Parents Invited to join preteam - questions

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suebee

Proud Parent
Hi, I'm new here and I have no gymnastics background, so I hope I can ask for some advice here!

My dd is 4.5. Background: she started in Mommy and Me classes when she was around 18 months at a gym that only has rec classes. She continued taking gymnastics and at age 3, moved into a child-only class at the same gym. This gym did not seem to focus only on gymnastics skills but also on a lot of just coordination, physical activity stuff. The teachers were very enthusiastic, friendly, kind, warm, and dd liked her classes here.

This fall, she switched to a different gym. We were happy with the old gym, but the class times for 4 year olds weren't at a time that we could make. One of her friends who had taken gymnastics at a different gym last year was also switching gyms and since the class time at her new gym was at a good time for us, we signed up too. I didn't do any research into the gym because it was a rec class and I thought it would just be for fun. One of her other friends also signed up, so she's in a class with 2 of her friends from school.

Her new gym is a "good" gym with some very high level gymnasts. I knew this, but given than dd is 4, I didn't think it mattered. Her rec class teacher is not particularly warm, friendly, or kind like her teachers were at her old gym. I don't think her rec class teacher is mean or anything like that, but my dd likes warm and friendly teachers, and she likes praise, and I don't think she's getting that in her current class. Even though she's in a rec class, there is a lot more focus on skills than there was at her prior gym, and to my surprise, she seems to love this. Since she started at this new gym, she has been showing a real interest in gymnastics and the new skills she's learning. She practices at home, something she has never done before. She is always talking about what she can do on the bar, beam, etc. She really seems to enjoy the gymnastics, but not the teacher. She likes that her friends are in her class too.

I was very surprised to find out that dd was invited to join the preteam at this gym. Being new to all of this, I didn't even know what preteam was. I asked them, and I was told that preteam is for girls who would like to consider competitive gymnastics and joining the team down the line. I was told that they focus more on acquiring skills than in the rec class, so they the kids acquire enough skills to join the team.

From reading here, it seems that preteam is different at all gyms. At her gym, there are several different levels of preteam (at least 4 or 5). I was told she could join either of the 2 bottom levels of preteam. I asked what the difference was, and I was told that the only difference is that the bottom level meets only 1 hr/week and the 2nd level meets for 1.5 hour/week, but the skills taught are the same in both of these levels of preteam. I was told that some kids go to preteam more than once/week, and dd is welcome to go more than once/week if she wants, but because she's 4, it's fine to just go once per week as well.

I'm wondering what I need to figure out to make the decision as to whether to move her to preteam or not. I guess I'm surprised that she was asked because I don't think dd stands out in her rec class at all. I think my dd's biggest strength is that she is an extremely good listener and follower of directions. (She's a lot better at listening and following directions than my 8 yo ds!) She's fairly coordinated. I think her flexibility is better than average. But she does not have a lot of strength.

She doesn't seem to like her current rec coach very much, but I don't know whether the preteam coach has a different style that dd would like better. She tried preteam this week, but I guess one of the coaches was out so there were 11or 12 girls with 1 coach, and there was a lot of waiting around for the girls. I was told by the other moms that this is not typical, so I don't think we got a good feel for what preteam is like.

I get the feeling that some of the moms of the kids in dd's rec class take their kids to this gym because they want their kids to be competitive gymnasts. That's wasn't our plan, but at the same time, I wouldn't rule it out if it's something that dd wants to pursue down the line.

So given all that, would you have dd switch to preteam? Her 2 friends who are doing the rec class with her are not going to continue with gymnastics, so even if she wasn't to do preteam and stay in rec, she wouldn't be with them any more. She also doesn't like the rec teacher, but I don't know whether the preteam coach might be a better fit for her or whether preteam will be a lot more serious and whether dd won't like that either, or whether it will be something she will thrive with.

If I was to put her on preteam, I'd start out with 1 hr/week first and see how that goes before considering upping her time.

Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. If there are other factors I should consider, please let me know.

Thanks so much.
 
Yup. Give pre-team a try. It's only an hour class and if she likes it, you know you are on to something:) She is at a great age to test the waters a bit...that's my 2 cents:)
 
per the other thread, everyone. see what i mean about "Team"? and this child is 4.5 years of age. suebee, this is not directed at you. you'll understand when you read some of the other topics here on this great forum. welcome to Chalkbucket! :)
 
I would give it a try. Pre-team at the lower levels at my gym does include lots of hi-fives (certainly more than my dd got in rec), and they'll make sure she learns skills with proper form. Often (but not always), coaches for Pre-team have more experience than the early level rec classes, which can be a plus. If she likes it, great. If not, she can always move back to a rec class.
 
