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- My old eight grade blog
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- “Chalked Up” by Jennifer Sey
- Gymnastics
- “I am so bored”
- Inspiration is lazy (as well as random)
- Courage vs. Evil
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Gymnastics
May 12th, 2008 by arielal09
I entered gymnastics when I was five and left when I was twelve. I entered being a happy kid who had fun in gym and left being an unhappy preteen who loathed gym. Gymnastics was my older sister’s idea, and since I was a five year old who had no clue in life, I wanted to do what my sister did. It started as a fun hobby in a bad equipped gym. I loved it at first, and I wasn’t bad at it. From the bad equipped gymnasium my sister decided to switch gyms and being the little sister that I was I followed suite. The gym we transferred to changed everything. It was there that I learned countless new skills, competed against other girls, laughed, smiled, and succeeded. All of this in the beginning, because it was also there that at the end of my gymnastic days I failed, I cried more than I should, I fell, I was dismissed, and I failed. Gymnastics changed the way I view things, the way I feel, and who I am. It transformed my life. It revolved around gymnastics, spinning and spinning until it eventually crashed. I can sit down and cry about how it destroyed many aspects of my life but I can also appreciate the numerous lessons I learned, that I doubt many twelve year old have. In gym our coaches treated us however they pleased. In my shinning days they praised me, they liked me, they hugged me, and they encouraged me. But in my dark days, when I was no longer a little shinning star, they dismissed me, screamed, yelled, shouted, and intimidated me. By the time I was eleven I was so sick of gymnastics but somehow unable to quit. I had tried quitting once when I believe I was ten but wasn’t able to. When I was twelve any little comments or happening could have easily driven me out of the gym and in the end it did. One day, one of the coaches I disliked the most made fun of me for some reason or other. By the end of practice I had had it. Any little incident would have driven me out of the gym and what he said did. I left gym unhappy but determined. As soon as I got in my dad’s car I told him the news, I was done with gymnastics. I knew I was going to feel useless without it, but I couldn’t take it anymore. I cried all the way home. Leaving gymnastics was very tough on me. For the first time in years I didn’t have anything to do after school. I quickly adjusted to a slower life pace though. I joined other unimportant activities which filled my afternoons. But no matter what other sport I join I could never feel the passion, determination, and longing I had in gymnastics. I can’t see a sport as a source of competition, of challenge, instead a way of filling an empty afternoon, something to keep me from being bored. What gymnastics has taught me is that overtraining and dedicating your entire life to something can only lead to worse things than to better. This is why, unconsciously, I decide not to take on any sport competitively. While other kids shout and fight over who won in a PE class, I stay back not really caring much. I don’t want to be part of the same vicious cycle that gymnastics lead me to. I don’t want to go over the experience again. So for that reason I do not want to stay too attached to anything. That and for the fact that I can’t seem to feel any passion for any of the other sports I have tried. Expect for drawing, which is mine and for me only, I can’t feel passion for anything else. I no longer feel the passion for gymnastics but I can’t create it in any other sport. I wish I could but what gymnastics has taught me is that once you get too attached to something, your life revolves around it and once you’re in you can’t get out. So now I rather watch than me swallowed by coaches, pressure, and of course the sport itself.
Posted in Uncategorized | | | 3 Comments
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on May 12th, 2008 at 9:10 am
[...] Wilhelm2451 wrote an interesting post today onHere’s a quick excerptIt started as a fun hobby in a bad equipped gym. I loved it at first, and I wasn’t bad at it. From the bad equipped gymnasium my sister decided to switch gyms and being the little sister that I was I followed suite. … [...]
on May 12th, 2008 at 3:52 pm
Hi,
I really like your post.
Your story has happened to many, many girls. Too many. You know others, I’m sure.
I’d like to link to it from a gymnastics coaching website:
http://gymnasticscoaching.com/
Will do that over the next couple of days. You can comment on the post there or email me though that site.
Thanks for sharing your experience.
on May 19th, 2008 at 7:27 am
I am still stunned at your writing. I love the way you gently express your ideas when normally, other people would aggressively put them all out in their posts. I liked it a lot.
If you ever feel passion for writing you would actually do pretty good. If is for a reason that you are getting so many comments and dots on your map. I am wondering what kind of aspects changed in your life. Maybe you can write a post on it, you know, to please your fans.