NCAA Can i make it the NCAA? (be honest)

[chardoesgymnastics]

Hi! I’m a 13 yr old female who has been doing gymnastics for just over a year.
The truth: i suck at it but i love it.
My dream is to compete as a D1 Gymnast but i don’t think that’s at all realistic.
at 12 yrs When i started gym i was doing one a week rec classes and i couldn’t do anything (NO cartwheel, NO handstand, Nothing)
Fast forward a year later i can now cartwheel, roundoff, backbend, handstand, beam handstand)
i don’t yet have my kickover/pullover on bars which is my biggest weakness. i tried out for my gyms bronze team in the spring and i made the cut (barely) so now i am preparing to compete for the first time in february ()
But as much as i love it, i progress slowly and i’d really like tips for how to improve quicker and any info on whether you’ve known someone who started late but still made it ?

Has anyone started gym at 12 and progressed slowly but made it.
Tbh i feel i will not be a gold until i’m a junior.. Realistically what does my timeline look like compared to the average level 8 thirteen year old thanks yall
and tips and feedback is appreciated

 

[Gaby]

Really Hard to say, sometimes it is not just personal efforts. Gymnastics is a very competitive sport for girls.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

D1 NCAA? Probably not.

But most colleges have club teams that practice together, compete together, etc, just like an NCAA team, but without the same limits on the number of spots available, or the level of difficulty required, etc. It's basically all the best things about being on an NCAA team, but much more accessible.

 

[txgymfan]

You could probably participate in a gymnastics club in college.

 

[GymDadWA]

The deck would be stacked against you but maybe you would be the gymnastic version of "Rudy".

Rudy (1993) - IMDb

Rudy: Directed by David Anspaugh. With Sean Astin, Jon Favreau, Ned Beatty, Greta Lind. Rudy has always been told that he was too small to play college football. But he is determined to overcome the odds and fulfill his dream of playing for Notre Dame.

www.imdb.com

 

[Pigeon]

If you are a strong tumbler you could look into Acro & Tumbling programs. It's an area that is really starting to grow.

 

[welovethegym]

Probably not D1, but maybe college club team, or if you become a strong tumbler, acro or tumbling, but you could possibly be a part of a D1 team as a manager if you get an opportunity!

 

[chardoesgymnastics]

Thank you all! this is great info and really helps!! Also i love the movie rudy lol

 

[Trying_to_tumble]

Hi! I’m a 13 yr old female who has been doing gymnastics for just over a year.
The truth: i suck at it but i love it.
My dream is to compete as a D1 Gymnast but i don’t think that’s at all realistic.
at 12 yrs When i started gym i was doing one a week rec classes and i couldn’t do anything (NO cartwheel, NO handstand, Nothing)
Fast forward a year later i can now cartwheel, roundoff, backbend, handstand, beam handstand)
i don’t yet have my kickover/pullover on bars which is my biggest weakness. i tried out for my gyms bronze team in the spring and i made the cut (barely) so now i am preparing to compete for the first time in february ()
But as much as i love it, i progress slowly and i’d really like tips for how to improve quicker and any info on whether you’ve known someone who started late but still made it ?

Has anyone started gym at 12 and progressed slowly but made it.
Tbh i feel i will not be a gold until i’m a junior.. Realistically what does my timeline look like compared to the average level 8 thirteen year old thanks yall
and tips and feedback is appreciated

I did gymnastics when I was 8 until 10, quit, then came back into at 13, where I am now. It sounds like you need more conditioning, if you can’t do a pullover. Kick overs are hard at first, but get easier with a lot of practice. I struggle with improving flexibility, so I can understand what that feels like.



Try some of these strength routines, they’ll get easier as you do them repeatedly. She made them specifically for dancers and gymnasts, so they’ll definitely help.

Good luck!

 

[chardoesgymnastics]

I did gymnastics when I was 8 until 10, quit, then came back into at 13, where I am now. It sounds like you need more conditioning, if you can’t do a pullover. Kick overs are hard at first, but get easier with a lot of practice. I struggle with improving flexibility, so I can understand what that feels like.



Try some of these strength routines, they’ll get easier as you do them repeatedly. She made them specifically for dancers and gymnasts, so they’ll definitely help.

Good luck!

Thank you so much!! I just got my kickover on bars!

 

[chardoesgymnastics]

I love rudy!

 

[chardoesgymnastics]

Hi! I’m a 13 yr old female who has been doing gymnastics for just over a year.
The truth: i suck at it but i love it.
My dream is to compete as a D1 Gymnast but i don’t think that’s at all realistic.
at 12 yrs When i started gym i was doing one a week rec classes and i couldn’t do anything (NO cartwheel, NO handstand, Nothing)
Fast forward a year later i can now cartwheel, roundoff, backbend, handstand, beam handstand)
i don’t yet have my kickover/pullover on bars which is my biggest weakness. i tried out for my gyms bronze team in the spring and i made the cut (barely) so now i am preparing to compete for the first time in february ()
But as much as i love it, i progress slowly and i’d really like tips for how to improve quicker and any info on whether you’ve known someone who started late but still made it ?

Has anyone started gym at 12 and progressed slowly but made it.
Tbh i feel i will not be a gold until i’m a junior.. Realistically what does my timeline look like compared to the average level 8 thirteen year old thanks yall
and tips and feedback is appreciated

UPDATE: I got my kickover on bars!

 

[chardoesgymnastics]

Hi! I’m a 13 yr old female who has been doing gymnastics for just over a year.
The truth: i suck at it but i love it.
My dream is to compete as a D1 Gymnast but i don’t think that’s at all realistic.
at 12 yrs When i started gym i was doing one a week rec classes and i couldn’t do anything (NO cartwheel, NO handstand, Nothing)
Fast forward a year later i can now cartwheel, roundoff, backbend, handstand, beam handstand)
i don’t yet have my kickover/pullover on bars which is my biggest weakness. i tried out for my gyms bronze team in the spring and i made the cut (barely) so now i am preparing to compete for the first time in february ()
But as much as i love it, i progress slowly and i’d really like tips for how to improve quicker and any info on whether you’ve known someone who started late but still made it ?

Has anyone started gym at 12 and progressed slowly but made it.
Tbh i feel i will not be a gold until i’m a junior.. Realistically what does my timeline look like compared to the average level 8 thirteen year old thanks yall
and tips and feedback is appreciated

UPDATE: I got my kickover on bars, and i’m starting to consider specializing in vault to hopefully raise chances of making the ncaa ? what do you guys think?

 

[gym_dad32608]

If you can throw a consistent Y1.5 or any other 10 NCAA SV (10.1 JO) vault, you have a good shot

 

[Carly]

What skills do you have currently on vault?

 

[chardoesgymnastics]

What skills do you have currently on vault?

Front handspring over vault table

 

[chardoesgymnastics]

UPDATE: I got my kickover on bars, and i’m starting to consider specializing in vault to hopefully raise chances of making the ncaa ? what do you guys think?

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the amazing replies. It’s Been over a year since I posted that.

I haven’t been in gym in 6 months but recently have gone back once or twice and checked my skills

Current skills.
Vault:
Fhs over vault table or mat stack
Beam: handstand low beam full turn high beam, 2/1 turn low beam, cartwheel floor beam
Floor:
Possible passes:
Round off carthweel or cartwheel round off
Handstand forward roll step out cartwheel ??

I’m not great on floor but it’s fun and I love performing.
Back tuck on Tumbl track land it or into pit. bhs with a spot on tumbl track.

So yea I haven’t progressed that much.
As for my worst event, bars…I don’t even reach bronze with my skills.
Yes I have competed bronze but my routine was lit just kick over cast push away. I’m not competing this season but I want to tryout for silver and just not ever compete bars.

I have been trying to get my back hip for over 3 years and I have only done it once on my own back in June 2023 and never again. That was at international gymnastics camp with a guest coach who’s name I can’t find. She was amazing.

the gym I competed at last year is not far on weekends but with weekday Los Angeles traffic it can take over an hour typically. I tried a tiny gym in my town that is new but they should not even be allowed to have a team. It’s like a baby gym. They don’t even have a vault.

So now I just do once a week classes at my old gym that I competed with but I want to do silver. I would be 15 years old by the time I got to compete next so I just won’t do gym anymore bc bronze at 15 is embarrassing. My gym doesn’t have open gyms, they have way too many gymnasts, horrible babyish floor routines (I want to make my own) and until gold you have to compete with a short sleeve Leo because there are too many kids. What do I do? I don’t know If they will let me specialize

 

[Dahlialover]

Hey everyone. Thanks for all the amazing replies. It’s Been over a year since I posted that.

I haven’t been in gym in 6 months but recently have gone back once or twice and checked my skills

Current skills.
Vault:
Fhs over vault table or mat stack
Beam: handstand low beam full turn high beam, 2/1 turn low beam, cartwheel floor beam
Floor:
Possible passes:
Round off carthweel or cartwheel round off
Handstand forward roll step out cartwheel ??

I’m not great on floor but it’s fun and I love performing.
Back tuck on Tumbl track land it or into pit. bhs with a spot on tumbl track.

So yea I haven’t progressed that much.
As for my worst event, bars…I don’t even reach bronze with my skills.
Yes I have competed bronze but my routine was lit just kick over cast push away. I’m not competing this season but I want to tryout for silver and just not ever compete bars.

I have been trying to get my back hip for over 3 years and I have only done it once on my own back in June 2023 and never again. That was at international gymnastics camp with a guest coach who’s name I can’t find. She was amazing.

the gym I competed at last year is not far on weekends but with weekday Los Angeles traffic it can take over an hour typically. I tried a tiny gym in my town that is new but they should not even be allowed to have a team. It’s like a baby gym. They don’t even have a vault.

So now I just do once a week classes at my old gym that I competed with but I want to do silver. I would be 15 years old by the time I got to compete next so I just won’t do gym anymore bc bronze at 15 is embarrassing. My gym doesn’t have open gyms, they have way too many gymnasts, horrible babyish floor routines (I want to make my own) and until gold you have to compete with a short sleeve Leo because there are too many kids. What do I do? I don’t know If they will let me specialize

Have you considered finding a T&T gym? That’s tumbling and trampoline. You get to do fun gymnastics and you don’t have to deal with bars. It’ll prepare you better for college Acro and tumbling too. Good luck!