Young Russian gymnast Yuna Nefedova recently won an international competition in Helsinki, Finland, just ahead of her 15th birthday. Yuna is one of a new generation of gymnasts who comes from Tula, home of the two Ksenias Semenova and Afanasyeva. Her coach is Olga Baranova and she is currently training at the Central Army Sport Club, Vatutinky.
A link to a video and pictures of Yuna can be found here, and there is a brief report on the Russian Federation's website here.
Well done Yuna!
A link to a video and pictures of Yuna can be found here, and there is a brief report on the Russian Federation's website here.
Well done Yuna!
queen elizabeth...what are your thoughts about athletes as young as yuna being pushed (and pushing themselves) to succeed?
ReplyDeleteI hadn't realized that she was 15 - a possible contender for an Olympic berth?
ReplyDeleteHmm – anonymous - is she as good as Sidorova and Grishina? Perhaps critically, I cannot find her listed as a national junior team member (though the list may be out of date). It is intriguing that the Federation chooses to highlight her achievements, though.
ReplyDeleteGonzo - you ask a difficult question. I am not a coach, a gymnast or a parent so I don't have a direct grip on the issues. Therefore, I am reliant on my own observations and what I read in the press and elsewhere.
It is difficult to assess what qualifies as 'evidence' as so much is based on gossip and innuendo. Much of what is said by the mass media is sensational and one-sided, and primary sources become distorted and lost - (i) in translation from the original, then (ii) by a process of Chinese whispers, then (iii) by alienation from the original context. You have to treat all accounts with caution and read between the lines.
The literature divides into three areas : (i) academic work published in sports science journals on the physical, mental and emotional issues (ii) gymnast and coach verbal accounts of the experience of involvement in the sport (iii) journalistic, often anecdotal reports by bloggers, message board members and journalists, of variable quality, which can draw on (i) and (ii) but which often include the Chinese Whisper effect. All are subject to their own bias, as you can imagine, and much of it takes a polarised view, either of individuals or of the issues concerned.
All elite gymnasts have to begin work early in their life whether they start competing at 10, 16 or 21. Contrary to common perception, gymnastics is a relatively safe sport (find a link to some recent research on the Gymnastics Coaching blog at the bottom of this page). Gymnasts don't have to choose to practice at elite level, but if they do they will have to push and be pushed if they want to do their best.
The outcome of gymnastics at any level can be enhanced self esteem, good health and a real sense of achievement. Negative outcomes can be lingering injuries, poor self esteem, loss of income and a general feeling of resentment at having been pushed beyond normal limits. There are several very convincing, triangulated primary accounts of the latter; direct accounts of the former are rarer, but indirect accounts are frequently embedded in other accounts. I'm a cup half full person, and I tend to believe the former, positive experience is much more common, even if it remains untold as it lacks sensation, but there are things to be learned from the latter. Sometimes people are just evil and shouldn’t be working with children.
This is about any field of endeavour. Much depends on the child's maturity, skills of communication, expectations and environment, and on coaches and parents keeping the right distance and providing the right support. I don’t know how you do this. If my great nephew were involved in elite gymnastics I would be proud, but I would also worry. It is a question of judgement and sensitivity and is very individual so very surely subject to error.
My response is totally personal and doesn't cover half the things I want to say. I can’t deny that there are huge question marks but then again gymnastics would not exist as a sport without early specialisation. I’m guessing that most gymnasts get a great deal of enjoyment out of their involvement in the sport and wouldn’t change anything. Whether that compensates for the few who come out of the experience damaged, I cannot say. But these are questions that are bigger than gymnastics and that demand a whole community of answers, and a whole library of books that no doubt exists somewhere.