You probably feel pretty lucky to be a gymnast! Your friends are probably envious of you, and you probably realize how hard your parents work to keep you in the gym. But, did you know you parents are lucky you’re a gymnast too. Find out why below.
1. You’re Very Confident
Confidence is a tough thing to teach. Some kids go their entire life without learning how to be confident, and many adults struggle with this too. In gymnastics, you learn to be confident from the moment you hit the gym floor.
Think about it without confidence, would you ever have the inner strength to let go of the high bar and know you could grab the low bar. Another thing that builds trust is leos.
With leos, the majority of your body is exposed for all to see. By wearing a leo, you learn to be proud of your body – no matter what type of body you have.
2. Lean, Mean Tumbling Machine
As a gymnast, you spend hours in the gym. Not only do you practice for countless hours a week, but you probably compete as well. All these hours of dedication have made you a lean, mean tumbling machine. By improving your strength, you are ready to handle physical demands and are extremely flexible as well.
3. Strength – Mental and Physical
Your talent has made you incredibly strong; mentally and physically. Through your strength, you have also gained emotional maturity that allows you to put in 110% effort in everything you do.
4. You Handle Yourself
Whether it’s remembering to bring your grips to practice or tying up your hair in a way that won’t get in your way, you handle yourself. Everything from drills to conditioning is important to you, and you realize you are the person that handles doing these things.
5. You’re Well Put Together
Through gymnastics, you have learned the importance of immaculate grooming and appearance. No one wants to get a deduction because your panties showed or your bangs feel in your face.
By making sure you look good enough for the judges, you are learning how to be a well put together person. Hair and avoiding wardrobe malfunctions are only the first step. As you get older, you will also appreciate the importance of accessories, clothes, and posture too.
6. You’re Not Running the Streets
When you spend endless hours in the gym, your parents pay for it. But, they should be grateful because you aren’t running the streets. You’re not hanging out at the dilapidated skating park or running amuck at the mall. Instead, you are at the gym. Supervision surrounds you, and you are not getting into trouble.
7. You Have a Close Knit Group of Friends
Because you spend hours a week in the gym, your teammates are your best friends. The perk of having teammates as your best friends are that they get what you are going through on a daily basis.
They too are struggling with managing gymnastics, school, and friends. Usually, your teammates have similar values and interests. As a bonus, your parents spend a great deal of time together too.
8. You’re Developing an Amazing Work Ethic
Not many adolescent or teen gymnasts are going to be living in their parents’ basement when they’re 30. This is true because athletes develop amazing work ethics at a very young age. Even when their career in the gym is over, the skills they learned in gymnastics are easy to apply for the rest of their lives.
9. You’re a Multi-Tasker
Mastering choreography, keeping in step with the music, and throwing a few tumbling passes into a floor routine ensure you’re a multi-tasker. Not to mention, you have to find time to go to school, finish your homework, go to the gym, eat, shower, and get ready for the next day.
None of this would be possible if you didn’t have incredible multi-tasking skills. As a bonus, the multi-tasking skills you learn in gymnastics are easily applied after your days in the gym are over.
10. Organization is Second Nature
Organization goes hand in hand with multi-tasking. As gymnasts, you have a great attention span, which allows you to organize your life efficiently. You know how to focus and when to focus, which is an important part of being successful in anything.
The next time your parents remind you how lucky you are to be in gymnastics, think of the reasons listed here that they are lucky you are in gymnastics too.Photo Credit: (c) Can Stock Photo