Page 6 - Gym Parent Advice

Why Dance Classes are a Great Option for Summer

Written by Olga Mueller

As summer approaches, many families start to look for activities that can keep kids active, engaged, and off the couch. If you’re the parent of a gymnast, you may also be looking for an activity that can serve a dual function - be fun and a benefit to gymnastics training.

So with that in mind, are dance classes a good summer option for gymnasts? The answer is YES - and here’s why:

Flexibility

Dance requires a lot of flexibility, so whether it’s ballet, hip-hop, jazz, or tap, there will be (or should be) a lot of flexibility training. Increased flexibility can help your gymnast become more graceful, and can help protect against injury.

Strength and Endurance

Did you know that in the 16th century, ballet

How To Manage Your Time Between Gymnastics and School!

We hope every gymnast had a great summer break! Now that school’s back in session, it’s time to focus on doing your very best not only on the gym floor but in the classroom as well. It’s no secret that coordinating your gym time and school time can be a very hard thing to do. We’d all rather be in the gym, but every gymnast must work as hard in the classroom as they do during practice. So how do you make time for both? We’ve found some tips for every gymnast on how to make time for gym training during the school year. Here is how to perform the hardest balancing act: time management!

Make a To-Do List Every Day

Making a to-do list may sound silly, but it’s very helpful with

What is Mental Toughness?

Recently, athletes’ mental health has taken center stage in the media. A healthy mind is important for everyone, but especially for athletes like gymnasts who are performing difficult, often dangerous, skills. If you’re not in the right headspace to perform to your best abilities, you can get yourself into trouble. Building your mental toughness is important in your gymnastics journey – it takes a lot of strength, both physically and mentally, to keep up with all of the demands of gymnastics at all levels. However, you don’t want to misidentify mental toughness and put yourself into negative situations. Let’s discuss mental toughness for gymnasts and what it means and doesn’t mean to be mentally tough.

Choosing The Right Gymnastics Gym

It can be hard knowing how to pick the right gymnastics gym, especially if you are new to the sport of gymnastics. Snowflake Designs is here to help you make sure you select the right gym for your new gymnast!

1. Coaches

A coach or teacher can make or break your child’s gymnastics experience. While you’re at the gym looking at the equipment, watch the coaches working with the gymnasts. Are they attentive? Do they get and keep the kids motivated? Do they seem knowledgeable? Ask a few parents how their children enjoy the coaches. Coaches and staff should be approachable for comments,

Fun Gym Activities to Have Fun at Home

It can be hard to find new things to keep you entertained at home each day. Of course, there are daily workouts all over social media you can do, but what other gymnastics activities can you do at home? Snowflake Designs decided to share a list of fun gymnastics activities you can do at home!

Challenge Your Friends

Everyone loves a little competition! You and a friend can each make up a list of gymnastics challenges for each other (handstand contest, cartwheel contest, obstacle course, etc.). Then video chat with your friend and complete each other’s challenges! You could even post your challenge list on social media and challenge all your friends!

Have Fun with Chalk