Lessons Learned After The Cartwheel Part 2

Last post I wrote about a few of the many lessons that I learned by doing gymnastics. I was asked after that last post went live, if the same things couldn’t be learned elsewhere. Of course, it could. But I responded with a story, as I frequently do. I shared about the dad of a girl I once taught who was a physics teacher. While coaching his daughter I talked about Center of Mass (beam & bars), conservation of angular momentum (flipping on tumbling and vault) and other physics applications as they could be related to gymnastics. He told me that his 9-year-old daughter knew more about physics than many high school students because she learned it and saw the application firsthand. So, could what I wrote about be learned in other ways? Yes, to paraphrase This is Spinal Tap, but these are from gymnastics. 

Lesson #3: Speak Up; Be An Advocate For Yourself

We tell kids immediately that if they don’t understand, if they feel uncomfortable, or if they have questions that they must speak up. We realize that talking to the coach can be intimidating. Kids don’t want to disappoint us or have us think they are not capable. However, the trust between a coach and an athlete can only develop through communication. I have kids with minor aches and pains keep it to themselves because they didn’t want to get “in trouble”. I have had kids fail to tell me about vacations because they thought I would be mad. I have kids doing other sports keep it a secret because they thought I would not approve. I explain to them that it has to start with trust. They have to trust that I will listen and advise them accordingly. Most often, kids come around when they see that coaches are there to support them. Then, the trust foundation becomes obvious.

When kids are at gymnastics practice, they are not accompanied by a parent. Kids who have parents do their talking are often unable to advocate for themselves. My mother always made me speak what I was thinking, but I had to weigh what was more appropriate: respecting authority or speaking up.  Once, I was at a gymnastics camp and the group I was training with went to practice pommel horse. I was a tumbler and vaulter and had not done pommels in about 5 years. I struggled and fell a lot, other guys showed their skills and were given corrections but not me. On my turns the coach would just tell me to try it again. Finally after one turn he said “have you ever tried doing it like this?” I said, “no sir, I don’t even do pommel horse.” I remember thinking that I might be seen as disrespectful by speaking up. Mom said listen to the coaches. They were the ones that put me in that group, so…. After explaining that I was a floor and vault specialist he sent me to the floor group that I should have been in and said to me “next time speak up if you don’t know where you are supposed to be.” Now, I look back and see that if I would have said I didn’t do that event, I would have more focus on what I actually came for, the pommels guys wouldn’t have had to watch the train wreck of a floor guy swinging horse, and the coaches would have been happier had I exercised my voice more emphatically. I probably also would have never gotten the camp nickname “Space-Head“. Well, I guess you live and learn.

Lesson #5: Embracing Patience
In these times everyone expects instant results. Instant made products and immediate feedback programs are normal for us. Unfortunately, that means we have lost our ability to wait. We have no patience. We may live in a world of instant results, but gymnastics teaches patience. Skills develop gradually, often over years. Kids sometimes forget their progress over time, so we remind them of their growth—like the gymnast who went from hitting 10% of her vaults last year to 70% now. Learning patience lifts the burden of self-imposed frustration, making the journey lighter and more rewarding.

Lesson #6: Keep an Open Mind; Plans Change
Plans don’t always work out as expected, and that’s okay. I initially planned a career in teaching, but life took me toward coaching. I’ve seen the same with gymnasts—training evolves, revealing strengths that lead to new paths. This flexibility is invaluable in life, teaching us to adapt and discover better opportunities along the way. Sometimes missing the mark can be better than a direct hit.

Gymnastics offers more than just physical skills; it shapes character. Kids gain confidence, resilience, problem-solving skills, respect, and a strong work ethic. And yes, they get to learn the cartwheels, too, which might just be the best part.