WAG Master's age group

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Flyaway

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So this was a new one for me! We were at a meet this weekend and in their Xcel sessions they had a Master's age group. They had 3 girls in their mid to late 20's competing Diamond. It was so cool! The oldest of the group actually took the highest AA score in the whole Diamond session. I just thought it was neat to see meets starting to provide opportunites for gymnasts who aren't ready to hang up their grips after highschool.
 
Awesome! I hope more meets encourage this!
 
That is interesting! We’ve seen adults compete in the past in whatever was the oldest regular age group. Though I’m glad of anything that keeps people in the sport as long as they want to be, I don’t really see a reason for a specific differentiation.
 
That is interesting! We’ve seen adults compete in the past in whatever was the oldest regular age group. Though I’m glad of anything that keeps people in the sport as long as they want to be, I don’t really see a reason for a specific differentiation.

In this specific instance the 3 gymnasts competing were former gymnasts who competed at levels 9 and 10 before retiring. It would be hard to group them with the oldest age group as they aren't really on a level playing field with the other competitors. The girl that won the Master's and the entire Diamond session formerly competed level 10 over 10 years ago. She has things going for her and against her.

If I were a former gymnast deciding to compete again, I wouldn't want to be in the same age group as the other gymnasts and potentially take away something from their experience.
 
I'd love to see these girls find their way to acro. You can compete until you're 30!!!!

Edited to add - and not in a one off masters category - as a Sr. Elite, world/international eligible athlete.
 
I agree. I think it is wonderful that just because you graduate high school you don't have to stop doing something you love.
 
If I were a former gymnast deciding to compete again, I wouldn't want to be in the same age group as the other gymnasts and potentially take away something from their experience.

In my twenties I briefly competed in another sport's adult division, and I very much appreciated the fact that we weren't grouped with the kids. It wouldn't have felt right to be taking up space in their session or on their podium. I also believe that the existence of a formal adult program on a national scale encouraged a lot of adults to continue in the sport, return to the sport, or take up the sport for the first time.

Besides the lack of an organized adult or masters' program, insurance coverage might be another obstacle to adult participation in gymnastics. The owner of my daughter's previous gym claimed that no insurance carrier would write a policy for the gym that allowed anyone over the age of something like 25 or 26 as an athlete. I'm a little skeptical because there are one or two gyms in the state that do offer adult classes, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were very difficult or expensive to obtain coverage.
 
Here in Australia, things are very different. You don’t “graduate” for your gym. Ore often than not gymnasts continue to train and compete with their teams after they finish high school. Going away to college is not the Norma, and most attend local universities and continue to to live with their parents, and continue the same extra curricular activities they did before. They continue on until they have had enough, or something else in life takes over.

We don’t have college gym, so this is the main option to continue to compete.

People can compete any level at any age. There was a whole team of ladies in their 30’s and 40’s competing Level 4 and 5 at one comp we attended. They would not have their own seperate divisions if they are competing in the regular levels stream and would go against younger people, but it certainly does not take away from the younger kids competing. We don’t tend to have many age groups in our comps, so you are competing based on your skill level not you age, which seems fair.

There is also the masters games, and masters gymnastics competitions. This is an adults only gymnastics league and has divisions for everyone from those in their 20’s to those in their 80’s or more. It is growing in popularity each year. It provides more flexibility. You choose which apparatus to compete, and there is no requirement to do every apparatus. Men can do women’s apparatus and women can do men’s, and they don’t require you to wear a leotard.

Almost every gym around here has adults classes. Our adults classes are a combination of those who did gymnastics as kids and want to come back to it, and those who always wanted the chance to do gymnastics but never got the opportunity before.

Insurance for adults here is exactly the same as for kids, we are charged the same for each through our gymnastics governing body.

Over 50’s gymnastics as also huge, we have a national program called fitter for life, which specialises in older gymnasts. They actually get free registration ad insurance in our state from the Gymnastics governing body.
 
