Normal for 4 year olds?

[taylee]

Is it normal for 4 year old girls who have only taken about 2 months of gymnastics (once a week mostly) to be doing really good cartwheels, one-armed cartwheels, round-offs, one-armed roundoffs, (I think it was called a pull over), and they do something like a handstand and fall into a bridge and kick back over? My girls were just invited onto team and when I asked about pre-team the lady was pretty adamant they should be on team...since we just started I would love some input...they do seem to have a natural ability.

 

[justanothergymmom]

What level of team are you talking about? At my DDs' gym, 4 year olds would not be invited to join the team as they are too young to compete USAG L4. Girls are invited to team when they are able to perform most L4 skills well on each of the 4 events. I guess every gym has a different definition of team and pre-team.

 

[taylee]

I believe they said Level 2, I am so new to all of this =). Is there any competition for Level 2, b/c I thought they said they would probably be able to compete in the spring if they were to start training when we get back from our summer trip. They weren't sure they would know the routines etc to be ready for fall since they wont start training there again until August...thanks so much for any help =)!

 

[justanothergymmom]

Oh, OK I don't know anything about L2...I am sure someone else on here can help. My girls didn't start competeing until L4 and L5...L2 isn't even competed in our area at all, and L3 is rarely competed.

 

[taylee]

Thanks for trying =)! How long have your girls been in it? Do they still love it?
I also just am curious if these skills seem typical for 4 yr olds? My one daughter started doing round offs after being shown how within minutes and my husband just said try to do a cartwheel with one arm and she did it....seems great but also a little odd?

 

[Azgymmiemom]

I think it is awesome if they can do cartwheels and round offs. The backbend kickovers worry me a little at 4...little kids' spines are sooo vulnerable. Even if they CAN do this skill, they probably shouldn't. you want them to love this sport and have longevity in it. Pushing too fast too soon can make their gym career very short. Don't worry...it will come!! True, they cannot even compete L5 until they are 7, which is the first USAG level that requires a move up score. If you want them to compete L2, then, let them have fun with it. Seems like a fun level...not too serious. And by the way, welcome to the chalkbucket!! I have two kids on team, too... its a roller coaster ride-and very pricey, too!!! My dd didn't even start gym until she was 6. 3 years later and she is getting ready to compete L7, so don't worry about pushing them...it will come!!

 

[Clover]

Welcome to the Chalk Bucket and the world of Gymnastics!

To answer your question - "Is it normal?" I would say, no, it is not normal. However, it also isn't unheard of.

I don't usually give too much info about my DD, but I'll share a bit, hoping that it may help you some. DD started gym at 3.5. They were "amazed" at what she could do naturally and how quickly she picked up skills. She was CRAZY strong and CRAZY flexible. She picked up a lot of skills immediately and soon had her doing back walkovers, back hip circles, and front limbers. She and I both loved it, she for the gymnastics, and me because 1 - she loved it and I loved watching her and 2 - (ashamed to admit) I loved the fact that all the other parents oohed and aahed and told me she was going to the olympics. Boy was I naive.

Well, as soon as she turned 4, I switched her to a "better" gym. It was very frustrating for me at first because they had her working on things like handstands and cartwheels on the floor. I thought "the first gym had her working on her beam cartwheel and backhandsprings - what was wrong with these people." Well, the truth hit me (mostly from viewing things on the chalkbucket). SHE WAS 4!!!!! It had been totally inappropriate for the other gym to be working on those more advanced skills and not concentrating on basics. Perhaps if she'd stayed at the other gym she would be doing some amazing things right now, but then again, maybe she'd be in a back brace.

So, just a word of caution - You said this gym had your girls doing handstand bridge kick-overs. Perhaps it was not a coach showing them these things. Maybe it was just an older girl they were imitating. However, I would definitely keep an eye on things.

It does sound like your girls have a lot of natural ability and strength. The key at this age will be to keep it fun so that they stay in the sport and to focus on basics.

Once again, welcome and I wish you and your girls the best!

 

[mommyof1]

Your girls sound very talented! I would be cautious about a program that has them doing bridges at the age of 4 and competing at level 2. I believe the rule of thumb is no bridges or handsprings before the age of 5, when they have the muscle tone to avoid neck injury and their heads are no longer so big and heavy in comparison to their bodies.

For comparison, the program at my daughter's gym is designed to focus on building strength and flexibility rather than skills at an early age, and nobody competes until level 4. Her coach says they don't really even care what skills the girls learn during the first year on pre-team. The goal is to give them a good foundation for future success and longevity in the sport.

(Note that I am just a relatively new gym mom so take my advice for what it is worth.)

 

[bogwoppit]

Taylee not sure where you live but do you have lots of gyms in your area?

