Rhythmic gymnastics when to start. Rumors about rhythmic gymnastics (comments by Melitina Stanyuta). History of the origin and development of artistic gymnastics

Young gymnasts learn to master a rope, hoop, ball, and ribbon, and their performances to music resemble a beautiful dance. Rhythmic gymnastics for children contains elements of choreography and acrobatics. At what age should a girl be sent to gymnasts, and what awaits her in the future, caring parents think with excitement.

Short story

Until the end of the last century, only women participated in this sport; only thanks to Japanese athletes, men’s competitions began to be held. But only girls are recruited into gymnastics sections.

Rhythmic gymnastics for children is a beautiful and spectacular sport

This sport, whose homeland is Russia, appeared about a century ago thanks to the Russian school of ballet. And in the 80s of the 20th century it was included in the program of the Olympic Games. Since then, Russian athletes have often become Olympic champions, bringing home gold, silver and bronze medals.

At the beginning of the 21st century, Russia occupies a leading position in the world in terms of the level of development of this sport. Every city has amateur or professional rhythmic gymnastics schools.

At what age should you start rhythmic gymnastics classes?

Performing a complex performance program requires good memory and a certain level of physical development. Therefore, girls are recruited for rhythmic gymnastics in specialized schools no earlier than 8–9 years old. And in sport sections Four-year-old children also come, engaging in general physical development for the first time.

To enroll in an Olympic reserve school, it is necessary to undergo physical training, which children receive in sports gymnastics sections.

Lessons for little gymnasts last several hours a day. At an older age, daily training time can reach up to 14 hours. After the age of 16, girls move from rhythmic gymnastics to ballet or choose teaching jobs, and only a few continue their career until the age of 25.

The benefits of rhythmic gymnastics

During daily training, children develop ideal stretching, flexibility and muscle strength that will last their entire lives. Parental support, dedication, hard work and willpower help to achieve good results.

At what age you can bring girls to gymnastics depends on the rules of the section, you can do it at 4 years old

Rhythmic gymnastics gives young girls beauty and grace. This is a very versatile sport that requires flexibility, precise coordination of movements, and masterful control of your body.

Gymnasts are always distinguished by their proud posture, the ability to present themselves, harmonious movements and a strong, balanced character. All this is the result of hard work and many hours of training. Every day you need to do morning exercises, do push-ups, pump up your abs, and stretch certain muscle groups. The lack of summer holidays and time for walks in the yard does not guarantee victory in the Olympic Games. But a smart girl, when she becomes an adult, will be grateful to her parents for an excellent upbringing.

What types of gymnastics exist, at what age should you start your child in this sport, what medical contraindications should you pay attention to? Read about these and other features of gymnastics for children in our article.

Gymnastics has its origins in Ancient Greece. This system exercises is aimed at developing such physical qualities as strength, endurance, flexibility, speed, coordination. Athletes who practice it are flexible, have a toned figure and a beautiful, graceful posture. In addition, some of the types of gymnastics are presented in the program of the Olympic Games, which means that if you are in a serious mood and making the right choice coach, the child will be able to achieve global success.

Types of gymnastics

There are three gymnastics groups. Wellness aims to support human health. Sports is aimed at developing and improving physical qualities, while applied training trains the skills necessary in certain conditions. Each group includes different kinds gymnastics and we’ll tell you about them.

Health-improving gymnastics:

General gymnastics. Running, walking at a brisk pace, overcoming various obstacles, etc. All this improves motor skills.
Hygienic gymnastics. Light exercises without weights or equipment increase overall tone and improve well-being.
Strength gymnastics. Exercises with weights: dumbbells, kettlebells, barbells develop strength qualities, train endurance, which ultimately helps build muscle mass.
Rhythmic gymnastics. Energetic, rhythmic exercises performed to music are aimed at burning calories and training the heart muscle.

