Born to Fly: Kids, Gymnastics, and the Will to Win

Issue of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association Explores Children and Gymnastics

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Countless children risk serious, long-term injury every day as a result of strenuous gymnastics training, according to the February 2001 issue of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association (JACA). JACA explains that gymnastics holds more potential for lasting injuries than sports such as football, rugby, and soccer, among others, in part because it is the only sport that uses the upper extremities as weight-bearing limbs. And if not properly treated, these injuries can cause a lifetime of trouble.

Participation in gymnastics has grown by leaps and bounds, ballooning by 500 percent between 1970 and 1989. And just as involvement in the sport has grown, so have the expectations that coaches place on young gymnasts. Dr. Pauline Anderson, a doctor of chiropractic who was a gymnast for 11 years and a member of the University of Washington team, knows first-hand the pressure to succeed that coaches can place on the athletes. "When I was 11 years old, I had broken both my wrists between the growth plates, and my coach was still pushing me to perform and to tumble on my wrists," Dr. Anderson recalls.

According to JACA, however, many gymnasts place just as much pressure on themselves as the coaches do. Dr. John McDaniel, a doctor of chiropractic from Mountain View, CA, explains, "Many of these children are self-motivated. They may be subtly picking up on what the coaches or parents want, but they love the sport. When I talk to them alone and tell them that gymnastics is really hurting them, that maybe they should consider another sport, many kids will say no, they want to stay."

As awareness about the potential for lasting injuries from gymnastics has grown, schools and communities have taken steps to limit training. But again, their efforts are hampered by the participants' driving determination.

• Communication with coaches -- It is important to stay in contact with the coaches and to be aware of how they are training the kids.
• Nutrition -- Proper nutrition helps the body respond to and recover from injury.
• Establish parent compliance -- Parents need to understand that injury is part of the sport of gymnastics. They need to be encouraged to help their children follow the guidelines you set forth.
• Reduce training hours -- In order to remain competitive, the young athletes keep at their rigorous training. But reducing the number of training hours can help avoid a lot of their injuries.

JACA points out that some gymnasts never get hurt, but they are certainly the minority. And because of the passion and high stakes involved in the sport today, says Dr. McDaniel, "Increased attention to prevention and treatment is so important."

For a copy of "Born to Fly: Kids, Gymnastics, and the Will to Win" in the February issue of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association, or for more information, call the American Chiropractic Association at 800-986-4636.