West Broward Gymnastics

Parents sometimes wonder what they can do to help improve their gymnast’s success and enjoyment of the sport of gymnastics. Here are 30 things that can help enhance your gymnast’s experience of the sport:
1. Do concentrate on your gymnast’s individual progress as the best measure of their gymnastics success.
3. Do provide your gymnast with all of the financial and moral support they need.
4. Do get your gymnast to practice and meets on time.
5. Do praise and give regular doses of positive feedback to your gymnast.
6. Do participate fully in any and all fundraising efforts, as this will inevitably improve your own gymnast’s experience in the sport.
7. Do show an active interest in your gymnast’s participation in the sport.
8. Do leave the coaching to the gymnastics professionals.
9. Do support the gym and coaches in any way you can.
10. Do communicate with your gymnast’s coaches about your gymnast’s goals and progress.
11. Do inform your gymnast’s coaches about any relevant issues happening at home that might affect your gymnast at practice or in competition.
12. Do provide moral support for your gymnast.
13. Do provide emotional guidance for your gymnast.
14. Do learn as much as possible about gymnastics so you can communicate with and understand your gymnast and what they are going through.
15. Do make allies with the gym owner and your gymnast’s coaches.
16. Do maintain a positive attitude about your gymnast and their participation in gymnastics.
17. Do understand the inherent difficulty in winning at gymnastics meets. There can be up to 120 competitors at a meet and only three medals awarded in each event.
18. Do help give your gymnast a healthy perspective on their success or lack of it in the sport.
19. Do allow yourself to get pleasure from your gymnast's participation in gymnastics, but do not get overly emotionally involved.
20. Do enjoy yourself and let your gymnast enjoy gym meet trips.
21. Be relaxed, calm, and positive when watching your child practice or compete. Your positive attitude can improve how well your child performs and how they feel about their gymnastics.
22. Do have or get a life of your own outside of your gymnast's participation in gymnastics.
23. Do make friends with other parents at the gym and at meets. They are the only ones who will understand what you and your gymnast go through.
24. Do socialize and allow your gymnast to socialize at meets to make the event more fun for them and you.
25. Do work with other parents to ensure that all gymnasts can enjoy the sport and competitions.
26. Do volunteer and help as much as you can at the gym. The level of your gymnast’s gymnastics experience depends in large part on the time and energy you and other parents donate to the program.
27. Do recognize your gymnast’s accomplishments.
28. Do show your gymnast unconditional love and make sure they know you love them whether they win or lose or fall.
29. Do be a positive role model for your gymnast in terms of good sportsmanship.
30. Do keep a perspective and sense of humor about your gymnast’s participation in the sport. You both will enjoy it more that way.

Gymnastics in and of itself is beneficial for gymnasts at all levels of participation. Here are 27 things parents of gymnasts should avoid doing so they don’t interfere with those positive benefits:
1. Don’t compare your gymnast's progress with that of other gymnasts.
2. Don’t become overly ego-involved with your gymnast’s success or lack of it.
3. Don’t take judge’s scores too seriously, especially at the lower levels. 4. Don’t forget the need for fun in gymnastics.
5. Don’t stand for unacceptable behavior from your gymnast during practice or competitions.
6. Don’t participate in gossip about anyone in the gymnastics community.
7. Don’t interfere with coaches and their coaching duties during practice or competitions.
8. Don’t pressure your gymnast regarding skills or competition.
10. Don’t predicate your love or attention on your gymnast’s competitive success.
11. Don’t base your own ego or self-esteem on the success of your gymnast’s progress or competitive success.
12. Don’t lose your long-term perspective about the importance of your gymnast’s participation in the sport.
13. Don’t let yourself care too deeply about your gymnast’s competition results.
14. Don’t undercut your gymnast’s confidence in their coaches or coaching.
15. Don’t show any negative emotions while watching your gymnast practice or compete.
16. Don’t try to make your gymnast talk with you immediately after a gymnastics meet, especially if they performed poorly.
17. Don’t do or say anything to make your child feel guilty for the time and money you are spending on their gymnastics or any sacrifices you feel are making for them to participate in the sport.
18. Don’t badmouth your gymnast’s coaches, your gym or other gymnasts in front of your gymnast.
19. Don’t attempt to coach your gymnast yourself.
20. Don’t alienate your gymnast’s coaches.
21. Don’t predicate your support for your gymnast’s participation in the sport on any expectation of a monetary return like receiving a college scholarship.
22. Don’t try to recreate your own career or live out your own sports dreams through your gymnast.
23. Don’t do anything to make enemies with other gymnast’s parents.
24. Don’t expect anything more from your gymnast except their best effort.
25. Don’t ever do or say anything that will cause your gymnast to think less of you.
26. Don’t use sarcasm, threaten or use fear to try to motivate your gymnast.