If you follow us on social media (and you should!) you know we talk a lot about our brand ambassadors. They are an outstanding group of gymnasts who love to share their passion for gymnastics and Snowflake Designs with their friends and followers. They are dedicated gymnasts and great role models for gymnasts everywhere.
This week's blog post was written by Ambassador Sabrina @sabrinasgymnastics. She is a young Level 3 gymnast from North Carolina. Her blog entry is something that many gymnasts can relate to: dedicating all free time to gymnastics, despite wanting to do other things.
Sorry I Can’t, I Have Gymnastics...
As a Junior Olympic (JO) competitive gymnast, that’s my answer a lot of times when my friends ask to make plans. Gymnastics is more than just a sport, it is a lifestyle. As a Level 3 Gymnast, I train 12 hours per week. I practice 3 times a week for 4 hours each time. On gymnastic nights, that usually means I get off the bus, have a quick meal and do some homework, and then run off to practice. Then after practice, it’s dinner in the car on the way home, a quick shower, and straight to bed.
When I move up to level 4, my practice hours will increase to 18 hours per week.
Gymnasts don’t get a break in the summer. We don’t have an off-season. We train as hard when we're not competing as when we are in competition season.
This means I miss a lot of play dates, birthday parties, after-school activities, my brother’s baseball games, and other events. Sure, there are times I would love to skip gymnastic practice to play at a friend's house. But I chose gymnastics as my sport and this is the commitment I have made.
Luckily, my teammates have become some of my closest friends. We cheer each other on and we have a good time together. We know what each one of us is feeling and are there to help each other when needed.
Sabrina's best friends are her teammates since they spend so much time together.
Gymnastics is not easy. It takes a lot of practice and patience. Sometimes it takes weeks or months to get a certain skill. But there is no greater feeling than when you finally get that mill circle or land that round-off back handspring.
There will always be more conditioning to do, techniques to perfect, and new skills to learn. So for now, sorry I can’t, I have gymnastics!
