Gymnastics really is a sport suitable for both boys and girls, for both toddlers and teens and for young bodies of all shapes and sizes. There are, however, some ongoing myths and misconceptions about gymnastics that prevent parents from encouraging, or even considering, allowing their child to enroll in a gymnastics class. And that’s a real shame, so it’s about time to debunk some of the most commonly heard of them.

My child is not very coordinated (flexible, strong) so gymnastics is not going to be right for them.

These ‘weaknesses’ that parents perceive their child has are actually great reasons for a child to be enrolled in a gymnastics class. Gymnastics helps even the youngest children improve their basic gross motor skills, improve their flexibility and it’s great for building overall strength.

My child isn’t ever going to make a competitive team so why bother?

Once you get beyond the obvious question – why are you so sure they won’t make a team? – the fact is that gymnastics is a wonderful activity for young people in general, even if they never do pursue it competitively. In addition to all of the physical benefits it offers, it’s a great tool for learning self-discipline, for boosting self-esteem, for making new friends and simply having fun, all of which are beneficial for any kid.

It’s too dangerous for my child

If you casually watch the professional gymnastics championships then yes, you will hear of competitors being sidelined with injury. But that is the same in every sport! The fact is that gymnastics coaches have to be highly trained in issues like injury prevention, gym safety and, if needed, advanced first aid.

When and if a child progresses to higher level competitive gymnastics they may indeed face an injury at some point, but the chances of that are no higher than for a child who plays baseball, football, soccer or any other popular youth sport. So a fear of injury is no reason to prevent a child from pursuing something they may very well come to love.

My child is (is going to be) too tall for gymnastics

Yes, many of the greatest professional gymnasts have been rather petite, but that does not apply to all of them by any means. And in reality height is no barrier to success at the level most young gymnasts aspire to and if they are interested, and participating and having fun, why let any perceived difficulty limit them?

My child is too old for gymnastics

Many children do indeed begin to take gymnastics classes in late toddlerhood. But that does not mean that tweens and teens cannot become involved in gymnastics if they are interested in it. In some cases they may be a little old to make a competitive team – although maybe not – but they can still reap all of the mental and physical benefits that gymnastics has to offer.

Gymnastics is a girls sport and I have sons

This is a very common myth and one that the many supremely talented male gymnasts in the world laugh at. The fact is that there are few sports that provide such great ‘cross-training’ for males as gymnastics does, which is why an increasing number of pro athletes in other sports, especially football and baseball, now incorporate gymnastics into their training regimes.

And as for those male gymnasts? For three years running now, in their annual ‘Fittest Athletes’ rundown Men’s Health magazine have placed Japanese gymnast Kohei Uchimura third on the list, behind only US decathlete Ashton Eaton and soccer star Cristiano Ronaldo, miles ahead of all of the footballers, weightlifters and other pros some people consider to be ‘more manly’.

Visit the Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Children lie to their parents. They can be sneaky. They don’t listen to what they’re told and somehow, they can often seem to have been born with the ability to press just the right buttons to drive Mum and Dad nuts.

None of this is really news to most parents. But many don’t stop to think that some of the things that they do might be driving their kids just as crazy and adding to THEIR stress.

We all want to raise kids that are good, well-adjusted creatures who do well in school, in sport, and in life, are popular and who will grow up to be useful, successful people in their own right. This is especially true sometimes of parents whose kids are involved in organized sports like gymnastics.

We also hope we can raise our kids to do better and have a better life than we have, but in doing so often hold some hypocritically high standards for our children, especially when they reach their tween and teen years.

Are you guilty of this? Consider these behaviors (and be honest here) and if you can see yourself in any of them then the time has come to learn to lighten up.

Expecting Your Child to Always be in a Good Mood

It’s annoying (to say the least) when you come home from a long day at work and your kid is in a bad mood. Why? You are the one who has toiled all day to keep a roof over their head and food on the table – as well as pay for that new leotard they were so desperate for. Surely the least they could do is stop their silly sulk that’s adding to your stress.

