The Effects of Gymnastics on Teen Behavior

Gymnastics can be very beneficial for your teen, as long as other areas of her life are not neglected because of her commitment to excellence in the sport. As your teen experiences the natural growth processes of adolescence, she might feel pressure to maintain a very slim physique to be a successful gymnast. Although gymnastics can help physically strengthen your teen, the pressures often associated with the sport can negatively affect behavior if not managed properly.

  1. Eating Habits

    • Because your teen will need the energy to perform gymnastics, she will ideally develop healthy eating habits and learn about proper nutrition. However, many gymnasts experience an unhealthy pressure to be thin, as KidsHealth warns. Although male gymnasts are subjected to tremendous pressure to maintain a specific look, female gymnasts in particular seem most vulnerable to body image issues. Your teen might develop a distorted body image and become obsessed with losing weight or maintaining a very low body fat percentage. Some might even become so determined to lose weight that they severely limit caloric intake.

    Self-Esteem

    • Your teen̵7;s self-esteem can benefit from gymnastics, provided she enjoys the time she dedicates to the sport. If she feels inferior to her peers or does not have a naturally small build, she might struggle with a lack of self-esteem. If hard work and determination in gymnastics strengthen her physically and improve her coordination, helping her develop grace, her self-esteem will likely blossom. Her self-confidence and self-esteem can begin to erode if she struggles with weight or feels like she is unable to meet the intense demands of her coaches, journalist Nancy Hellmich reported in a February 2006 article on the "USA Today" website.

    Driven to Succeed

    • An organized sport such as gymnastics helps your teen work toward success, handle competition and not be discouraged by minor setbacks. Gymnastics helps your teen schedule and prioritize her school obligations, practice schedule, competition dates and personal life. The self-discipline and intense, high-impact activities of the sport improve not only her physical performance, but have been shown to improve academic performances as well, Michigan State University researchers report. Skills necessary to succeed in gymnastics, such as perseverance and determination, will help her throughout life, the National Federation of State High School Associations states in a paper called, "The Case for High School Activities."

    Social Behavior

    • If your teen dedicates all of her time to gymnastics, she might miss out on some important social experiences. She might miss a school dance or birthday party because she has practice or a competition. However, gymnastics likely introduces her to peers and social experiences that she otherwise might not encounter. As long as she has a balance between gymnastics and other parts of her life, gymnastics can improve social behaviors. Organized sports help your teen learn to get along with a variety of personalities and social situations as well as handle constructive criticism, state experts on the University of Rochester Medical Center website.

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