Imagine walking on a four-inch piece of wood that is four feet off the ground, or flying through the air performing skills people only dream of doing. Gymnastics is a sport that taught me many things including how to preserve through difficult situations and how to overcome my fears. I did gymnastics for ten years before I decided that the sport was too stressful and time consuming.
A week before I decided to quit gymnastics I was discussing with my family and friends that I wanted to join cross country. It was the beginning of ninth grade and I was not enjoying gymnastics as much as I used too. I didn’t want to quit entirely because I was progressing my skills on beam and vault, but at the same time the sport became too much to handle. I also knew that if I wanted to run cross country that I would not be able to do gymnastics since the sport required me to drive up to Lincoln four to five times a week. Deciding whether to
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I was extremely nervous and anxious to tell them. I had never quit another sport before, so I didn’t know what to say. When I walked in I quickly rushed over to one of the coaches. I explained that I wanted to join cross country and that I could no longer continue doing gymnastics. He was understanding as were all of the other coaches. One of my favorite coaches told me that I was one of his best gymnasts and that he wishes that other girls had the same work ethic as me. He, also, told me to continue with pole vaulting in track because he thought I had potential to succeed. After I talked to all of the coaches I said goodbye to my teammates. Talking to my teammates lead me to be very depressed as I knew that I would not get to see them almost every day from now on. Afterwards, I began walking out the door, but before I left one of my coaches handed me a keychain with a gymnast on it. I still have the keychain attached to my home
In fourth grade I took gymnastics. I really like it, and had a lot of
“Gymnastics taught me everything- life lessons, responsibility and discipline and respect.” -Shawn Johnson (Former Olympic gymnast). In my interview with Franchesca Hutton-Lau I found this quote to prove very true to her. Franchesca Hutton-Lau, often called Frankee by her friends and teammates, has been a gymnast ever since she was five years old. In my interview with her, she enlightened me on her struggles, experiences, lessons, and successes which she’s taken from this treacherous sport. Chesca, as I call her, has a very different life from the average high school student.
I’ve been involved with sports since I was 2 years old, participating in these taught me more than the sports themselves; they taught me who I am. I put in countless hours of gymnastics practice, so many that the majority of kids couldn’t imagine the dedication needed to become a state and national champion. It taught me a few of the most vital lessons that I will ever learn; to contribute 100 percent in everything I do and to balance various aspects of my life. Gymnastics also taught me perseverance, how to work harder to achieve a goal, no matter how difficult.
I was so excited to start my new journey in school. I knew that being involved in a sport was going to help me become more confident. Running has taught me how to achieve my goals, be tough; both physically and mentally, and appreciate life. The first week of cross country was difficult.
When I was eleven years old I made a decision that changed my life forever. Ever since I was three years old I did gymnastics and I loved it. My dream was to become really good and win the olympics and become a world medalist. But this dream quickly was changed. After my eleventh birthday, I was starting to realize I didn 't want to do gymnastics anymore. I told my mom and she was heartbroken but let me do what I wanted, so I quit. Once I quit I decided I wanted to try something else, cheerleading. My mom was thrilled and found a allstar gym in sumner called React.. She emailed the coach but I already missed tryouts. The coach said I could come to practice and see if they needed me and if I would like it. I instantly fell in love and wanted to join. The coach liked me and loved that I could tumble. I made the team that night and my life hasn 't been the same since.
I started gymnastics when I was very young, just a short while after I started walking. Which I don’t hardly remember much from when I started. Although I know I loved everything about it, especially tumbling (flipping around) that was my favorite part. I would
It then started to get harder and each day was a different workout to help me and my teammates improve. I was at a point where all I could do was attend school, go to practice and go home. Each day I was beyond tired. At a point of time I felt like giving up and going back to my regular life, and regular schedule. As the coach started to notice how I felt, he pulled me to the side and started to question what was going on. I explained, but everything I said was not a good enough reason. My coach told me, “If this is what you really want you won’t give up, no matter how hard it may get you will overcome it.” That day I learned a valuable lesson, to never give up.
When I go to a gymnastics meet and do really good, so I get that 1st place medal or trophy. It feels amazing, I mean the sport gymnastics is competitive and I sure do love competitive sports. The competitiveness gets you that rush of excitement. You feel nervous, but excited to get in there and try your hardest. Kids make better choices and have committed when they have the drawbacks of participating in competitive youth sports.
