You’re looking around at different sports being offered in your area: soccer, basketball, swimming, gymnastics. Gymnastics? That rings a bell. Is that sport just for girls? Do they just dance around and do rolls? Do they even learn flips? Should I try this one out?
Many parents have these questions, and these are all questions that can be answered. So, why gymnastics?
Gymnastics is a beautiful sport, involving twists and turns and flips and tumbles, and with that comes the stretching of the body, safely. In the sport, stretching is a fundamental part of every practice. It is done before and sometimes after every class. It is important to stretch out the muscles and keep them warm and active. Flexibility will come with time in the sport, and making sure your child stretches and keeps flexible will prevent long term tightness of the muscles, which can cause tears and injuries.
Being in any team or individual sport, your child will most likely train with other athletes. In gymnastics, classes typically have a minimum of five or so athletes. Your child will learn to make friends, build relationships, and create a circle of friends that make them want to keep coming back to the sport. The friendships your child builds in gymnastics will last!
Whether your child starts gymnastics at a young age or not, they gain the social skills needed for greatness! For a two year old starting in a young class, walking in a line, interacting positively with other children, listening to their teachers, and following directions, are all social skills that will set them up for success. The social skills acquired in gymnastics will be learned not only at a young age, but in any level that your child trains. They will follow your young athlete wherever they go!
It is so easy for any child to lose confidence when they see other athletes doing bigger or better skills, completing strength skills faster, or working at a faster pace. In gymnastics, everyone will be working at their own pace, at their own skill level, and at a safe and successful rate. When an athlete sets a goal on a skill they would like to achieve, or a strength setback that they would like to overcome, reaching that point of success builds self confidence, and proves that all goals can be achieved, no matter how big or small. Gymnastics creates the perfect outlet for athletes of all ages to create a new self confidence for themselves, and to spread that confidence through to their teammates as well.
Being in the gym each week, your athletes will be practicing skills over and over, conditioning to strengthen those skills, and working on active strength and flexibility. Your child will start to gain strength as they put more time into the gym and into their skills. This strength will be beneficial for your child in many ways. It will combat childhood obesity, help them in other sports they may try, and benefit their overall well-being.
Keeping in mind strength, self confidence, friendships, and flexibility, don’t forget FUN! As hard as your child will be working, don’t forget that gymnastics is all about fun too! Gymnastics is an exciting and fun sport, with new skills to learn, new combinations to create on different events, and new methods to learning every day! Fun is the fundamental part to any sport, especially gymnastics!
Now, that you’re convinced why gymnastics is the sport for your son or daughter, now you have the task of looking for the right gym near you. Now, it’s our turn to ask you, Why not ASI Gymnastics? Come try a class here at ASI Gymnastics. We’re excited to meet you!