When you watch the Olympics, gymnastics looks like a sport of physical feats, including balance beam routines and pretzel-style bends. Gymnastics USA honors these performances with Olympics-themed birthday parties—but during their classes for youngsters, dazzling moves take up only part of their focus. The rest of the time, coaches highlight other ingredients for success: self-reliance, hard work, and positive thoughts, such as "I'm thankful this balance beam isn't on fire!" This dual emphasis matters just as much in their competitive practices as it does in their general sessions and their comprehensive programming for special needs students.