What else is there but amateur competition and games like the Olympics? Believe it or not, there are many other uses of gymnastics for your child besides amateur competition and the Olympic games. Unlike some other sports, such as football or hockey, which may only get him or her into a college on a scholarship on an off chance, gymnastics has much more of a future to offer those who are capable. Professional gymnastics, gymnastics coaching, performances, and theater are only a few of the options beyond the aforementioned -- quite literally, the sky is the limit. Professional gymnastics In terms of professional gymnastics there are quite literally dozens of substyles to choose from, all of which stem either from rhythmic gymnastics or artistic gymnastics. Dancing, juggling, tumbling, rolling, vaulting, horse and beams can be involved in a professional competition. Even the rings, which are limited only to men, are offered. Lucrative and fun for your gymnast, the professional sport is typically reserved for those who are extremely well-qualified. Lots of gymnasts who participate, though, are fresh out of school. No rule states that one must be an Olympic champion in order to enter a contest for money. Obviously, the gymnast must be prepared both physically and mentally. Of course, if your gymnast is the best in his or her local or state division, then he or she may want to go for a prize purse. Typically, those who do have already won a few amateur titles. If you want to see your son or daughter have the option of professional gymnastics, keep this in mind... Every country that participates in the Olympics, practically, has its own professional tournaments and divisions. The possibilities are wide. Gymnastics coaching Coaching for gymnastics may also be a viable suggestion for your gymnast. After they have tired of competing with other gymnasts, they can put their skills and their mettle to the test by coaching young, up-and-coming gymnasts in their quests for gold. This, usually, is a step left for the far future, but it is always an option for the accomplished gymnastics student, with some common sense and some intuition, to teach the next generation. Olympic and professional athletes could not get to where they are today, after all, if they did not have the proper coaching. Performances This is perhaps the most diverse category yet of 'other' gymnastics. While many types of performing art may seem unrelated to gymnastics, keep in mind that gymnastics can be modified creatively. The most obvious addition to this category would be dance. Dance performances, no matter what type they may be (ballet, ballroom, what have you), are inherently gymnastic in their motion. This is why gymnastics students always have a leg up (no pun intended) on some of the more outrageous maneuvers like splits or high kicks or leaps than those who have never had any experience with gymnastic art. Before you laugh at the idea...Circuses are a relatively respectable use of gymnastics as well--and we don't just mean Barnum and Bailey's, either. Artistic circuses such as the Cirque du Soleil are famous for their contortionists and for their high-flying acrobatic and gymnastic shows of skill; in fact, the Cirque itself has international renown. It is indeed a thought! Theatrical performances routinely involve gymnastics, sometimes in the form of displays of flexibility, other times in the form of creative dance. Performances of this sort are not only limited to the Broadway, off-Broadway, or off-off-Broadway shows you might be thinking of. In fact, if your gymnast also has an inclination toward ice skating, there is an entirely new world of opportunity right at their fingertips, so to speak. Shows that are on ice - musicals, dramas, or what have you - are always filled with outrageous and wonderful moves that your skilled gymnast can surely identify with. And finally, there is the idea of gymnastics on the big screen--or the small screen. Hollywood is always looking for people with gymnastic skill to perform as stunt doubles or stars. In fact, so too are some television shows, believe it or not. Indeed, with your young gymnast's abilities, they can go anywhere their minds take them -- and indeed, the way you encourage them will play a large part in their continuing gymnastic career. There is always something out there. One needs only look! By Murray Hughes
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