Benefit of Sports - Gymnastics
August 31, 2021
Addy in competition mode.
The benefits of sports and exercise on mental and physical well being are clear. On the cusp of a new school year, we wanted to understand more about how sports can teach kids life lessons and skills including accountability, hard work, dedication, leadership, and more. Sowe spoke with one of our competitive gymnasts, Addy and her mom Felice for their perspective on how gymnastics has impacted Addy’slife in a positive way.
Addy and her mom Felice.
Mom’s View:
As a parent, how have you seen gymnastics positively impact your daughter’s life both in and out of the gym?
As a pediatric occupational therapist, I have known the benefit of physical activity and exercise first-hand through my studies and with the results of many of my clients. Research has supported that movement and daily or frequent physical activity helps:
- Increase Focus and Attention Increase Spatial and Body Awareness
- Increase Bone Density and Overall Health
- Build Sportsmanship
- Build Friendships
- Build Self-esteem and Confidence
- Decrease Stress and Anxiety
- Decrease Depression and so much more.
As a parent, I started being active with my daughter Addy at a very young age. When she was only 18 months old, we took a Mommy & Me Gymnastics class at Chelsea Piers and she was hooked ever since. As Addy continues to grow and develop more responsibilities in her life, I have noticed that her gymnastics has become an amazing outlet for her to destress daily. When schoolwork is a challenge, gymnastics helps Addy to eliminate her stress both physically and mentally. When her practice sessions are over, she has a fresh mindset and is ready to conquer anything.
In addition to destress, gymnastics has taught Addy many useful life skills including her increased focus and organizational skills. Gymnastics allows Addy to analyze every situation she is in and break it down into small steps to complete each task with efficiency and eventually complete the overall project to meet her goal. It’s just like breaking down the timing and sequence of a back tuck on a beam. You break down the element and then put it all together to accomplish the full move. If one part is off, the whole exercise is impacted.
That’s impressive! Do you think gymnastics has taught Addy time management skills since it is such a demanding sport?
Absolutely! Not only has Addy learned to maintain her time to practice both effectively and efficiently, but she has learned to balance gymnastics, school work, a social life, family time and more through time management skills. Addy is an incredibly busy kid, but accomplishes more in a shorter time frame than many. In this world of instant gratification, gymnastics has taught Addy patience and that not everything comes easily or quickly and that hard work, effort, practice and repetition is part of life.
If you had to sum up the biggest lesson gymnastics has taught Addy, what would it be?
Gymnastics taught Addy early on that it takes a village. No matter what sport you’re in, it’s all about being a part of something bigger than yourself. You’re a part of a team. It doesn’t matter if you don’t play a team sport; it still takes a team of people including your family, coaches, teammates, trainers, friends and everyone else who is a part of your support system to be successful. It’s about everyone working together to achieve a common goal and that is something that is true for life in general.
Addy on bars.
Addy’s View:
What do you love most about gymnastics and being a part of a team?
What I love most about gymnastics is the feeling of flipping through the air, or just knowing that I am defying gravity! I love challenging myself and gymnastics is definitely a challenge, so it’s hard to get bored. The other aspect of gymnastics that I love is being a part of the team. It’s more like a sisterhood because you end up spending more time with them than your family. You make a special connection and all of your teammates can always relate to similar things you are going through. Your team is like a built in support system and you know that they always have your back.
How has gymnastics impacted your life outside of the gym?
This sport has impacted the way I approach all situations in my life. Gymnastics has taught me things that I could never learn in school and has helped me to form a strong work ethic and an unwillingness to give up. Having a demanding schedule since I was 8 years old definitely taught me time management skills and how to be diligent. Gymnastics has helped me understand that there is not only one way to approach a scenario, sometimes you have to be unconventional and think outside of the box to get the results you want. Overall, I credit gymnastics for developing the person that I am today. I am excited to see what the future holds for me in and out of the gym and to keep learning as much as I can.
Thank you to Felice and Addy for sharing the life lessons and skills Addy has learned from gymnastics that she will carry with her through many aspects of life.