Outline+Page

1. History of gymnastics A.  2. What it takes to be a gymnast A.   3. The dangers of gymnastics <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Originated from ancient Grease
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Greeks practiced as preparation for war
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">We saw the strength, endurance, and flexibility it took to do this and changed it into a sport.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">FLEXIBILITY~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">tremendous flexibility of the athlete's shoulders, legs, back, ect.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">determines whether or not gymnasts will be able to achieve certain skills
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">A flexible gymnast will not only execute split leaps and jumps more beautifully, but she will be able to perform certain difficult elements that require this characteristic.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">STRENGTH~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">the participants of the sport of gymnastics are mainly young girls, the strength required to complete the most difficult elements compares to the strength of any football player or weight lifter
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Strength is necessary to hold oneself in many of the hand- supported positions in gymnastics, such as handstands and handsprings.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">SPEED~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Without tremendous speed, events such as the vault and the floor exercise cannot be mastered
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The entire vault is generated from a quick run and punch of the spring board, and all tumbling elements require a fast approach or quick muscle movement to initiate the skill. The gymnast needs the speed of a sprinter to achieve the most advanced skills of gymnastics.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">POWER~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Without power, a gymnast cannot achieve the height she needs to complete her gymnastics skill before landing.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Many elements, such as full twisting somi's and double back flips, demand that the gymnast reach heights of up to 10 feet in the air before completion.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">And all of this height comes from the power and the punch generated entirely from a gymnast's legs
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">AIR AWARENESS~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Once a gymnast achieves height in her tumbling and gymnastics elements, she must be able to control herself both in the air and on the landings.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">The athlete must be aware of exactly where she is while both flipping and twisting
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">To avoid taking "extra steps" on the landings, and "form breaks" in the air, this awareness must be developed over years of training
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">COORDINATION~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">She must be able to combine her fast approach with her powerful takeoff, and be completely aware of her position in the air prior to landing.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">GRACE~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Beyond the pounding athleticism of gymnastics, there is a graceful and beautiful side to the sport.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Not only must skills be performed with amplitude and technique, but they must be surrounded by flowing dance that ties the routines together.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Top gymnasts also take ballet and dance classes every week, working on the execution of their leaps, turns, and movements.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Since floor exercise routines are performed to music, the gymnast must also have a good sense of beats, rhythms, and expression.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;">**<span style="color: red; font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">DEDICATION~ ** <span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">more than any other trait, a gymnast must have dedication.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">As any gymnast knows, success in the sport does not come easy and immediately.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Skills are not achieved over night, but are the end result of countless long hours of training and conditioning.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">But for those who are willing to put in the time and energy, the rewards make it well worth the effort.
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Many female athletes fall victim to eating disorders in a desperate attempt to be thin in order to please coaches and judges
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">coaches can be guilty of pressuring these athletes to be thin by criticizing them or making reference to their weight
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">comments could cause an athlete to resort to dangerous methods of weight control and can do serious emotional damage to the athlete
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">judges consider thinness to be an important factor when deciding the artistic score
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Athletes with eating disorders can be at a higher risk for medical complications such as electrolyte imbalances and cardiac arrhythmias
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Having an eating disorder puts them at great risk for sudden death from cardiac arrest
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">difficult to convince athletes that they are in need of help because they usually believe that they will become a better athlete, and perform better, if they lose more weight
 * <span style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; tab-stops: list .5in;"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman','serif'; font-size: 12pt;">Gymnasts are faced with difficult tasks from day to day, and it’s hard not to be self conscious about your body when you are being judged 24/7. You have to be strong throughout your career, and you have to not only tell yourself your fine the way you are, but feel that way to. It’s not enough to exercise a lot, because you need to eat right too. As long as you maintain a healthy strength/weight ratio, you are in good shape. Don't try to change yourself because you think it will help your gymnastics, because it will actually do more harm than good.