Gymnastics

Rhythmic gymnastics is an Olympic sport. Most often it is done by women. Gymnasts perform acrobatic, dance, and flexible exercises using equipment such as ribbons, a ball, a hoop, and a jump rope. Due to the musical accompaniment, a spectacular effect is created.
Acrobatics. A serious, labor-intensive sport that requires long training, good coordination and endurance. Acrobats can perform in pairs or threes, using complex exercises such as bridges, splits, somersaults, stand-ups, etc.
Gymnastics. Like rhythmic gymnastics, it is an Olympic sport. Competitions take place on gymnastic apparatus: uneven bars, rings, beam, horizontal bar, as well as floor exercises and vaults.

Applied gymnastics

Therapeutic. Exercises improve the patient’s well-being. They are carried out under the supervision of a doctor. Usually elements therapeutic exercises used for diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular system, and musculoskeletal system.
Military applied gymnastics. Improves the qualities necessary for military operations.
Sports and applied gymnastics. Its elements are used by professional athletes when preparing for competitions.
Professional - applied gymnastics. The exercises are adapted to specific professions that require physical activity. Such complexes are used by astronauts, firefighters, rescuers, pilots, etc.

From what age

In this and the following sections we will talk about rhythmic gymnastics. It is considered a very early sport. The title of master is received at the age of 14. Therefore, children are sent to gymnastics at an age when they are still naturally flexible and flexible.

Officially, sports schools can accept girls into gymnastics from the age of 5, and boys from the age of 6. But sometimes a coach can take a child at an earlier age: 4 or even 3 years. This decision is made based on physical and psychological data.

To determine physical fitness, a coach can check stretching and ask you to perform simple tasks: make a corner on a gymnastic ladder, do pull-ups. Psychological maturity is also important little man, his willingness to fulfill the coach’s requirements during classes. By the way, girls get into gymnastics at an earlier age, more often than boys.

Medical contraindications

Gymnastics is a traumatic sport, and therefore requires good compensatory capabilities and good health. The main medical contraindications to gymnastics for children are:

Diabetes
Heart disease
Scoliosis in advanced stages
Diseases or pathologies of the cervical spine
Myopia of any stage

But for children who often suffer from ARVI, gymnastics will be useful because it helps strengthen the immune system and increases the body’s resistance to colds.

Before sending your child to gymnastics, consult with doctors, at least a pediatrician, who will give permission.

Boys and girls

Rhythmic gymnastics classes contribute to the formation of beautiful and healthy posture. They develop coordination, vestibular apparatus, and ear for music.

Many parents are attracted to women's rhythmic gymnastics by its showmanship and grace. Regardless of whether a girl will conquer the world podium or practice only for herself, rhythmic gymnastics will help her grow feminine, graceful, flexible and able to present herself correctly.

Boys in rhythmic gymnastics are a rare phenomenon. 30 years ago, men competed for the first time at the Rhythmic Gymnastics World Cup in Tokyo. In 2005, our compatriots Yuri Denisov and Alexander Buklov won five medals at the World Championships in Tokyo. Men's rhythmic gymnastics grew out of martial arts, so it differs from women's in technique and equipment. Boys still have their advantages:

Mastering the skills of martial arts
Formation of an even posture
Development of coordination
Strengthening character

Like any sport, gymnastics has its drawbacks and they are the same for both sexes.

pros

Gymnastics develops a child’s physical abilities, strengthens character and improves mood. The main thing is that the classes bring pleasure, then there will be even more advantages:

Good physical form. We have written about correct posture and flexibility more than once, but we will repeat ourselves, because these are the qualities that allow a child’s body to grow and develop harmoniously.
Excellent health. It is known that sport has a positive effect on a growing body, and gymnastics also helps fight scoliosis in initial stages and helps solve the problem of clubfoot.
Acts as an antidepressant. During training, the production of endorphins accelerates, which improves your mood.
Musical hearing improves. Develops a sense of tact and rhythm. It has long been known that gymnasts can be good musicians. If desired, you can combine sports and music classes.