The fact is though, kids have bad days too. They get a bad test score. They had a terrible practice in the gym. They could not master a brand-new routine even after eight attempts. They had a fight with their BFF. The teacher or their coach was particularly mean today (at least they thought so).

The fact is that children experience things during their day that anger them, stress them out and upset them just like you do. They deserve to be cut a bit of slack. Kids are not always going to be in a good mood and parents just have to accept that. Now, if they are never in a good mood, that’s a different story. But for the most part leaving them alone, while making the offer that you are there to talk if they need it, is better than haranguing them to ‘cheer up’ just because it will make you feel better.

Expecting Your Child to Be Perfect in School or in Sports

There is nothing wrong with wanting your child to do well at school and in sports. There is nothing wrong with encouraging them to do so and for setting boundaries for study times or encouraging them to stick to their practice routines. There is even nothing wrong with becoming a little frustrated when they get a low mark in a test or perform not quite up to their best standard at a meet. But expecting your child to be perfect in school or in sports is not just unreasonable, it can border on cruel if you set the bar too high.

Are you perfect at work? Do you never make a mistake? No, you do, and you learn from it, continue to try to do your best and move on. You should encourage your children to do the same and try to sympathize a little more when things don’t quite go to plan.

Expecting Your Child Never to Mess Up

It’s frustrating when a child messes up for sure. How did they rip those jeans? How did they manage to get that move wrong when they had practiced it a hundred times? How did they manage to drop that phone? Do they think iPhone screens grow on trees?

The question here to ask yourself is why do we often hold kids to a higher standard than we do ourselves? If you did sports at school did you never make a mistake or put in a less than perfect performance? One odd step or slip and you might drop your phone as well. And the chances are you’d be mad, but you’d forgive yourself and move on to finding a solution to the problem. So, if you don’t do the same for your kids then yes, you are being quite unreasonable.

For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Any sport comes with its risk of injury though, and that is as true for teens as it is for adults. Some sports injuries are more common in kids than grownups though, and parents, and kids, do need to be aware of just what they might be able to do to prevent some of them.

Types Of Injury

Sports injuries in general come fall into two major categories – acute injuries and overuse injuries. Acute injuries are the ones that no one really sees coming, the sudden sprain, the crack to body from a badly timed ball, the falls and the spills that at some time or another almost every athlete, amateur or professional will succumb to. As they are, in many cases, just learning their sport of choice, as well as the fact that teens are often over enthusiastic in sports, such injuries in young people can be very common.

Overuse injuries are a different story though and easy for kids, whose bones and bodies are still growing and changing, to fall victim to. Sometimes a child will develop unexplained aches and pains after competing that are simply the result of overdoing things or training too intensely. In other cases, a serious of small knocks, bumps and bruises may accumulate until the damage becomes more serious.

Either way a child that complains of pain or discomfort before, during or after playing sports should never be ignored. It may just be simple growing pains or twenty minutes too long on the track that day but a visit to the doctor is still a good idea if the pain persists for more than a few hours.

Easy Prevention Tips

One of the unfortunate reasons why more sports injuries are being seen in today’s children and teens may be attributable to the fact many kids these days tend to pick one sport and then concentrate on it solely, never varying their routines or how they use their developing bodies.

This, experts say, robs them of the benefits that cross training offers. To help prevent overuse injury sports medicine experts suggest that young athletes participate in a variety of physical activities to make sure that they are not overusing one set of muscles or physical skills. For example, if a child plays softball they will also probably benefit from taking gymnastics as well, to help build strength and coordination while also

In terms of further prevention always making sure that they warm up properly before any kind of physical activity is important for kids to help prevent injury and if the sport they play calls for protective equipment it should be worn and worn properly. Coaches and parents should also be on the lookout for a child who seems to tired, sick or in pain to participate that day and have them skip the session – no pain, no gain should never apply to kids.

