To all the Single Ladies

Touch down in California

I've arrived in San Jose for the 2012 USA Gymnastics Congress and Olympic Trials and it seems as the whole city is behind Team USA. They have really lit up my Olympic spirit with flags of our past Olympians on the downtown streets and USA Gymnastics banners on busses and in the parks. 

Tomorrow morning I'm heading out to the Morning Fitness at 6:30am. I've got some Wisconsin cheese to burn off. 

Sometimes I look like this

Transition Sports for the Retired Gymnast

Gymnastics is a base for any sport, which means we can transition easily into any sport. As a gymnast, we are super strong, flexible fit, coordinated (well, when it matters) and we have great body awareness. I myself transitioned to diving in which the only obstacle I encountered was learning how to get rid of water deep in the ear. The landing on my head part wasn’t so difficult, I was known to that a few times in the gym.

Here’s a quick list of some excellent transition sports:

•      Judo
•       Pole Vaulting
•       Cheerleading
•       Dance
•       Diving
•       Trampoline
•       Skating
•       Alpine Skiing
•       Track
•       Softball
•       Any martial art
•       Equestrian Vaulting
•       Rock climbing
•       Snowboarding
•       Wrestling
•       Olympic weightlifting

Many ex-gymnasts who move on to these sports end up getting a full-ride scholarship do a Division I or Division II NCAA School.  Are there any sports that you can think of that a gymnast would be great in? Please share.

Do you ever feel this way?

Retirement Planning; Life After Gymnastics

Mention the word retirement to non-gym people an they wouldn’t instinctively think of a teenager or preteen moving on from their gymnastics career but rather someone in the 60's moving to a subtropical climate to live off their pension.  Retirement is not only a major life-changing event for those leaving the workforce but also for a teenager. Infant, considering their delicate emotional state, this IS the biggest event of their life to dateso far.  

First and foremost, don’t quit tomorrow! Make that commitment to finish the season or year. Finishing something that we start give us much more satisfaction than leaving with loose ends. Perhaps there is a financial obligation to the gym. Considering you are training many hours training, it could be a huge financial loss. Continuing to the end also allows for such ample planning of retirement. If the exit strategy is defined, a much smoother transition will follow which will bring a much more optimistic outlook for the future.

Gymnasts are accustomed to goal setting, working hard towards that goal and eventually manifesting that goal. There is definite certainty of this sport where it would be easy to feel lost without a purpose when leaving the gym. Retirement gives an opportunity for psychological growth when the gymnast’s exclusive identity as the gymnast explores their identity of who they are outside of the gym.

In addition, the planning process is the beginning of asserting personal control and achieving independence. Coaches have always told or showed them what to do and how to do it. This “freedom” can end up being a struggle to adjust to the new independence brought by retirement. Finding new hobbies, extra-curricular activities and other past-times can come into play. Before they have always had to sit on the backburner. Take this time to research all opportunities. Talk to people who do them or better yet sign-up for a trial class.

Furthermore, this time is another opportunity to find connections with friends inside and most importantly, outside of the gym. As a woman comes to identify herself with the relationships she has with others. Find connections to those outside the sport and form new friendships.

As most gymnasts retire during adolescence, it is inevitable physical changes will be associated with the ending of training. Plan to keep the body active, try other sports or dance. While the pressure to be in the best shape for competition may be relieved, a healthy active lifestyle should not be neglected. It’s quite easy to gain 10-15 lbs in a month with no gym, believe me; I’ve been there!


To sum it up:

• Finish the season 
• Find a hobby
• Make new friends 
• Plan a way to stay active.

What to do when they want to quit?

She will be moving up this season and has been training for it for the past few months, it seems out of the blue one night before bed she says, “I want to quit.” Lots of tears and a reassuring hug follow. As she finally drifts off into sleep, you find yourself wondering if there is anyone else going through the same thing. Good news is, YES! At one point, this comes up in a young gymnasts’ career and many have gone through the same thing.

Most parents are not interested in how to help their daughters to stay in gymnastics but would rather know about how they can help their daughter, regardless of what she will choose to do. While there may not be a step-by-step manual for such an occasion, I have a few points for parents (and gymnasts) pondering hanging up their grips.

Are you really surprised? When kids want to quit anything it doesn’t come out of nowhere, they have been stirring that idea up for some time. She has had the time but unfortunately to you it seems quite abrupt. Don’t tell her what to do or assume anything. Take a breathe, reflect. I’m sure there has been a fear of what you would say, which prevented her from saying her thoughts in the first place. The most important thing for her right now is making sure that you are there to help her work through this huge decision. Ask questions so you can help be her guide.

Get to the root of her sadness. Is she at a vulnerable age, going through puberty? A Pre-teen female gymnast might face challenges that include increased vulnerability to repetitive stress injuries during the growth spurt, the social and physical ramifications of practice hours, and the quite reasonable fears associated with the increasing complexity, difficulty, and objective danger of skills as girls advance.

Involve the Coach. Coaches play a very critical role in this process; many may be unaware or unwilling to play the part (Let’s hope he/she is not one unwilling!) Communication with the coach needs to be there. It’s imperative for them to know their athletes needs physically and emotionally.

Encourage Retirement: Throw out that negative word, “quit” in all of your conversations. She should not forget all of her hard work, accomplishments nor should she feel like she is just throwing it away if she does decide to end her career. A retirement helps to take pressure off of the decision and also requires planning which is something positive to look forward to.

Stopping for now, doesn’t always mean forever:  Gymnasts may leave the gym, but gymnastics never leaves their hearts. There will always be a gym door open whether she wants to play around at an Open Gym, a recreational class or an adult gymnastics class later on in life. Who knows, she may just need a break and will be back at the end of the summer.