MAG College scholarships and difficulty finding a boys team in my area

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Men's Artistic Gymnastics
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I'm 15 and going to be a sophomore this fall. I started gymnastics in 8th grade, so I've been doing it for about 2 years now. I've recently started stressing out on college scholarships and thinking I have low chances on getting one. Here are the problems:

1. I have lessons once a week for an hour and my gym doesn't have a boy's team, so they don't even give us levels (I would LOVE if someone could tell me what level I am , just ask and I'll reply my skills on each event)

2. The other gyms around me are similar and the ones that are intense and have a team are super far. When I get my license this December, I hope and pray my parents will let me enroll in a good gym (My parents aren't as passionate about me doing gymnastics because that cha chang money)

3. Don't get me wrong I love my gym, coaches, and have made amazing friends but I feel i cant elevate myself fast enough for college. Our pommel horse is for some reason right next to a mirror so we can't extend and do flares (we have a mushroom though) Our rings are playground rings (like what) floor, vault, high bar, and parallel bars are great (well p-bars are in a back room along with the rings so, because I am 5'10 I almost hit the ceiling) The coaches are AMAZING and helpful though. We also dont have foam pits

4. I'm tall (Pushing through it, i really don't not to let it hold me back much but I'm wondering if that'll effect college selection)

Also how does one get noticed by colleges? I've also been thinking about doing cheer because I hear that gives good scholarships
SO thats me, Gymnastics is really one of my passions and I know my situation is a little complicated and unique but I really need some advice because I'm WIGGGIN OUT about life lol
 
Hi Joe and welcome ot CB! I am sure if you post your skills someone can tell you where you are in the levels.

Not sure about the gym. This one does not sound like it will get you far, even if the coaches are great. you need good facilities.

Good luck!
 
Hi Joe and welcome ot CB! I am sure if you post your skills someone can tell you where you are in the levels.

Not sure about the gym. This one does not sound like it will get you far, even if the coaches are great. you need good facilities.

Good luck!

Thank you so much appreciate it! I'll post my skills pronto
 
MY SKILLS(i wasn't sure where to post these so i'll just post them here i guess):

FLOOR:
Cartwheel, back walkover, front walkover, handstand, back handspring, round- off back handspring, round-off double back handspring, front handspring ( its pretty ugly working on it lol) and just recently got my back tuck ! i might've forgotten a few easy ones which i'll most likely do on each event. Oh well

HIGH BAR: Pullover, back hip circle, tap swings are getting high almost for them giants, and getting close to kip and front hip circle (learning how pull like you strong girls, HOW DO YOU DO IT??) I've done muscle ups a few time before

VAULT: Front handspring and round-off

PARALLEL BARS: (we have nicknames fr a lot of these so bear with me) straddle swings, pike hold,(my pikes are really good, so I've been told ha) tuck hold, shoulder stand, shoulder stand to roll (on good days lol) shoulder hops. I definitely forgot a few basic ones here

POMMEL HORSE: We barely get to practice on the horse, but here are the few, around the worlds, pike hold, tuck hold, those ones where you lift one arm and kick a leg over and back and then do it on the other side ? (lol im so sorry, like i said we barely work on it)

RINGS: Straddle hold, Pike hold, pike to inverted handstand, Tuck hold, Back roll, inverted handstand


I think thats it i'll probably remember a few later and be like of course so i'll post those when i can

THANK YOU ANYONE WHO CAN TELL ME MY LEVEL AND IF I HAVE A CHANCE FOR COLLEGE !!!!!!!
 
I'm going to guess (I could be wrong) that you would be a 5 or 6. You are past puberty, so maybe you could get the missing skills that need strength to get you to level 6. You need the kip for 5 and 6 though.

For college... my DS is nowhere near that, so I don't know all of the details (and honestly, he doesn't plan to get a gymnastics scholarship). I know that there are very, very few colleges that offer men's gymnastics. Like, very few (is it around 16 including Naval Academy, Airforce and West Point?) and more are losing teams (Temple is one recent example).

I have *heard* that cheer is a more likely prospect for a scholarship if you are interested in that and I'd think your tumbling would help you with that. Also, dive is a possibility.

You definitely need to get to a gym that had a team and better equipment though if you want to move forward with gymnastics. I don't know that you can "get noticed" if you aren't out there competing...
 
I'm going to guess (I could be wrong) that you would be a 5 or 6. You are past puberty, so maybe you could get the missing skills that need strength to get you to level 6. You need the kip for 5 and 6 though.

