My youngest son is now four workouts away from his first meet. Fortunately the first one is just "practice" in front of the judges, but it will be nerve-wracking in its own way nonetheless. It is hard to believe that he's actually on the gymnastics team, and that he'll compete so soon. It will be interesting to see how he copes with criticism.

I was around the same age when I joined a dance "performing division" which is in many ways the same idea as joining the competitive team in gymnastics. It is what separates the "recreational" kids from the "serious" kids. I knew early on that only a few people would actually have a career in dance. That wasn't my aim, although I do wish I had kept it up for a hobby even as I aged.

So even though my son says he's going to run his own gym when he is older, and/or he'll be on a college team, and/or he'll go to the Olympics, I know it is all in good fun. After all, he hasn't yet experienced the pressure of competition.

My older son used to love soccer, but became burnt-out quickly once he was on a competitive club soccer team. I certainly don't want my younger son to have the same burn-out that his older brother did.

Meanwhile, I look back on my dance "career" with fondness because it gave me a great physical outlet and it boosted my self-confidence. But some of the hits to my self-confidence were as a result of dance as well. My face still burns with shame when I remember the Director telling me in front of 100+ dancers that I was too bouncy and ought to invest in a sports bra. Or how I knew I wasn't blonde or beautiful enough to ever be front and center during the dances.

My fingers are crossed that my son continues to have a happy spark with gymnastics once the actual "competing" begins. If that spark ignites into a passion, great. But I don't want him to be burnt to the ground.