Gymnastics The sport of gymnastics is much more than a sport for elite gymnasts. It’s a sport enjoyed by many families around the world. Most towns have gyms where girls and boys can take classes, and even participate in competition teams. Gyms may also offer adult or beginner classes. When I was five, my mom put me in gymnastic classes. Since then, my love for the sport has grown into something I love, and something I crave. It’s a great way to make friendships that last a lifetime, and meet some amazing people- your coaches- that will inspire you from the moment you meet them. It gives an athlete a chance to focus on something so unrelated to life that they can forget everything about the day, and just concentrate on bettering themselves on a craft. I’ve been a gymnast for the past 11 years, and I find it to be physically and mentally tough, but also one of the most exhilarating ways to relieve stress.…show more content… In the world of gymnastics, practices are vital to how a gymnast will perform at a competition. It’s way for them to prove to not only themselves but to their coaches that they can succeed and will do outstanding in a competition. Each practice starts with a warm up. The gymnasts will run laps to get their bodies loose and heart rates up. Next they will stretch. This helps the gymnasts not to pull any muscles as well as work on form for leaps and jumps. Finally, the athletes will do light conditioning. This could range from some push ups to partner races. Light conditioning is just a way to start using their muscles before they attempt big tricks during practice. Immediately after the warm-up, the athletes will head to the events- beam, bars, vault, and floor. Each of these apparatuses has certain moves, and routines that they need to perform. Toward the end of practice, the gymnast will start doing heavy conditioning, meaning they will do at least 45 minutes of an intense body