Minuses

There is always a downside to a medal and, unfortunately, gymnastics cannot do without its downsides. Only the coach and mentees know what grace, flexibility and plasticity are worth. During long training sessions, young athletes may experience severe muscle pain and fatigue. Usually, until the age of 7 years, general physical training takes place in gymnastics sections, after which children study gymnastic combinations. It is during this period that they can experience enormous stress on the muscular and ligamentous apparatus.

The negative aspects of gymnastics include the fact that the training time gradually increases. During preparation for competitions, they can walk for ten hours. As a result, children become very tired, and in some cases, nervous breakdowns occur. With such loads, injuries to the spine and joints can occur.

Another significant disadvantage is that the reason is the heavy load on the spine.

How much do classes cost?

Gymnastics is a fairly expensive sport. The equipment itself is inexpensive, but costumes for performances require significant expenses. Especially if parents want their child to be the brightest and most memorable at competitions.

Shells. In most cases, parents buy all the necessary equipment themselves. The cost of balls varies from 350 rubles to 8,000. The average price of ribbons is 2,000 rubles. Jump ropes cost about 3,000, hoops - 2,000, clubs - 3,500. Wrapping for a hoop costs about 200 rubles. Covers for clubs and hoops from 200 rubles to 3,000.
Clothes and shoes. You will have to buy Czech shoes, socks, clothes for training, and a sports swimsuit for performances. The latter costs from 3,000 to 100,000 rubles. Without taking into account the leotard for performances, you can spend 25,000 rubles.
Trainings, competitions and training camps. Coaching in public schools may be free or may cost little. Travel to competitions and training camps are most often paid for by parents. Their cost depends on the distance of travel and the scale of the competition. In any case, when sending your child to gymnastics, you need to be prepared for additional expenses.

How to choose a section

Focus on your goals first. If you want your child to study for general development, you can choose a section closer to home and to the main school. If you are serious and aim to achieve success in this sport, then you need to take the choice of a section seriously.

Take a closer look at the Olympic Reserve schools. If there are none in your city, choose the Sports Palace or sports school. But it is best to focus on the coach. He must be able to guide beginning athletes in the right direction, be competent and experienced. It will be good if he has the title of meritorious and the students win at European and world-level competitions.

Let's sum it up

Should I send my child to gymnastics? If your child has been amazing since childhood with his flexibility, plasticity, and has a great sense of music - yes. If you doubt that these qualities are inherent in your child, but he has a desire to do rhythmic gymnastics, try it, because with the right approach, everything will work out.

If you later change your mind, the skills gained from rhythmic gymnastics can be useful in other sports, dancing and even music.

Dear readers, if you see a mistake in our article, write to us about it in the comments. We will definitely fix it. Thank you!

Some people think that, which was born about a hundred years ago, is not a sport at all. Others believe that no normal person would spend eight hours in the gym every day. Still others do not believe in the sincerity of the “artists’” smiles. The Belarusian gymnast took it upon herself to comment on some widespread rumors.

1) Rhythmic gymnastics is not a sport, but rather an art.

In principle, people who think so are right in some ways. Everyone knows that rhythmic gymnastics originated from a genre of art such as ballet. At one time, Isadora Duncan took off her pointe shoes and stood on her toes. That's when everything started. However, I am one hundred percent sure: what we do is sport with elements of art, and not the other way around. How many competitions are held in rhythmic gymnastics, how many nerves does each girl burn, how much do we train?..

Every day we spend eight hours in the gym. Of course, rhythmic gymnastics is not boxing or a contact sport. But we have to fight with ourselves. Believe me, all the girls who do rhythmic gymnastics have a very sporty character!

2) There are more tears than joy in rhythmic gymnastics.

