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Rou553au

Proud Parent
Hello everyone!

My 5 year old has done 2 sessions of gymnastics through the local YMCA but I found the instruction there completely lacking. They basically told the kids do this do that without telling them how or showing them how. My daughter ended up falling off the high bar and shattering her elbow and breaking her arm December 2017. We have not put her back into gymnastics since but it is literally all she wants to do all day. We got her a cheese mat to practice on and a chin up bar she uses to do flips over and practice getting her feet into the bar and getting herself up on it. (I’m sure there is names for this stuff I just don’t know anything about gymnastics) she is entirely self taught through YouTube videos and really wants to go back to an actual class. I’m considering taking her to an actual gymnastics facility in the nearest city but I don’t know what level she would be at and feel silly calling to ask. Does everyone start at level one or do you go to a certain level based on age? I don’t want her to be the oldest kid in the class if level one is for like 3-4 year olds because I know she would complain it’s “for babies” but I also want her to get proper instruction so she doesn’t hurt herself copying YouTube videos at home. I tried uploading some pictures/videos but it says the files are too large and I don’t know how to make them smaller. She can do a handstand, headstand, front roll, back roll, kickover down the cheese mat or over an exercise ball, with a little jump off the mat she can pull herself onto the bar so it’s at her waist and her arms are straight and do a flip from there, she can get her feet onto the bar so both her hands and feet are on it then roll through like a backwards flip thing, she can walk forwards, backwards, over things, jump in place, raise one leg forward or behind her and balance on the other foot, and balance with one foot and her hands on the beam with the other foot in the air. She is forever doing hollows/supermans, planks, and stretches. If she isn’t doing gymnastics she is talking about it or YouTubing it. I definitely need to get her into some type of a class I just don’t know where to start.

B
 
Hello everyone!

My 5 year old has done 2 sessions of gymnastics through the local YMCA but I found the instruction there completely lacking. They basically told the kids do this do that without telling them how or showing them how. My daughter ended up falling off the high bar and shattering her elbow and breaking her arm December 2017. We have not put her back into gymnastics since but it is literally all she wants to do all day. We got her a cheese mat to practice on and a chin up bar she uses to do flips over and practice getting her feet into the bar and getting herself up on it. (I’m sure there is names for this stuff I just don’t know anything about gymnastics) she is entirely self taught through YouTube videos and really wants to go back to an actual class. I’m considering taking her to an actual gymnastics facility in the nearest city but I don’t know what level she would be at and feel silly calling to ask. Does everyone start at level one or do you go to a certain level based on age? I don’t want her to be the oldest kid in the class if level one is for like 3-4 year olds because I know she would complain it’s “for babies” but I also want her to get proper instruction so she doesn’t hurt herself copying YouTube videos at home. I tried uploading some pictures/videos but it says the files are too large and I don’t know how to make them smaller. She can do a handstand, headstand, front roll, back roll, kickover down the cheese mat or over an exercise ball, with a little jump off the mat she can pull herself onto the bar so it’s at her waist and her arms are straight and do a flip from there, she can get her feet onto the bar so both her hands and feet are on it then roll through like a backwards flip thing, she can walk forwards, backwards, over things, jump in place, raise one leg forward or behind her and balance on the other foot, and balance with one foot and her hands on the beam with the other foot in the air. She is forever doing hollows/supermans, planks, and stretches. If she isn’t doing gymnastics she is talking about it or YouTubing it. I definitely need to get her into some type of a class I just don’t know where to start.

B
"My daughter ended up falling off the high bar and shattering her elbow and breaking her arm December 2017"
Oh My!! No 5 year old should every be on the high bar without a coach holding onto her or standing right there! So negligent! AT my dd's gym, no one who is not in class with an instructor is allowed on the high bar, not even team girls at a birthday party.

"Does everyone start at level one or do you go to a certain level based on age?"
Level 1 is the first level for team. It is based on skill. Some gyms don't even compete level 1, but my daughter was 6, and she had ages 5 - 12 on her level 1 team. Gymnastics teams are based on skill, and progress and build on the skills from the previous level. Some gyms call their classes "Level 1" "Level 2" etc., but that doesn't mean they are just like team levels. If your daughter is 5 and has been out of the gym a while, probably the closest to team she would get at most gyms is Pre-team (again, at our gym it's ages 5 - 9 or 10), or maybe Xcel Bronze.

Being on team also involves more than skill, it's mental maturity, emotional maturity, the ability to follow directions right away, being able to learn and memorize routines, etc. She may need to start in a class first--possibly intermediate--to clean up some of her skills and bad habits she has taught herself. She is definitely able to still be on team, but don't let Level names get in the way of that. If/when she is ready for team, the coaches will place her appropriately.
 
"My daughter ended up falling off the high bar and shattering her elbow and breaking her arm December 2017"
Oh My!! No 5 year old should every be on the high bar without a coach holding onto her or standing right there! So negligent! AT my dd's gym, no one who is not in class with an instructor is allowed on the high bar, not even team girls at a birthday party.

"Does everyone start at level one or do you go to a certain level based on age?"
Level 1 is the first level for team. It is based on skill. Some gyms don't even compete level 1, but my daughter was 6, and she had ages 5 - 12 on her level 1 team. Gymnastics teams are based on skill, and progress and build on the skills from the previous level. Some gyms call their classes "Level 1" "Level 2" etc., but that doesn't mean they are just like team levels. If your daughter is 5 and has been out of the gym a while, probably the closest to team she would get at most gyms is Pre-team (again, at our gym it's ages 5 - 9 or 10), or maybe Xcel Bronze.

Being on team also involves more than skill, it's mental maturity, emotional maturity, the ability to follow directions right away, being able to learn and memorize routines, etc. She may need to start in a class first--possibly intermediate--to clean up some of her skills and bad habits she has taught herself. She is definitely able to still be on team, but don't let Level names get in the way of that. If/when she is ready for team, the coaches will place her appropriately.





Thanks for your reply! So the levels are only for the gymnasts that compete? The YMCA had little report cards that said level 1,2,3 etc so I’m not sure how anything works at a proper facility which is why I’m nervous about calling. I don’t want her to compete anytime soon, I really just want her to learn the correct way to do things so she doesn’t end up hurt trying to teach herself. If she gets asked to be on a team or asks to try out next year I may let her but right now my main focus is for her to learn how to do the moves safely.
 
Thanks for your reply! So the levels are only for the gymnasts that compete? The YMCA had little report cards that said level 1,2,3 etc so I’m not sure how anything works at a proper facility which is why I’m nervous about calling. I don’t want her to compete anytime soon, I really just want her to learn the correct way to do things so she doesn’t end up hurt trying to teach herself. If she gets asked to be on a team or asks to try out next year I may let her but right now my main focus is for her to learn how to do the moves safely.
In this case the levels sound like the gym's name for their classes, as in Level1 = beginner, Level 2 = Intermediate, etc. Just call them and talk to them. They will certainly help you get her placed in the right class. Every gym has their own names for classes, so its really hard for anyone to tell you for sure what class she'd be in.
 

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