In my twenties I briefly competed in another sport's adult division, and I very much appreciated the fact that we weren't grouped with the kids. It wouldn't have felt right to be taking up space in their session or on their podium. I also believe that the existence of a formal adult program on a national scale encouraged a lot of adults to continue in the sport, return to the sport, or take up the sport for the first time.

Besides the lack of an organized adult or masters' program, insurance coverage might be another obstacle to adult participation in gymnastics. The owner of my daughter's previous gym claimed that no insurance carrier would write a policy for the gym that allowed anyone over the age of something like 25 or 26 as an athlete. I'm a little skeptical because there are one or two gyms in the state that do offer adult classes, but I wouldn't be surprised if it were very difficult or expensive to obtain coverage.

The insurance for having adult classes is extremely expensive. I really wish our gym would pay for it, because I'd love to do some T&T classes.
 
One of Puma Jr’s coaches is early/mid 20s and competes USAIGC Gold (L8ish). She’s a beautiful gymnast! Love it!
 
In this specific instance the 3 gymnasts competing were former gymnasts who competed at levels 9 and 10 before retiring. It would be hard to group them with the oldest age group as they aren't really on a level playing field with the other competitors. The girl that won the Master's and the entire Diamond session formerly competed level 10 over 10 years ago. She has things going for her and against her.

If I were a former gymnast deciding to compete again, I wouldn't want to be in the same age group as the other gymnasts and potentially take away something from their experience.

Everyone is competing to the same rules, and any sort of level playing field is an illusion anyway imo.
 
They have adult rec classes at a gym near me. I am 48, and have been trying to work up the nerve to attend for years! I do still play at the local trampoline park and have fun with my 11 year old son, as well as impressing the other parents watching. I can still do a lot of stuff but not twisting anymore. I am afraid because real gym events are much, much harder than skills on a trampoline, and much harder on the joints too, not an insignificant factor at my age.
 
My youngest, now 21, went back to gym after a 9 year break. She went to Uni in Glasgow and they had a team. Two months in she competed, the university system there is quite open to beginners to elite. A whole ton of fun. She got to make her own routines etc.

Now back in Canada she has found a once a week program for adults, wishes for much more. But competition seems not to be a thing here. Plus the costs are pretty high.

Love that different areas are making gym happen for adults.
 
I'd love to see these girls find their way to acro. You can compete until you're 30!!!!


when did they bring an upper limit in? Never used to be one. can you imaging if they brought that rule in for WAG? No chuso, no becky downie...

masters gym in the UK is quite widespread. As @bogwoppit said, uni’s often compete novice as up to advanced (no ncaa of course). Most bigger gyms will have adult classes later on, Brings in a bit of easy money.
 
I've done pretty much all my gymnastics as an adult--I did some rec classes as a kid, but very off-and-on and never seriously. Due to the nature of life and the lighter schedule of adult classes (you progress much more slowly at 3 hours a week, especially when the only format you can work in is open gym) skills have come more slowly than they were if I were a going 12 hours a week with a coach actually developing a training plan for me, guiding drills, etc. But just doing gymnastics is still fun, and the skills do come. I got my kip for the first time at 25, got my flyaway this past year at 34. My gym's started back up, but I'm going to be out for the foreseeable future. I'm really focused on improving overhead flexibility and active flexibility for leaps and jumps and maintaining fitness for whenever it's safe for me to go back. I'm not kidding myself about being able to hit the ground running when I get back, but I want to be as close as possible.

The range of ages, skills, and goals at adult classes have always made them really fun for me, and I was lucky enough to land at a gym that does compete adults (NAIGC). With the exception of a couple of college/grad students, pretty much the entire team is in our 30s and 40s, with a good mix of former competitive gymnasts and newbies like me. We train fewer hours than kids (most of us would struggle to fit that level of training around our jobs and families even if the gym offered it, unfortunately), listen to our bodies closely, and spend more time on soft surfaces. Everyone still has goals, everyone is still working really hard, and it's an incredibly supportive environment.
 

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