Don't even know. However, when you take your first steps, this is really true. Of course, everything is very interesting right away - the ball, the jump rope, the ribbons. And then the child is put on the splits. It hurts. This is where the tears will come. Then, if the girl does not leave rhythmic gymnastics after stretching, she will take up the hoop and clubs. When, for example, a mace accidentally falls on your head, it is not easy to hold back your tears. If she goes further, then there are cases when arms or legs are broken. Another reason to cry.

And it takes a lot of nerves. Sometimes we wind ourselves up. Sometimes tears come from something unreal. Actually this is normal. But people far from our species do not understand this. They ask: why are you crying, why are you worrying?

3) The level of rhythmic gymnastics has grown rapidly over the past decade.

This is true. The fact is that many strong coaches from countries former USSR and Bulgarians scattered all over the planet. They went to work in America, South Africa, and Asia. It turned out that if previously the epicenter of rhythmic gymnastics was in Eastern Europe, now it is distributed throughout the world. Today you can meet good gymnasts in the USA, Japan, China and other countries.

4) At major rhythmic gymnastics tournaments, the winners are known in advance.

There are favorites. But even an Olympic champion can make mistakes. And if this happens, no one knows what will happen next. In our species, we need to work with very treacherous objects. The ribbon can get tied, the ball can roll away, the club can fall. And such an obvious mistake will bring all forecasts to naught.

5) Judges in rhythmic gymnastics are biased.

We are not fighting for meters, time, goals or anything else. Our sport is subjective, just like figure skating. I watch how the guys skate, and sometimes I can’t understand why this pair won, and not the one that, in my opinion, performed better, because it’s unfair...

In my career there have been occasions to quarrel with judges, but I try to be loyal. I understand that in sports there is such a thing: first you work for your name, and then it works for you. For example, an Olympic champion, making mistakes, can remain in the top three or even win. I'm okay with this. Sometimes after my performance I think: I did literally everything, it couldn’t be better.

And the judges will take and hold the score. It turns out they are expecting something else from me. (Laughs.)

Or maybe they reason like this: she’s only 18, she still has a long way to go. Of course, it can be offensive, but I don’t keep such grievances within myself for a long time.

6) Gymnasts have to eat the same as ballet dancers.

Weight is a separate issue. It is impossible to give up everything your whole life. From chocolate, from buns, from bread, from cakes... It's simply unreal. For example, I love chocolate. But there are times when you need to lose weight. Lose a kilo or two. Then all. I sew up my mouth and eat only two apples a day. Sometimes I even woke up at night from hunger.

But when the weight is lost, you keep it off a little, and then that’s it - you can eat. After all, working eight hours in the gym, we spend a lot of energy. We, of course, are still draft horses. (Laughs.) But you need to fuel yourself a little. It is difficult to compete during such hunger strikes, but it is necessary. In such cases, the doctor gives us some vitamins.

7) Gymnasts have a fake smile.

Not that it’s fake... Understand, it’s impossible to always be in a great mood. For example, you need to go to training, but everything hurts - from your fingertips to your hair. Or, again, you need to lose weight - you’re starving... You need to disconnect a little from the gym to relax.

I think every gymnast needs to be not only within the team, but also communicate with other people. I positive person, Lyuba Cherkashina too. But there are different moments. We must try not to get carried away, otherwise we would already be gray-haired, without nerve cells, and baring our teeth at everyone.

In rhythmic gymnastics, competitors do not like each other.

In the USSR, girls even cut each other's ribbons. But times are different now. All this has passed. For example, we are very friendly with gymnasts from Russia, Ukraine and other countries. It seems to me that we have mutual emotional and moral support. Imagine: there is a competition going on, and the weight of responsibility weighs on you, just like your coach. And you feel it. And this is exactly what happens with each of the competitors. If we were also plotting some kind of intrigues against each other, it would be completely bad.

9) Sports life in rhythmic gymnastics is very short.

This is true, but we start early. At the age of 16 we become seniors. 24 years is, in principle, the limit. In no other sport do you bend your back like that, stretch your legs, or train so much. I can't imagine runners, throwers or jumpers spending eight hours in the gym.

