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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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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12 Ways to Let Your Child “Own” Their Sports Experience

Drop WE for HE/SHE. Watch what pronouns you are using when you are talking about your child’s sport.   Unless you are your child’s coach, WE do not have practice or a game, HE/SHE does.  Pronouns are the part of speech that indicates possession.  Let your child possess their sports experience.  Don’t keep up with […]

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12 Ways to Keep Gymnastics Fun for Your Child

The number one reason kids quit sports: it was no longer fun. Of course, some of sports no longer being fun is natural. Children’s passions and interests change over time. What a child enjoyed at 7 may not appeal at 11. And, as a sport gets more difficult or time consuming, a child may discover […]

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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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Why It’s Good for Gymnasts to Be a Little “Bad”

    “Wow, I am so glad you got in trouble today at gym!” said no parent or coach ever. But the truth is, it is not an entirely bad thing when your athlete breaks a rule, cheats on a conditioning assignment or pushes a boundary. Believe it or not, coaches, you don’t want blindly […]

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The Radical Tip that Might Keep Your Daughter in Sports (and Place Her in the C-Suite…)

Approximately 70% of children in the U.S. quit sports by the time they are 13 according to the Michigan State University’s Institute for the Study of Youth Sports. The Center for Disease Control recommends that children and adolescents get at least 60 minutes of moderate exercise every day, but few come close. So, it is […]

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The Surprising (but Scientifically Backed) Technique to Help Your Athlete Succeed

  Want a scientifically back tip to help your athlete succeed? Teach them to be nice to themselves. Yes, you read that correctly: be nice to themselves. A Stanford scientist says that the best chance of growing from a challenge or difficult circumstance is actually being kind to ourselves. Emma Seppala, author of The Happiness […]

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Be Like Me: Gymnastics Edition

If you logged into your Facebook or scrolled through your Instagram feed this past weekend, most likely you encountered the encouragement of a stick figure meme of your friends encouraging you to “Be Like Me”. Who knew that crude drawing of composed of some lines, curves and dot named Bill could dispense such wisdom?  And what wisdom might […]

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Three Pieces of Advice for the Strong Parent/Coach Relationship

Bree Hafen wrote an amazing blog post called “8 Things Dance Teachers Wish They Could Tell Dance Moms”.  Substitute dance for gymnastics and it is chock full of great advice for all of us. As I read and re-read Ms. Hafen’s marvelous post, I drew from it three general pieces of advice that all of […]

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