Bringing loved ones into the sport

[gravityizsexy 0]

I would love to get my older brother to jump, ( I would obviously be with him )but it's weird cause I would be too worried for him, my friends, I had no problem convincing them, and I practically threw my girlfriend out, but my brother I dunno if I could let him. Can anyone relate? If so, feedback would be greatly appreciated.

"'Someday is not a day in my week'"

[Ron 10]

If people want to jump, help them...But don't try to get people to jump.

"No free man shall ever be debarred the use of arms." -- Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Jefferson Papers, 334

[jumpergirl 0]

I was the first in my family to jump. 6 months later my dad started. I was scared to death for him to jump, but he never had any problems, aside from several cutaways (he never learned to pack, so it wasn't him). About a year and 1/2 later, my younger brother made 3 S/L but never took to it. Around the same time, my (at the time) 73 year old grandmother did a tandem. I was acared shitless for her, because I love her more than anything and would have never forgiven myself if anything had happened to her (even though she did a tandem with a great TI). I have had a few friends make a few jumps and didn't worry a bit. Something about the ones we love...
I do agree with Ron, though, don't try to recruit others. They will come to you.

[BETO74 0]

I'm 30 and my sister is 18, she did her first tamdem jump a couple months ago I video the tandem and I hire somebody to get an outside perspective on video, well I'm very confident with my flying skills but I could not or want to get closer than 5 feet away, I was a little worry about hitting them or what ever, she is the little one in the family got to take care of her, is funny when it comes to family I guess, I have no problems docking with friends.

http://web.mac.com/ac057a/iWeb/AC057A/H0M3.html

[windcatcher 0]

yeah man, I kinda know what you're saying, I don't exactly want to encourage me loved ones to jump since they could die in the sport, but obviously since I jump I like to encourage them to try a tandem. I don't see myself encouraging my friends and family to get addicted to the sport like I am, but it is fun to introduce them to the freefall experience so they can understand me a little better.
Sarah

Mother to the cutest little thing in the world...

[shellybellyfly 0]

My older brother is who got me into skydiving. I did three tandems and then he got his aff instructor rating and I asked him to teach me! He said that he would always worry a little, but was cool with it. I worry about him too, but it's all cool!

[gravityizsexy 0]

Thank you all for the feedback, it's comforting to know that Im not the only one who feels this way. I also don't remember putting anything in my post about forcing my opinion on him or pressuring him to do something that he doesn't want to do.

"'Someday is not a day in my week'"

[peregrinerose 0]

I don't think that 'convincing' someone is a good thing. Either they want to jump or they don't. They know you do and that you love it. But I wouldn't ever suggest that someone jump.

My husband jumped for 1.5 y before I ever decided it was time for me to try it. He never even asked me to give it a whirl, he never suggested that I should. He just answered my questions and always left the door open should I decide to head to the DZ with him. That way I knew the choice was mine alone.

Jen

Do or do not, there is no try -Yoda

[Slurp56 0]

I felt the same way when I took my dad for a tandem. He found out that I had made 2 static line jumps and was pretty shocked, its something he had wanted to do all his life and never found the courage to do it. We were heading to vegas a few months later (last december) and I basically laid it out for him, if this is really something you want to do, lets do it. I put the ball in his court and let him make the choice. a few months before we left for vegas, he was pretty stoked about it, but as time grew nearer and he thought about it more, I think he began having 2nd thoughts. The day that we jumped ( you wouldnt believe the look of terror on this mans face) I was more scared for him than I was for myself, I couldnt live with myself if something happened to my dad and I convinced him to do it. You wouldnt imagine my relief when I fell past him in the air and his canopy was out.

I took my little cousin for her birthday a couple months ago as well. Same type of uneasy feeling, I couldnt face my family if something terrible happened as a result of my encouragment.

I suppose its more of your brain over-analyzing things like these, but it is a scary feeling. However the feeling of helping them to accomplish one of their life goals is very rewarding, so its kind of a toss-up. I will never again try to convince someone to go, but I will help those that make their own decision. I had an ex-girlfriend jump spur of the moment, and I never had the uneasy feeling of me talking them in over their head.

________________________________________
I have proof-read this post 500 times, but I guarantee you'll still manage to find a flaw.

