Category Archives: athlete

Ten Things Your Athlete Does Not Need You to Tell Them

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“Sometimes being a parent means you know when to keep your mouth shut…” begins Janis Meredith’s wise article. Ms. Meredith then lists 5 things that your athlete does not need to hear from you: Your doubts. Your nervousness. Your worries about getting hurt. Your unhappiness with the coaching staff. Your frustration with teammates. All excellent […]

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My Hero Gabby

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As coaches and club owners (and even team parents), it’s easy to become attached to kids who are not our own children.  In fact, despite having four children of my own, I constantly refer to JAG gymnasts as “one of my kids…” when talking to friends which is super confusing to others who don’t teach […]

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#ReeseGoals: The Power of Post-Its on a Bathroom Mirror

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This is the actual bathroom mirror of one of JAG’s athletes. Reese, who just turned 9, is finishing her Level 4 season. When her mom posted this photo of Reese’s mirror, my heart exploded with pride and with her mom’s permission, I wanted to share this with all of you. There is so much that […]

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A Baker’s Dozen: 13 Things That A Gymnast Needs From Her Coach

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  She needs you to be happy to see her.   Nothing starts a workout better than a coach who enthusiastically greets their athletes. She needs you to show her she is more important than her performance. That means being kind to and speaking to her after a meet no matter the outcome. She needs you […]

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7 Keys to Understanding Motivation in Your Young Athlete

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“I just don’t know how to motivate her…” It’s a common lament of parents and coaches. The child who just seems to lack the joie de verve toward an activity, and yes, sometimes that activity could be gymnastics. Before concluding that an apparent lack of motivation means you as the parent or coach is doing […]

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A Dozen Life Lessons to Learn from Simone Biles

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Simone Biles is a role model for everyone who watches her or is fortunate enough to meet her. And there are probably hundreds of things we can learn from this amazing athlete and exceptional human being—but here are 12 that resonated with me. Preparation is key. In the days leading up to her Olympic competition, […]

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10 Reasons Why I Love Aimee Boorman

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She understands what an incredible sport gymnastics is for all kids.   Aimee says, “I love watching kids grow. Gymnastics is more about life than just being a sport.  It teaches you about respect, dedication, time management, drive…I could go on and on.” She puts the child before the gymnast. According to the The Los Angeles Times Aimee […]

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8 Lessons Gym Parents Can Learn from the Parents of the Final Five

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Remember: fun is essential. What was the tweet Nellie Biles sent her daughter Simone just before she began her first day of competition? It was this: “Long terms goal is here/embrace the experience and have fun. I love you – Mom.”  Give her household responsibilities. Think Olympians are exempt from doing their part around the […]

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Four Awesome Moments from Olympic Team Prelims You Might Have Missed

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With the U.S. Men’s Team exceeding expectations and the U.S. Women’s team proving that they are light years ahead of the competition, there was so much incredible gymnastics happening that the little moments can go unnoticed. The supportive parent: The proud coach: The good friends: The unity of being together.     Because in the […]

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Folklore and Feelings

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  I came across this startling statistic: Humans can think of 60,000 stories and feel 300,000 emotions every day. With all of that folklore and feelings bombarding us, it’s a wonder we get anything done! Yet when we understand that we think of so many stories and encounter so many emotions in the course of […]

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