Reply to Gymnastics team

Forum Index » Elementary School-Aged Kids

Reply to "Gymnastics team"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]MY DS 10 loves gymnastics and is on a team and practices basically that much.  He loves it and while he does, I'm fine with it.

If he starts to not like it, we can quit at any time.

He also took about 6 weeks off this summer for vacation and sleep away camp and I think that is good for him. He will be happy to go back when he gets back in town but it's also OK to have a break and that means he probably won't burn out.

As kids get older it is normal to narrow down to one or two things to focus on and that's fine if the kid likes it, IMO.[/quote]

You think it is normal for an 8yr old to commit to year round gymnastics with this type of commitment?  Sorry that is not normal and there is no time to play with school friends, other activities, birthday parties and family events.  And not just for him but for other siblings and the parents.  Just the responses of the nutso on this thread pushing going to the gym everyday as her life should be a huge red flag to the OP.  [/quote]

Do you know what it's like to have a true passion to do something? It sounds like you don't. Being somebody who feels a true passion to do something and is lucky enough to be able to do that one thing is a true gift in life.

I had something that I was passionate about as a child but my parents felt like you did and limited it, not because of any reason other than kids shouldn't do one thing (it wasn't a financial or family consideration). As soon as I got out of the house, I tried to make up for lost time, but it was in many ways too late. I'll always wonder what might have been. I do not think I benefited by that decision. It's one thing to quash a kid's interest because it has negative impact on the rest of the family or the cost or whatever. It's quite another to quash it because you are being a controlling parent and don't want your child to focus on one thing because of your own issues. [/quote]

An 8yr old can be passionate about something and not devote 4hrs daily to it (excluding commute to and from.)  I would say we will start with 2-3hrs twice and week and once on weekends and if you are practicing ON YOUR OWN as well, improving and still keeping your grades up, we will talk about more in the future.  If kids are passionate they will practice that instrument, sport or activity on their own and not just with a paid program.  As a parent, I would never jump in, pay and drive my child to and from daily for 4hrs whether I have to stay there or not.  They would have to show me the commitment first.  And saying they like it and want to be there daily isn't good enough.  [/quote]

You very clearly do not understand how gymnastics works. First, no coach anywhere is going to let parents dictate practice schedule and participation. Practices are highly structured, and missing part of practice means missing requisite instruction. Believe me, gymnastics coaches aren't keeping kids in the gym "just because." There are only so many hours, only so much equipment, and tons and tons of kids. Coaches are masters of schedule juggling and working out what kids get on what events at what time. Practice groups are organized carefully by skill level and fit into this big schedule puzzle.

Second, nothing makes gymnastics coaches scream and tear their hair out like the phrase "He'll practice on his own." No no no no no! One, I have no idea how you think a child is going to practice, say, pommel horse outside of the gym. You just have one of those hanging out in your basement? Second, I can't count the number of kids over the years that come in with sprains and broken bones because they were showing off their skills on the playground, no matter how many times we tell them not to. We invest a lot in not only the proper safety equipment, but teaching the proper skill progressions and always always always being there to assist, provide corrections, take a step back and review previous progressions if something isn't working. And you think your kid can just practice on his own and be okay? Gymnastics is not the trombone.

I've had parents try this. I always tell them that I'm sorry they feel that way and I really like their kid, but clearly this isn't going to work out and I wish them best of luck somewhere else. Imagine 80 kids on the competitive team and each and every one of them has a custom practice schedule. IT DOES NOT WORK. The practice schedule set forth is the one that maximizes what we can get out of practice--the goal is never to be wasting time or have kids there just because. So, sure, if you have concerns about your kid practicing 12 hours a week, ask the coaches. They should be happy to explain why that's necessary. But they're not going to negotiate. You have to decide if you accept their explanation and feel the benefits to your kid outweigh the costs. If you decide not to make that commitment, say thanks and move on. But stop acting like gymnastics coaches, and the parents of gymnasts, are some sort of monsters hellbent of denying kids your narrow definition of childhood.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics