Parents Age/Level and Path they took to get there

[DP gymnast mom]

My oldest started late at almost 8 years old.
8 - level 4
9- level 5
10 - level 7
11 - level 8
12 - level 9
13 - repeating level 9

My younger DD
6 - level 3
7 - level 4
8 - level 5
9 - level 7
10 - level 8

 

[GymCMLA]

WAG 1
13 mo- 3 mommy and me
3&4 preschool
5&6 devo/pre team
7 old 4
8 old 4
9 old 5
10 new 5
11 L6
12 L7
13&14 L8
15, 16 and 17 L9
18 L10
19 D3 College

WAG 2
3 Preschool
4 Hot shots
5 devo
6 L2
7 L3
8 training year not competing
9 L4
10 L6
11 L7

Boy 1
1&2 mommy and me
3&4 preschool
5 TNT devo
6 TNT (I can't remember all of the levels as they are different per event)
7 MAG devo
8 MAG L4
9-15 TNT
16-17 TNT optional

Boy 2
3&4 preschool
5 TNT devo
6-13 TNT
14 TNT optional

 

[AmiaRay]

A year or two of preschool rec stuff.
Level 1: kindergarten and 1st grade
Level 2: 2nd grade
Level 3: 3rd grade
XG: 4/5th grade (quit beginning of 5th)
1 year off
3 years rec
Level 6: 9th grade, returning for a partial season.
Goals: Unsure, possibly competing a full season next year.

 

[thatgymmom]

My daughter was in rec for the longest time as no coach was willing to help her get to team or put her on team until we moved gyms for bronze. Then after gold we moved gyms again to our current gym.
rec- age 6-10
xcel bronze- age 11
xcel silver- age 12
xcel gold- age 13
xcel platinum- age 14
She dreams of doing college gymnastics even though she knows that it is unrealistic at her age and level. No matter where she ends up, she still always works so hard in the gym fighting to as many turns as possible.

 

[TumbleTimes4]

My daughter is a 13 year old level 8. She started in XB at 7, moved to level 3 at 8 and has done a level a year since.

 

[TheXcelMom]

How did I miss this fun thread? Thank you for all your stories.

Rec: 5YO
Preteam: 5YO
Then she quit for awhile. Wanted to do horseback riding, which we allowed for a little while then...my God if you think gymnastics is expensive, you ain't seen nothing.

Rec again: 1st grade
XB: 2nd grade
XB: 3rd grade

Yes, she did XB twice. The coach thought she'd benefit from another year and the coach was right. Her first year was wobbly. Her second year was a sea of gold...but then...pandemic. No competitions and a year of no practice in our state.

XS: 5th grade
XG: 6th grade (today)

She wants to to XG twice, and I'm fine with that. Whatever. I just write the checks.

Goals: None, really. She just wants to do well in competition, get new skills, quit when she doesn't like it any more...at the end of a season because you can't just bail on your team midway through.

I'd like to see her stay strong and maintain the focus and mindfulness she gets from gymnastics.

 

[DataMom]

We had sort of a weird path because we moved around both to different cities and different gyms within a city.

<2y: Mommy and Me
3y: Pre-rec
4y: Pre-team
4y: Pre-rec at new gym in new city
5y: Rec
5y: Pre-team
Kindergarten: Pre-team at new gym in same city
1st grade: Pre-team with local Level 1 Meets
2nd grade: L2
3rd grade: L3

Goals: Keep having fun and working hard, possibly compete in college

 

[GYM0M]

Wow, so many great stories in this thread! I’ve been kinda absent for a long while, but missed you guys!!

