Parents Does it matter which gym she goes to?

[Gymgirlsmomma]

Hi at the risk of sounding like a crazy gym parent I have a question about my preschool gymnast. 4.5yo daughter has been in preschool gymnastics for about 6 months. She is currently in their oldest preschool class( 4.5-5.5yo). There are rec levels 1-3 at the gym also. Initially, I was just looking for an activity for her to do and picked the local gym with the easiest website. However she absolutely loves it and I am wondering if competative gymnastics is in her future. I discovered later that we have an elite level gym just down the road and am wondering if/when we should switch gyms. Her current gym is primarily a T&T gym and only competes xcel bronze as far as I can tell. The elite gym has xcel and jo.
Truthfully I'm not even sure she is any good so this question may be pointless. Maybe you all can give me some insight. She can lunge into a brief strait, toes pointed, handstand inconsistently, her cartwheel is better than most of her classmates( coaches say its good), but still not great. She can almost do middle splits, but is not even close to the other two. She hasn't been taught much on bars. Does lifting toes to the bars and front support count? Can walk on high beam forward, backwards and sideways. She is pretty focused and "teachable" per her coaches. Is it worth it to switch? Is it taboo to try the new gym at the same time as the old one?

 

[kris]

I would say an “elite” gym might be overkill for a 4-year old, but if she loves it and you think she may want to compete down the road getting to a gym that teaches good, solid basics from the start will make her gym life easier down the road. Whether it is your gym, the elite gym, or another gym, finding one that is friendly and age appropriate in their rec levels while also teaching things correctly from the start is a good goal. Mine switched in level 8 and she had to spend an entire year unlearning bad habits and going back rebuilding from basics. It was rough and could have been avoided if we had picked a different gym when she was little. My only other advice it to try to relax and enjoy the time before it gets serious, as if she does get into team things get busy fast!! Good luck!

 

[rlm's mom]

If she is currently happy I would say staying another year or so would probably do her good! At her age its only important for her to gain a love for the sport and learn some basics. Keep in mind most gyms only begin competing level 3 (some do 2 or bronze). I don't think she can compete 3 before turning 6 - correct me if I'm wrong!
You want her to be in a positive environment especially at that age; not saying the elite gym is not but it is prob. much more pressurising.

 

[gymgal]

I would recommend doing some trial classes at different gyms in your area. That way you get a feel for how the gyms are run and a little more info about each. You may see the teams practicing as well, if there isn't a separate area for rec. Keeping her at the current gym for the year isn't an issue especially if you think she might move on to a different sport but if she is still interested after being there a year, I personally would move her to a gym where she will have the opportunity to compete.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

At that age, all that really matters is that the gym is a positive and nurturing atmosphere that she enjoys.

 

[TomCarson]

Hi at the risk of sounding like a crazy gym parent I have a question about my preschool gymnast. 4.5yo daughter has been in preschool gymnastics for about 6 months. She is currently in their oldest preschool class( 4.5-5.5yo). There are rec levels 1-3 at the gym also. Initially, I was just looking for an activity for her to do and picked the local gym with the easiest website. However she absolutely loves it and I am wondering if competative gymnastics is in her future. I discovered later that we have an elite level gym just down the road and am wondering if/when we should switch gyms. Her current gym is primarily a T&T gym and only competes xcel bronze as far as I can tell. The elite gym has xcel and jo.
Truthfully I'm not even sure she is any good so this question may be pointless. Maybe you all can give me some insight. She can lunge into a brief strait, toes pointed, handstand inconsistently, her cartwheel is better than most of her classmates( coaches say its good), but still not great. She can almost do middle splits, but is not even close to the other two. She hasn't been taught much on bars. Does lifting toes to the bars and front support count? Can walk on high beam forward, backwards and sideways. She is pretty focused and "teachable" per her coaches. Is it worth it to switch? Is it taboo to try the new gym at the same time as the old one?

Find a good fit and stay with it... a young gymnast will thrive in a positive atmosphere with good coaches and equipment.

 

[jillc]

I agree with others that right now fun is most important so the current gym is fine.

But it is not taboo to try others at this time — could be a good chance to just try something at the other gym just to get a feel for the atmosphere. But don’t burn her out by trying a ton of classes.

Also if you do try other gyms… remember that at this age you are there to gauge the atmosphere of the gym (supportive, fun, etc) not the quality of the gymnastics.

Trying other gyms can become taboo once you in a team track, but I haven’t heard any issues doing that while in rec classes.

 

[JBS]

Is it taboo to try the new gym at the same time as the old one?

I would try both if that is what you want to do. I would not stick with both long term though.

 

[gymcoachhh]

Hi at the risk of sounding like a crazy gym parent I have a question about my preschool gymnast. 4.5yo daughter has been in preschool gymnastics for about 6 months. She is currently in their oldest preschool class( 4.5-5.5yo). There are rec levels 1-3 at the gym also. Initially, I was just looking for an activity for her to do and picked the local gym with the easiest website. However she absolutely loves it and I am wondering if competative gymnastics is in her future. I discovered later that we have an elite level gym just down the road and am wondering if/when we should switch gyms. Her current gym is primarily a T&T gym and only competes xcel bronze as far as I can tell. The elite gym has xcel and jo.
Truthfully I'm not even sure she is any good so this question may be pointless. Maybe you all can give me some insight. She can lunge into a brief strait, toes pointed, handstand inconsistently, her cartwheel is better than most of her classmates( coaches say its good), but still not great. She can almost do middle splits, but is not even close to the other two. She hasn't been taught much on bars. Does lifting toes to the bars and front support count? Can walk on high beam forward, backwards and sideways. She is pretty focused and "teachable" per her coaches. Is it worth it to switch? Is it taboo to try the new gym at the same time as the old one?

I wouldn’t worry too much about the elite gym being too high pressure or overkill as she will be put into a rec or development program with training that suits her age and ability. Personally if you are considering competitive gymnastics in her future making the switch to a gym with a competitive program as early as possible is the best thing to do because it will give her the chance to start learning and get used to the proper equipment (bars, beam, floor and vault) so she that she can learn and progress. The coaching will also probably be better and will avoid her having to unlearn bad habits if she makes the switch when shes older. However she is young so if you feel shes enjoying her class at this current gym theres no harm in keeping her there maybe until she turns 5 and possibly making the switch then.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I agree with others that right now fun is most important so the current gym is fine.

But it is not taboo to try others at this time — could be a good chance to just try something at the other gym just to get a feel for the atmosphere. But don’t burn her out by trying a ton of classes.

Also if you do try other gyms… remember that at this age you are there to gauge the atmosphere of the gym (supportive, fun, etc) not the quality of the gymnastics.

Trying other gyms can become taboo once you in a team track, but I haven’t heard any issues doing that while in rec classes.

This let her have fun. And now is a good time to occasionally try another gym. And also see how they do things.

 

[Gymgirlsmomma]

Thank you all so much for your input. I think I will keep her at her current gym until for another 6 months or so, then try out the other gym if she is still excited about gymnastics and wanting to do more.