Page 8 - All Things Gymnastics with Snowflake Designs

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

Guest Post from Gym Mom Amanda

Our wonderful Snowflake Ambassadors have great stories to tell that can inspire or encourage gymnasts to believe in their dreams, to keep persevering, or to do anything!

Today, we’re sharing Ambassador Nevaeh's story! Her mother, Amanda, wrote this piece about Nevaeh’s love of gymnastics and her triumphs in the sport as well as her struggles and obstacles she faces.

Hello everyone! I’m Amanda, Nevaeh’s mom. I thought I’d give my mom perspective on Nevaeh’s gymnastics journey. Of course, I am a proud momma of my little girl. We have

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.

Giving Back

Hi gymnasts! It's important to remember that a tight-knit and supportive community and bond is very valuable. What better way is there to keep these connections happy and healthy than to help out your community? If you’d like to help out but don’t know where to start, here are some ideas for you!

Donating!

Donating is a great way to give back! From clothes to books to toys to your time, anything that you can give to help others benefits the community! Look through your old things and donate anything you don’t wear, read, or use anymore, or use some of your free time to volunteer somewhere