No one likes Male Gymnastics...

This is the sort of thinking that goes on in the minds of some gymnasts (especially male)  

Since it is a niche and not shown on all the channels even as much as girls gymnastics, my son has started to believe that what he is doing is not really anything of value.  

The other day I told him he had some messages on his Facebook page and he was not really excited. He used to get excited about that sort of thing.   But as he gets a little older, it's like he is becoming conditioned or beaten down by the world.  By thinking that is negative and tells him what he is doing is nothing much... 

If you happen across this blog post and feel in your heart that you want to take a few minutes to encourage a young kid to keep going -  please take a moment to leave a positive uplifting comment about your thoughts on male gymnastics and maybe about what you think of him too -  on his FB Page here.
  https://www.facebook.com/Travis.D.Gymnast.Dream/posts/709880712465209


Check out his YouTube page here so you can subscribe   :)  https://www.youtube.com/user/TravisDGymnast 

2014 Meets

January 2014 - West Point Gymnastics Meet





March 2014 - Boston Classic Gymnastics Meet





Massachusetts - 2014 States Meet




2014 Level 8 Play List

One year ago...

At 12 years old this kid was competing in Portland Oregon! (check out the video) it was such an honor and privilege to be there.

This past year, he did not qualify into the Nationals.  With growth spurts and injuries, 2014 was not his year.   But is really hoping that 2015 will be a GREAT year.

currently he is learning level 9 skills.  His time at the gym will need to end for the summer if we can't raise at least $800 by end of June.  It's so important to keep training for gymnasts.  You see, even taking off as little as 2 or 3 weeks can set them back double or triple fold.   Please help keep this talented kid in the gym for this summer.  :) xoxo

Meanies

Why are children so mean?  For that matter, why are some adults so mean?  Two years ago, when Trav was
about 10 years old, he was at the park with is brother.  Many different people were there, including some parents with small children.  Kids were playing on the jungle gym and swings, throwing frizbees, and playing tag.  Trav was off in the grass doing some flips and handsprings.  He was having fun, minding his own businss in his own fun world.  Near by was a father with his 5 year old son playing catch with a football.   For some reason only known to him, this man (I use this term "man" loosely here), felt the need to tell this talented young gymnast that doing gymnastics AKA flips and back handsprings was a sissy girl sport!

Why did he insult him and make a remark with the expressed reason to make a young boy feel bad?  It is almost shocking to hear such a thing about a person who is supose to be grown and mature.   Yet it does happen.  With such ignorant and disgusting views being spewed from the mouths of certain adults, it's no wonder there are some children in the schools who single male gymnasts out.   Bullying is not anything new.  It happens all the time and gymnasts are even more singled out because of the stereotype that ingnorant brutes have put forth for generations.

Even the great gymnasts of the USA Olympics have been made fun of.   John Orozco was harrassed when he was in grade school.  They made fun of him for "jumping around in tights"  and as he said, people just do not understand all the hard work that goes into being a top gymnast.  20 hours a week at the gym, working out and having strength that far surpasses the average boys of their age.

There is an excellent article about bullying and the myth of "macho sports"  Every parent and coach should be reading this.

We shall write more on this subject in the future, as it would be good to really get into the article above.

For now, you have a small taste of the reality of a male gymnast.  They do what they LOVE - if they didn't love it so much,  they surely wouldn't put up with being ridiculed, they would just quit.   But thankfully the young men are just that -  MEN in training.  They are strong and brave to keep going when others try to put them down.

GOOOO TEAM!
Power to the young Male Gymnast!

Region 6 Sterling Meet

3rd Place -  Still Rings.  This was a difficult routine.  Not bad considering the nasty fall on the dismount.






4th Place  -  Parallel bars.  Learned a new skill "the Peach" - about 2 weeks ago.   not bad  :)






5th Place -  High Bar - a very long and difficult routine.

FAIL

Fundraising Time begins

A new year begins once again.   The estimates are in and we are starting to go into "stress-out mode".

2013-2014  approximation adds up to a whopping $7850.

That's $3500 for Level 8 team coaching/lessons (about  17.5 hours per week about 700 HOURS over the next 10 months he will be dedicating to the art of gymnastics. )  Meet fees (which pay for entering meets, coaching fees while at meets)  about $1650 , A commitment fee (which helps the booster club cover the fees of every gymnasts last meet of the season)  about $165  and last but definitely not least... is the Nationals Meet - which will incur a huge bill because it will be on the west coast AGAIN this year.  So it will be at least another $2500 for hotel and flights to Long Beach California.

This  $7850 is a painful reality for us.   Here we have this tremendously talented kid who has aspirations to go to the Olympics or at least make the USA National team some day,  and to become a doctor after college... but we do not have the funds to do any of this.   We are in a catch 22... Money is needed to go to college -  but we don't have it.  A Full Gymnastics Scholorship can get him into a great College.  But we don't have the money for even the gymnastics which is far less than college...

There is a choice to be made... 1) go into major debt to pay the gym bill, 2) Tell him "no we can not afford this,  forget about your dream of Olympics and/or being a doctor"  or 3) Get out and do Fund Raising to help get him the Gymnastics training he needs.

After suffering in option 1 for the past few years... we have chosen option 3!    This is why we have created the Travis D Gymnast Fund.   It is a way for All friends, family and even fans of Travis can help in any way possible.  With the combined donations of great and small amounts Travis D Gymnast can go very far!  Who knows, maybe someday he will be your doctor and helping to heal you or one of your family members.
 Please contribute today  :)

right now there are 2 ways to donate.   You can become a monthly sponsor, or you can make a "one time" donation.  Either way is a HUGE help to furthering his life goals.  Info is below.

Also ... We will be adding a fundraising items page in the future which will have fun and/or useful items which we will sell to raise money.  So please come back and check it out in a few months.  

SPONSOR TRAVIS D GYMNAST

My Monthly Sponsorship will be

Sponsorship 1 : $2.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 2 : $4.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 3 : $6.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 4 : $8.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 5 : $10.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 6 : $15.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 7 : $20.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 8 : $30.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 9 : $40.00 USD - monthly Sponsorship 10 : $50.00 USD - monthly

Personal Note to Travis?

PLEASE REMEMBER - This is a MONTHLY contribution.

By Subscribing, you are setting up a reoccurring payment that will help Travis in his USA Gymnastics dreams every month.

If you ever want to cancel your subscription, simply email travis.d.gymnast AT comcast.net with your name and email you used to subscribe.

ONE TIME DONATION