WAG Giving bad news

[Quadqueen]

4'1" at age 6.5 is 86th percentile. Hardly a giant. That's probably what, 5'7" or so adult height.

agreed...pretty sure my DD was taller than that at that age since she's never been below 95th percentile in height..and she's still doing just fine in the sport

 

[okie]

agreed...pretty sure my DD was taller than that at that age since she's never been below 95th percentile in height..and she's still doing just fine in the sport

That is good to hear! My DD has always been 90th percentile.

So... This is where I may differ from many parents: With her body type prohibitive of Elite and collegiate gymnastics, I am looking ahead to other sports in which a strong, solid 5'7" body type is desireable and might help her achieve Olympic glory or a college scholarship (instead of being a liabilit or something she must overcome). Of course, no sport compares to gymnastics when it comes to preparing a young athlete (mentally and physically) for competition. So, it is a win-win situation, whether her true athletic talent is ultimately gymnastics or another sport. I just hope she finds the sport that matches her skill set because it is so much fun to be super awesome at a sport. But again, if level 5 is all she ever desires and she is happy and healthy - then I am happy too!

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[3rd_time_around]

I am sorry, but this is exactly what is wrong with the sport. What is wrong with Rec. gymnastics?- nothing on the surface, but no one signs up for rec soccer or rec volleyball. After all, I have never seen a gym tout its rec program; it is always so and so made it into so and so college or our team got 1st at so and so meet. They want to join a team. It is one thing to do it once a week for fun, but to be put into the preteam stream and the knocked out is poor planning.This is sometimes called the reverse pyramid method or funnel method and does miss some kids who are late starters or kids who are outside the box.Better to funnel kids into different streams like AAU, X-Cel or lower level JO.

To quote J.O.-The Junior Olympic program was developed with the belief that all athletes, regardless of their potential, must have a solid foundation of basic skills in order to advance safely. The program allows the gymnast to advance at her own pace, competing at more than one level in a year, if she so chooses.

Just had to add that AAU is by no means less competitive than JO compulsaries. There are more awards given out and many more age groups, but they are very competitive. When our AAU level 5s scored out of USA Level 5, they won the meet and one girl had the 2nd highest AA. Xcel or AAU Prep may be less competitive, but our state also has GymStars, a recreation competition team. It is laid back and lots of fun, and some girls even are able to make the jump into regular compulsaries. It allows anyone to compete who may not ever make the JO track.

 

[emorymom]

That is good to hear! My DD has always been 90th percentile.

So... This is where I may differ from many parents: With her body type prohibitive of Elite and collegiate gymnastics ...

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5'7" does not prohibit Div 1 gymnastics. As far as the rest, is it the chicken or the egg?

If you want to maximize a child's chance of doing Div 1 or world class athletics, you simply would not pursue gymnastics for ANY body type.

 

[JBS]

Just had to add that AAU is by no means less competitive than JO compulsaries.

AAU is much less competitive around here.

 

[emorymom]

AAU is very competitive in Georgia in current L2/L3 as our state's AAU skills are generally a bit harder than the corresponding USA levels (at least through current L4) and it's seen as a good transition to USA L4/L5. Also it's cheaper and with more awards, seen as more encouraging.

 

[okie]

If you want to maximize a child's chance of doing Div 1 or world class athletics, you simply would not pursue gymnastics for ANY body type.

I'm a little late noticing this post... Do you mean gymnastics is not a recommended precursor for other sports? This piques my interest - not that I am choosing her sport for her (I actually put her in soccer first and she didn't like it at all). Everytime I mention broadening her sports exposure, I get the stink eye.

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[emorymom]

What I meant was ... if the criteria for transitioning out of gymnastics was "not likely to get a scholarship or go elite" -- that category applies to all girls regardless of body type. There is no body type for which looking ahead towards high level collegiate competition or greater would not suggest getting the heck out of gymnastics. So all girls at all body types should do childhood gymnastics because they like gymnastics.

From Gymnastic Scholarships.

[h=2][/h]NCAA D1 – 62 (12 scholarships awarded per team)
NCAA D2 – 7 (6 scholarships awarded per team)
NCAA D3 – 13
[h=2][/h]NCAA D1 – 16 (6.3 scholarships awarded per team)

Certainly gymnastics is a recommended precursor for other sports. But you might go ahead and try her in diving as a fifth apparatus if this is your goal. She does not need to quit gymnastics to start diving.