Parents Age and level

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GymnasticsMom

Does anyone on here have a DD who is a lot younger or the youngest on the team. I don't know how it happened but all my girls are the youngest on their team. It effects DD1 the most because she is only 9. Everyone else on level 7 is between 12-15. She feels out of the loop. She is friends with a lot of DD2's friends because the level 5 ages range between 7-11. At competitions she gets cheered for and she cheers but she told me she wants a true friend on her level.

Anyone else's DD or DS feel like this?
 
There is one just turned 8yo on our L7 team. The next youngest is 10; the rest are 12 & up. She seems to fit in fine, but that's just an observation!! (my own dds are nowhere near that level!!)

I can see why your dd would want someone closer in age though!! Those three years are HUGE at her age.
 
That gap between 9 and 12 is very tough. The other girls must be in middle or high school while your dd is in elementary. Just very different life experiences at this time. Mine has always been the young un since L5 although on her compulsory teams there were a couple of girls who were only a few months older. She did start to get heated about being patted on the head and called the "baby of the team." As a L7 she was 2-3yrs younger than everyone else and sometimes didn't think it was fair that her age groups were so much more competitive. The others would walk out of meets with 2-3 medals and she would have 1(or none as in the 1st meet). Once she got over the bad experience at the old gym, her personality has really come out and the coach says "the young one leads the way." She'll again be the baby of the L8 team. I know there are 1-2 parents that aren't exactly thrilled she's done so well and is 3 yrs younger than their dds.

Bottom line is you can't force them to be friends outside of the gym. Weird that my gymmie and a L9(who is in 9th grade) seem to have become very good pals and can't go a day without texting each other. Right now, she seems to take the middle of the road and be friendly with all the girls regardless of the level they're at. If your dd is more comfortable hanging around with some L5 or 6 girls then I would just let it be for now. You may see a more tight knit group once they really get into meets.
 
My oldest is middle of the road, probably on the younger side but not too much - she is turning 12 and Level 8. The youngest L8 we have will be 11 next month.

My youngest has always been the "baby" of the team. She turned 6 just before her level 4 season and the other girls were 9-11. When she was L5, she was 7 and the others were 10-11, while the new L5's were 7, 8, 12. That is part of the reason why the HC decided to keep her at L5 again...but still this yr she will be 8 and the others will be 10, 11, 13. It has been difficult for her because the older girls tend to leave her out and/or are mean to her. Her best friends are the level 4 & preteam girls who are closer to her age.
 

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