Mar 8, 20231 min read

Parent - Gymnast relationship... How!

Being the best parent for a gymnast involves a combination of support, encouragement, and setting boundaries. Here are a few specific tips:

Encourage your child to set and work towards goals, both in gymnastics and in other areas of their life.
Provide emotional and physical support, by attending competitions and practices, and helping your child manage stress and injuries.
Communicate openly with your child and their coach, this makes certain that you understand the coaches decisions regarding your athletes training and level.
Make sure that your child is also balancing other activities and getting enough rest.
Be flexible, but also be a good listener and communicator, and be willing to make adjustments as needed. In the Marine Corps we stated it this way, "adapt and overcome."
Be supportive and encouraging, but also be honest and realistic with your child, and help them stay motivated and focused. No child will develop each skill at the same rate as their peers, while they may be close it is easy for a child to begin comparing.
Lastly, be a good role model for your child, and help them develop a positive attitude, good work ethic, and self-discipline.

All fairly articulated but not an easy feat to meet. You're listening to one parent who has come up short and learned from those moments to live and win another day. It's hard but there's a saying for it, I quote in short, by Theodore Roosevelt ; "nothing worth having is going to be easy," and I wouldn't trade the experience for anything.

Bjorn Hermansen

Tupelo Gymnastics Center, LLC

Assistant Head Coach