Gymnastics moms-How do you stand it????

[missypie]

First, there's the tension of seeing your own child compete, all by herself.

But then there is the agony of the awards ceremony. I try so hard to not look at the little faces of the girls who don't do well, because they just break my heart...I'm not talking about just my kid or even the girls from our gym...my heart breaks for all of them.

Under the rules, they have to "recognize" every girl who competed with a medal. It's so wrenching to see the faces of the girls who didn't place in the top half. I just make myself look at the girl at the top of the podium (or my daughter, if she's happy)...otherwise, the sad faces haunt me all week.

Is anybody else as soft as I am?

 

[nativetxn]

I'm not a gymnastics mom but I think that I would be softhearted like you.

Bumping this back to page one.

 

[Disney Doll]

When I was a kid, my parents always told me that losing builds character. And it does. But it's still sad to see their little sad faces.

But I also don' think kids should get rewarded for doing nothing. Nice to recognize their participation, but if some other kid works harder than yours & is just better, why should that kid's accomplishment be diluted because your kid shouldn't be upset.

The "you" & "yours" above are the "general" you & yours, not specifically directed at your child OP.

 

[missypie]

When I was a kid, my parents always told me that losing builds character. And it does. But it's still sad to see their little sad faces.

But I also don' think kids should get rewarded for doing nothing. Nice to recognize their participation, but if some other kid works harder than yours & is just better, why should that kid's accomplishment be diluted because your kid shouldn't be upset.

The "you" & "yours" above are the "general" you & yours, not specifically directed at your child OP.

Those little girls show more character than many people will ever have. They work out for hours and hours at a time. I've never seen one of them cry at the awards ceremony. But gymnastics is such an INDIVIDUAL sport. Sure they give team awards, but in each event, each girl makes it or breaks it on her own. No blaming the goalie or any other teammate.

As for rewarding them all, the USGA rule book requires all the girls in level 5 and 6 to get medals at district qualifiers.

 

[AC7179]

The hard thing about USAG is that you have first year kids competing against second and even third year Level 5s and 6s. My dd doesn't compete anymore, but I am a former Level 9 and coach, plus a former gym parent. Generally the little babies that don't do well don't really "get it" enough to care, but the older ones...that is rough. Wait until Texas state qualification!

 

[Living with the Land]

My daughter does gymnastics and also pageants. In both she realizes that sometimes you win and sometimes you don't. It seems like the earlier you start them in competitive sports the faster they learn to accept the way they work. I am just as proud of the way my daughter loses as when she wins. Sometimes I am crushed but she is always like "Okay, what is next".

Holly

 

[missypie]

The hard thing about USAG is that you have first year kids competing against second and even third year Level 5s and 6s. My dd doesn't compete anymore, but I am a former Level 9 and coach, plus a former gym parent. Generally the little babies that don't do well don't really "get it" enough to care, but the older ones...that is rough. Wait until Texas state qualification!

You're right...the little ones are "over it" in about 5 minutes. It's the faces of the older girls that haunt me.

A coulple of weeks ago, my DD had a really rough bars routine at a meet. She was over it after about 2 hours. I was tossing and turning about it all night!

We have two Level 6s who got moved up too soon, in my opinion. They are having a rough season and I feel so sorry for them. Most of our Level 6s do very very well in their age groups...then these two girls are near the bottom at almost every meet. They'd be having a good year if they'd stayed at Level 5.

 

[AC7179]

The thing is.......I was a super competitive athlete and thrived on the competition. I didn't WANT to compete TAAF because so what if I won there, it didn't mean anything (to me, at least). I wanted to compete with the big guns and to beat them, and lots of times I did. (Of course, lots of times I also didn't. ) I'll never forget the disappointment of totally bombing my very last meet ever (I think I fell on all four events) and not qualifying for regionals. But I'll also never forget being a Texas State Champion. I think that the disappointments do make the victories all that much sweeter, it's just sad for the kids that face the heartache that are never going to be win anything, either, or will quit out of frustration before it is "their time to shine."

 

[missypie]

The thing is.......I was a super competitive athlete and thrived on the competition. I didn't WANT to compete TAAF because so what if I won there, it didn't mean anything (to me, at least). I wanted to compete with the big guns and to beat them, and lots of times I did. (Of course, lots of times I also didn't. ) I'll never forget the disappointment of totally bombing my very last meet ever (I think I fell on all four events) and not qualifying for regionals. But I'll also never forget being a Texas State Champion. I think that the disappointments do make the victories all that much sweeter, it's just sad for the kids that face the heartache that are never going to be win anything, either, or will quit out of frustration before it is "their time to shine."

That's such an issue in gymnastics. Do you keep some one at one level for two or even three years, so that they can be great at that level? Is it better to be 12 years old and be on your third year at Level 5, winning all the meets, or is it better to be a 12 year old Level 7, just doing "okay"? I guess it depends on the girl, but in my experience, each individual girls' psychological make up is not considered.

And believe me, I'm in no way saying that the GIRLS aren't tough enough for it. It's ME who's not tough enough to watch it all transpire!

 

[Aneille]

My daughter is still in the preschool program in gymnastics (she's turning 4 in November) so I don't know anything about competitions yet.

How old are the kids in these levels you are mentioning? Or is there a place to look that up. I went to the USAG website but I couldn't find the info even though I am sure it was probably there.

I'm curious.

 

[missypie]

I think you have to be 7 to compete at level 5 and 6. Under a new rule, they have to divide them into equal sized groups, so the ages competing against each other vary. The youngest division is generally 7-8, then 9, 10, 11, and 12 and up. At the level 5 meets I'm attending, some of the girls are tiny and look like they weigh 40 lbs; others have breasts.