Parents When to switch to a more competitive gym?

[Committed]

I'm going to preface by saying that I know this is premature as DD is 5 and hasn't even competed in her 1st meet. And my questions is all "in theory" if she decides to continue with gymnastics and team. I am a planner, and I like to have all avenues thought out ahead of time, and this has really been on my mind.

So, DD goes to a "rec" gym who has had team gym for a couple of years, but this is their first year doing artistic. We only have 2 levels: 3 & 4. The gym has to purchase uneven bars for next year. The facility is usually over crowded, and I have no idea where the L4+ kids would practice uneven bar work.

Now, DD is in L3 and will be again next year, after she turns 6 (obviously). Most gyms in the area don't even start competing until L4, though they will allow L3s into the competitions. If DD were to become serious with gymnastics, we would have to change gyms at some point. Right now, she loves where she is, and the low gym hours are great (only 4hrs per week - she does 1hr ballet on her own).

So........ would you recommend our current plan ..... stay where she is (and happy) until she is maxed out and risk missing a comp. season due to offset try-out season?
OR
Move earlier rather than later?

I feel like I know the majority of the responses are going to be : stay, everyone is happy.
I just want to make sure I'm not totally off base.

Thanks!

 

[Quadqueen]

it's hard to say whether you need to leave right now...but I just wanted to let you know that 4 hours/week for a 5 year old L3 is not low...that sounds about right. If you hear about gyms doing much more than that at that age/level, I would be leery.

Also, not sure why you think she might miss a competition season if she switches gyms...?? Gym switches can be pretty seamless.

I guess if you know there's no possible way you can stay at this gym past L4, it would be easier to leave sooner rather than later, but it is easier to make the switch after comp season is over.

 

[Committed]

The gym she would most likely go to has November try-outs. They train for an entire year, then compete.
Our program is new, but next year's try-outs are March 30th, and the girls will compete this autumn.

So, there is a 9 month gap, plus whatever skills training. PLUS.....this other gym is notorious for expecting lots of hours out of their kids. A couple of our team kids came from that gym. And, one of ours that switched over, came back (I'm assuming she didn't make the team; that was the whole reason they switched. But I don't know for sure).
But the other gym has a great reputation and has gymnasts that get full-ride scholarships.

 

[Quadqueen]

The gym she would most likely go to has November try-outs. They train for an entire year, then compete.
Our program is new, but next year's try-outs are March 30th, and the girls will compete this autumn.

So, there is a 9 month gap, plus whatever skills training. PLUS.....this other gym is notorious for expecting lots of hours out of their kids. A couple of our team kids came from that gym. And, one of ours that switched over, came back (I'm assuming she didn't make the team; that was the whole reason they switched. But I don't know for sure).
But the other gym has a great reputation and has gymnasts that get full-ride scholarships.

That's great to hear about the reputation and scholarships, but we are talking about a 5 year old Again, I would be cautious about any gym that's doing a ton of hours at L3. Is this your only gym option? If you called them up tomorrow and asked if you could check out their team, what would they say - wait till November? I'm just curious, because I'm not familiar with a formal "try-out" process.

 

[Committed]

I'm pretty sure they would put her on a pre-team (or regular rec classes) until try-outs. The new 2013 changes requires L4 to be 7yo. So, I wouldn't even try to get her on the team.

I forgot to mention, at DDs current gym, if she decided not to do team, she would have to switch gyms or train with girls much older. She maxed out her age group ( 5-7) at her 5th birthday ( remember NOT very competitive. She's the ONLY 5yo who has a BHS at her gym- what one of her coaches says) , so she would have to train with the 8+ girls (mostly 10+). And I think they only go to L5.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

She is quickly outgrowing her current gym. They don't even have uneven bars. I'd check out the new gym and move her within the next year sometime. At 5, she'd adjust quickly. JMO.

 

[DisMom]

Well, the real issue is that you don't yet know if she is going to stick with it. If you were pretty sure she would want to compete at L4, then I would say move her when the schedule makes the most sense to move her. But since she is SO new to the sport, yikes. I guess my advice is to sit tight for a while.

FYI--our L3s practice 8 hours/week. Then again, we don't have any 5 year olds. I think our youngest L3 is 6 going on 7. We have a L2 Pre-team where the 5 year olds are since they can't compete at L3 anyway. And those who think 8 hours is too much for L3...maybe and maybe not. But the coaches take a very different approach with them. Yes, it is training. But they mix in a lot of games (which all have some hidden purpose or conditioning) and things like that to make it more fun and less like hard core training.

 

[Gymmommy71]

A bhs at 5 years old is pretty good... What does the rec gym use for bar training on these level 3-4's? Do they at least have a single training bar that is good enough to train the L3-L4 bar routines? Does your DD work on bars at all during her class? I'd think a kid who's backhandspring-ing, should be getting exposure to bars so their bars doesn't get behind their floor too much...if she's not doing bars at all, you may want to move sooner to somewhere where she would. I'd bet they'll look at bars in that "tryout"...

 

[JessLW]

If she is still interested in gymnastics a year from now, I would do the switch then, or, alternately, you could make the switch as soon as the current competition season is over, even if they do put her on a pre-team/recreational program. It doesn't sound to me like she'll have any trouble placing onto team or pre-team at another gym, but if you want it to stay relatively fun and games for awhile longer, you do have time.