[JohnMitchell 16]

My 16 year old daughter started jumping last month, first a S/L jump, then I took her on a tandem, with my wife swooping us. I thought it would be real scary having my first child jumping out of a plane, but then I realized it was good enough for all those other peoples' children I have taught over the years. I would be a hypocrite not to let my kids skydive. I do find I'm a lot more blunt discussing safety issues with my own kids. They've grown up on DZ's and don't need a lot of sugar coating of the bad stuff.

[tbrown 26]

I met my wife at Perris in 1980 when she took the FJC. Yup, I swooped on a first jump student, but 24 years and 2 kids later I guess I can be excused for that. She only made the one jump. About a month later she was going to make a second jump and was all geared up when she took me aside and said she was too nervous and really didn't think she wanted to do it again. I told her that was no problem, she didn't EVER have to jump to make me happy and that the nice people at manifest would understand perfectly and give her money back. So we went over to manifest together and they were extra nice about scratching her off the load and making a refund. That summer she went along with us on our expedition to El Capitan (this was August 1980 and we had permits) and watched us go off at the top, then she helped hike back down with all the camping gear.

Our kids are now 15 and 19 going on 20. The older one thinks she'd like to make a tandem just to see what all the fuss is about. The younger one isn't interested, but wants to do the wind tunnel as a sort of amusement park ride. My wife has "no interest whatever" in making a tandem. It's all okay with me. They're wonderful to understand how much I NEED to jump. They get off on telling people their old man skydives. And I've made it very clear to them they don't ever have to jump to make me happy. Nobody should jump unless it's something they really want to try.

Your humble servant.....Professor Gravity !

[gravityizsexy 0]

wow, the perspectives.... thanks all. I didn't mention
that my brother shares some intensity of my love
for the sport on somewhat different levels ( for our
own reasons) it's just that our schedules "didn't allow
it" which I don't believe anymore because I just went
out and did it. It was so liberating, jumping made me
ask myself "if I don't like what I'm doing, why am I
doing it and if I want to do something why aren't I doing it?!" has done wonders for school. Anyway, I want to share this feeling my family. (they're more
prone to walk away with the feelings I had and relate
it to they're personal lives ). But I dunno if I can get
past the look on their faces when the door opens or
when the wind hits them. but thanks to you guys I
realize if they want to jump, they'll jump. If they
don't, they won't. I'll love them either way...

Thanks everyone...

-Tony

"'Someday is not a day in my week'"

[Eiley 0]

Quote

I don't think that 'convincing' someone is a good thing. Either they want to jump or they don't. They know you do and that you love it. But I wouldn't ever suggest that someone jump.

Agree totally. It is very easy for us, with all our enthusiasm and love for the sport, to inadvertantly put emotional pressure on our loved ones.

In my case I have two nephews aged 17 and 14. The older one has always said he's happy with his feet on the ground and I respect that. The younger one has been begging me to take him skydiving ever since he could speak.

Well, here in Australia, kids can do tandems at 14 with parental consent, so naturally enough I decided on a tandem for my younger nephew's 14th birthday. To my amazement my brother (his father) refused to sign the consent. Given my time in the sport and his son's keenness, I was somewhat surprised. But then he said "Eiley, I know how much you love it, but the fact is I've been to two funerals of two of your boyfriends and I'm just not prepared to sign away on my son. If he still wants to go when he's 18, that's up to him".

When he put it that way, I could understand. I still hope my nephew is interested in 4 years' time though.

nothing to see here

[headoverheels 333]

I agree with your brother. Let the kid make his own decision, when he is legally able to do so.

I don't encourage anyone to start skydiving. If they show interest, I'll tell them how to go about it.

[Eiley 0]

Quote

I agree with your brother. Let the kid make his own decision, when he is legally able to do so.

Oh, so do I and totally respect him. It's just that we all know that doing a tandem is 'different' from the sort of skydiving that usually kills people, but that difference is very difficult to explain to a whuffo, even one who has been living with skydivers for 15 years!

nothing to see here

[steve1 5]

I have two daughters that I think the world of. When the oldest was 18 she made a tandem. She's always been kind of a thrill seeker and I think part of it was to please her old man. She seemed to love every second of it, though.

My youngest daughter hasn't had much interest in making a tandem, so I haven't pushed it. I'd love to jump with her, but I want it to be her decision and not something she has to do to please me.

And yes, it is a worry. I know the odds of something going wrong are slim, but there's still that chance. I've known five different guys personally who have died in this sport (four in the 70's and one a few years ago),and I'd never forgive myself if I got my daughters hooked on a sport that eventually took their life. So, I have some mixed feelings on this....Steve1