Naturally, I faced the competition of other gymnasts, however, meets were not where my most valuable lessons were learned. The impact was greater in times I wanted to quit, and didn’t. For instance, my flyway, a skill I acquired as a child, became impossible for me to execute as a teenager. Each time I attempted to perform it, I froze, fear lingering in my mind. Frustrated, I contemplated abandoning my passion, yet, due to my persistence, I overcame the obstacle. I found quitting would never provide me the satisfaction I hungered for. Gymnastics also challenged my body. I suffered more injuries than the average gymnast with broken feet, fingers, toes, and elbows, a concussion, and two stress fractures in two years. My final injury, a torn labrum, resulted in hip surgery, six months of physical therapy, and the death of my college gymnastics dream. Through disaster emerged strength to cope with every roadblock I encounter. All of my life I had worked towards that goal, and with the lift of a scalpel, it was shattered. Thankfully, the qualities gymnastics has given me has transferred to every aspect of my life including my academic career. I have put in just as much effort in the classroom as I have in the
I didn’t care I still tried out. The cheers they had us do were easy the jumps were jumps I was doing in first grade. I made the team. I was happy even though deep down I was upset that I could be on the worst team in history. So as I started on the team, I soon realized that my idiot brother had no idea what he was talking about and it was a good team. I wanted to go back to my old coach so that I could learn how to do a back hand spring because everywhere I went I just couldn’t get myself to do it. Some coaches told me that it might be because I don’t trust them enough to do it. So I had a private class with her before her normal cheer practices. We were working on my round offs and cart wheels when she walked away to go answer her phone I went for my round off and didn’t land right and fell because it felt like my knee gave out. I got up and kept trying. When it was time for her teams to practice I was sitting on the floor in pain doing stretches with the girls thinking maybe if I just stretch it out itll feel better it didn’t I ignored it for a while till I went home and took my shoes off my foot swelled up like a balloon. I could barely walk
For years gymnastics has been a sport that many children participate in. But as the years have gone by it has turned into something other than a place for kids to grow and learn. Its overwhelming commitment has continued to replace kids’ childhoods with stress, mental and physical pain and eating disorders. Many results have come from this change in the gymnastics society. Gymnasts have come to a point where they have been told and directed to understand that winning is the only important factor in gymnastics. “ It’s about the elite child athlete and the American obsession with winning that has produced a training environment wherein results are bought in at any cost, no matter how devastating. It’s about how cultural fixation on beauty and weight on youth has shaped the sport and driven the athletes into a sphere beyond the quest for physical performance.” (Ryan 5)
Unfortunately shortly after the season began I was tumbling and tore my ulnar collateral ligament in my elbow. When the doctors told me the harsh news about how I was going to need surgery my first thought was my cheerleading career is over. All of my life practicing for my goal to be a Georgia cheerleader all to be thrown away. My family and friends were supportive and told me everything would be okay. However, in my mind every goal, every dream I’d ever desired seemed ruined. Ski trips had to be cancelled, I had to quit my all star team, I was in a cast most of the summer. It was a hard time, but I was determined to be there for my team this year at state. I was determined to do everything in my power to make sure that happened. Early morning therapy sessions and late nights at the gym, it was all worth it because my doctor cleared me a month early to get back into what I love. I came back stronger than ever and I will be able to compete at state this year. I give thanks to God for my strong recovery and
The mission of Gymnastics Canada is stated on their website as follows: “We lead and govern the Canadian gymnastics system, direct High Performance in pursuit of international excellence, and guide and /or partner in the development of quality and innovative gymnastics programming”. Their mandate is
I devoted so much time and effort into that sport and to stop playing seriously like this was heart breaking. I listened to all my family and friends about how fast I was and decided to try out track. I knew that I wouldn’t hurt by doing this and I didn’t want to stop playing sports. I always thought how track would be a sport where if you have natural talent, you will be good. I decided to give it a go and after running over a mile in the first practice I was a little reluctant to keep going. I couldn’t keep running all these long distances when I’m not in shape for it. I kept telling myself this so I would just keep pushing through it. My mind was in a million places questioning if I should have just stuck with playing basketball even though I didn’t find it was fun as it used to be. So, after a few months of hard training and practice, I stuck with track. My coach, my family and my friends all persuaded me to do it because they thought I would do good and strive throughout the season. This was a hard change for
I continue gymnastics for a year after but it becomes miserable for me. I no longer have a passion for spending hours with my team doing flips. I come up with every excuse I can possibly think of to get out of going to gymnastics. During this year I have not yet admitted to myself that I am scared. After a year of tears, fear and exhaustion I approach my mom and explain my feelings to her. I decide to leave with all the amazing memories I have and leave a winner rather than being resentful and hating the thing I love the most.