WAG Can I post this? 3yr old gymnast on Ellen

[gracyomalley]

Most three year olds can't gallop, skip, balance on one foot for more than a few seconds, even touch their toes without sometimes falling over, etc. Now with balance bikes its different, but even pedaling a bike is considered a three year old milestone! She is quite exceptional based upon her coordination alone. Honestly, this CB audience is not the general population pool...

Actually the press and the flexibility are probably less impressive at this age than the coordination - strength to weight ratio is different and many kids are strong enough to press, and do all the splits at three if they practice at all (20 hours not required). What they can't do well is balance enough for a press handstand or keep their legs in the right spot for proper splits, etc. DD was picked up at 2 in a mommy and me for her ability to hold "donkey kicks" for ages - and splits, etc - presses were easy for her at 5 and BHS happening at home because we didn't know better...no phenom, but strong and active kid. Held back until 9 for L7, did well, but still done with gym at 12 with puberty. The number of kids in the "maybe talented enough to make it" pipeline is quite large....and the number in L8-10 not so much!

This kid probably gets enough attention at her gym that she doesn't have to "focus" because all the older kids and coaches love "playing with her" at gym (I would assume that's what doing gymnastics feels like to her - one big happy preschool jungle gym - the pictures and videos look that way). No matter how many hours she's doing now it certainly doesn't look like the videos of Asian kids being forced from young ages to hold handstands for 10 minutes or not be fed (or whatever the youtube posters claim is happening...) I don't sense anyone is trying to push her too fast, but I do feel that she's being set up to be hurt, or leave gym long before any of this leads to more than "playing at gym with my friends/coaches..." and I think that the adults promoting this should think long and hard about what it could lead to for her and other youngsters in our acheivement happy parenting environment...after all, you can't play baseball on a team in this country anymore if you don't start Tball and batting clinics by age 5, and gym is already exclusionary enough!!!

 

[bogwoppit]

Lol at "Insta-gymmies". Just add water?

No just add crazy coach and uneducated parent.

 

[gymdog]

Huh? The girls level 6 compulsory routine has a headstand in it.

See, even Australia is changing! There you go. Even better.

Again regardless of how much she's in the gym it's still exceptional because most kids could not focus or take verbal instruction for even an hour at a time to learn or practice these skills. It also sounds like that period was short lived and now she does regular advanced class hours. But either way.

 

[Jenny]

No just add crazy coach and uneducated parent.

Quite, I look at the statement that they have added a weekly private of an hour to help her overcome her fear of high beam.........why does a 3 year old need to even be on high beam......how has she even managed to get a fear that young............... the whole thing is more than stupid.

 

[munchkin3]

Quite, I look at the statement that they have added a weekly private of an hour to help her overcome her fear of high beam.........why does a 3 year old need to even be on high beam......how has she even managed to get a fear that young............... the whole thing is more than stupid.

I think the prerequisite would be to put all the stupid adults including mom on the high beam first. Let's see them do any kind of jump or handstand.......revisit after.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I think the prerequisite would be to put all the stupid adults including mom on the high beam first. Let's see them do any kind of jump or handstand.......revisit after.

love it, make it the old wobbly one too !

 

[GymmieC]

Okay if mom is on here, I have a confession to make. Yes, I too think a three yo training that many hours is absurd. This is not coming from a 'jealous ' mom or one who has never 'been there done that. ' DD is just turned 12. She is still recouping from a back stress fracture that her doc said has been there for some time. These kids are Tough.
DD started gymnastics at three years old after older DD and I saw her flip her first bhs by herself...yes, on her head on our living room ottoman. Baby got right up and flipped. Like idiots, we asked her to do it again because we were in shock like, "Did we actually just see that? Did she actually just do that?!"
Well kid first started slow in a hotshot group. I can not remember hours, maybe four. Things happened with oder DD and DS and I was considering pulling the baby and waiting until she was older.
Talking to a friend I brought her to an eval at a very reputable gym. At four yo, she trained with level 4s- 12 hrs...at 5 she trained with level 5s -16 hrs...So as mom can see , okay my DD was a bit older, but I WAS A NUT...I had to be. I put my trust in her coaches. I don't necessarily think they meant to hurt her, but when I see DD now I constantly ask myself had she not started so young would her back be saved, not injured. Clearly, I will never know, but my goodness do I feel guilty. Give your baby a chance at being healthy.
Watching your child in pain; watching your child recovering from a big injury is no fun. My DD still wants to make a comeback and she Loves her sport. I pray every day that she is able to do that. Or did my decision make a negative impact on her life forever? Be the adult! I am now telling DD listen to your body. If it hurts STOP! She will need to walk for the rest of her life.

