Benefits of Gymnastics There are many benefits to having your children participate in the sport of gymnastics, many of them not relating to a gymnastics "skill" at all, but more important, developmental areas that will help your child become a better student and a better young person.  Children do not have to be a "Star" athlete to enjoy the benefits of the sport, and many times, it is these kids who have the most to gain from the participation in the sport.  All children, regardless of ability can benefit from the participation in a gymnastics program and should stay in the sport for 3-5 years in order to get the full benefit of what this amazing sport has to offer.

Social Skills Gymnastics teaches and reinforces social skills that are essential in every young persons life.  The acts of listening and following directions, taking turns, respecting the abilities and success of others, and how to interact with other children their own age as well as adults are skills that are reinforced every week in the gym and will follow them throughout their lives.

Goal Setting Skills  In the gym the athletes will learn to set and be responsible for reaching each of the goals that they have set for themselves.  Athletes also very quickly see the benefits of working hard to achieve the goals they have set for themselves.

Courage Some parts of gymnastics are very challenging, but the key to helping them become more courageous is to give them "attainable challenges".  With each success, they will overcome fears and become more confident and more assertive children.

Team Work Although gymnastics is an individual sport, many times in the gym you rely on your teammates for strength training and other activities during class.  Your teammates are responsible for helping you to adjust and move the equipment that is necessary for you to work on your individual goals.  You also learn to depend on your teammates and to work through challenges and celebrate successes together.

Perseverance  There is no sport like gymnastics to teach you the art of perseverance!  Gymnastics is not an easy sport and there are times when it takes weeks and even months to accomplish a skill set.  Success after a long period of perseverance is sweeter than none other!

Self Esteem Gymnastics builds great self esteem.  Not all children can do a cartwheel or a handstand, so being one of the few that can makes kids feel great about themselves.  It is also documented that kids in gymnastics have less fear of "performing" in front of other people.  These kids are among the first to volunteer in class as they have been taught to "perform".

Academic Excellence Studies show that children learn cognitive skills more effectively in an environment that includes the body as well as the mind (Barrett, 1998).  Early childhood movement is directly attributed to developing neurological pathways in students and promoting reading readiness.

Self Confidence Gymnastics is learned in steps necessary to achieve a larger goal.  Each small step can be easily accomplished and is celebrated, so athletes feel a sense of pride with every step along the way.  The act of achieving new tasks builds confidence that transfers both in and out of the gym.  Because gymnastics is a sport that can adjust to the level of each gymnast, it is easy to immediately feel a sense of pride and accomplishment.

Discipline One of life's most important skills.  There are rules in a gym as to ensure safety to everyone that are expected to be adhered to by the students.  As gymnasts develop, they are given tasks that they are expected to completed.  Each gymnast is ultimately responsible for his or her own results.  The effort the athlete puts in to the sport will determine their success.  This is not a sport that places the success on the coach, it is up to the individual to practice and achieve their own goals.

Strength Pound for pound, gymnasts are among the strongest of Olympic athletes.  The skills that are learned in gymnastics will build core muscle strength as well as be an overall fitness benefit to each athlete.  Gymnastics is often the foundation for strength for athletes that excel in other sports.

Coordination Coordination is a skill that can be learned just like any other skill.  There is no better sport than gymnastics to teach this skill as everything that is done in gymnastics depends on the coordination of all body parts in order to achieve success.

Flexibility Gymnasts are among the most flexible of athletes.  Flexibility is important in any sport, including baseball, basketball, football, volleyball and track.  Good flexibility is important for overall fitness and health.

Determination An amazing lesson to be learned at a young age.  It is easy to give up, but in gymnastics we teach children that this is not an option.  Hard work and undying determination determine success.  We give the athletes more than one way to learn to achieve their goals and stick by them until they are able to see success.

Body Awareness Body awareness is so important in any sport.  We teach that gymnastics means knowing where your body parts are and what they are doing in any given moment.  The gymnast will learn how their body is moving and how that movement affects other body parts.  Gymnasts will also learn how to play and fall safely to help avoid injuries.

 

The benefits listed above are not all inclusive!  For more information and clinical research on the benefits of involving your child in the sport of gymnastics, please click on the link below to view an interesting article!