Why Choose Gymnastics?
Why Choose Gymnastics? Choose a sport that gives her life-tools for succeeding in the real world.
Most people tune in every four summers to watch the Olympics. And every four years little gymnasts from around the world sit in front of their TV’s, clutching American Girl dolls wearing tiny leotards, watching their favorite gymnasts from across the globe compete in the Olympic Games.
Girls in sparkly leotards twirl and flip to the beat of jazz, hip-hop and pop music. They sprint down the vault runway like Usain Bolt crossing the finish line and they flip on a four-inch wide beam with the grace of a ballerina. To anyone watching it looks like these athletes are performing magic tricks. These athletes are the epitome of strength and grace. But how did they get there?
COMMITMENT
Gymnastics is a sport like no other in that it encompasses motor development, flexibility, and strength. Additionally, the commitment to this amazing sport teaches young athletes critical skills like time-management strategies and communication. Whether or not an aspiring gymnast becomes an Olympian wearing that Team USA leotard, she will surely emerge with an important set of well-developed life skills.
DEVELOPMENT
Motor development is essential to any sport. The maturation of controlling movement is a process children learn throughout adolescence. Because gymnastics begins as active-play; it helps to develop basic everyday skills. Walking in a straight line on a balance beam, gripping a bar, rolling down mats, learning weight distribution from handstands and cartwheels….. these are all examples of skills learned from gymnastics that can be applied to every sport.
DISCIPLINE
Gymnastics teaches time-management. Children, particularly young athletes at the competitive level, learn to schedule their time around the gymnastics program given to them. Gymnasts learn to prioritize time for homework, family, and spending time with friends around their training. Athletes learn how to function and thrive within a team. They feel commitment towards the team and their teammates from spending so much time together; learning new skills together, and lifting each other up through the ups and downs that accompany sport.
COMMUNICATION
Gymnasts learn what it takes to communicate effectively with each other and their adult coaches. Communication is essential to successfully navigating through the real world. “It is said to be the key to success in both the sport and business world” (Hanson, 2018). A coach with strong communication skills can transfer this gift to his/her students, a huge asset that can be used every day. In the workplace, it’s been shown that adults who lacked regular exposure to effective communication during childhood fail to understand their companies’ vision. Just another reason gymnastics is a tool for life! (merge this sentence with the paragraph above it) Choosing a gym that has a staff of coaches that can communicate effectively with their athletes is an important part of enrolling in a gymnastics program. But more on that in future blog posts!
More than a sport, gymnastics develops little girls into strong women with confidence and vision. We are so glad you and/or your little one participate in this sport. And to make your gymnastics journey a little easier and fun, Destira is here to help with your everyday gymnastics-needs. Just check out these leotards that will surely inspire your athlete!
Sources Cited:
Hansen, Bo. “Importance of Communication in Sports. Communication is the Key to Success.” Retrieved from https://www.athleteassessments.com/importance-of-communication-in-sports/. Web. 20 March 2018.