The risk of injury should not be a reason to discourage a child’s interest in sports though. In an age when child obesity is becoming a dangerous epidemic all over the Western world, encouraging children and teens to get plenty of physical exercise is a must, and there is also a lot that can be said for the mental benefits of sports as well. So go ahead and cheer your child on and support their goals, just help them try to make sure that they stay as healthy as possible while doing so.

Visit our Dance/Cheer section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

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There were some moments though that stand out as truly memorable, the kind that will be repeated in highlight and clip shows for years to come. Here are some of our favorites of them:

The Brazilian Teams’ Performances

Both the Brazilian men and women impressed everyone when they qualified for the team finals by placing in the top eight. The ladies team eventually finished in that eighth place while the men finished sixth and picked a bronze and two silvers in individual events along the way.

What was most memorable though is the heart and pride each of the gymnasts displayed and the way their home crowd reacted. In two weeks, the ten athletes become national stars and national heroes in a country where soccer rules supreme, and the fact that it was so obvious that the gymnasts appreciated every cheer they garnered was a joy to see.

Oksana Chusovitina’s Vaults

The first time that Oksana Aleksandrovna Chusovitina competed at the Olympic Games in 1992 she was 17 years old. In 2016 she’s 41 and the mother of a teenage son and yes, she was back at the Olympics again, representing Uzbekistan as a vault specialist. She finished 7th in the final and made history as she did it, performing the Produnova, the world’s most difficult vault and drawing praise from young women like Simone Biles who were not even born when she competed in her first Olympics!

Andreas Toba’s Team Spirit

Just moments before the horrifying fall that broke French gymnast Samir Ait Said’s leg another male gymnast, Germany’s Andres Toba, also took a fall that injured his knee and threatened to knock him out of the competition as well.

However, although teams come to the Olympics with alternates who are ready to step in if one of the five team members is injured before the competition starts. But once qualifications begin, an alternate can no longer be swapped in. So Germany faced the prospect, it seemed, of trying to reach the team final with just four men.

Toba, however, knew that he was needed. So with a heavily strapped knee he completed a clean and impressive pommel horse routine, at the end of which he was carried from the floor by his grateful teammates, who carried on to the final and a seventh place finish that would not have been possible without Tobas’ grit.

Simone Biles and Aly Raisman’s 1 2 Floor Exercise Punch

As they are known for their electrifying floor work a lot was expected of Biles and Raisman in the event but the performances they delivered stunning, gravity defying routines that earned Simone 15.933 points and Aly 15.433 and the gold and silver medals respectively and the awe and admiration of the whole world.

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Visit the Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

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Simone Biles, Laurie Hernandez, Madison Kocian, Gabby Douglas and Aly Raisman lived up to every expectation that had been placed on them at the 2016 Olympics in Rio and more. They came home with nine medals between them, including the team gold and have officially gone down in the record books as the most successful US Women’s Gymnastics team in Olympic history.

Yet when the media pushed the team to name themselves, as their predecessors had, the name they eventually chose seemed rather mundane. Although fans had lobbied for ‘The GLAM Squad’ and Simone Biles’ parents suggested ‘The Slay Squad’, the girls arrived in Rio admitting they did have a name, but they would not reveal it until after the team final was over. Again, just like their predecessors The Magnificent Seven and, more recently The Fierce Five. When they did, it was, as we all know ‘The Final Five’. And the question was, why such a simple name for such an extraordinary team?

Why the Final Five?

Just prior to the Olympics, at a reunion/meet and greet, Dominique Dawes recalled that they did not actually get a say in the naming of their team, it was a PR exec who coined the moniker ‘Magnificent Seven’. The 2012 squad were given the choice and originally chose ‘Fab Five’, but when they were reminded that that name had also been used by the University of Michigan’s 1991 men’s basketball team they renamed themselves ‘The Fierce Five’, a suggestion put forward by the ever feisty (and fierce) McKayla Maroney.

