Posts Tagged ‘Children’
Post Pandemic; Sport Are Important for Kids’ Mental Health
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the mental health of children, but participation in sports has proven to be a mitigating factor in alleviating some of this harm. Although the physical and mental benefits of sports are widely acknowledged, recent research emphasizes the crucial role of sports in enhancing children’s mental well-being during the pandemic. This underscores the importance of ensuring easy access to a wide range of sports activities for youngsters.
Read More6 Reasons why Gymnastics is More than just Cartwheels
In a world where screens and sedentary activities often take precedence, finding ways to keep our children active and engaged is crucial to our kids growing up healthy and happy. Gymnastics offers a wide array of physical, mental, and social benefits that go far beyond mere exercise and often exceeds what can be provided by…
Read MoreGYMNASTICS FOR AUTISM (edited guest post from USGCOA)
This article is shared from the blog of the United States Gymnastics Club Owners Association (USGCOA). It was originally written to encourage club owners to offer a program in their gyms that allows for children with Autism to experience gymnastics. I did edit it from it’s original, removing the parts that applied to club owners specifically. I felt that the information was worthy of sharing with our families, friends, and fans. Gymfinity does offer a class every Saturday morning for children with special needs. We have had this program since Gymfinity started in 1999. We were then, and remain today, one of the few programs that offer a class for differently abled kids.
Read MoreLife skills through Gymnastics
If the sports program is right, the following landmarks will be developed by practical application in training and in competition or performance. Parents should see each of these displayed as the coach works with the athlete and the athlete participates with the team. Year to year and season to season the athlete maturing in skill and character should be obvious.
Read MoreBeing lost with a borrowed compass
fear of a virus that statistically doesn’t have them high on the risk-o-meter. I struggled with staying masked, for how long, which kids? I also thought about how I have kids I have been coaching for 2 years and I cannot remember what their faces look like. Then again, I worried that if we take masks off, that we will see kids by the dozens calling off due to the virus. I needed to stop. I needed to find my compass.
Read MoreKeeping Kids Healthy and Bright
Gymnastics is the learning of new skills as the athlete develops into a gymnast. A somersault or roll on the floor develops into a handspring, develops into a front flip, develops into a twisting front flip etc. New pathways are created with every new layer of skill acquisition. This is markedly different than a sport like baseball, for example, where the basic skills are refined as the athlete progresses but no new skills are learned. Throwing catching, swinging and running are the same skills for a 5 year old in T ball as they are for an MLB player, albeit at a different level of performance. So again, gymnastics is at the top of the list for helping children develop. This time it’s their brains.
Read MoreHow to live without fear: make the new year less scary
Sometimes it’s good to be afraid. Fear is an instinct that rears up when we perceive danger. There are some instances when being afraid can keep us alive. “Hey, go wrestle that alligator.” “No thank you, that scares me.” When we perceive danger, Adrenalin is released, our heart rate increase, or senses are on edge,…
Read MoreMaking Sports A Better Place to be.
My last post I explained how a recent study done by the Sports Fitness Industry of America noted that the number of kids participating in sports has decreased 8% since 2008. I explained that I feel the decrease is due to 6 reasons: Cost, Skewed definitions of success, decrease in providing children with fitness opportunities,…
Read MoreGuest Post: Ruby’s Rules for Nutrition
This post was written by Coach Ruby Carpenter, an Xcel coach here at Gymfinity. Ruby also competed as a gymnast and grew up here at Gymfinity. She is now a student at UW Madison and studies Community and Non-Profit Leadership. Ruby is high on my list of respected people and when we talked about doing…
Read More10 Lessons Mom taught me
Oh, if I had a dollar for every bit of wise advice that my mom fed me growing up…. Now as a parent, I see how frustrating it must have been for her to try to get me to listen when, of course, as a teenager, I always knew better, as teens always do. I…
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