 

[LJL07]

Very talented little girl for sure! Not a coach, but I agree too much too soon. She's got 3 years at least til she could even compete level 4. Both of mine chucked bhs early around 4 yrs, so that and the preschool bar skills don't make her a "prodigy." But the press handstand is impressive!

I always read here on CB that gymnastics is a marathon, not a sprint. But all I see on Instagram and actually in my girls' own gym are a bunch of sprinting parents. It's so hard not to get caught up in the sprint. There are so many talented kids out there.

 

[munchkin3]

We are human. We are amazed and love our children to death. From the first step our babies take, They are amazing.
When I watched her first beam routine, I for sure thought she was the best in the entire planet.....she IS the best, to me.
These are all feelings us parents have everyday about our kids.........we should be proud of them with all their accomplishments.

But then we protect them too......and when we don't know about something then we use our heads, and get a grip on reality. We THINK, and then read, and search on YouTube, and read some more, and ask questions.....then make an educated guess what we think best for our kids.....most of the time we are right, and sometimes we are wrong......

Don't beat yourself up......I myself was just telling someone that if I had only blah blah blah, my son would still be doing it.....sh*t happens......but not a day goes by that I don't remind myself that what these kids are doing, can kill them....or maim them.

This mom doesn't know better.....the gym does.

 

[duyetanh]

I think the prerequisite would be to put all the stupid adults including mom on the high beam first. Let's see them do any kind of jump or handstand.......revisit after.

OMG....that was THE awesome post of the day for me.
Just AWESOME.
BAHAHAHAHA

 

[LadyBugGymnast]

Her mom must have seen this post, and the links with all the pictures of her daughter at the old gym with all the hours because she was back peddling on IG last night saying "People have been inquiring about Emmas hours. She goes 3 hours with an hour of private, for a total of 4 hours." Of course all her new best friends were clapping for her saying thats the perfect amount of hours. Thats great some things have NOW changed, and I am happy her body is now getting a break, but please dont put this facade on that your child has ONLY been in the gym 3-4 hours a week for the past 2 years and has learned all these skills. Because that is not the truth. Be honest with everyone, and yourself.

When a 3 or 4 year old is putting in 16-20 hours a week at the gym plus who knows how much at home with coach mom, of course she's going to be able to do the things she was doing. That's why I find it unexceptional. Now if you told me she got all that from just 2 hours a week at the gym, OR if she was logging all those hours but doing the skills with perfect form, then I'd be impressed. Otherwise, IMO she's just a cute, energetic little girl with way too much home equipment and parental involvement who's on the fast track to burnout and injury.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

what does a 3 year old need a private for ? Sheesh

 

[bogwoppit]

what does a 3 year old need a private for ? Sheesh

For her high beam fears.....

 

[txgymfan]

So put her on the low one until she begs to go high. Problem solved! No private needed.

 

[Vivianflips]

Wow it's so surprising that a three year old is scared of being on a beam that's taller than her...when I first started gymnastics at almost 13, my coaches could barely get me to go on the high beam! I'm no longer afraid of beam, it just took time for me to overcome my fear not doing a bunch of beam privates!

 

[duyetanh]

A 3 year old having fear of the high beam, hmm...would that not be deemed 'normal' in terms of developmental?
Perhaps our gym is behind the times, but I have yet to see 3 year olds on high beams there. When my child was 3, she thought that amounted to "walking the plank..."

 

[munchkin3]

Seriously. I think all parents who have a child on team track MUST be required to take an adult gymnastics class from time to time...It keeps everything real.

 

[txgymfan]

If my kids gym offered an adult class ( especially when she has class) I would sign up in a heartbeat! All that flipping looks like so much fun and I'd love to get a pull up and a decent handstand.

 

[Gymmommy71]

If my kids gym offered an adult class ( especially when she has class) I would sign up in a heartbeat! All that flipping looks like so much fun and I'd love to get a pull up and a decent handstand.

I want my kip!

 

[azara]

Teen classes exist...I'm sure adult ones do too. It's a blast and so worth it