Running: Gymnastics teaches children to run. Children must run full speed and then change the
energy into a round off, a cartwheel, or a jump. Many sports require running.  In basketball, children
must also run and then convert the run to a jump.

Balance: Gymnastics teaches children of all ages good balance. In basketball and soccer, children must have good balance to dribble the ball, run, and change directions quickly.  Gymnastics and tumbling develop body balance which is useful to the individual throughout life. Together with climbing, vaulting and falling, these skills are directly useful in various sports.

Coordination: Trampoline and tumbling  teaches coordination. Gymnastics skills teach children to move various body parts in different ways, at different times, and in the correct sequence very quickly. This is
helpful when a child is learning to dribble a ball, run, avoid an opponent, and then shoot the ball.

Flexibility: Flexibility is any athlete's secret weapon! Many skills challenge a child to move their muscles and stretch or flex to the limit. Gymnastics contributes to the development of suppleness, elasticity, and flexibility, permitting full range of body movement and control.  Swimming likewise requires a child to have a good range of motion in his arms to make the most of his stroke.

Strength: Gymnastics conditioning and training  builds strong muscles. While doing gymnastics, a child must support their body in many different ways.  An athlete may be balancing their whole body weight on only their hands or shoulders or back. 

Quickness: Gymnastics teaches children to move quickly. When you think about it, gymnastics is
really a series of controlled FALLS! A child must move quickly or she will not land properly. Quickness
is valuable in football, soccer, basketball, running, and swimming.

Perseverance: Children must try most new skills repeatedly before skills are mastered. Cartwheels
can take months or years (for younger children) to master. Learning that repetition can bring success
is useful because most children will need much practice to master the throwing skills required in
baseball and football and the dribbling required in soccer and basketball.

Body Awareness: Children must learn how to move their body through space and time to successfully complete a skill.  This movement awareness builds body confidence in any sport.

Self Confidence: Gymnastics develops attitudes vital to the success: fearlessness, initiative, decisiveness, courage, perseverance, presence of mind, selfconfidence, as well as an analytical outlook and the ability to size up a situation quickly.

Safe Falling: Tumbling teaches falling safely.   When participating in football, basketball, or any other sports activity, the child who can tumble is that much better equipped to save himself from injury.