Starting Boys with an eye toward's Competing

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juniper7634

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My 6 year old has been doing Gymnastics since he was 3 and really loves it his current gym is fairly relaxed and not really focused on refining specific skills. It's been a great outlet but I am planning on moving him to a place that has goals for learning and preparing for the next level of gymnastics. My question is what should I be looking for at this age and how do we prepare for moving towards serious competition. I want to make sure as he grows we have laid the right foundation if he chooses to pursue it.
 
hmm. great question!

I think looking for a place that recognizes little boys as little boys. They should be focused on strength and skill and fun. When we were looking when D was 6, we were looking for a dynamic coach, a gym with a good sized team, and reasonable practice hours. We did not necessarily look for the best team in the area, but for a good fit for D. (Same thing when he moved gyms at 14).

Look at how they run their compulsaries, and do their compulsaries stay through optionals.

MAG is a long road. Boys do not have the same timeline as girls, so they can take more time developing, and they need it.

Good luck!!!
 
I agree with finding a gym that's a good fit. My 7 year old just started on team a couple of months ago, and it's been a great fit for him so far. His coach is teaching them foundational skills while incorporating fun in there, too. They always do something fun at the end of class like swinging in a harness or doing front flips on the trampoline. I like that it is the last thing they remember from class that day. There isn't a lot of wait time at each station, and they compete with each other doing silly games that are a form of conditioning. There are also incentives they can earn like stamps or gum balls for getting new skills, cheering each other on, or being good listeners. This type of positive reinforcement has kept him motivated and eager to work hard. I mention that because I didn't really know what to look for when we started, and I've since learned that the gym across town has a coach who does things very differently with the same age group of boys. He will punish them for missing skills by making them hold handstands against the wall, do push ups or run laps. I don't think that is super effective for young boys, and I am so glad we ended up at our gym instead! My kid would not respond favorably to punishment when all he knows right now is that gymnastics is fun. So, there are some things to think about for you. Having a good team track record is important, but having a coach who is knowledgeable and can teach the basics safely AND make it fun is super valuable. Good luck to you guys!
 

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