When the 2016 team captain, Aly Raisman, led her team off the medal podium and they began to cheer’ we are the final five’, many fans of the sport assumed the name was a reference to the fact that as of the 2020 Tokyo Olympics countries will only be able to field a team of four, therefore indeed making the ladies of 2016 the final five. But as was later revealed, the team name was a lot more personal than that.

The nickname actually was coined as a tribute to team coordinator Martha Karolyi. The legendary Romanian coach has held that position for fifteen years, but at the age of 74 decided to step down and retire, which she did immediately after the Olympics. Therefore Simone, Aly, Madison, Laurie and Gabby were HER ‘final five’ and the girls wanted to honor her and the impact she has had on all of their careers.

For instance, it was Karolyi who invited Simone Biles to a one-on-one training camp after Biles had a disastrous showing at one of her first senior competitions in 2013, and a few weeks later Biles won her first of four national titles.

She was also the one who insisted that Gabby Douglas be named to the 2016 team despite a less than stellar showing during the Olympic Trials, trusting that she’s be back in top form for Rio (which she was) And when Aly Raisman contemplated retirement after a poor performance in the 2015 World Championships it was Martha who worked with her one on one to restore her confidence.

And for once, the legendarily tough coach admitted she was overcome with emotion; “From my nature, I’m really not a sentimental person, honestly,” Karolyi said told reporters, “I’m known for being really tough, so I felt like, what’s happening to me, really? But I’m very proud and, yes, I cried.”

A fitting ending to a stellar Olympics and a legendary career, don’t you agree?

If you’re looking for world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the neds of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

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In the run up to the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio, which are now finally here, the Women’s US Gymnastic team has received a huge amount of attention. And not just from the US media either. The ladies are considered hot favorites to scoop up the golds, especially 19 year old ‘supergirl’ Simone Biles and so the whole world has been watching.

But what of the Men’s US Gymnastic team? Four years ago in London they too went in as hot favorites, but then failed to make an impact, finishing in a disappointing fifth place overall.

This year the men claim things will be very different. They have been training far more intensely, have made a point of training together – which is not always the case for Olympic gymnasts – they have perfected more challenging routines and, they say, they are as coordinated and tight knit as any team could be. But who are the men hoping to bring home gold from Rio and shine as brightly as their female counterparts? Let’s take a look:

Sam Mikulak

Although at 23 Sam is one of the younger members of the team, the fact that he would be named captain was something that many pundits called long before it became official after the Olympic Trials in July.

Rio is Sam’s second Olympics, and this year he is in far better shape than he was four years ago. Back in 2012 he was sidelined for five of the six events after suffering a sprained ankle on the first night of competition. And despite having torn his Achilles Heel back in 2015, he has been training hard enough to feel that he is in the best competitive shape of his career.

Danell Leyva

Danell wasn’t supposed to be going to Rio at all. The 24 year old lost his place on the team – a place he did occupy in 2012 – to John Orozco. However, shortly after the team was officially announced, Orozco re-injured a previously torn ACL and was forced to withdraw.

An Olympic medal winner – the bronze medal in the Individual All-Around – in London Leyva, who was born in Cuba but came to the US as a child when his gymnast mother defected by swimming across the Rio Grande, intends to make the most of this unexpected second chance.

Jacob Dalton

Jacob Dalton’s year began with a new element on the parallel bars being named for him in the Men’s Gymnastics Code of Points. The move, a roll backwards with a half tuck to hang, now assures him some measure of professional immortality, but it’s Olympic gold he is far more interested in.

Like most of his teammates Dalton’s road to Rio has not been easy. A member of the 2012 team in London he was sidelined for much of 2015 with a shoulder injury but recovered well enough to put in impressive vault and bars performances at the Olympics trials that earned him a second shot at the ultimate prize.

