Page 4 - International Gym Activity Book

Grit.Grit, which was de ned as having determination, courage, persistence, a ‘growth mindset’ and the ability to maintain a balanced lifestyle, was a better predictor than intelligence in predicting which kids succeeded in the classroom.Gymnastics develops determination. Determination is that quality that makes you continue trying to do or achieve something that is di cult. Simply watch a beginning gymnast learn a cartwheel or a pullover, and you are seeing determination in action.Gymnastics cultivates courage. Tumbling across a 4 inch wide beam? Running full speed at a standing object and then jumping (or ipping!) over it? Swinging on a bar 7 feet in the air? Defying gravity on a regular basis? Gymnasts routinely make the choice to confront discomfort, fear, and to do the right thing even when it costs more than they want to pay. All hallmarks of courage.Gymnastics plans persistence. Fall down seven times, get up eight is a Japanese proverb turned gymnasts’ motto. Developing that quality that allows someone to continue doing something or trying to do something even though it is di cult...that is not only the de nition of persistence, but is practically the de nition of gymnastics practice.Gymnastics garners a growth mindset. It’s practically impossible to not have a growth mindset, the belief that our most basic abilities can be developed through dedication and hard work, and be a gymnast. Otherwise, why would a gymnast even bother with practice? Turns out that a growth mindset helps create a love of learning and a resilience essential to great accomplishments. Ever met a gymnast who didn’t love to learn new things or who accomplished something without having to rise in the face of di culty or after a set back? Me neither.Gymnastics demands a balanced lifestyle. Dr. Christina Hinton, a neuroscientist andfaculty member at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, said: “Our results suggest that grit does not require pushing yourself at all costs, but rather cultivating healthy emotional regulation skills and e ective learning strategies.” Gymnasts understand this. The importance of getting su cient sleep, nutrition, making time for gymnastics, school, family, faith and other extracurriculars are all things even our youngest athletes learn.Still not convinced? Then consider this: an NCAA study was conducted that showed over 35% of gymnasts at the college level achieved a GPA of 3.5 or better. Over 90% of college students involved in NCAA gymnastics graduated, a much higher rate than students who didn’t participate in gymnastics. More academic awards were given to gymnasts than to any other college sport by as much as two to three times. Additionally, more gymnasts received NCAA post-grad scholarships in the past 5 years than any other female sport.Like I said: “Why Your Kid Should do Gymnastics if You Want Them to Develop the Kind of Character That Helps Them Succeed at School.”4Visit the JAG Gym Blog at www.annejosephson.wordpress.comHow Gymnastics Helps Your Child Succeed in SchoolHarvard School of Education released their ndings on their latest research project; they could have simply titled it “Why Your Kid Should do Gymnastics if You Want Them to Develop the Kind of Character That Helps Them Succeed at School.”Okay, it doesn’t exactly roll o the tongue...but it cuts to the core of what kids need to succeed in school and why gymnastics is the perfect place to develop it.You see, the good folks at Harvard, in conjunction with 4,000 UK teenagers, undertook a study that examined the characteristics that best predicted a student’s future academic success and that characteristic is...Anne Josephson is President and CEO of the Josephson Academy of Gymnastics (JAG). In addition to serving on USA Gymnastics Board of Business Advisors and the USAIGC Business and Education Committee, Anne also is a member of the Athena Leadership Board at Barnard College. Anne is a former gymnast, a coach, a judge, and the parent of four daughters who were gymnasts. Anne holds a B.A. from Barnard College, Columbia University and a M.S. Ed. in Educational Psychology from USC, where her focus was on how children and adolescents learn best.