Who says leaders are born, not made?
Gymnastics is the leadership sport. While routines and competitions often play a major part of a gymnast’s career, the skills learnt are far beyond gymnastics movements and here’s why:
1. Gymnastics is a perseverance sport
Unlike most sports, in gymnastics you could be tackling to perfect a skill for years and years before it is achieved. Skills such as glide kip on uneven bars and tumbles including flips/saltos take a great amount of persistence before they are under any gymnast’s belt!
Every time a gymnast falls, they have to get back up and try again, which is a great life motto to live by!
2. Teaches failure
Like in life, you can’t always win in gymnastics. Sometimes you have to lose and experience the feeling of having lost, move forward and own it. This in itself, is so much more valuable than winning. Gymnasts are taught to bounce back from failure.
3. Conquers fears
Everyone gets scared, everyone has fears. Gymnastics teaches how to overcome these feelings, learning new skills one step at a time. Later in life, you will continue to be fearless and bold, with a can-do confident attitude.
4. Teaches how to manage pressure and competition
If you are preparing for competitions, sometimes you can feel an added pressure to perform well, or achieve another skill. Pressure is a normal feeling in life and a little pressure is actually known to boost your adrenaline, giving you power and energy in your gymnastics.
Learning how to deal with pressure and using it to your advantage is a fantastic skill that gymnasts obtain.
5. Emphasises the importance of goal setting
Gymnastics encourages goal setting from a very young age, whether it be to learn a cartwheel, or to make the Victorian team. The practice of setting a goal, taking steps towards it and striving to achieve it, is a life lesson that extends beyond the gymnasium.
6. Encourages mental discipline
Focusing on a set activity, skill or goal is key in gymnastics. This mental training is extremely beneficial and transferable to tasks in everyday life. A gymnast’s concentration levels are often the highest!
7. Drives dedication and commitment
Did you know there are gymnasts attending the Jets Diamond Creek gym who live over an hour away and train 30 hours a week? These gymnasts hardly ever miss a training session and are always on time – even at 7am in the morning…despite the distance! Attending regular training sessions teaches commitment and time management skills.
8. Builds team orientation and social skills
Most competitive gymnasts will be together in a squad program for several years, building life-long friendships. Aside from the basic social kills, such as learning how to take turns and share equipment, gymnasts often work together on routines and give feedback to one other!