For college... my DS is nowhere near that, so I don't know all of the details (and honestly, he doesn't plan to get a gymnastics scholarship). I know that there are very, very few colleges that offer men's gymnastics. Like, very few (is it around 16 including Naval Academy, Airforce and West Point?) and more are losing teams (Temple is one recent example).

I have *heard* that cheer is a more likely prospect for a scholarship if you are interested in that and I'd think your tumbling would help you with that. Also, dive is a possibility.

You definitely need to get to a gym that had a team and better equipment though if you want to move forward with gymnastics. I don't know that you can "get noticed" if you aren't out there competing...

Thank you so much for the advice and info! Btw what is a DS?
 
oops, sorry - DS = "dear son", DD = dear daughter, DH = dear husband. A few gymnastics specific ones are FHS = front handspring, ROBHS = roundoff back handspring, BT = back tuck, etc
 
Basically L4 on apparatus and L5/6 ish on floor.

Competing collegiate club, yes.

Competing NCAA doubtful unless you bump your difficulty up and could compete as a Floor/Vault specialist which are a dime a dozen in MAG.

Move your Pommel Horse.

Most 5'10 MAG gymnasts are only to known to do well on Floor and Vault and perhaps High Bar though it would be possible maybe on PB. SR and PH doubtful.
 
Basically L4 on apparatus and L5/6 ish on floor.

Competing collegiate club, yes.

Competing NCAA doubtful unless you bump your difficulty up and could compete as a Floor/Vault specialist which are a dime a dozen in MAG.

Move your Pommel Horse.

Most 5'10 MAG gymnasts are only to known to do well on Floor and Vault and perhaps High Bar though it would be possible maybe on PB. SR and PH doubtful.

Thank you very much for the advice. I have good form on High Bar I just need to get stronger physically and mentally. The PH is like set in the ground so they'd have to do reconstruction but I'm going to try and convince them to move it
 
Hey Joe
I commend your fortitude and spirit.
A sad fact of MAG is there are few scholarships and competetive team coaches/gyms. That you have achieved up to these skills is remarkable. Unless you can travel to another gym, become an exchange student in E Europe or become self taught.
Consider joining a branch of the armed forces when you're of age. You won't make Nationals but you can enjoy a lifetime of related fitness.
 
Hey Joe
I commend your fortitude and spirit.
A sad fact of MAG is there are few scholarships and competetive team coaches/gyms. That you have achieved up to these skills is remarkable. Unless you can travel to another gym, become an exchange student in E Europe or become self taught.
Consider joining a branch of the armed forces when you're of age. You won't make Nationals but you can enjoy a lifetime of related fitness.

I really appreciate your consent, thank you so super much ! You saying that I've done something remarkable really boosts my spirits. I always thought I was behind with skills and age. What would you say is the average time length for gymnast to learn the skills I know?
 
6 months to a year for a talented kid with good potential. 2 years without much talent or potential.
 
Six months to a year to get a handstand on rings and loops and scissors on the horse? Starting at what age??

(Curious because there is an older guy in our region whom I would characterize as quite talented, but it took him two or three years to get to the top of L5.)
 
What would you say is the average time length for gymnast to learn the skills I know?

His skills vary from L3-4 on apparatus to L5/6 on vault&floor. For a teenage guy, that makes a lot of sense.
 
I'll second how fast a hard working teenage boy can progress! DS took 3+ years to get though L5 on all apparatus...but in 4 months he's gotten 5 of the 6 L7 routines with bonuses on most (only struggling on giants - had - then lost...) and has been doing floor and vault up training....its really quite amazing how they can (potentially) take off...
 
I am somewhat seeing the same thing with my guy after two years of L5. I agree that after the basics are really solid, some of those higher order skills can come pretty quickly if the kid is strong enough to do them. I just wasn't getting going from no gymnastics team experience to the particular skills I mentioned in six months, even for a highly motivated teenager. As we all know very, very, very well, pommel horse is hard! ;)
 
I agree - pommel is a biggy and having very little experience on that one would likely make it very tough - everything else has similarities but pommel is its own bird. Did take DS all those 3 years of L5 to get a decent mushroom - so glad there's no mushroom anymore (one reason he wanted to skip L6!!!). But once the timing and form are there, the teenage strength does kick in !
 
Thanks for the input everybody really appreciate it!
 
Joe, I don't know what your financial situation is like, but it occurred to me that maybe you could travel to a mens coach for privates/camps.
For example; Chicago is 5 hrs drive. find a school willing to train you 1 or 2 lessons..
Would cost $200. maybe you could even work out Video/chat lessons. I know it's done with other sports.
Would take some work , and begging, on your part to find someone.
 

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