Maybe the girls would have stayed in rhythmic gymnastics longer, but their health does not allow it. For example, I already had iron inserted into my foot when I was 18. I don’t look into the distant future; now I’m preparing for the Olympics in London. Of course, I really want to compete at the Rio Games in 2016. And then - I don’t know yet. After all, I will already be old, 22 years old. (Laughs.)

10) To win in rhythmic gymnastics, you must be able to cope with emotions.

Agree. After numerous trainings, muscle memory has already been developed. The process of performing elements is close to automatic. Therefore, in our form, endurance plays a very important role. It happens that stiffness suddenly appears, some sore pops up, and you think: how can you go out on the court with it? This is very confusing. You need to have a warm heart, a cool head and competitive experience. Then everything will work out.

I like to feel the support of the fans. But some girls who came to rhythmic gymnastics late are embarrassed a large number of spectators, they are afraid of the filled stands.

Therefore it is necessary from the very early childhood try to speak in front of a wide audience to get used to it. Then rhythmic gymnastics will bring joy, not stress.

11) A coach for gymnasts is a second mother.

Yes, but we have one coach who does not lead his student from the first lesson to the last. There are specialists with initial training. There are those who work with the youth team. And there are coaches with whom you train when you reach senior level - one might say, the highest level in rhythmic gymnastics. Indeed, I don’t spend as much time with my mother as I do with them. Eight hours. But you also need to sleep and get to the gym.

12) All gymnasts are artists at heart.

This is necessary. There are four exercises. It turns out four different images. You need to try to do everything in a way that makes it interesting for the audience to watch you. For me, Lyuba, and the girls from the Russian national team, all the compositions are very diverse. Not only do you need to complete all the elements in one and a half minutes, but during this time you also need to convey the nature of your exercise, music, and your feelings.

Unfortunately, now in rhythmic gymnastics there are a lot of elements and little time to perform them. You need to have time to convey everything. But even when entering and leaving the site, you need to create a good impression. Without artistry in rhythmic gymnastics it is impossible to win, because we have a separate assessment for it.

13) Training so much is crazy.

There is such a thing. (Smiles.) Sometimes they look at me like I’m a crazy fanatic. I repeat, nowhere else in big sports do they train so much. But we must understand that we are working on coordination, agility, flexibility, stability, rotation... Everything needs to be kept in shape. If you rest a lot and train two hours a day, you simply won’t have time to do anything. But people still understand me. When you talk about your results and abilities, they begin to think that, apparently, it’s not for nothing that Melita is so dispersed in her gym.

Yes, maybe she's a little crazy. But medals from the World and European Championships, the title of international master of sports - this says something.

14) Each famous gymnast has her own special warehouse for soft toys.

- (Laughs.) Yes, they often throw them to us from the stands. I take toys to my relatives or orphanages. I also have a warehouse for medals. I’ll tell you a secret: in my room there is a closet in which all my regalia are stored - three boxes. So I also have enough iron. Maybe there are even more of them than soft friends.

15) After a foot injury, Staniuta gave up, and it’s not a fact that she will return to her former level.

And maybe I will become even better. I never look for easy ways in life. I am constantly trying to reach the stars through some thorns. In 2010, she competed at the World Championships with a broken bone in her foot. Then there was an operation, after which I returned to rhythmic gymnastics. Now here is the second foot... Maybe I should throw them away altogether? This is my favorite idea - breaking feet. (Smiles).

It's just that some people go through similar trials and become better, and some give up. Of course, we could give it all up. But I know that if I do this, I will regret it very much later. I'm generally a very ambitious girl. I am sure that if I take on something, I will succeed. And no other way. Now we have to be patient.

So far I have both nerves and desire. Therefore, I will refute this latest rumor.