Alexander Naddour

Alex was named as an alternate on the 2012 London Olympic team but to his great disappointment was never called upon to compete. Four years of hard work later – and some very impressive performances in national and World Championships, especially on the Pommel Horse – and his passage to Rio was booked.

Cheering him on will be the newest member of his personal team, his six month old daughter Lilah, a little girl who may have gymnastics in her blood, as her mom is former US champion gymnast Holly Vise.

Chris Brooks

Chris was only an alternate in London, but this year he gets his chance to shine. At 29, this may be his last trip to the Olympics and he intends to make the most of it.

Chris’ challenge to himself is about more than medal glory though. As a child he was coached by his father Larry, a former gymnast himself. According to Chris, he sacrificed all kinds of things to help keep his son’s career alive and see him reach the Olympics. Sadly his father was killed in an automobile accident in 2008.

Where some might have crumbled though, Chris was determined to make his Dad proud and carried on, both through crippling grief and serious injury. So if you want to gymnast to really root for Chris is certainly one of them, as he sets out to make his – and his father’s – Olympic dreams come true.

If you’re looking for world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

But the Fierce Five were not the first set of American women gymnasts to set the Olympics, and the world in general, on fire with their talent and skill. Before them came The Magnificent Seven and 2016 marks the twentieth anniversary of their stellar success.

Who Were The Magnificent Seven?

As the current US team members were either not born, or mere babies, when the Olympics hit Atlanta, Georgia in 1996 it’s hardly a surprise that many of their biggest fans don’t know very much about the 1996 US Women’s Gymnastics team. For those who don’t remember, The Magnificent Seven was comprised of Shannon Miller, Dominique Moceanu, Dominique Dawes, Kerri Strug, Amy Chow, Amanda Borden, and Jaycie Phelps. And they achieved a feat that many had thought impossible; they won the first ever team gold medal for gymnastics for the United States, breaking a stranglehold the now defunct Soviet Union had held on the competition since 1950.

‘The Atlanta Miracle’

It was acknowledged that the team headed to Atlanta in 1996 was a very strong one, led as it was by Shannon Miller, who is still the most decorated American gymnast in history and was that year’s reigning national champion. But even with seven stellar girls on the team (for the first and only time in Olympic history) most pundits expected bronze for the U.S at best, behind the Soviet Union and China (or Romania or the Ukraine. Few gave the Americans a chance)

Although there were stunning performances from all of the girls on the US team – with Miller, Dawes, and Chow all winning individual medals – the one moment most people who were around and watching in 1996 remember is a single vault performed by the tiny Kerri Strug.

This is how ESPN, then a fledgling sports network, described the drama at the time.

“The U.S. is locked up in another captivating battle with Russia. There is just one apparatus left for the U.S. — the vault — as it leads second-place Russia by .897.
But shockingly, the U.S. lead begins to evaporate after Dominique Moceanu — one of America’s golden girls — falls not once but twice, registering only a 9.20, wiping out a chunk of the U.S. lead and leaving the gold up for grabs.

The gold medal now comes down to Kerri Strug, the quiet gymnast, the understudy to stars Moceanu, Dominique Dawes and Shannon Miller.”

And so ‘little’ Kerri got up to vault. Her first attempt was a nightmare. She fell and and audible crack was heard as she landed badly on her left ankle. Her score was not good – 9.162 – but she had a second attempt left.

It’s now known that Kerri had torn two ligaments in her ankle and should not technically even be able to stand straight. But she did. and she vaulted, and she stuck the landing. The team gold was assured for the US and the world went crazy.

After the Gold

For a full year after their triumph, The Magnificent Seven were everywhere. On chat shows, guesting on TV shows, Keri even appeared in a Prince video, at the star’s request. But 20 years on their lives are very different.

Dominique Dawes has been an integral part of Michelle Obama’s ‘Let’s Move’ campaign. Dominique Moceanu is an author and jewelry designer. Kerri Strug works for the federal government’s Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention. Shannon Miller beat ovarian cancer and now designs gymnastics apparel. And Amy Chow is now Dr. Chow, a highly respected pediatrician.

