Ten Things Your Athlete Does Not Need You to Tell Them

“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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The Big Picture: The Perfect 10

   In gymnastics, the score of perfection once was a 10. When thinking about how to react to a problem or make a decision, that number 10 is incredibly useful. Television commentator and business journalist Suzy Welch, whose writings are carried in Oprah magazine and The Wall Street Journal, describes the method of 10/10/10 in […]

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The Power of Yet

“I’m not good at this…” “I’m not good at this…yet.” It’s amazing how that small three-letter word—yet—changes the entire meaning and direction of the sentence. When we say we are not good at something, ending the comment there, we commit to a limiting belief and a fixed mindset telling ourselves that the trait is beyond […]

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7 Keys to Understanding Motivation in Your Young Athlete

“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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10 Reasons Why I Love Aimee Boorman

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

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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Folklore and Feelings

  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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9 Tips for Working with Teens

“I love coaching moody teenagers!” said no one ever. Our adolescent athletes can be challenging, that is for sure. One minute they are perfectly normal, the next minute they are sullen, cranky or just in tears. Come to think of it, they are like giant two year olds…who drive… That said, I actually like teenagers. […]

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Will it Ever be Good Enough? I Spent too Much Time being Embarrassed by My Bronze.

July 21

Originally posted on Get Psyched!:
Back in 1992 my only goal was to make the Olympic Team. When that dream happened my next goal was to hit all my routines during the competition. I didn’t think about medals, or making finals, or even being put on the front of the next Wheaties box. I was…

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The Key to a Happy Gymnast?

We want our kids to be happy. So we worry about the outcomes. Learning the kip. Winning the meet. Making it to level 10, to elite, to National team or the to the Olympics. Earning the scholarship. We worry about the hallmarks of achievements. We want to give them the world. But what if we […]

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