3 yrs-4 yrs: Mom-n-Tot/Rec gym
5 yrs: PreTeam, TOPS team
6 yrs: L4 (old)
7 yrs: L4 (new), TOPS Diamond Team
8 yrs fall: L5, TOPS ‘B’ Team
8-9 yrs spring: L7, L8 (one meet)
10 yrs: L9 (one meet), HOPES
11 yrs: HOPES
12 yrs: Jr Elite/HOPES
13 yrs-14 yrs: Jr Elite
15 yrs: Jr Elite, National Team
16 yrs: Sr Elite, moved gyms, commits to Arkansas!! WooPig!!!
17 yrs: Sr Elite…….
Goals….. I’m not sure what her goals are for this season. I think I know, but I don’t want to put words in her mouth. I, as always, just want her to enjoy her journey!

 

[Gymbletot]

We are in the UK and not quite two years in yet, but my little girl started a recreational class in April 2021 when she was 5 and a half.

About four months later she picked up a second recreational class and was then invited straight to squad in December. She did a few small competitions last year and will be doing club grade 6 this year (the year she turns 8).

 

[Trying_to_tumble]

As a non-parent I’m not sure if im allowed to be here….. anyway

I watched the gymnastics movie ‘full out’ when I was seven and that was it. I had to do gymnastics.


Self taught lvl 1-2 skills: ages 8-9

Level 3 rec classes- ages 10-11

Quit for 2 years and lost my level 3 skills

Level 2-3 rec classes- 13 yo

Going to try out for Xcel Silver- I’ll be 14 by the time there’s tryouts

Goals: get BHS in time for tryouts and have fun I want to reach the level of gymnastics where I can pull a back tuck casually out of nowhere. Then I want to coach recreational gymnastics in college because I like small children lol

 

[Alongforthegymride]

DD 1:

Age 3: began rec gymnastics
Age 5: began XCEL preteam
Age 6: began developmental preteam for a few months.. then just started level 3 training last month and now invited to train with level 4 group. Possibly competing level 4 this fall. Will be 7 in July.

DD 2:

Age 18 months: Parent and Me rec gymnastics
Age 4: dev. preteam

 

[twinmomma]

Fun to look back on it:
3 years old, tot gymnastics class with her twin brother
6 Years old, first rec class, identified as team material by her rec teacher
7 years old, Xcel Bronze
8 years old, JO L3
9 years old JO L4
switch to T&T
10 years old - TNT 7,7,8 (Tumbling, Trampoline, Double Mini)
11 years old - TNT 7,8,8
switch to Acro (it's always felt like a foregone conclusion - she's known the acro coaches since she was 6 in artistic)
12 years old - Acro L9 Women's Pair - top
13 years old - Acro L8 Women's trio - base; L7 Women's Pair, Base
14 years old - Acro L9 Women's trio - mid/base
15 years old - Acro L9 Women's trio - mid/base (season cut short due to partner injury)
16 years old (this year) - Acro L9/L10 Mixed Pair top

Goal is to compete Acrobatics and Tumbling in college. She's had 2 official D2 visits, and has D1 coming up in April with another D1 inquiring. Hopeful to have a commitment by the end of summer.

 

[GymnastPotterhead]

12 year old (I think) started
Covid and everything - practices cut short but still gained skills
14 year old: back injury - made it hard to gain new skills
14.5 moved to US: started on level 4, even though I had higher level skills- but missed just round off BHS BHS and high bar kip. Bad decision- bad gym: shouldve explored more.
15: new gym, with current Golds who are gonna be training for platinum after this season.

Goals: complete platinum, join HS team, (and not get anymore back or ankle injuries), maybe coach as a side job..

 

[twinmomma]

12 year old (I think) started
Covid and everything - practices cut short but still gained skills
14 year old: back injury - made it hard to gain new skills
14.5 moved to US: started on level 4, even though I had higher level skills- but missed just round off BHS BHS and high bar kip. Bad decision- bad gym: shouldve explored more.
15: new gym, with current Golds who are gonna be training for platinum after this season.

Goals: complete platinum, join HS team, (and not get anymore back or ankle injuries), maybe coach as a side job..