Rhythmic gymnastics is a complex coordination sport, it involves the development of coordination abilities. Gymnastics involves the performance of a variety of choreographic and semi-acrobatic elements on a mat to rhythmic gymnastics music. In addition to physical attributes such as turnout, flexibility and stretching, female athletes must be proficient strong character In addition, the competitive spirit of the participants is important.

The origin of this sport began only at the beginning of the 19th century, so rhythmic gymnastics is considered one of the youngest sports in the world. However, during the period of development, gymnastics has changed greatly and become more complex.

History of origin

Gymnastics, whose history began in the 19th century, has been formed over a long time and continues to change.

The history of gymnastics begins its journey in Paris thanks to the scientist Georges Demeny. He argued for the use of elements that in the future became the basis of gymnastics. Elements such as exercises with sports equipment, muscle stretching elements, choreographic steps, etc.

The next stage in the emergence of gymnastics is considered to be the development of the French scientist Delmarte's theory of the skill of expressive movement. In it, he proved that reproducing certain movements can evoke certain emotions in a person.

A key event in the history of gymnastics can be called the creation of its famous free dance by Isadora Duncan. It consisted of abandoning the classics in favor of improvisation.

An interesting fact is that it was in our country that the final formation of rhythmic gymnastics as a sport took place. In 1913, under the influence of the above factors, the first school of the artistic movement was opened.

Olympic history

A key moment occurred in 1980 when the IOC decided to include rhythmic gymnastics into the Olympic sports. Gymnastics in the history of the Olympics dates back to 1984 in America. An athlete from Canada was the first to receive the highest award in gymnastics. Soviet gymnasts could compete with her, but political reasons The USSR did not take part in the championship. Nevertheless, already at the next Olympics, the gold award went to the athlete from the Union Marina Lobach.

Rhythmic gymnastics in the USSR

The history of rhythmic gymnastics in the Soviet Union is often divided into 2 periods. The first period of time lasted from 1947 to 1963. At this point in time, Soviet gymnastics was formed as a sport, and with its help the physical education of the population took place. The first rhythmic gymnastics tournaments were held in Tbilisi in the form of shows. Following this, the first World Gymnastics Championships took place in 1949.

Gymnastics in the USSR acquired a fresh round of development after the introduction of sports qualifications, which were invented in 1950. The division of gymnasts into categories and the introduction of standards had great importance in the technical development of sports. After this, in 1954, standards for the Masters of Sports program were introduced, which significantly increased the chances of success for domestic athletes.

in 1980, rhythmic gymnastics was included in the program of the Olympic Games.

The second period begins in 1963. This period arose from the creation technical commission. Thanks to this, athletes have the opportunity to participate in international competitions. In 1967, group exercises in rhythmic gymnastics appeared.

Gymnastics is gaining more and more fame in the world, after which in 1980 rhythmic gymnastics was included in the program of the Olympic Games.

In 1985, a team consisting of men competed for the first time in the World Cup in Japan. The public all over the world was in shock; no one could imagine what gymnastics could be like. However, Japanese spectators were delighted.

Development of rhythmic gymnastics in Russia

Russia came to a new era with new trends in rhythmic gymnastics. The International Gymnastics Federation has already changed the grading scale for rhythmic gymnastics three times in the 21st century. The last time the Gymnastics Federation introduced changes to the rules of judging in rhythmic gymnastics was in 2005, when a grading scale of 20 points was introduced to reduce subjective opinion. 3 teams of judges participate in the assessment.

Like other sports, gymnastics is prone to doping scandals. However, unlike others, gymnasts take drugs not to build muscle mass, but to lose weight. One of the most high-profile scandals in modern history is the scandal with Alina Kabaeva and their punishment was disqualification for 2 years, in addition they were required to constantly undergo doping tests throughout the year.

Every year on the last Saturday of October, the world celebrates Gymnastics Day. Modern history gymnastics in Russia is characterized by the victories of our athletes. Today in Russia there is very tough competition among gymnasts. The athletes believe that the winner takes all.