Only two members of the team really ‘stayed’ in the sport. Jaycie Phelps runs an athletics center and coaches younger gymnasts and Amanda Borden coaches and serves as a gymnastics commentator for several broadcast outlets. However, although they have all gone very different ways, the women got back together again in July, just before the Olympic Trials, giving the 2016 team the chance to meet the women who paved the way for them two decades ago.

If you’re looking for world class gymnastic training for your child, visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Anyone who has even the slightest interest in gymnastics knows that in Rio in August all eyes are going to be on the 19 year old Texan phenom that is the hurricane known as Simone Biles. Many pundits and even former Olympians feel she now has what it takes to make the kind of impact on women’s’ Olympic competitive gymnastics in the 21st century that Nadia Comăneci and her perfect 10 did 40 years ago in 1976.

But Biles aside, who else may make a huge impact this year? Not just from the US Team but from across the globe? Here’s a look at four gymnasts we believe are well worth keeping an eye on as they compete for gold and glory in the 2016 Olympic Games:

Kohei Uchimura, Japan

Uchimura, who recently turned 27, is, in the eyes of many, the male ‘version’ of Simone Biles, a gymnast so innovative and talented that they may be, in some events at least, impossible to beat. He’s a six time World all-around champion (a record), a nine time National Champion back home in Japan and despite his slight 5’3″, 121lb frame is considered to be one of the strongest athletes, pound for pound in the world. And yet he’s a likable, humble competitor too, never one to sit on his laurels. Of competing in Rio, he recently said he planned to train at least an extra hour a day because his competition is ‘so good.’

Manrique Larduet, Cuba

One of the gymnasts giving Kohei Uchimura a run for his money recently has been 19 year old Manrique Larduet. Never heard a Cuban Olympic gymnast before? Not too surprising actually, as the last one to appear at the Olympics was Eric Lopez in 2004.

Manrique has qualified for Rio based on some very solid recent World Championships performances, including a silver in the all-around competition, just losing out to a man he calls his idol, Uchimura. There is going to be a lot of pressure on this talented teenager, the whole country already holds him as a hero, but the pundits feel he is more than up to the pressure.

Oksana Chusovitina

There are lots of things that make Oksana Chusovitina stand out as a gymnast. The fact that she has competed on behalf of three different countries; Germany, the Soviet Union and Uzbekistan. That she is an Olympic gold and silver medalist. And perhaps most notably, in the eyes of many, that she is 41 years old, over 25 years into her professional career, a Mom to teenagers and will still be competing in Rio, under the Uzbekistan flag.

And her appearance is more than a gimmick. Her qualification scores were excellent and some believe she is still a very credible threat to is still a threat to medal on the vault, the event that has brought her so much success in the past.

Dipa Karmakar, India

Dipa Karmakar, who is 22 years old, is another gymnast who will be making history simply by being in the Rio games at all. That’s because Dipa is the first ever gymnast from India to qualify for a place at the Olympics, a high honor indeed for a girl who was once told, at six, she would never be a gymnast because of her flat feet.

And like Oksana, Dipa is a credible threat. She is one of just five women on the international gymnastics scene who has even attempted the very challenging Produnova vault, a move that calls for a front handspring entry with two front flips before landing. The vault earned her fifth place in the recent World Championship and she hopes for even better in Brazil.

Visit our Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

While parents want to make sure that they are buying the right ones at the right times it can, somewhat surprisingly, be a bit of a difficult process, as they quickly discover that there are a lot of options out there. So, with that in mind, here are a few helpful tips and guidelines for making the right choice.

Practice vs. Competition Leotards

The leotards that you see on TV, during competitions, are almost always bright, colorful little numbers, often with all kinds of subtle embellishments like little crystals that catch the light as the athlete moves. And it is these garments that many new female gymnasts will probably be attracted to in stores. However, these are competition leotards, designed to add drama to the spectacle and not really suitable for use as every day practice wear.

