ORADEVARA

Posts Tagged ‘gymnastics’

It is almost a guarantee that at some point during the gymnastics career someone will think that their coach is being difficult, unfair or down right mean.  The problem becomes deciding is this on purpose to upset you, it is meant to help you improve, or is it because the coach is playing favorites with specific gymnasts?

Most times coaches are not really trying to upset anyone.  However, their job is to instruct and train everyone.  This means that often a single session will have several different levels of students training at the same time.  This can result in several activities occurring at the same time, and can leave some gymnasts feeling left out.  How you view the situation is entirely up to you, but overall the coach is trying to give each gymnast exactly what they need, based upon their skill level as well as physical strength.

Remember, many activities in gymnastics require extremely strong muscles.  If your coach is working on exercises that require extreme arm strength and your arms are not as strong as they should be, you may find yourself disappointed as you are working on exercises and drills to help build your arm strength.  While you may think such a situation is unfair because you would rather be learning something new, it is actually a very appropriate decision because the coach is putting your desire behind the importance of your overall safety and health.

A coach who allows someone to work on exercises they are ill equipped for just to keep a reputation of being fair or nice is generally not a very good coach.  Instead, it is best to work with a coach who is willing to give honest and open feedback of performance and require more drills and exercises when necessary.  Your health and safety should be the primary concern of the coach with all other desires coming in after safety is assured.

Many girls and boys alike have at some point felt they were being treated unfairly, however it is rarely ever actually a case of unfair treatment.  Instead, it usually is a result of additional work being needed and the coach recognizing the deficiency.  Instead of taking the actions of the coach personal, it makes the perfect time to speak to the coach after lessons to ask what you should do to improve.  Taking the proactive approach of trying to ask for tips on how to improve, rather than crying about unfair treatment will show your coach that you are serious about improving and are willing to make the effort.

Realize your coach is not there to be your best friend; they are there to make sure you are safe and learn the proper techniques to be the best gymnast that you are physically capable of being.  Whether that means you spend an additional week doing drills, or spend additional time working on basic exercises you are still working on being the very best you are personally capable of being.

If however, you do notice that your coach really is treating you very differently, talk to them privately about your concerns.  You may discover that your coach has noticed problems that you have and they are simply trying to help you improve and overcome the struggles.  If this is the case, take note of what they are saying and work to improve.  If they are truly being unfair, then often drawing their attention to the problem will correct the behavior from most coaches who are actually making a professional effort.

Most people are well aware of the fact that gymnasts tend to be very young at their peak.  This youthful career tends to leave people retired when they are as young as 25, which in a world where people regularly work until they are in their mid-60’s leaves many years of empty years.  To help pass the time and still engage in gymnastics it is possible to explore a couple of different careers that build on the gymnastics training that you have had, and present it to others so that it is beneficial.

For those who are still on the young end of the retired scale and in perfect physical condition there are plenty of professional competitions to engage in.  With prizes and awards, ranging it is possible make a decent income simply from attending a few competitions a year.  However, be aware that the professional area is full of the best of the best so winning competitions is much harder at the professional level than anything you have ever experienced before.

Additionally, most gymnasts who have done well at amateur competitions tend to do best at professional competitions as well.  If you are thinking you may want to pursue professional gymnastics then it is a wise idea to enter as many competitions as possible while you are younger so you can get as much experience competing as possible.

In the professional arena, there are both national and international events.  Selecting the best event for your talents is not always easy but it is best to get as much experience as possible before engaging in the top international events.  Competition is very stiff and with dedication, talent and a drive to succeed many successful teenage gymnasts have enjoyed professional careers.

Another option to explore is that of a gymnastics coach.  You were once inspired as a child, so why not give back to others?  Take all of the skills and lessons that you have learned over the years as you mastered technique after technique and put it to work.  Developing highly trained gymnasts is a dream for many coaches and those with actual gymnastics experience themselves tend to do much better.

Using your skills to help teach others even adults is a great way to make some money even after your time competing has come to an end.  One draw back is those who are not very friendly or vocal may have difficulty communicating with students and giving them the feedback and guidance that they need in order to be truly successful.  However, most coaches are able to over come these problems with some training from various organizations designed to improve coaching skills.

Your last viable option is to look into performing at various places.  From circuses to theater and even dancing, all of the performance arts have types of gymnastics woven into the ideals.  Many successful gymnasts are able to easily convert to dancers, and even engage happily into the circus.  While performing in dances or the circus may not be the ideal situation for some gymnasts, it is a fun way to branch their skills and be able to travel once their body is unable to handle the extremely harsh rigors of competition gymnastics.

Finding a job after your gymnastics career is really not as difficult as it may seem.  There are numerous options that are available.  If you are interested in exploring coaching you can often look into helping volunteer with a team for a short period of time and learn from the current coach.  This is a great hands on way to gain some valuable first hand experience.  Additionally, studying a small bit of dance with reputable studios would allow you to see if dancing was something that you enjoyed.  Take your talents from gymnastics and put them to good use if you truly enjoy the sport.  You have learned so much and have the ability to give back a lot of what it has given you.