I love that there are places that still do HS gymnastics. It's just not really a thing where we live.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Gymnast 1: started beginners at age 6; sessions were 9 weeks long. Moved up after first session to intermediate; moved up after 2nd session to Advanced. Stayed there for a year. Moved to pre-team age 8; 6 weeks later moved to (old) level 4.
(Old) Level 5-9 yrs old, injured, 1 year recovery
(Old) level 6- 10 yrs old
scored out of 7
level 8
level 9, summer with injuries, repeated level 9
level 10 - 9th grade, 10th grade
level 10 next 2 years injuries and surgeries

gymnast 2: started age 6, stopped after 1 summer.
started again age 8
Rec Team - age 9
(old) level 4 - age 10
Prep Op II - age 11
(old) level 5 - age 12
retired and became a cheerleader all the way through NCAA

3rd gymnast :
18 months- parent and me
3 yrs — pre school class
4 yrs — advanced preschool class
5 yrs- jr preteam
6 yrs — preteam
7 yrs — level 1
8 yrs —level 2
9 yrs —level 3
10 yrs — level 4, Covid ruins everything, cuts season short
11 yrs— Gold
12 yrs— level 6 after scoring out of 5
13 yrs—repeated level 6

Love this weird, amazing, frustrating, rewarding sport.

 

[KinPer]

Hi all! My son is 9 years old and he talks to me about gymnastics. I decided to read up on the forums about it. I see that gymnastics is done from an early age. I see that even from the age of 5.
Please tell me, is it too late for my son to start gymnastics at the age of 9? Or am I asking in the wrong thread?

 

[WV Gym Mom]

Hi all! My son is 9 years old and he talks to me about gymnastics. I decided to read up on the forums about it. I see that gymnastics is done from an early age. I see that even from the age of 5.
Please tell me, is it too late for my son to start gymnastics at the age of 9? Or am I asking in the wrong thread?

Not at all! Many people also start "later"! There are also different options - recreation, artistic gymnastics, T&T, (Trampoline and Tumbling), Parkour, etc. Its a great sport to get into at any age. There is a whole forum here that focuses on Mens Gymnastics (MAG) that might have more replies for you!

 

[KinPer]

Not at all! Many people also start "later"! There are also different options - recreation, artistic gymnastics, T&T, (Trampoline and Tumbling), Parkour, etc. Its a great sport to get into at any age. There is a whole forum here that focuses on Mens Gymnastics (MAG) that might have more replies for you!

Yes, there really is a lot of interesting information here, thank you! I'm reading enthusiastically

 

[skschlag]

Hi all! My son is 9 years old and he talks to me about gymnastics. I decided to read up on the forums about it. I see that gymnastics is done from an early age. I see that even from the age of 5.
Please tell me, is it too late for my son to start gymnastics at the age of 9? Or am I asking in the wrong thread?

not too late at all. Many boys start later! I think it is worth a shot if he is interested!

 

[Loopy]

(Australia so the levels are a little different)
Dd1
1-2 kindergym
3-4 junior gym
5 took a year off
6 rec
7 advanced rec
8 level 3 rec (also took up figure skating)
9 level 3 team (but covid year, so no comps, and not a lot of training either)
10 level 3 team
11 level 4 team
12 was supposed to be level 5 but has hurt her knee so may be repeating level 4

Goals are really just to enjoy the ride. She loves training and competing but there isn't such thing as college gymnastics here so most kids stop and switch to something else in their teens.

Dd2
1-2 kindergym
3-4 junior gym
5 junior gym (and took up figure skating)
6 - started trampoline and decided she hated gymnastics (did level 1 trampoline)
7 - did level 1 and level 2 trampoline
8 - learning level 3 trampoline (but yet to pass Level 2 trampoline - she did pass level 2 dmt though last year - but was unable to attend the 1st grading session this year so now needs to wait until the end of the year)

Her real love is actually figure skating, but our local rink closed down. She likes trampoline though but probably won't do it competitively (is just doing the in house competitions and grading so far), she's reasonably good but a bit frustrating to teach so I don't think she'd get invited to join the team - but maybe in a few years if she sticks with it. She mucks around a lot in class but actually does pretty well at grading.