The Unlucky 7: 7 Setbacks Most Gymnasts Eventually Face (and How They Can Rebound from Them)

Resilience and grit are the best buddies of any gymnast, but are particularly tested when things go south. Stick around in the sport long enough and you (or your child/athlete) are likely to encounter many, if not all these ‘unlucky’ seven: Not Moving Up a Level. Despite your hard work, there remains an element or […]

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9 Suggestions to Help Your Gymnast Hear, Receive and Implement Feedback

  “Are you even listening to me?” This phrase escaped my lips many, many times as a parent and as a coach. And yet as frequently as we might complain that kids do not listen, how much time do we spend actually teaching the skills necessary to cope with feedback? Hearing, accepting and implementing feedback is […]

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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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10 Things to Do When Things Go Wrong

Not every workout is a good workout. Not every meet is a good meet. And not every season is a good season. That is the sad truth. Things are not always going to be good. And sometimes they are going to even been pretty awful. You will argue with a teammate, coworker, manager or a […]

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Becoming a Gymnastics CEO: Chief Encouragement Officer

My friend Tony Restori is a smart guy.  Also, not a bad dancer.  But that’s another story. Tony’s company  Gym Momentum features Tony as a speaker, hosts amazing camps and is where you can read his wise blog. This morning, his blog “Become a Great CEO in the Gym” was one that I immediately forwarded to […]

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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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Gymnastics: Begin Here, Go Anywhere

“Introducing your child to gymnastics at a young age isn’t about choosing a sport for your child, it’s about introducing a variety of skills that they can utilize in whatever sport or activity they might one day choose.” Shannon Miller, 7 time Olympic gymnastics medalist and mom of two children. Gymnastics is the basis of all […]

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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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