Lost for words.. Should I give up??

[soggysarah]

im 16 and 5'1 im a junior in high school and i really love gymnastics I know how to do a round-off back handspring on floor,front handspring, back walkover,front walkover, Right left middle splits, front tuck, front layout,cartwheel, round-off, cartwheel on beam, handstand. so should i quit or no? Do u think i could go to college with this?? Do u think im too old?? AND WAT LEVEL AM I?????

 

[bookworm]

Given the skills you list, you would seem to be a Level 4 gymnast...and you are 16 yrs old...given those facts, the option of competing in the NCAA seems unlikely but this is not to say that you could not "DO" gymnastics...there may be a club team at the school or in the area, or some type of a rec program through the school but to be realistic, competing for even a Division 3 school , you would have to be beyond the entry level 4 or 5.

 

[bookworm]

You could even try cheerleading with those skills; squads always like the girl who can do a flip!!

 

[Gymnastchickadee]

id say you are a level 4-5, and usually colledge teams are levels 9 and up so probobly not going to be on a colledge team but as bookworm said, you could join a club team, I am on a club team cause my school doesnt have a gymnastics team but its fun! I wouldnt do cheer though, cheerleaders are always brats

 

[Aussie_coach]

Whether or not you can go to college doing gymnastics should have nothing to do with whether or not your should quit.

The questions to ask are - Am I enjoying gymnastics? Am I learning things? If you answered yes to both then why would you want to quit?

No, you won't make it to college on those skills, by the sound of it you have not competed before. College's look for gymnasts who are at least good level 10's by their Sophomore year, usually training 20-30 hours a week. They start looking in the sophomore year.

Are you too old? Definitely not . You are never too old for gymnastics. Lots of people don't take up gymnastics until their 20's, 30's, 40's or even later and they still go on to be very successful competitive gymnasts.

What level are you in? There is no answer to this. If you are not training in the competitive levels system then you are not in a level. Also you have only listed your floor and beam skills. Floor and beam skills alone are not enough we need to know your vault and bars skills too.

 

[Tuduri]

Enthusiasm and fun

No one wants to ruin your enthusiasm because that definitely is a big factor in your enjoyment and success in gymnastics. But, as others have pointed out, you have to be a pretty good level 9 or ten before colleges will become interested in you. Girls that reach level 10 have been training and competing for several long years. Each gymnastics level will require progressively more difficult skills. And it is not unusual for girls to have to repeat levels. A few years ago I looked on the website for WOGA gymnastics(Nastia Liukin's gym). It showed that there are approximately 17,000 girls at level five and by the time they reach level ten there are only 1500 left. I'm not sure if those statistics are accurate. But there were 23 girls in my daughter's beginning level five team. Two or three girls moved to other teams over the years and now my daughter, who is a beginning level ten, is the only girl remaining from that original team.

If you enjoy gymnastics, I would go train and compete for a local club. You have nothing to lose and a lot to gain. You might find you really love the sport. And you will certainly profit from the dedication and focus that the sport will demand of you. The positive attributes you gain by competing in gymnastics will follow you and help you all your life, whether you compete in college or not. Now go sign up!

Julio Garcia
Jamy's dad

 

[cisceal]

I do not think that you should quit! You would be around a level 5, and although you may not make it to college, you could still get pretty high!

 

[MissAbby09]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I'm 16 and a sophmore in highschool. I'm about a level 4, (i'm not competitive though) my club only goes to age 18. I really love gymnastics but I think the end is in sight, since I don't think I'll be making to a NCAA team and my club only goes to 18. Is there a point to me continuing gymnastics? I always regretting quitting gym when I was little, I would probably have a chance at a college team right if I had't quit.

 

[gymnastbeth]

I'm in the same boat as the OP. I'm 16 and a sophmore in highschool. I'm about a level 4, (i'm not competitive though) my club only goes to age 18. I really love gymnastics but I think the end is in sight, since I don't think I'll be making to a NCAA team and my club only goes to 18. Is there a point to me continuing gymnastics? I always regretting quitting gym when I was little, I would probably have a chance at a college team right if I had't quit.

Hey, if you like it, why not? You probably won't make it to college, but it's fun, and good exercise. That's all that matters!