The Stress of Childhood Gymnastics

The Stress of Childhood Gymnastics

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)

As a society we have the ability to change the ways in which our elite gymnasts are learning gymnastics. We need to redirect the teachings of the coaches and the parent involvement in order to achieve a atmosphere in which gymnasts can explore, learn and gain gymnastic abilities in which they feel they can handle. “ Over the last 20 years there have been many publications on coaching as it relates to sport psychology or sport pedeology. No theoretical framework, however, exsits for explaining which factors are most important in the coaching process and which relationships among these factors are most significant.” (Cote pg.1) I propose that we create an environment with a stress on healthy dieting, good exercise and less strenuous workouts. Not an environment where winning is the prime concern. There are man...

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As you can see there are several problems that lye within the gymnastics society, but we the outside force must come to learn, understand and teach the athletes and coaches some of the correct ways in which they can handle situations. I have come across some major problems throughout this paper, along with some good solution which I hope everyone can take into account. It is important for not only the athletes of this country to be aware of the problems they have, but also to inform the rest of society about the situations hence forth. I know things can change when we put our minds together and create action upon our solutions. I hope this information has helped anyone who was having a difficult time understanding some of the issues that arise with gymnastics, or anyone who had a question. “ Don’t let a problem or situation get in the way of a dream.”