen girls score 36 and low 37s, walk away with it all. Both the same age, where just the month they were born determined which group they competed in. It is the luck of the draw. A state title does not make you a better gymnast, you were just better than the girls in your group that particular day.

It doesn't even mean you were better that day, it means that the judges saw fewer deductions and thus gave you a higher score. I still say that Jordyn Weiber is the BEST all-around gymnast in the world. Maroney is clearly the best vaulter. Neither won an individual Olympic gold.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

lol! pit jumping...new sport!

 

[skschlag]

We were actually doing this the other day with the boys' schedule, but only because we were all counting how many days of freedom we had left!!

^^^LoL I feel bad for the girls. We have some super sweet talented little gymmies, but their moms make me cringe. :-( There's something wrong when it's the mom who's dancing around the waiting room counting down days to the first meet.

 

[iwannacoach]

lol! pit jumping...new sport!

Don't get so cocky dunno, I've been secretly training an elite group of 18-24 month olds to pit jump during "mom and me" classes for the past 2 years, and I have a "select commitee" of movers and shakers in the sports world petitioning to have it included in the 2020 games........Wheaties box here I come!!!

But wait!...It gets better!! The moms have to do it along with their child (yeah, the got no game but It is an M&M class after all) and by the time we're done the cgm's are all to exhausted to do the cgm thing. Now that's what I call a "win win".

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well then, just make certain the moms don't have dresses or skirts on when they jump in that pit. otherwise, you may get uncontrollable laughter from all those kids.

 

[Canadian_gym_mom]

lol! pit jumping...new sport!

One I could even excel at....as long as we aren't judged on our ability to climb back OUT of that darn pit, lol.

 

[iwannacoach]

well then, just make certain the moms don't have dresses or skirts on when they jump in that pit. otherwise, you may get uncontrollable laughter from all those kids.

Laughter.....I don't think so! I run a pretty tight practice with these kids. They're so into the 2020 thing that I don't think I could get them to laugh if I tried.......

 

[wallinbl]

Don't get so cocky dunno, I've been secretly training an elite group of 18-24 month olds to pit jump during "mom and me" classes for the past 2 years, and I have a "select commitee" of movers and shakers in the sports world petitioning to have it included in the 2020 games........Wheaties box here I come!!!

Hate to break it to you, but a 2 year old will only be 10 years old in 2020, and will not be able to compete.

Oh, and get some new foam blocks in the pit. Those old ones are terrible on the lungs.

 

[sglemon]

It doesn't even mean you were better that day, it means that the judges saw fewer deductions and thus gave you a higher score. I still say that Jordyn Weiber is the BEST all-around gymnast in the world. Maroney is clearly the best vaulter. Neither won an individual Olympic gold.

You are correct, I meant it very broadly. I guess more accurately, is that the judges decided to give less deductions, then any other girls.

Now that is a whole other complaint. I have seen girls take two steps and bent elbows on a front hip circle on a level 4 bar routine and recieve a 9.85, winning the state title. I have seen a girl fall off a beam on a handstand, going off the end of the beam, getting back on and continuing the routine and scoring a 9.0, with no handstand.

 

[sglemon]

One I could even excel at....as long as we aren't judged on our ability to climb back OUT of that darn pit, lol.

I have nightmares getting stuck in there and not able to climb back out

 

[mommyof1]

I have nightmares getting stuck in there and not able to climb back out

There was a winning video on America's Funniest Home Videos a while back in which a woman got stuck in a foam pit. I think she lost her socks in there. I can't find it on the web, though.

 

[LiveLoveTumble]

My (non-gym) friend lost her socks in a foam pit once! Another girl had to dive in and get them for her

 

[Kiwi]

I bet my DD (9) would love pit-jumping!

 

[LoriLou]

Don't laugh you guys! It wasn't too long ago that trampoline was not considered a sport. And look at it now! We could be onto something with this pit jumping. And to think we'll all be able to say that we were part of it's inception. We could be millionaires!!!!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i'm in! .........

 

[Danica76]

Does falling in the pit while trying to move a mat count as pit jumping? Involuntary pit jumping, maybe....LOL I'm counting the 10.0 I scored on my involuntary pit jump as a rite of passage. I declined the trophy covered in chalk dust from 1992 that was offered. Gotta stay humble!

 

[cbone]

Way to turn down the trophy! Pit jumping is a marathon, not a sprint.