GUIDE TO GYMNASTICS: WHAT'S SO GREAT ABOUT GYMNASTICS?
By Nancy Thies Marshall
When I was about eight years old, with a year or two of gymnastics and ballet
classes under my belt, I hit the big time and "became" a gymnast.
My rite of passage happened one blustery fall afternoon when, bored with the
conventional after-school activities, I transformed my living room into the
Olympic Gymnastics Venue.
The wooden arm of a chair was my balance beam. I waltzed across the carpet to
the dramatic overture from Swan Lake. Another chair served as the vaulting horse,
with couch pillows acting as the vault board. (The uneven bars were eliminated
because the dining room chandelier was insufficiently anchored.)
All was going as planned. I won the gold on Floor and Beam. Vault was the final
event. (I hadn't heard of competition order yet.) With all the gusto I could
muster, I ran the entire length of our living room (five steps), put my head
in the seat of the chair and kicked my feet in the air, anticipating a perfect
landing. But halfway through, I realized the vaulting horse had wheels on it
and I was sent crashing through the living room picture window. For some Divine
reason, I landed in the front yard with only a few cuts on my heels and a stern
rebuke from my mom to keep the flipping out of the living room and in the gym
where it belonged!
That episode, more than any, marked me: the family flipper, the child who lived
upside down, the contortionist, the one who waltzed instead of walks. That was
the day I became a Gymnast. While my folks weren't thrilled about the broken
window, they were grateful to find a sport where their daughter could flourish.
The childhood fun of recreational gymnastics eventually gave way to the challenge
and excitement of competition. By the time I hung up my gym bag for good, I
had traveled to the Olympics and beyond. The journey was not without challenges
and heartaches...but no journey through adolescence is smooth sailing. And I
am a better person for taking the trip.
I am now a mother with three children, one of whom transforms our family room
into her own gymnastics arena. (We guard the windows.) She's done other sports,
but none have captured her passion and dedication like gymnastics. My husband
and I have joined the carpool club and I've stocked up on needlepoint projects
to relieve competition jitters (mine, not hers). Pictures of Dominique, Kim,
and Natalie are plastered all over our house; the term "A Few Good Men"
does not refer to the U.S. Marine Corps.
While we've tried to encourage involvement in many sports, the middle child
is drawn to gymnastics like chalk dust to a leotard. If forced to choose, she
is adamant. The tennis racket and soccer ball play second fiddle to aerials
and back flips! As I watch my daughter literally go head over heels for gymnastics,
I recall the "teachable moments" of my Olympic journey and I'm once
again reminded of what's so great about this sport.
Study after study confirm that kids involved in sports, including gymnastics,
are more likely to stay away from drugs, score higher on achievement tests,
stay in school, have greater self-esteem and live a healthier lifestyle. Show
me a child in a healthy athletic environment and I'll show you a child learning
motor development, interpersonal relationship skills, perseverance, discipline,
commitment, humor, perspective, teamwork, humility and leadership. And the kids
think they're just having fun!
No doubt about it, sport enhances life. And for those with a penchant for variety
and challenge, the local gymnastics club might be a great place to hang out.
Following are the five most important reasons why learning a cartwheel is a
valuable investment.
1. Gymnastics is a multifaceted sport.
This is a sport that develops physical strength, speed, agility, nerves of steel,
and competitive prowess. Additionally, women must wrap that package of athleticism
in grace and personality. Not many sports draw upon such a wide range of ability.
Within the three main gymnastics disciplines (Men's and Women's Artistic and
Rhythmic), there are as many as 15 different individual events, each with unique
challenges and thrills. Add General Gymnastics and Trampoline and Tumbling,
and opportunities in the sport are endless.
2. Gymnastics is a challenging sport.
Walking, let alone flipping, is hard to do on a four-inch balance beam. It takes
more than a few push-ups to master an iron cross on the rings. Leaping through
a moving hoop is not a cake walk. Gymnastics is "difficult." But the
very qualities it takes to master these skills - courage, perseverance, risk,
determination, vision - are the qualities that foster excellence in any endeavor.
Dealing with the "difficulties" will translate into valuable life
skills and strength of character. Bolstered by unconditional love from parents
and skilled guidance from coaches, gymnasts are better prepared to handle the
"difficulties" of life because of the challenges faced in the gym.
3. Gymnastics is a socially interactive sport.
The unique social environment in the gym provides for healthy growth. In gymnastics,
a nine-year old trains with older and younger athletes. Self-esteem is boosted
by camaraderie with older teammates. Maturity and perspective is nurtured as
she then turns to relate to the younger athletes on the team. Few sports provide
the opportunity for kids to work so closely with teammates of different ages.
The social maturity gained within the sport is far healthier than the "social
immaturity" forced on kids spending aimless afternoons at the mall or watching
television.
4. Gymnastics teaches individual responsibility and courage.
Though there is a team element, gymnastics is an individual sport. When practice
is over and the green flag is raised, the athlete faces the apparatus alone.
To execute a routine successfully, under the scrutiny of judges, coaches and
spectators, it takes concentration, determination, endurance, and often courage.
Confidence to call upon these qualities is nurtured every time a child attempts
another routine. Life requires us to take personal responsibility for the choices
we make. Courage to take that responsibility and make right choices is developed
with each mount and dismount.
5. Gymnastics enriches childhood.
After my Olympic experience, I was often asked if I felt like I had sacrificed
a normal childhood for my athletic dreams. I was always a bit confused by this
question. I did gymnastics because I wanted to. Sports was not a sacrifice,
it was a choice. Granted, that choice meant sometimes I was also choosing to
forego other activities. But thanks to guidance from my parents and coaches,
gymnastics opened doors and enriched my life. Victories, defeats, travel, relationships
and much more combined to teach me the joys, difficulties and realities of our
world.
And I'm not alone. Traveling the country to develop the Athlete Wellness Program
for USA Gymnastics, I've had the privilege of meeting former gymnasts who now
have careers in counseling, medicine, advertising, law, youth ministry, coaching,
emergency response, environmental engineering and parenting, to name a few.
All agree their gymnastics training better prepared them to tackle the challenges
of the adult world.
It takes wise coaches and parents to translate gym lessons into life lessons.
But most gymnastics clubs are founded on the belief that the sport has the potential
to be a health-enhancing experience for all who participate. If anyone is looking
for fertile soil in which to grow life's champions, you might start at your
local gymnastics club.
Nancy Thies Marshall is a 1972 Olympian, five-time national team member, former
national Vault and Balance Beam champion, and collegiate All-American. She is
currently the developer and manager of USA Gymnastics Athlete Wellness Program
and a freelance journalist. Nancy and her husband have three children and live
in Salem, Oregon.