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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]

You honestly think going to gymnastics for 4hrs a day in your childhood is the same as today?  The pressures of college, grades, homework, pushy parents wanting perfect kids and eyes on the prize of a scholarship.  No parent invests in 4hrs a day, 28hrs a week because a kid enjoys it and wants to go nowhere with it.  The coaches, trainers, etc... must be elite and top notch.  Perfection.  [/quote]

I'm not really sure I'm following you here, because if anything the reverse is true. I don't really have to imagine anything though because I'm a full time gymnastics coach. I know exactly how it all works. Also, I grew up in the 90s and was part of the first generation of helicopter parents anyway. I have a degree from a top tier university, and I'm still a gymnastics coach.

Which leads us to today. Because so many people want their kids to participate in gymnastics teams (not because they are going to the Olympics,mouth because the parents want the kids to have something they enjoy and are pretty good at, and are willing to invest), USA Gymnastics created an entirely different competitive track that is basically more flexible as far as the skills and physical attributes required (we have touched on this in the thread, Xcel. No, I don't know why they chose to mispell it except that is the name they wanted and Microsoft Excel is trademarked or something). Anyway. I don't coach this track, I coach a "more elite" track as you might say. But it still exists.

I assure you there are legions of kids across this country that practice four hours at a time and are basically going nowhere with it. Welcome to my life, every day.

That said, the children enjoy the challenge of progressing through the levels and I happen to think the physical abilities and life lessons about perseverance are worth it at every level. So, I guess if you only consider the Olympics to be worth it, it's not worth it. Most reasonable people don't think that.

Obviously, I am mostly posting for the benefit of those who actually want to learn about gymnastics, I'm under no illusion that your posts are serious. I suppose it furthers the discussion though which is nice. 
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