Parents Very Scary!!!

[gymmutti]

We are still at the lower levels and it is interesting what gets me nervous to watch and what doesn't. A few weeks ago when my daughter uncharacteristically completely missed her squat on and "flew" about 6 feet before landing - that surprisingly didn't bother me but it scared another mom to death! She was recently doing a cast to squat on on the high bar and then standing up and jumping off. Now that scared me. I think it was due to how far up from the ground she was. She told me it was scary to her too but it was also "pretty cool". I was watching the newly minted L6 girls doing bwo on the high beam and some of them looked scared to death. Their faces looked like all the blood had drained away. But they still did them without much if any hesitation. I guess that is what a lot of gymnastics is - overcoming your fear for the love of the sport and because when you do get a skill - it is "cool".

 

[IrenicMom]

Reason #237890 I'm appreciative of the "parents don't watch practice" policy at Q's gym. I honestly can't imagine sitting there for every single practice. That's 6 hours a week (for us, anyway) that I can be accomplishing things I need to do while she's doing the same.

Plus, this way? The meets are more fun - I get to see what she's accomplished!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

^^^ spoken like an experienced region 5 parent!

 

[lilgymmie7]

^^^ spoken like an experienced region 5 parent!

Is the "No watch" policy only in region 5? I now drive 45-50 min. to DD's gym, and I can't imagine sitting through a four hour practice. Thank goodnes my sister lives 15 min. away from the gym. Most nights I visit with her or worse ( for DH anyways) Hit the mall/stores! I don't get bored. They even have my health club 3.8 mi. away! There is def. no excuse for me now!! I just finished with my reading endorsement, and that kept me totally out of the gym. So getting scared because I don't see what DD is saying she is beginning to work on will only increase for me I'm sure! Now I will be the one saying to her, " I don't want to talk about it!"

 

[IrenicMom]

Definitely not a Region 5 thing. There are at least two gyms in the area that don't have a problem with parents staying to watch. There may be others, I just know parents who have kids at two of them. We're invited to watch 1 practice a month if we'd like. I go if she wants me to (and I can), but that's pretty rare (her wanting me to - though me being able to isn't terribly common, either, with two brothers who frequently have something else going on, too). I think it was a novelty for her at first but now? She couldn't care less.

But, this is also the girl that, after me asking her why she didn't know some of the girls on her team (of 40), said to me "I'm not there to talk, Mom, I'm there to work!" So, she tends to be a little inwardly focused at gym and doesn't take note of much going on around her, including who is (or, in this case, isn't) watching her.

 

[cher062]

DUNNO LOLOL!!!! You needed a warning with that post - now I need paper towles to get the drink off my computer. LOLOL!

 

[flipper's fan]

My dd has an annoying habit of asking me to stay and watch, especially when she is practicing the stuff I most don't want to watch like Tsuks and bars. Really, she's been doing this for years and I live close enough to go home and have dinner while she's practicing. Not sure why she likes having me around, but she gets happy when I encourage her and tell her she's doing a good job. ( after practice, of course)

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Time for some nerve pills mama! LOL =)

Seriously though, I think I would feel the same way as you! It is scary watching your baby flip through the air!

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I agree with the others I do not watch practice. I can get through the meets but daughter is only level6. One of our level9.s got injured landing the wrong way on bars but her mom was outside the building when she was competing that might be me in a couple of years!

 

[mariposa]

My daughter has always loved bars and ever since she was little, she would climb up to the high bar to do her conditioning. Always scared the crap out of me. She still does it and I am a little better about it, luckily I don't see her much at practice, so what I don't know doesn't scare me. LOL.

As to that kip, she will get it. My DD got hers right before she turned 7. She has had it and "lost" it along the way a few times, always comes back, takes awhile for the form to come back (but she struggles with form in general, so that is her norm) and then it can be pretty. We have several girls that have been close for awhile, they all eventually get it. She will too, just hang in there.

 

[AGM78910]

So I'm totally not cut out to be a gym mom. Last night for the first time DD did high bar work on the real high bar rather than the pit bar. I was so scared for her. She had a few turns doing the high bar portion of the L5 routine minus the kip and the dismount. On one of her turns she got on the bar, did a pullover and then let go of the bar with both hands to fix the stray hairs that were in her eyes. I've seen her just balance on her tummy on the low bar, but not the high bar. We will immediately invest in some new hairspray to keep the little strays out of her eyes! I just really don't know if I can take watching this sport.

And as an update to my kip struggle thread, still no kips last night. When she goes completely alone she is soooo close, but just doesn't finish it. With a 1 finger spot they look great. Her coach said she is barely touching her, but that little finger is all she needs to help her finish. They are much closer than they were the other night. So I think she will have it back very soon. Maybe over Spring Break she'll get it.

LOL, my DD stood up on the high pit bar, then did a back layout off of it into the pit. I thought I would have heart failure right then and there. And many times she has stood up on the bar and fixed her hair.

The coaches at our gym won't let the gymmies do anything that they are not ready to do. When my DD learned flyaways, the coach was at the other end of the gym and she did fine. You just have to trust. Talk to the coach if you are not comfortable with what she does. If she continues in the sport you will see a lot of scary things! Yoga helps. Don't let her know that you are scared for her, though.

 

[LMV]

To everyone who said it isn't swinging bars it is release moves I concur.

I try to remind myself that she loves this and her coaches really do seem to keep things as safe as possible and that life in general is not without risk. But I do admit that her L9 beam mount---press handstand with a full pirouette--- is much better than that handspring off the springboard onto the beam she did for her one L8 meet. She was originally doing this jump onto the beam and she didn't like it and wanted the press handstand so somehow they compromised to the handspring [which wasn't really a compromise from my standpoint but well mom's don't really get a vote]

 

[mtbmom]

So glad I dont watch practice. Life is sooooo much better when you DON'T watch!

 

[Bella's Mom]

I'm terrified of beam. I can't watch our L8/L9 girls work beam at all anymore. We have a couple who are working on BHS/BT and of course the beam is right in front of the viewing window. I have to leave when they get up there and start working. With the lower levels, I can watch some but I always gasp loudly and get very anxious when someone falls badly. I don't even like watching my L2 on beam since she split the beam. Hate hate hate beam.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

but wait...beam teaches about life and the secrets to a long marriage...

 

[Bella's Mom]

but wait...beam teaches about life and the secrets to a long marriage...

LOL...what? One misstep and you could end up concussed and bleeding?

 

[LMV]

but wait...beam teaches about life and the secrets to a long marriage...

I would say listening, flexibility, compromise, and some degree of balance [on a background of love of course]. I guess that fits [although in our daughter's case the art of compromise, and negotiation, has been learned through routine planning].