How young is too young?

A big controversy in many countries is how young is too young to begin thinking about college plans for big sports plans and so forth. For gymnastics we have been talking about this alot lately. I feel as if yes there is a way to make it to much for such a young person but at the same time if you start gymnastics or I guess start trying at gymnastics too late in life, it is now very difficult to get a scholarship for it when you are competeing with some girls that are extremely good, and serious from a very young age. I believe though that it should be fun and not all just competition and being so strict on your body you get burnt out. I know a little girl named Mckayla, she is 8 years old and is at the same level of competition that I am. Now in my opinion that is too young. Her whole entire life is in the gym, yes she is good, actually she is great, and will very likely be one of the faces that you see of the Olympic team years down the road, but at the same time I can't help but to think, well if she even does it for that long and doesn't get burnt out on it too soon. This little girl is eight years old, she knows that when she becomes older that she wants to be a level ten gymnast and get a full ride scholarship to University of Georgia. Now not to discourage her, or her hopes and dreams, but that is ten maybe eleven years away. That is the same amount of time that I have been doing gymnastics now and I am going on 17. I do not know where I want to go, all I know is that I hope to get a scholarship as well. I just think that because of the fact that her mom is the coach that she has been brought up in the gym and has never known or had a chance to experience the life outside of gymnastics, and if she keeps going the way she is, then unfortunately she never will. I don't want to tell her to give up that dream just yet but there are many things that she will have to go through first such as middle school and high school where you are introduced to dances, games, driving, and of course you wake up and realize that no the opposite gender isn't just as gross as you had always thought. I am thankful that I go to a gym with good coaches, who love me, but they also realize that sometimes I have things in life to do outside of gymnastics and they are okay with that, I just hope that all of those young gymnasts out there are doing it because its what they want, not their parents or their coaches, and they have fun with it, and the day that it is no longer fun, is the day they should realize they are competing for the wrong reasons. I hope that they stay in it because many gymnasts stop their careers in high school and many never get to see the joys and competitive spirit of college gymnastics. I think that coaches really need to understand that you cannot be making those big time decisions about what level you want to compete, what college you want to attend at age, eight and nine, and I hope that they keep in mind that gymnasts like little Mckayla, need to have a chance to experience other aspects of life other then just the inside of a gym.

PS HAPPY BIRTHDAY DADDY :D