In my experience, kids grades 3-9 are most easily influenced by peer pressure. Good and Bad.
Boys are more susceptible than girls.
There are a lot of bad choices out there for young people.
original – niker
A great response for an athlete tempted is: “I can’t. Gotta train Friday night.”
My feeling is that competitive gymnasts are the luckiest children in town. It’s a wonderful way to grow up.
That’s why I get so irked at people like ex-gymnast author Jennifer Sey. (blog)
Her book title: Chalked Up: Inside Elite Gymnastics’ Merciless Coaching, Overzealous Parents, Eating Disorders, and Elusive Olympic Dreams tells you all you need to know.
It recounts the terrible and abusive experience Jennifer had as a gymnast. Certainly gymnastics ruined her life. Right?
No. Jennifer Sey graduated from Stanford. And is a high paid, successful business woman.
I’m a mom to two wild boys, a wife to the best husband ever, a daugher, a writer, an avid reader and, last but not least, a marketer for Levi’s Jeans.
There are far worse fates, Jennifer, than being an elite competitive gymnast.
Far worse.
I proposed to Dr. Jeni McNeal a research study comparing former elite female gymnasts with their non-gymnast sisters. Let’s see which ladies are healthier. Happier. More successful.
Dr. Jeni said that thesis just might be approved.
related post: Why Gymnastics? – Bill Sands
Gymnastics Coaching.com 