Practice leotards are less glamorous and they do not fit as snugly as their flashier counterparts. Often they look more like a swimsuit than anything else in fact. But they are better suited for regular in gym use and they should be what your child begins with. As they then progress and start competing, or appearing in exhibitions, you can take them shopping for one of those show stopping competition pieces.

Fabric Considerations

Fabric type needs to be kept in mind as you shop as well. The shinier, metallic fabrics tend to fit more snuggly and unless they contain an element of spandex may prove a little to restrictive for a young gymnast to feel comfortable in. You may also want to check the label for care instructions. This is a garment that is going to need to be laundered often, so if they are over-complicated (due perhaps to extra embellishments) then for the sake of ease (and longevity) you may want to give that particular leotard a miss.

Getting the Right Fit

Getting the right fit is important too. Often parents buy a child a leotard that is too short in the torso, resulting in it either restricting their movement or riding up in an embarrassing fashion that has the child spending more time trying to tug their way back to modesty than actually practicing their new skills.

The best leotard fit is one that is snug without being too tight, with plenty of give near leg and arm holes and the crouch. For this reason it is often a better idea to try out first leotard purchases in a physical store with the child present. or, if you must shop alone or online at least ensuring that there is a reasonable return policy should the garment end up not fitting properly.

Visit the Gymnastics section and review the goals and description of our classes to find out which one best fits the needs of your child. Our lesson plans are designed to accommodate every age group and skill level. For questions and inquiries, feel free to give us a call 913-766-8918 or email us: tumble@integrityop.com

Discipline – Discipline is a very important part of any gymnastics lesson, even those geared to very young children. There are rules that must be followed to ensure everyone’s safety and even if a child initially attends a class with a parent they must learn to be disciplined enough to follow them or lose their place in the class. Later on in a young gymnasts progress self-discipline becomes important, as they need to be able to stay on task even when their coach is working with a classmate and also to put in the practice needed to improve, even if it means giving up something else (video games, hanging out etc.)

Determination – No one would ever be able to claim that gymnastics is an easy sport. Every move, every routine takes time, patience, practice and effort to master and to eventually perfect. It also involves lots of setbacks and mistakes and it is the determination to keep going, through all of the tumbles and missteps that give a gymnast a fierce sense of determination that will spill over in a positive way into schoolwork and lots of other aspects of everyday life both large and small.

Self Confidence – Self-confidence is something many children, tweens and teens struggle with on a daily basis and sometimes it can seem like the rise of the Internet and social media, as well as various mixed messages from the mainstream media, have only made things worse. Gymnasts, however, develop self-confidence because if you have practiced something dozens of times, failed, got up and tried again until you get it right that the experience can be nothing but a self-confidence booster.

The Ability to Overcome Fear – Any experienced gymnast will admit that getting up on the vault, the beam or the rings for the first time was something of a scary experience. Even some of the floor work can be a little daunting at first. Gymnasts quickly learn that these fears can be overcome and that they can then apply the same principles to lots of other aspects of their life outside the gym.

Teamwork – Although there are plenty of individual glories to be had in gymnastics it is teamwork that almost always is the most important thing of all. It’s not always easy to get children of any age to see the value of teamwork and yet it is a hugely important life skill in general. As a gymnast, a child quickly realizes that the only way they are going to get those titles, medals and accolades they want is to ensure that not only are they doing their best but the rest of their team is too and so being a good teammate becomes second nature.

Friendship – One of the things that you will hear about gymnasts at all levels is that for the most part the participants are very friendly with one another and those friendships last for years. For example, the five girls who made up the hugely successful Fierce Five 2012 Olympics team had all been friends for many years, despite having also spent all of that time competing against one another as well. Many kids find that they form fast friendships through gymnastics that stay with them even if they leave the sport and that can only be a good thing.

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