In the meantime, have you visited the other gym? Done any research? Perhaps you could talk to someone there and find out what there classes are like for that age group/ability level. There's a chance that the more competitive gym still takes a similar approach to your recreational gym when dealing with very young kids. If the classes and schedule would be similar, then there's no reason to to move to a gym where she can grow more as a gymnast.

 

[lhmom]

Also remember that the with the new level changes, 2013's level 4 will be the old level 5 (which is why the girls have to be 7 to compete). So, more than likely she'd be looking at that gym's new level 3 team. It can also be a huge adjustment switching from low amount of hours and conditioning to a more competitive schedule and training. DD's gym did not do level 3, just 2 years of pre-team. She competed level 4 at age 6, but I remember that the increase in hours took her some time to adjust to (jumped from 3 hours a week to 9) and she was also the youngest which was tough at first. Since yours is 5, my inclination would be to wait a season and see if she wants to continue or see if this other gym has a preteam. Good luck!

 

[gymboymom]

I would finish this season while learning more about other gyms in the area. You might learn a lot while at meets. I wouldn't wait until formal try outs. I think a lot of gyms let you come in for an individual try out of just a trial class. Especially at the lower levels which could be preteam at other gyms. Also you can keep looking into the amount of hours at other nearby gyms for this years level 4s (next years L3) to make sure you are making the right choice for your dd and your family. But I would probably switch for next comp season if you think she wants to continue with gymnastics (the best you can know at this age

 

[bookworm]

well she's 5 and doing level 3 so she's ok for the here and now but at a gym that doesn't even have a set of bars I don't see much in the terms of "future" with this gym...even if she's not super "serious" , you'd kind of be selling her short by not giving her a chance to experience a gym that had all events (even as a compulsory) ...so I would be looking at moving her sooner than later because in reality, what you're at is kind of like a Gymboree atmosphere (but if that's what you want,that's fine too) where gymnastics and team are never an option....

 

[GymBee97]

I would switch now based on your description of the gym and their current program. There really isn't much future in their program and Kids bounce back quicker from change when they are younger. Its hard to say if your DD would want to continue if she hasn't experenced a gym with a full program. She is only 5 and her focus should be on having FUN first no matter what level she is at or how competitive the program.

 

[LizzieLac]

I would move her now. The current gym doe not offer what she will need even very soon. Regardless of what her future potential is, she will need a gym with the proper equipment for her to even compete level 4.

 

[gymmomtoo]

I'd switch now--the new gym will probably put her in their pre-team program, but that's the perfect place for her at 5/6 yrs old. They can teach her the skills the way they want them taught and she can get used to more hours and conditioning

 

[Faith]

I think I would move earlier. She's going to be maxed out fairly soon, and the longer you've been at a gym, especially if you like the staff, the harder it is to move.

If the new gym also has a great atmosphere, and you think she'll have just as much fun, move her now. If she's going to give up, she'll give up, and you can always move her back if she decides it's just something she wants to play at rather than compete.

I was told fairly recently by an olympic coach that if they're talented, they'll soon get bored in a rec program anyway, and a competitive track will be way more fun, even though it's "harder". I put that in inverted commas as it's a parental point of view, my DD doesn't find the increased hours and conditioning harder work , just more interesting! She was nothing special in a rec program, which is why she wasn't picked for team until 7, but has really blossomed and has gone from L2/L3 to L6 in less than a year!

 

[nameless]

i'd move.. even at 5 sounds like she has talent. my dd is 5 and backhandspringing and working current level 4 skills (and a few L5 skills) while competeing L3.. we have nicer gyms in our area, and they are much less crowded, but she's at the best gym, because 5 or not she's talented and i want the best coaches in the area.. if you do stay at your current gym i would definately let her train with the older girls as long as she can hack it. my dd takes tumbling with girls 10-18, she absolutely loves being with the big girls!

 

[Committed]

well, I guess I was wrong about your responses!

Bars: they have single bars, no uneven. She just started being taught L4 skills like front hip circle. the problem is, 2 of the 4 bars are plastic, and no amount of chalk in the world helps.

I definitely want her to do this comp. season at her current gym. I've already paid for it, and I want her to see if it is something she wants to do.
She did do a try-out class a couple of years ago, at that gym, but the programs weren't much different at that age (preschool), and it was further away. I'm not sure of the cost difference, but I think it's close as well.
I think the biggest worry for me is the commitment level required. I'm afraid DD will burn out quicker, and be told to be more serious; she is a goofy little girl. And I'm hoping that she could still work around soccer.
The hardest part would be actually leaving her gym. There is a sense of loyalty, but I would have to look out for my daughter's best interest.

 

[suebee]

Thanks for posting this thread! I don't have any words of advice, but I have been thinking about the opposite issues as you (moving my 4 year old preteam from her current competitive gym to a less competitive gym closer to my house to make things more convenient for us while she figures out whether gymnastics is for her). The advice here is helpful.

 

[DisMom]

Yikes. Plastic bars would be a problem for me. 5 or not, anyone doing gymnastics needs to be on the right (and safe!) equipment.

As for soccer--yes, she can do both. My dd is a L6 and is a very competitive soccer player on 2 travel teams. It works. Our meet season is in the winter (now) so she only does soccer one/night per week through the winter and spring. But in the fall which is traditional soccer season, it's more of a juggle but still doable. She in the gym on M,W,F, and Sa. Soccer practice on T and TH nights with games on Saturday and Sunday both. So the only real issue is when there is a Saturday soccer game at the same time as a Saturday gymnastics practice. It doesn't happen often.