It's the Small Things In Life

Perfectionism is undoubtedly one of the largest part of this sport, as it is with many others in other areas. In a recent interview with Kohei Uchimura, the best gymnast in the world, he stated that he wouldn't quit until everything was perfect. He is 28, 2 years past the supposed prime for male gymnasts. I'm pretty sure he will be competing in the next Olympics, and then possibly the one after that. He's crazy, but the best.

For many, perfectionism leads pessimism. One of the hardest things to do in the sport of gymnastics is staying positive. As I am pretty sure I've said before, one bad move can lead to one bad day, one day leads to a bad week, then a bad month, and pretty soon your whole season has gone down the toilet. In order to keep the light on in the room of darkness every little thing helps. From the simple compliment from your coach to that one time you win a small game to when you just have a turn that feels right among all the other crappy ones. Another hard thing about looking for those little things is the simple act of going after something small happens. You say "I can do it again" and wind up just having another crappy turn. You learn when to stop so you end on a good note over time.

Just like any generic time when your having a bad time you should always look for the positive instead of dwelling on the negative. It's hard but that one pick me up can be the difference between a good grade on an exam, a good night, or even one's life. Find the little things that make you happy and capitalize on them! It makes life a lot more enjoyable.

I know this one was short but it's honestly probably one of the most important one;s to me, purely because it's one that I'm constantly trying to do.s


Background: There used to be three other events that were a part of the gymnastics world: Rope (in rhythmic gymnastics), Rope climbing, and the Swinging Rings. Rope was like all other rhythmic events only with a rope, rope climbing was a question of speed, and swinging rings were similar to still rings, but, you guessed it, swinging!

Question of the Day: Why don't you come hang out with us more? Throughout high school my schedule was: wake up, school, an hour to get home, eat, and get to gym, then gym for anywhere between 3-5 hours, what ever extra time was waiting for my sister to finish, then it was home by 9pm, eat, homework, sleep. It was fun.

Skill of the Day: Pak Salto. This skill is very common among elite women gymnasts as it is an "easy" transition from the high bar to the low bar.