There is even a movie with the same name. It tells about the second side of the gold medal: the titanic work of female athletes. “Winner Takes All” is a film that shows how tensions are growing in the world of gymnastics due to the constant leadership of the Russian team. How, despite everything, young athletes show their skills on the mat and win the highest titles. A huge credit for this goes to Irina Viner-Usmanova, she knows everything about rhythmic gymnastics.

In gymnastics, a lot depends on the talent of the coach. Only an experienced coach will be able to stage the exercise in such a way that all the athlete’s advantages are embellished and the flaws are hidden. It’s not for nothing that even the anthem of rhythmic gymnastics mentions:

“The honored coach is a little harsh,
But don’t be tormented by doubts.”

By the way, one of the most famous names in the history of the development of rhythmic gymnastics in Russia is. This is the name of an experienced coach, whose students are constantly favorites in all international competitions.

Irina Viner is constantly looking for new talents. To this end, she patronizes the open competition “The Path to the Pedestal.” Participants in these competitions have the opportunity to train with the best trainers in Russia and show their talent to Irina Viner herself.

Famous gymnasts

Today almost every citizen of Russia knows about rhythmic gymnastics. This is one of the most popular sports in our country. Gymnasts who achieve certain success are always on people's lips. In addition, after finishing their sports career, many of them achieve considerable heights in other areas of activity.

The most famous gymnast in Russia is Alina's performances with clubs and hoop. Spectators were especially delighted. After completing her sports career, Alina achieved good results in political career public life and in business.

From left to right: Evgenia Kanaeva, Irina Viner-Usmanova, Alina Kabaeva.

The gymnast is famous all over the world; it was she who for the first time managed to win the title of Olympic champion twice. After completing her sports career, Evgenia completely immersed herself in family life.

One of the most popular gymnasts in our time is. The six-time European Champion has won many stunning victories during her sports career. After an injury in 2002, she left big sports and began to master the field of TV presenter. Also, she is the director and ideological inspirer of several dance shows, the author of an autobiographical book, loving wife and a caring mother of two children.

Gymnastics never ceases to develop and give us fresh faces among the athletes of our country. This is a truly Russian sport and our athletes prove this year after year. At every championship, the attention of the audience is focused on. No one but them can even imagine the emotional tension when the whole country sincerely believes in your victory, while your opponents hope to lose.

Gymnastics has come a long and difficult way from Duncan’s “free dance” and Delmant’s theory to a serious and difficult sport. The rules of gymnastics were constantly rewritten and changed. The trend in innovation was clearly visible, and it was a constant trend toward complexity. For the most part, there are more and more high difficulty elements all the time.

A key event in the history of gymnastics can be called the creation of its famous free dance by Isadora Duncan.

Our athletes also deserve credit for this. Several elements in gymnastics are even named after our athletes. Thus, 4 elements are named after. The contribution of Alina Kabaeva is considered important; she advocates increasing the number of complex elements to increase the entertainment value of sports. Also, she is fighting to increase the set of awards that are awarded at the Olympics.

Gymnastics builds character and improves health. But will you have more to lose in your attempt to make a career and get on the Olympic podium? Are fears of injury justified? And what pitfalls will parents and young athletes encounter along the way?

Girls and boys

bronchial asthma;
scoliosis;
heart disease;
diabetes;
diseases of the cervical spine.

pros

A child involved in any sport is in good physical shape. Artistic gymnastics is no exception. Here all the muscles of the body are worked out, coordination of movements, plasticity and endurance are improved. And royal posture is a distinctive feature of any gymnast.

Gymnastics teaches you to fight, cope with difficulties and take responsibility, set goals and achieve them.

“I was very attentive to the World Cup. With injuries, I won’t even specify, but I performed there no matter what,” Svetlana Khorkina shares her experience.

