STORY TOOLS

• E-mail story
• iPod friendly
• Printer friendly

Tell us about it

• What would you add to this story? Tell us what we missed.
• Do you have photos from this event? Documents we need to see? Share with us.
• Upload photos & videos
• More ways to get your stuff online and in the paper.

More Local Recreation

• Photos highlight new basketball league teams
• Marco Community Bank supports children's tennis program
• Eye on the Y: Christmas is here

Share and Enjoy [?]

Choosing the perfect extracurricular activity for a young child is an “art” not a “science.”

Organized sports programs, even those aimed at very young children, tend to promote a high level of competitiveness, during a time of youth development when cognitive, social and emotional growth should come first.

In the midst of an intense quest for balance between structured and unstructured activities, parents should take a moment to consider the “balance beam.” The sport of gymnastics promotes self confidence, goal setting and physical fitness in a less competitive or “cut-throat,” environment.

As opposed to other athletes, gymnasts feel less pressure to perform in a team setting. One child’s performance does not directly affect the performance of another. Gymnasts compete as individuals and are directly responsible for themselves only. This creates a unique connection between teammates. The tension which sometimes arises during team sports when a weaker athlete plays poorly does not exist.

Here on the island, parents seem to be catching on. Kamal Farhat, gymnastics coach for the Marco Island YMCA says that in comparison to last year, he’s instructing twice the amount of gymnasts in the program, which runs Mondays and Wednesdays for beginners, and Tuesdays and Thursdays for advanced participants.

HARMONY OSWALD / Eagle staff

Future Olympians? Marco Island YMCA gymnasts pose for a photo before practice on Thursday.

“Last year there were only a few kids in it. This year, we have 26. We have more equipment this time too. Last year we only had one piece but this year we’re getting another. Maybe even two or three more,” Farhat says.

The Marco Island YMCA welcomes both boys and girls, ages four to 16, to participate in the gymnastics program. Sessions run month-to-month, at a cost of $80 for members and $100 for non-members.

“It depends how much you want your kids to grow. If you want to just do it one month and stop, you can. If they stay, they can keep going and going,” says Farhat. “It will be really nice to see the kids progressing. It’s going to help the kids physically. They’ll be in good shape. Also, if they want to be a cheerleader, we will apply gymnastics to cheerleading. They can’t go wrong! You’ll see a difference in a matter of months. The kids learn so quickly because a lot of them are so young.”

HARMONY OSWALD / Eagle staff

Kamal Farhat, YMCA Gymnastics coach, helps Diana Almazan, 7, practice her back walk-over during a Marco Island YMCA gymnastics practice. Farhat was a member of Libya’s Olympic gymnastics team.

Leadership plays a vital role in any extracurricular activity. Gymnasts typically spend more time training than other athletes, so the coaches in this sport have maximum impact and influence. The Marco Island YMCA’s gymnastics instructor comes with a strong background. He trained for the Olympics in his home country of Libya.

“I was a gymnast from six to 16 years old,” remembers Farhat. “I stopped training when I got an injury to my foot. Gymnastics has kept me in good shape all my life. The kids sometimes laugh and say, ‘Well, can you do that?’ And I do it! That’s when I see them progress. They think, ‘If the coach can do it, I’ve got to do it.”

The YMCA’s motto, “We build strong kids, strong families, strong communities,” directly relates to the sport of gymnastics. Kelly Benitez, mother of a first grader who began taking lessons at the Y just a few weeks back, says she already notices a change in her daughter’s overall physical ability.

HARMONY OSWALD / Eagle staff

Kamal Farhat, YMCA gymnastics coach, helps Kelsey Cashin, 5, practice her back walk-over during gymnastics practice at the Y, Thursday night.

“She seems to have more strength in her arms and legs. She loves it! She’s already getting better actually,” admits Benitez. “She does her cartwheels straighter, she knows how to do both a cartwheel and round-off now. Before, she could only stand on her head, now she can stand on her hands up against a wall ... and, she knows how to do a somersault.”

Since every child is different, the challenge for parents, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, remains in choosing extracurricular activities which allow children to reach their utmost potential, while at the same time remembering not to push kids beyond their personal comfort limits.

So, whether it’s on the football field, the tennis courts or in gymnastics on the balance beam, finding balance is the key.