By Middle-School Blogger Soleil Antle
Whether you’re tumbling across a floor or swinging on the bars, you’re doing the unimaginable. Soleil Antle, an aspiring gymnast, writes about the benefits and risks of gymnastics, and she argues why gymnastics truly is the hardest and most worthwhile sport. Gymnastics isn’t one level with a bunch of thrown-in skills; it’s divided into levels 1-10 with the exception of an excel program which gives you more variety in the skills you do. The WAG program (women’s artistic gymnastics) has a code of points, and you must have a certain amount of rating skills for your routine to be eligible. All gymnasts compete in the four events: vault, bars, beam, and floor. To get broader perspective, Soleil extends the discussion to the insights of her teammates Lindsay Soulier and Ava Pryor.
Lindsay Soulier has been practicing gymnastics for ten years. She is a member of Cygnus gymnastics training center and competes level 7 of 10.
Soleil: If you could wrap up gymnastics into two words what would they be?
Lindsay: Hard work and perseverance.
Soleil: What are the benefits and risks of the sport?
Lindsay: I think a huge benefit of gymnastics is I have a lot of amazing friendships, and I’m surrounded and supported by so many people who I wouldn’t know if it weren’t for the sport.
I think the risks of gymnastics are injuries. You might do something and get injured if you don’t do it right, which adds a huge risk factor to the sport. Gymnastics puts a lot of strain on your body, which can also overuse different muscles, tendons, ligaments, and tissues. . . . A key thing with gymnastics is to listen to your body and don’t overdo things if you feel pain.
Soleil: Why do you think it is the hardest sport?
Lindsay: I think gymnastics is the hardest sport because although it looks cool and it is so fun; most people don’t realize it’s way more than that. You have to have really good cardio and strength and be able to maintain it. Gymnastics is a sport that requires a lot of commitment, drive, and determination, and if you can’t stay committed, it is probably not the sport for you.
Gymnastics is a great sport and has taught me how to persevere and handle situations–not just in the gym but outside of the gym in my daily life. I’m forever grateful to be in the sport as it has given me mental and physical toughness, and it is something I look forward to and truly enjoy.
Ava Pryor has been a gymnast since she was 18 months old. She is now 13. She is also a member of Cygnus gymnastics training center and competes at a level 8.
Soleil: What does gymnastics mean to you?
Ava: Gymnastics means so much to me. I have spent my whole life in a gym to become the best version of myself in this sport. Gymnastics is really my happy place. I get to be with the people I love most, and I get to make memories along my journey through gymnastics. It’s truly the one thing that will always make me smile. That’s what gymnastics means to me.
Soleil: Why do you think it is harder than any other sport?
Ava: Personally, I think that gymnastics is harder than any sport because of both the physical and mental aspect of it. Gymnastics can be very challenging on the body from taking so many turns over and over again. They say practice makes perfect, but it can hurt the body so much to the point where injuries can occur . . . . The mental aspect of it is also very challenging; there is a lot of stress that you have to deal with from a very young age. You have the fear of falling all the time. You compare yourself to others, and you have mental blocks that you have to get over, but learning how to deal with these are the things that make gymnastics one of the greatest sports of all time.
Soleil: What are the benefits of gymnastics?
Ava: There may be a lot of risks in gymnastics, but there are many benefits as well, as it teaches you confidence, bravery to work hard, achieve balance, and more. It also teaches you determination to never give up. For example, if you have a bad meet–say you fell off the beam–you keep going. You don’t think about that one thing you did wrong; you think about what you did right. A positive mind is key.
In my opinion gymnastics is definitely the hardest sport because it isn’t always happy and perfect. There is a huge mental aspect that goes with it, and it’s very mentally draining and frustrating at times. It’s incredibly hard because you have to have the strength to hold on but the courage to let go. And that’s not easy. You don’t know how the next move is going to go, so you have to trust in yourself and your training.
I just got injured myself and am out for most of the season; it’s hard not being able to do everything. I’m walking around in a boot, and trying to keep up with my strength is a challenge. I’m able to learn from this though; if I’m positive, it helps move the process along faster. Gymnastics doesn’t just teach you skills in the gym but in your daily life as well. In order to do your best, you have to step out of your comfort zone, even if you don’t want to. It’s all about the mental mindset.
–Soleil
Wow Soleil, I had very little knowledge of the highs and lows in the world of Gymnastics. Such an insightful read! Keep that positive mindset – you’ll heal up soon enough and be back to doing what you love!
Great article Soliel.
I really respect your strength and perseverance Soleil! I find gymnastics extremely impressive – as someone with very poor dexterity, it is amazing to me that people are capable of these sorts of physical feats.