what to do??

[flipperflex93]

okay. so lately me and my coach have not been getting along. she is frustrated with me and another gymnast. and we are frustrated with her. and it honestly seems like she thinks she is the only one frustrated. anyways, so the other day,, i was told that i suck for my age(not by my coach). :/ i am 16 and a level 7. so i politely asked my coach if she thought that i should quit. and to my surprise she told me that i already have, or at least thats what it seemed like to her, that i just gave up. what should i do about this? thanks for any advice!

 

[perfect_jinx]

Ouch!
That really sucks, I personally think you should just keep working hard not to prove yourself to your coach but because you want to.... coaches are not the most pleasant people all of the time so just try and remember that just because they're taking it out on you doesn't mean it's your fault.
You should only quit if you want to and not because other people say that you should or already have, if you have a love for the sport than do it for you and not for the people around you!

 

[Optionals United]

that is VERY rude!!!!! i can not believe she said that! you do not suck for your age! you are doning gym because you want to its not like you are trying ot go to the olympics. as myself i might look for a different gym in your area. sometimes i feel like coaches dont uderstand us at all.(no offence coaches im not trying to rant you out!) have you tried maybe talking to your coach might be the best first before you decide to leave. hope you figure this out soon.

 

[kbuhler]

Don't give up

I tell my daughter all the time there will be people you enjoy and others not as much. Life is all about learning to deal with all kinds of "flavors" of people. Don't quit unless you want to or you will have regrets.

 

[flippinlolly]

First off...level 7 is an amazing acheivement no matter what age you are. Hours of hard work have been put into getting you where you are and you've acheived that so in NO WAY do you suck! Remember that whenever you feel down!
Secondly...is there a particular reason why you and your coach are frustrated? Are you having trouble with a particular skill or not progressing as quickly as you used to or something similar? Because if its that then your coach might be struggling to understand why its happening and may have had a long day and just snapped. It happens to everyone coaches included. I would say sit down and ask your coach why she thinks you've given up and tell her why you're frustrated and what you're worrying about. It sounds like you havent been communicating that well with each other so maybe she's not understanding that you're frustrated too and haven't just "given up". Let her know how hard you're working and how much you still want this.
Never quit because of a coach...if you've tried everything and its still not working maybe think about talking to your HC or switching gyms...Don't give up gymnastics unless you lose your love for the sport...

 

[peace.love.gymnast]

I think you should probably have a talk with your coach. If you guys are frustrated with each other, then to her, it may seem like you've given up. Communication is so important!! If after a talk things don't change, you may want to consider relocating to another gym.

 

[Aussie_coach]

There is no such thing as being bad at gym for your age. Gymnastics is not like school where you have to reach a certain level or a certain stage by a certain age. It is an individual journey, and everyone moves at their own pace. Some progress quickly at the lower levels and then hit a road block. Others move very slowly at the lower levels but progress rapidly at the higher levels. Everyone starts at a different age and is ready for different things at a different age. So don't listen to anyone who tells you you aren't good enough for your age.

As for your coaches comment, use it as a learning experience. Whether or not it is true you can learn from it. Perhaps in a way it is true, perhaps you don't try as hard as you could because you think you will not succeed. Perhaps you need to work on your mental focus a bit.

If it isn't true, its important to realize that if your coach thinks it is true then you are sending out some message in your attitude that you have given up. What could make her think this way?

 

[cathiann]

Sounds like you need to do some soul searching--do YOU want to continue gymnastics--who cares what someone else might think. What do you want to do? Also, take a long look at your habits during practice. Do you spend a lot of time standing around and not a ton of time actually working skills? Might be a reason your coach thinks you've already checked out.

If you realize that, yes, you love the sport and want to continue, then make an appointment to sit down and talk with your coach--write out goals you want to achieve--skills to get, etc. Then talk with her about it--let her know that her comment about you "already quitting" really struck a nerve and made you think, but that you want to recommit and need her help. Let her know what your goals are and ask what you need to do to achieve them. I can't imagine any coach that wouldn't react positively to you reaching out like that. Good luck in whatever you decide--and make sure to post here whatever happens!