Navigating a young athlete’s career is a task that can be daunting for parents, regardless of their own experience in competitive sports.
That process is also a task that author Julie Fabsik-Swarts has comprehensively undertaken in Parenting a Gymnast, her recently published book.
With over 40 years of experience as a gymnast, coach, judge, official and executive, Fabsik- Swarts explores the various aspects of competitive gymnastics, offering tips, insights and analyses on topics ranging from choosing the right club to injury maintenance to misperceptions about judging to collegiate recruitment. …
A video from True Sport shows how terrible it can be for some kids who play sport on the ride home after a game or practice. It’s part of a new campaign called, “The Ride Home“.
… a father berates his son for wanting to have fun during a practice. …
The ride home is easy, actually. You just have to remember to say six words:
Matthew Mitcham is the 2008 Olympic champion in the 10m platform, and he is the 2nd highest single-dive score in Olympic history (at the time it was the highest scoring dive ever). This made him the first openly gay athlete to win an Olympic gold medal.
I’ve not yet read the NEW book — but I’m certain it’s terrific.
The Emotional Rollercoaster – The emotional highs and lows of gymnastics can be tough on both you and your child. One day they’re flying high, the next they’re down in the dumps. It’s a wild ride…that can be fun!
The Time Commitment – Juggling gymnastics with school, other activities, and family time can be done but it takes a conscious effort so that hours in the gym don’t put a strain on family life.
Safety Concerns & Injuries – Watching your child perform high-risk skills can be nerve-wracking. Ensuring they’re safe while encouraging their passion is a balancing act we can all perform.
Communication with Coaches – Building a good relationship with coaches is crucial so that we can avoid as much misunderstanding as possible while working together as a team toward a common goal.
Artistry and Performance – Helping your child shine artistically while meeting technical requirements is key. It’s all about finding that balance and there are ways to do it.
Progressing Through Levels – Understanding the competitive gymnastics landscape, from scoring to expectations so that we can keep our child motivated and happy.
Mental Health Considerations – The pressures of gymnastics, like anything else, can affect our child’s mental health. Proactively recognizing signs of burnout and stress is important for their well-being.
It’s very good. I recommend it for coaches, parents, and serious older gymnasts.
It’s science based, but easy enough to read for every teenager.
Coaches can read this book to remind of important principles for being successful in Gymnastics and Life.
Gymnasts can treat it as a fill-in-the-blank workbook, if they prefer.
Honest and up-to-date. I found nothing with which I could disagree. 😀
I liked the section titled Handling the Hardships of Gymnastics.
The chapter on Quitting, best of all. This should be recommended to any older gymnast contemplating hanging up the grips.
Gymnastics is a master teacher of how to fail. More important, it is a master teacher of how to overcome failure. As a gymnast, you deal with so much failure that after a while it doesn’t seem so scary. Many people avoid challenges because they are so afraid to fail—but not you. You know that when you fail you are one step closer to success. You also know that failure is a normal (and helpful) part of life.
Julia Konner, MPH, CHES, is a former collegiate Division 1 student-athlete and coach with over 16 years of competing as an artistic gymnast. Through her many years as a club athlete, collegiate athlete, and team captain, she has faced her own adversities through injuries, body image issues, and impact that training 30+ hours/week has had on her social life.
Over the years she has helped countless young and college-aged athletes navigate the ups and downs of the complicated, arduous, and time-consuming sport of gymnastics.
Through her personal experience and intricate knowledge of the sport, Konner provides evidence-based advice for young gymnasts at every level. She holds a master’s in public health (MPH) from the University of California, Davis.
During and after finishing her graduate work, she worked in research and program management related to prevention and mitigation of chronic diseases through healthier lifestyle habits.
She remains active as a competitive CrossFit athlete, focused on both the physical side of strength as well as the mental. She currently lives in Washington, DC, and works in public health.
Gymnastics Coaching.com 