Genuine Gym Momma

Dear Mouthy Mommas,

My first born child is an awesome gymnast at just 5 years old!  She is already at a Level 3 and she absolutely LOVES spending time at the gym with her teachers and friends, doing what she loves to do.  I have enrolled her in a Boot Camp for the summer which is 20 hours per week in the gym.  Ack!  I have another younger child as well (plus a full time job, a husband and two step children) and this is a pretty grueling schedule for all of us but we are managing it quite well.  How do I know how much practice is to much practice?  If she isn't complaining and she's excited to go, how do I know if it is pushing her to far?  

Genuine Gym Momma

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Dear Genuine Gym,

From one “Genuine Gym Mom” to another, I think I can help shed some light on what you will find is quite the controversial topic among the average group of playground or PTA Moms.  The average Mom can’t fathom their average preschooler or kindergartner spending countless hours at the gym.  They of course are all knowing and will look upon you as the worst kind of pushy Mom there is.  I know this first hand!  I have 2 gymnasts-a daughter that’s retired and a son that is contemplating retirement.  (Actually, it’s more ME that’s contemplating it but that’s a story for another blog).  After 14 years in the sport (as a Mom, not counting the years I did it) let’s just say I have a little experience.  Gymnastics is not a sport for everyone.  In fact, it’s a sport for a very select few.  Oh, lots of kids try it but very few people have what it takes to truly be a competitive gymnast.  It’s a sport that no one thinks about but once every four years when the Summer Olympics comes on and then the gyms see a flood of kids that fall in love with the glamorous athletes they saw doing all those cool things on TV.  After a couple of months, though, the flood gets thinned out.  The natural selection process has taken place and the kids are divided up according to ability, natural talent and drive.  Survival of the fittest….before they’ve even met their Kindergarten teacher.  You see, gymnasts are a class of athletes all of their own, and Women’s gymnastics is in an even different class than Men’s.  Think of it like this: Men’s gymnastics is like a marathon, where Women’s is like a sprint.  Men may start at roughly the same age as girls but their “career” has a much longer potential.  The male body is made differently than ours, and they “peak” at a much older age.  Blaine Wilson competed in his last Olympics at the age of 31.  You will NEVER see a 31 year old woman in the Olympics.  Other than the handful of girls that manage to make it to the elite level, Girls’ careers are typically over by the time they reach puberty, for a multitude of reasons.  The hours spent in the gym are definitely not glamorous.  They are exhausting, grueling, and painful.  Girls spend more hours in the gym at an earlier age because they have to reach their highest potential as young as possible.  It takes a certain type of person to not only keep up with the demands of being a gymnast but also enjoy it.  No matter how old your daughter is, if she can spend hours at the gym, being pushed both physically and mentally, and still come home smiling, you already have your answer.  That’s not to say that she’s not going to have bad days, she will.  LOTS!  But that’s the nature of the beast.  Nothing is rosy all the time.  The very best of marriages see conflict.  Professional athletes don’t LOVE their job every single day.  Even Valedictorians have days that they don’t want to study or go to school, but they all stick with it because it matters to them.  It’s what they love.  Our tendency as parents is to second guess every single decision that we make for our child, especially ones that may be outside of our comfort zone or realm of expertise.  Throw in some self doubt and you’ll have a full blown panic attack over whether or not you are sending your child on a train that’s careening toward derailment….daily.  Children are much more resilient and knowledgeable than we give them credit for.  Take your cues from her and her coach.  NO ONE ELSE.  YOU know her better than anyone.  Her coach will be spending almost as much time with her as you will in the next few years, so they will know her well, too.  Keep all lines of communication open between those 3 parties and you should be fine.  When she starts having more bad days than good AND voices that she doesn’t love it anymore, it’s time to have a discussion.  Until then, let her be a part of (what I think) is one of the greatest sports in the world….while she’s still young enough.  (Oh, and just FYI…almost all of the girls on my daughter’s team were not only Honor students, they were “all A” Honor students, even after spending 25 to 30 hours at the gym each week.)  The commitment you learn at the gym doesn’t just stop at the gym; it has a tendency to spill over into all other aspects of your life.

Love, Tracye, TMM