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20 Things Only Parents of Gymnasts Understand
1. All music is judged on whether it would make good floor music.
2. This is how homework is done.
3. And math is explained like this:
4. Your tiny sprite of a child has hands of a lumberjack.
5. The panic that ensues when your daughter forgot to remove her nail polish before the meet.
6. This is what your living room looks like.
7. Your daughter has competition leotards that cost more than any single piece of clothing in your own closet.
8. You can say “butt glue” with a straight face.
9. This is how your kid walks around your house:
10. The vital importance of getting a kip.
and making it to Level 7.
11. How most kids play on the slide:
How your kid plays on the slide:
12. Even your snowmen are upside down:
13.Your little girl and her buddies have six packs.
14. The word “flip flop” doesn’t mean shoe and a “giant” is not a character in a fairy tale.
15. How most kids play at the beach:
How your child plays at the beach:
16. You watch your child’s meets like this: 
or this:
17. How most kids play with a ball:
how your kid plays with a ball:
18. How most kids play with a rope at summer camp:
how your child plays with a rope at summer camp:
19. How most kids eat dinner:
How your child eats dinner several nights a week:
20. Knowing it is worth it when you see these faces:
and have these moments:
JAG GYM Blog 
Reblogged this on Paul Karam Kassab.
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I normally never ever comment, but yes my daughter did all those cute things listed in your 20 things only parents of gymnasts understand. From the age of 2 until 9 gymnastics was a religion for her. Her little body was pushed until literally the point of breaking. She ended up with spinal factures, two damaged knee caps. Psychological damage that can never be measured. All for a sport that is so dangerous. Thank god, that’s they only problem she faces due to gymnastics, many of her teammates and peers that competed with her ended up having multiple surgeries on their elbows, shoulders, knees and spines all before the age of 13. Sure we have tons of cute photos with medals and trophies that now collect dust. And my daughter can beat any 13 year old boy in a push up and pull up contest, but the price her body paid is NOT WORTH IT.
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I am so so sorry your daughter’s body and psyche took such a beating in the sport. Sadly, there are many coaches out there who do overtrain kids and who lack the kind of education that is vital in dealing with young children’s bodies and emotions. One of the major reasons I opened JAG GYM is to give kids a place to do gymnastics where the child comes before the athlete. We deliberately slow down the training process by doing fewer hours and moving kids more carefully through the levels to allow ample time for them to get strong and to reduce the risk of injury. Nevertheless, there is a dark side to the sport to be sure especially for those on the elite track. Thanks for sharing your story and am glad you got her out before the damage was worse.
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In your opinion how many hours is normal to train as a level 7 gymnast at 12 years old
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That’s a good question. A lot depends on what the ultimate goals of the gymnast are (college vs just going through high school) and the availability of gym equipment. In our gym, a USAG Level 7 will go between 16-20 hours a week. We also have a USAIGC program and kids who are the equivalent of a USAG Level 7 go 12 hours (11 gym/1 ballet). We don’t train any kids more than 22 hours a week and do not have a homeschool program. We are in Southern CA where competition is at an extremely high level. I have colleagues in less intense parts of the country who train their 7s about 9 hours a week. So it varies. Hope that helps.
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I, too, am so sorry that your daughter suffered emotional and physical harm from her experience in what is really an amazing sport. ALL sports carry risk and the potential for grave injury. Gymnastics is a very physically demanding sport and tough on the body to be sure, but that is true of many sports, and it is the reason why finding a gym with safe, up-to-date equipment, knowledgeable well-trained coaches, and a reasonable training and progression philosophy is so critical. My daughter started rolling around in a parent-tot class at age 2, began competing at age 7, and is now a 16 year old, 3rd year Level 10, who is verbally committed to a D1 school to compete. It has been a long journey, the last couple peppered by nagging injuries, but the sport has made her an unquestionably strong kid–physically, sure, but mentally and emotionally, too. She is disciplined, mature, enjoys her relationships with her gym sisters, and draws confidence from the fact that if she can do what she does day in and day out now, there is little in life that she won’t be able to handle. This sport does have an upside. She has curtain rods full of medals in her bedroom, but those aren’t the rewards. The gift from the sport has been the calm capable disposition that she has developed over time and being able to look back over 10 years of competing and literally see how far she’s come and what she is capable of now that she never could have envisioned then.
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My middle child did gymnastics from 3-15 and my youngest from 1-12. They had great coaches and very little in the area of injuries. My oldest had more injuries as a child and she wasn’t a gymnast. So it really depends on the coaches and the parents, if she stopped at 9 then she wasnt that far along so there are some major flags there.
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My kid is 8 and could not be more happy and healthy! Sucks you had a crappy run at it! This is TOTALLY WORTH IT for us! Not all things are the same for all people.
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My kid is 8 and could not be more happy and healthy! Sucks you had a crappy run at it! This is TOTALLY WORTH IT for us! Not all things are the same for all people.
Side note: I played college soccer….took a lot of time and dedication. I was lucky I don’t blow out any knees. I’m 33 and running half and full marathons.
My husband played hockey and lacross. He got hit by a car at 9. Full body cast and back at it…Did Lacross in college.
We NEVER know what’s going to happen. As said…ALL experiences in ALL things are so different!
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Loved the list of 20! Gymnastics is a hard sport that requires dedication and tons if sacrifices, but is totally worth it. My daughter competed for 8 years and finished on her high school team. Overall great teammates and they are so busy. She is now in physical therapy school. Pick a good coach, one that understands their athletes. Seems most kids that study with gymnastics apply so much pressure on themselves…they do not need coach/parental pressure to do their best.
