Does your child have big aspirations to follow in the footsteps of gymnastics gold medalists, like Simone Biles and Daiki Hashimoto? If so, you may very well be on the road to raising a future Olympian gymnast in Madison, WI. To help prepare your Olympian gymnast and help your child reach for the stars, you’ll need to lift them up and provide your loving support every step of the way. Ready to make that happen? Here’s what you need to do.
Honor Their Dreams
Although you’ll always share in all their joys and sorrows throughout life, your child’s Olympic dreams are theirs alone. So, let them lead the way on their journey while simply offering your support whenever you can.
Give your child room to try new sports, for example, and even take a break from it all whenever they need to step away. By allowing your child to take ownership of their sports career, you can support their ambitions without yours getting in the way.
Start Training Early
Kids with Olympic aspirations greatly benefit from starting a training program as early as possible. Look for competitive-minded programs that take a well-rounded approach to support the full development of your child.
The program should not only focus on physical performance, for example but also aim to build emotional resilience and communication skills. Beyond that, the coaches should aim to empower all their students, helping improve their self-image, confidence, and compassion for each other.
Set Realistic Goals
Even if your child beats the 1 in 500,000 odds of becoming an Olympic gymnast, that road is a long way off. So, it’s best to set realistic goals at every stage of their gymnastics career to help keep their motivation levels up. Otherwise, they could quickly get down on themselves for not achieving their dreams fast enough.
In the early stages of their career, encourage your child to focus on mastering tough moves and practicing good sportsmanship. After that, they can focus on getting wins and invites to state-level championships. Eventually, they’ll want to advance to the regional and national competitions – and beyond.
Cheer Them On – Always
All throughout your child’s gymnastics career, they will experience their fair share of losses to go with the wins. No matter what happens out there on the competition floor, however, they should always be able to look back and see you cheering them on. Aim to always exhibit the same level of enthusiasm, too, so you can lift their spirits after a loss and kick off the celebration for their wins.
With that move, you can help your child retain ownership of their progress while reminding them that your love for them never wavers. If your child comes to you to chat about what could have gone better, engage on their terms and let them vent. Your child will always be their own biggest critic, so just serve as a safe space to chat rather than offering criticism or ideas on improvement.
Build Up Their Confidence
A lack of confidence has the potential to wipe out years of training in an instant, leaving Olympic gymnasts unable to perform in their events. The second an athlete starts second-guessing themselves, it’s all over – and all that goes double for kids.
Your child will need immense confidence while performing, a vital part of how to prepare your Olympian gymnast. So, start early by doing all you can to applaud all their efforts. Allow them to make mistakes, encourage them to try again, and praise their perseverance despite the outcome. Their self-esteem will grow and flourish as a result, giving them the resilience needed to overcome all their challenges through the years.
Promote Healthy Eating
Your child will need a good, balanced diet to perform at their best in all their endeavors. To make that easier to maintain, start early by skipping the junk in favor of whole foods. Highlight the importance of choosing a rainbow of whole foods daily while offering every meal in healthy portions.
If your child is a picky eater, this might feel more than a bit challenging. You can get past it though by encouraging your child to help in the kitchen. Let them pick foods out of a cookbook, assist in their prep, and try new things without any pressure.
Ready to Get Started? Let Lake City Twisters Help
At Lake City Twisters, we proudly help prepare your Olympian gymnast for the big leagues alongside all their supportive parents. We’re happy to help your child pursue their passion for gymnastics and achieve all their goals along the way.
If that sounds like something you’d like for your kid, please feel free to contact us at 608-245-9565 at your convenience. We look forward to meeting you and your child – and providing all the support you need in preparing your future Olympian gymnasts in Madison, WI.
