The Ultimate Big Sister Energy: A Letter to a Newborn (From a 7-Year-Old)

Every now and then, a story makes the rounds in the coaching community that hits you right in the feels. A coaching friend of mine, Jeri, shared one with me a while ago, and it perfectly captures why we love what we do. Jeri coaches the upper-level competitive athletes at her gym, so while she always saw the younger kids around, she rarely got to work with them directly. Enter a spunky 7-year-old Level 4 gymnast named Delani.

When Jeri gave birth to a baby girl, she happened to name her Delaney. Little Delani was 100% convinced that she was the direct inspiration for the new “coach-ette’s” name. So, she did what any supportive gym sis would do: she penned an official welcome letter to the newborn, complete with epic doodles. Honestly, the wisdom coming from this 7-year-old is better than most motivational podcasts.

Dear Delaney, Here are a few things I have learned:

• Delani is a great name (I’m sure Delaney will be fine too).
• You might feel like you are pretty good at gymnastics, but you should still work hard to get better.
• You might feel that you are not as flexible as you want to be—just keep working at it.
• Never give up.
• Just be yourself. It’s totally OK not to look the same as everyone else.
• Always be thankful for what you have, even if you want so much more.
• Your mom is never going to stop being your best friend. Even if you get into a fight, she will never stop loving you.
• Even if you don’t get 1st place or win gold, it doesn’t mean that you aren’t a winner or that you did bad. If you did your personal best, you will always get “GOLD.”
• Just always smile. Life isn’t as much fun if you are always sad.

From your friend Delani (who you were named after).

Fast Forward to the Teen Years: Can we talk about the emotional maturity of a second grader? Delani was a vibe. Years have passed since she wrote that letter. Delani stuck with the sport, climbed the levels, and is now a teenager being coached directly by Jeri. Her special bond with little Delaney has only grown. Because she knows she has a literal mini-me watching her every move, she takes being a role model seriously. She brings total “big sister energy” to the gym every single day.

The Gymfinity Family is Real

While this story happened at a gym far away, it’s the exact same culture we build right here at Gymfinity. When kids spend hours a week training together, they don’t just stay teammates—they become family. As coaches, our job description goes way beyond correcting a handstand. We are out here attending school plays, cheering at band concerts, and—yes—ruthlessly interviewing prospective high school boyfriends to make sure they get coach approval.

My own kids were the beneficiaries of an entire village of amazing, strong, confident big sisters. There was nothing cooler than watching that. Gymnastics builds incredible athletes, but more importantly, it builds incredible humans. Shoutout to all the Delanis out there setting the bar high for the next generation!