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Thats my girl with all her medals :))
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and she embodies all that is good about this sport and how having a good, supportive parent who loves her child far more than she loves gymnastics!
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My daughter, pictured in number 20, had a wonderful experience as a gymnast for many years. She learned so much about herself, life, and discipline. She was never pushed beyond what was safe, and she did gymnastics because SHE wanted to. We have lifetime memories as a family, and are so thankful for her coaches who helped shape who she is today.
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Gymnastic is a wonderful sport
But parents need to put it in perspective and what expectations are most kids are not going to Olympic but you do make good friends and great at time management
There are scholarships my daughter had one but it even takes over your life but she is 10 years later and still feels like it was great
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Brought me back to the days I was a gymnast. Much of this was all too familiar, but also made me miss the sport greatly. Thanks for sharing!
http://www.tealtomato.com
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I understand the concerns raised by I Springman, as well as the reply by Anne. Our 13 year old daughter starting competing in USAG at age 8, and now a 2nd year level 9 at age 13. We moved her to her current gym after training just 3 days a week or so for first two years at a different gym with a different coach, in moving through levels 4 – 6. Her current gym has the same owners and head coaches for 30 years, with a very long track record of success in coaching girls through the open levels of USAG, as well as a small set of elites, with many going on to compete in college / NCAA program, with many athletic scholarships. First, everyone should accept that this is a grueling and difficult sport. I competed in wrestling, and it is not a surprise that many of the girls training and competing at levels 9 thru elite at my daughter’s gym have father’s who competed successfully in wrestling. Not every kid has the genetic / physical and mental make-up to endure these sports and reach highest levels, just like not everyone can hit a 95 mile per hour fastball, or take off from the free throw line and slam dunk, etc. I see girls at my daughter’s gym who do the same thing as my daughter day in and out, with the same coaches and the same drills, but seem to continually incur injuries. The higher rate of injuries in some of these girls, controlling for all these other fsctors, has to be in paet due to either a physical and/or mental difference in the individuals. That said, the higher the level, the greater to risk, and the higher the probability of injury, which is just a fact, even for those individuals who seem gifted with more ability to endure the training and competition without frequent or severe career ending injuries. Any of the girls who have endured this sport and competed successfully at highest levels, and had the wonderful experience of competing in college, would gladly do it all over again. This includes some of my daughter’s coaches who were level 10 or junior elite that went on to fulfilling college careers. The right balance is critical in any sport, as is the right coaching — for the physical and mental well being of the unique kids who are lucky enough to be blessed with the ability, and driven enough to apply it and succeed at high levels of this sport. I was not a gymnast, but as a father and as a fan of all the girls that I watch compete, I have nothing but the greatest respect for the sport and the challenges it presents, the achievements that I observe, and the life lessons that it must teach these kids. As a professional in business, I would hire any kid who succeeded in this sport, because I understand and apprecuate the work ethic, drive, and values demonstrated.
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well thought out response! thank you. I agree that hiring a former gymnast is a great call–I attribute so much of my work ethic, willingness to fail and resilience to my time as a gymnast.
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i did gymnastics from 3-15 years old quit when training 9 and I never had injuries like the first comment lists.. Neither did any of my team mates. I have been coaching for 6 years and do not see injuries like that. Very very sad, this is why gymnastics gets such a bad rep.. Because coaches with lack of knowledge push their girls to be 2 levels ahead of what they should be.
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This is really funny, Anne! I especially liked the part about the six-packs, that made me laugh! One of the most accurate pieces of information in this post is the expensive leotards! My niece’s birthday is coming up and I’d like to buy her one. She wears her leotards out very quickly, do you know of any companies that offer an incredible value for their leotards? Maybe a good warranty with it? http://www.k-beeleotards.com/about.html
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if kids are training 10 -20 hours a week where is the space for them to be kids on top of school / homework etc. I think yeah okay an hour a day but let kids be kids
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I think that it is hilarious that you mentioned the panic of showing up to a meet with nail polish! My daughter and I have had many situations exactly like this and I thought we were the only ones. There are so many tiny details that you need to keep track of in order to be truly prepared at a meet. Thank you for an interesting article and for you nice visuals! http://www.k-beeleotards.com/about.html
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Loved the list! Pretty much spot on! My daughter competed 15yrs, finishing her Sr year of HS. Her goals shifted over the last two years, taking her from training Level 9 to being a varsity cheerleader (that one season only) where she was awarded Most Valuable for her work ethics and ability to lead the squad to a State Championship. She walked away after the last cheer competition to re-enter the gym for her final season as a gymnast, as a Platinum PO (She was ready to slow down). She was AA in every meet with the exception of 1, and went on to win Platinum PO Regionals for her final meet ever. Her dad and I allowed her to make the choices to be or not be in gym for 8mths…obviously she needed the other experiences, or I do not believe she would have come back…. Her coach was one of a kind, that would simply evaluate where she was mentally and physically after being out of the gym, and welcome her back to compete. Yes my daughter was a good solid AA gymnast, but she no longer had the desire to continue on in college, and we didn’t let our expectations override her needs. As far as she was concerned, she had the best year of her life. At 24, she still loves to come home and see her medals hanging in her room, and try on a Leo every once in a while… ‘Best advise I can give, “Let your child enjoy the sport, you and your child enjoy the memories!” In the right context, it is a wonderful life! 🙂
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wonderful advice, Melissa! Thank you!
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