Minuses

Constant training, an increase in muscle mass, and increased stress on the child’s spine affect the development of growth. Most parents note that the child grows poorly when other children noticeably stretch out during adolescence. Coaches explain this by the characteristics of genetics and the fact that children with short stature are selected for professional sports, which will allow them to achieve success in international competitions in the future.
Due to the high load on the body, girls experience late puberty and problems with menstrual cycle, which in principle can happen in any sport.
Injury hazard. Jumping, exercises on the pommel horse and uneven bars seem dangerous to an unprepared person and threaten the health of the future champion. In fact, until the age of 7, a child is engaged in general physical training; only after 2-3 years of training does he move on to special elements. Each element is worked out in detail and gradually, but, unfortunately, does not reduce the percentage of injury to zero.

How much do classes cost?

Children's and youth schools recruit young athletes for free. Among trainers, it is common practice to make regular contributions for new equipment and powder for performing exercises on uneven bars, which amounts to at least 500 rubles. per month. If we talk about private sports centers, then 8 gymnastics classes in Moscow will cost from 5 to 8 thousand rubles. Plus, in both cases, parents buy sportswear for training and bear the costs of sports competitions, which can reach 25 thousand rubles. per month.

How to choose a section

You can practice gymnastics in both private and public sections. In private schools, in addition to group training, it is possible to take individual lessons.

First, the child undergoes general physical training, so for the first 2 years, parents can save money and send the child to a regular school. Afterwards, focus on the coach and decide whether it makes sense to stay with your mentor at the Youth Sports School or send the young athlete to a registered vocational school. For example, in Moscow, world and European champion Alexei Dudchenko has his own gymnastics school.

Psychological portrait of an athlete

The main traits of a gymnast: endurance, patience, perseverance and tenacity of character. The child must be purposeful and ready to perform the same elements to standard performance. Lack of fear and self-confidence play a significant role, because you will have to jump, climb high on the horizontal bar and perform exercises on a horse. The child’s psychological attitude will be reflected in the future and on his results, so the sooner you teach him to focus and overcome failures, the better.

“I trained until one or another difficult element began to work out. I forced myself to go to the gym even on Sundays. It was this self-discipline that helped me a lot in the future. I believe that sport in general has changed my life a lot - it has helped me strengthen my character and become more reasonable,” says Alexey Nemov, who expresses his gratitude to sport.

What difficulties might you encounter?

Injury hazard

In any gymnastics, the athlete is pulled and has to overcome pain. Torn ligaments are the norm in this sport. In addition, during training, athletes break joints, twist their arms and legs, and when landing on foam rubber, they knock off their knees and break their backs. By doing gymnastics, a child learns to be more relaxed about any type of injury and to be prepared for something like this. He cannot calculate a successful landing, and if the arm is in an awkward position, it is easy to dislocate it.

A lack of money

You can only receive winnings from international competitions. Neither the Cup nor the Russian Championship will bring anything other than a certificate and words of gratitude. It is possible to make a career and start making money in sports only after a good performance at the Olympic Games. The athlete’s salary also depends on the city’s sports committee; in some places they provide benefits, but in others there is no interest in artistic gymnastics, as well as financial support.

Unpopularity of sports in the country

People remember about artistic gymnastics only during the Olympics; there are few broadcasts on TV, and even if there are, it is at unwatchable hours. Mostly relatives and friends come to the competition. The lack of interest in gymnastics on the part of sports committees also affects the equipment of gyms. It happens that a number of equipment are missing and the elements are worked on before the tournament itself, which also affects the technique.

Let's sum it up

Artistic gymnastics is a sport that requires tremendous endurance, patience and endurance. A sport that strengthens your child for the rest of his life. The child learns to overcome difficulties and fear, endure defeat and rely only on himself. All elements are performed alone, and the final result depends only on him. The gymnast understands how to take responsibility and that a sprained palm is not the end of a sports career. Having survived gymnastics school, the child knows how to set goals and achieve the impossible on his own.

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