7 Reasons Why Being In Sports As A Child Is Important

At JAG we’ve always said that we measure our success as a coaches and managers not by the number banners we put on a wall or even the number of NCAA athletes, international level competitors or even Olympians our club produces, but instead by the quality of young adults we help families raise. I know […]

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The Pre-Workout: 10 Tips to Making Practice Great Before You Even Get to the Gym

  Gymnasts: want to have a great workout? Here are some things you can do before you even get to the gym: Get a Good Night’s Sleep.  Getting sufficient sleep is difficult with school and gymnastics demands.  But it is essential to performing at a high level.  Lack of sleep impairs your reactions and can […]

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Is It Worth It?

Is it worth it? This is a question that comes to mind in many parents and athletes. It’s a valid question. Essentially it is a re-evaluation of goals and actions. It’s normal, even a good idea, to re-evaluate your goals in gymnastics. Including the goal to continue for another season.   Re-evaluating our goals allows us […]

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#LifeLesson, a Parent’s Perspective

A couple weeks ago, JAG’s USAG compulsory level gymnasts competed in their State Championship. One of our Level 4 gymnasts, Madi, who placed first in the All-Around at Sectionals, had a very good chance at winning the All-Around at State. Pretty exciting stuff when you are 10 years old. But also for her family, her […]

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Competition: Is it Good or Bad for Kids?

There are those who think that competition erodes self-esteem, interferes with learning, ruins peer relationships and causes undo stress for the young athlete. And this is absolutely true.  Competition can erode self-esteem, interfere with learning, damage relationships and cause stress. Others will argue that competition is good for kids because they need to learn that […]

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12 Lessons You Learn the First Year Your Child is a Competitive Gymnast

1. Getting to the competition can be, well, challenging… 2.  And when you get there, you will be shocked at the cost to get in to watch… and the cost of eating. 3. A gymnastics meet lasts about 4 hours… 4. …though your child actually will compete for less than 3 and a half minutes, so don’t blink […]

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10 Tips for Battling the Post Season Blues

It’s a common thing at the end of any sports season: the post season blues.  Even, and maybe even especially, among coaches. We get to the end of the season and we arrive at, as one colleague describes it, “the end of season jitters in their clubs…the nasty rumors about quitting or switching gyms.” It’s […]

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The First 100 Details to Ask Before Your Child Joins a Gymnastics Team

My last two blogs talked about the decision to join a competitive gymnastics team and the benefits of doing so.  But, before you spend thousands of dollars and hundreds of hours, you will want to get as many details as possible before you commit your child to a team.  While you might not be able […]

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15 Reasons Competitive Sports are Great for Kids (That Have Nothing to do with Winning)

Earlier this week I wrote a post about the things to consider when deciding if competitive gymnastics is right for your child. It started me to think about the very concept of competition. Why should kids compete? Is competition good for them? Is it necessary to get them prepared for their grown-up lives? I don’t […]

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Should my Child Join a Gymnastics Team?

It’s a question that comes up this time of year when many clubs around the nation are winding down their competitive seasons and are sending invitations or holding placements to welcome new members to their competitive gymnastics teams. “How do I know if competitive gymnastics right for my child?” is actually a more complicated question.  […]

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