I would give it a try. Pre-team at the lower levels at my gym does include lots of hi-fives (certainly more than my dd got in rec), and they'll make sure she learns skills with proper form. Often (but not always), coaches for Pre-team have more experience than the early level rec classes, which can be a plus. If she likes it, great. If not, she can always move back to a rec class.

i just thought that your point needed to be emphasized.:)
 
You can only try and see if she likes it, if she doesn't try it then you'll never know.
It doesn't sound like the rec class she is in is a good fit anyway if she doesn't like the coach and her friends aren't continuing. She sounds mature and as she's a good listener and likes acquiring new skills then I think the class sounds like just what she needs.
 
Fiirst of all, Welcome to the Chalk Bucket and the exciting world of gymnastics!

I say go for it. This is a great age to give it a try. You will know pretty quick if the more serious gymnastics class is a good fit or not.

I agree with the coaching comment as well. At our gym this type of class is taught by our team coaches. My daughter's coach teaches many of the 3/4/5 year olds and is the manager of our developmental program.

It's not for everyone but if your daughter is talking a lot about gym and practicing at home and wanting more then give it a go. Worst case scenario, she doesn't like it and you go back to rec or move onto another activity.

As far as coaching style, there are as many different styles as there are coaches. Some will be a great fit and others may not and likely her coach will change fairly often in the early years. Not every philosophy or coaching style is for everyone. My experience has been that with more serious gymnastics comes more serious coaching, but also the bond between a coach and their gymnasts is much deeper and more meaningful once you head down the development track so the kids want to work harder for them.

Just my two cents. Good luck!
 
It sounds to me the class she'd be moving into is little more instructional, and a little less recreational, but not a pre-team in the sense I'd think. Moving her into the "pre-team" group is fine with me as long as the term pre-team isn't being used in a "dogmatic" manner that induces in the kids the notion that they'll end up on the team, because I'd worry she'll just march in lockstep directly to each successively advanced class......and not end up "choosing", but rather just be what the pattern dictates........
 
I agree with the others, let her try it and see how she likes it. If she doesn't like it she could go back to rec, and as she is so young, it wouldn't preclude her from a competitive path later on if she wanted.
 
It's only an hour, so not much different from rec. I agree, I'd give it a try.

I think the hours sound sensible at this age, I don;t have a problem with pre-team for the very young if it's one, maybe two hours a week, more a focussed rec class than anything serious.

Watch out for getting caught up in the whole "must do more hours/more advanced work or she'll be left behind" thing though :). If you search on here the general consensus is they don't need to be doing gym seriously, as in multiple 3 hour sessions, until they're at least 6, nearer 7. Until then keep her in the class she enjoys and suits you, it's fun at this age, not hard work! Any gym offering you loads of hours before 6 is probably after your money, rather than considering the child :)
 
I would let her try it---maybe ask for 1 more trial class when the normal coach is there. Its only 1 hour so as others have said not really different from rec. There may be a little more focus on some stretching, learning shapes etc. than a rec class. My gymmie was supposed to be on a simlar path at age 4 or so, but I didn't really know the difference and put her in rec instead of preteam. When she was 7 she was "spotted" again and put in the preteam group with the kids who had been doing it since age 5 and did just fine. So whether you do it now or later, she should do just fine.
Even though the coach for her current class may not seem as much fun, she seems to have ignited a spark in your dd so continuing with that class wouldn't be all bad.
 
I agree with everyone else--it's only an hour or hour and a half a week with likely better coaches--why not give it a try and see if she likes it? Nothing to prevent her from dropping back to rec, if she doesn't like it.
 
Thanks, everyone. I was leaning toward having her try it since it isn't necessarily a bigger time commitment and she really seems to like gymnastics more after joining the rec class at this gym. But she's also asked me in the past few days whether she could go back to her old gym (which we can't, because we can't make the times of their classes) and whether she could do dance instead of gymnastics (she did dance last year and didn't seem to like it all that much, so I didn't sign her up this year). I *think* that this is because she doesn't really like the rec teacher, but I'm not sure. I'm also worried whether this preteam class will be too serious (although dd is a serious kid!). I'm hoping that the preteam coaches' style will be a better fit for her.

I feel like we don't have a lot to lose, though, so I think we'll give it a shot and see how it goes!

Thanks again.
 

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