19/09/2026
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It’s National Gymnastics Day 🤸Here are six things I’ve learned as a competitive gymnastics parent:
1.) I'm not sure what sends my heart rate higher: a 30-minute workout or watching my gymnast perform on beam.
2.) The number of hours trained compared to the number of minutes actually competing is .... wild. I have incredible respect for these athletes who put so much time, effort and heart into their skills behind the scenes year-round, only to perform them a couple times in front of people other than their teammates and coaches.
3.) In a world where we're telling girls that all body shapes are welcome and perfection is never the goal -- gymnastics is a sport where perfection gets the highest score ... and how they shape their body in the skills is part of scoring higher. I find it that much more important to help my daughter know the difference between how we talk about that in gymnastics life ... and real life.
4.) The pressure to go from training in the comfort of your home gym, to competing on a new apparatus in a new space with all the judges and spectators eyes on you ... is big. So is their bravery to put themselves out there to try it.
5.) If you want to know inspiration, watch an athlete fall off the beam, get back up and complete the performance without skipping a beat. Look up stone-cold competitor in the dictionary?This is what you'd find.
6.) But really... who invented beam?
To all the gymnasts who go out there and bravely compete - I hope you know you are winners before you even do your first salute.
We see you.
We love you.
And we are inspired by you.
Happy National Gymnastics Day!
The Top Bleacher
