What They Don't Tell You About Being a Competitive Gymnastics Mom

When my two oldest were infants and young toddlers, we enrolled them in lots of activities and sports as soon as they were old enough. We wanted them to be active and to explore different activities mainly for their social well-being. They've done pretty much everything our park district offered until one of those activities stuck. Boys Gymnastics.

My two boys started recreational gymnastics when they were 2 and 3 and were recruited to be on the boys pre-team at 3 and 4. By this time, we had NO idea what we were in for. Nobody warns you about these things, so I'm here to break it down for you.

Time Investment

Not only is gymnastics a time commitment for the gymnast, but also for the rest of the family!

1. Team practice is anywhere from 1.5 to 3 hours (who knows what it will be next year).

2. Practices are 3-5 days a week. We're now at 5 days a week for 3 hours each day.

3. Driving time for us is less than 15 minutes, but we have families who drive as long as an hour to come to our gym.

4. Competition days are long (3 to 4 hours). If you have multiple kids in different levels like me, you can spend 8 hours in one day watching them compete or sometimes the levels are scheduled on different days.

5. Your life revolves around gymnastics. Like all of it... other sports/activities, vacations, family outings, parties, playdates, dinner, all of it!!

Financial Investment

Holy crap. The financial aspect of this sport was the biggest shock to us. The money you spend is going to depend on the gym, but just know that it's a pretty big financial investment to consider.

1. Tuition: Expect to pay more as your child goes up a level. We pay way more for gymnastics, for two gymnasts, than our brand spanking new minivan every month.

2. Annual Fees: Some gyms charge a yearly fee that includes various things such as club membership, administrative costs, coach fee, etc.

3. USAG Membership: In order for the gymnast to compete, they need to be USA Gymnastics members, which is renewable every year.

4. Competition Fees: Each competition has its own cost which can sometimes depend on the level the gymnast is competing at.

5. Gear and Uniform: This includes leotard, shorts, pants, warm-up jacket, warm-up pants, and backpack. If you're lucky enough, some parents resell or give away their kids' old uniforms if the team doesn't change uniforms.

6. Travel Expenses: Some competitions are out-of-town. We've had very early competition times at venues that are 1.5 hours away and sometimes on different days so we always opt-in to stay at hotels.

7. Competition Entrance Fees: With the amount of money we spend on all the dues and individual competition fees per gymnast, you'd think watching your kid compete is free, but nope! Some competitions have weekend passes which can save some money, but others have only daily entrance fees.

I didn't want to put real numbers here, but if you're really curious on costs, just message me (click the Contact link in the menu)!

Emotional Support

Having children in sports is a whole different kind of parenting. You are a source of emotional support for your child.

1. From the excitement of victories to the disappointment of losses, navigating through those feelings with a young athlete can be challenging.

2. Your athlete's performance can affect you. Let's face it. We all want our kids to be good at their sport and to see them succeed. It can be disappointing to witness their poor performance, but you also don't want them to feel even more disappointed than they already feel. It's tough to remain composed while cheering for your child and their team.

3. Your gymnast may face conflicts with teammates or performance pressure, so you're the one they turn to for guidance and encouragement.

4. Supporting your child's interests and not pushing them too hard is a struggle. There have been many times where our boys wanted to quit and all of those times were during the toughest training sessions of the season. We've all agreed that once we commit for the season, we stay.

5. Seeing your child get injured can be distressing. Luckily, we haven't had too serious injuries, but it really requires emotional strength to help them through the recovery process and support them if they can't participate for a while.

6. It's hard to balance gymnastics with work, household responsibilities and personal interests. Finding time to clean the house or for self-care can be a struggle, so a lot of the times it has to be sacrificed. However, I do find little ways for self-care.

Despite the challenges, the joy of watching your child succeed, improve, and find passion in their sport can make all the sacrifices worthwhile.