Your girls sound like they have potential, something coaches look for, strength, flexibility, fearlessness etc. Now really good gyms will spot these kids and move them into development groups, these groups work on building strength and good body shapes before working on skills.

A good friend of mine works at a gym where they have produced Olympic champions, she is the developmental coach. She spends all her time working on strength and flexibility with the girls, getting them to understand how their bodies work and why they need to be strong and why everything they do needs to be perfect. She does not move on to skills until the basics are strong as bad habits are hard to break and can cause long term issues in learning more complex skills.

One of the problems with some gyms working on L2 and L3 is that they sometimes skip the strength and shapes and move straight to skills. Working on bridges and back bends is something that is discouraged in most good gyms and certainly should be avoided at home. Backs are fragile and need to last a life time, many very flexible little ones are capable of doing many things that should be avoided for a few years.

Gym is a ton of fun, just make sure it is safe and that the coaches know what they are doing.

 

[wallinbl]

Search the forum a bit - there are a number of threads on the age appropriateness of certain skills, including skills you mentioned. What I gathered from some of those threads was that the age appropriateness didn't vary with talent level - certain things simply shouldn't be done before certain ages due to muscular and skeletal development timelines. As Bog mentioned, she'll have this body her entire life.

 

[cbone]

First of all, welcome! I'm the father of a daughter who started gym at 5 and then competed Level 3 at 6. Level 3 is the lowest competitive level in the Junior Olympic program and isn't done in many (if not most) areas in the US. Many Level 2 "meets" are held, but they are really for the parents and, as I understand it, are not sanctioned. You daughters are certainly advanced, but be careful. Just because a gymnast can do something, it doesn't mean they should.

I will echo what others have said, but within the context of my personal experience. Just because a gymnast shows amazing talent and aptitude, it does not mean they should be pushed to do advanced skills. We went from a gym where my daughter was a little star and the coaches gushed about her to a gym owned by a former Olympic gold medalist. During my daughter's two day "tryout" he told me that she was rough but had great talent and he would give her a shot. I was taken aback. A two day tryout? She was a shoe-in based on what her previous gym told me.

Slowly I came to realize the difference between the gyms. Her old gym did barely any conditioning. Because of that, most of the girls at that gym lacked the strength to perform techniques properly. My daughter adapted well through hard work and natural strength to the rigorous conditioning prograM at the new gym. She went on to win floor and vault, take second in bars and fourth in beam at state. She also won the all-around with a score that would have won each of the three age division above her. Her teammates either won all around or finished second behind a teammate and they were the highest scoring team in our state's Level 3 history by far. I'm telling you all of this not to brag (well, maybe a little) but to make the point that a good gym that focuses on conditioning first and skills second (after the gymnasts are strong enough to do the skills properly) will build successful gymnasts. In my opinion, my daughter would not have won state had she stayed at her old gym. With one exception, every member of her old Level 3 team performed near the bottom of the pack. Trust me when I tell you that the countless push-ups, pull-ups, v-ups and every other kind of up pay off more than anything.

It is gratifying to be told how great your child is, but a good gym rarely gushes about such things. They're too busy working and building their gymnasts. If your practices lack a conditioning focus, you may be in the wrong place for long-term succes in the sport. Good luck and enjoy the ride! This sport asks a lot of its athletes and families, but the rewards are well worth it!

 

[taylee]

Thank you all so much for your insight! It is much appreciated! I had no idea bridges were bad at 4. Does it matter that they will be 5 July 31st? I didn't realize back kick overs were not recommended either? I assume the coaches know these things, but maybe not? How do you tell if you are at a "good" gym or a "bad" gym? I live in a VERY populated area and there are probably 4-6 gyms fairly close to my house. I went with the one that seemed the most convienient. I didnt realize it would get "serious" so quickly =) They do seem to love what they do..just before I wrote this they were jumping off the bed onto a futon mattress on the floor and then doing a flip and landing on their butts....they cartwheel around and use just about anything they can find as a bar to flip over! Thank you again, glad I found this forum!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

welcome to CB. and you don't do bridges with 5 year olds either. that's all.

 

[gymgal]

=) They do seem to love what they do..just before I wrote this they were jumping off the bed onto a futon mattress on the floor and then doing a flip and landing on their butts....they cartwheel around and use just about anything they can find as a bar to flip over! Thank you again, glad I found this forum!

Enforce the rule now that there is no gymnastics outside the gym. I know it doesn't seem hazardous right now but it becomes that very quickly as they progress. It's better to have a flat rule of no gymnastics outside of the gym, period.

And just to let you know, the majority of people here read / post in all the main categories so you only need to post once in the category that fits best. I know that can be confusing when you irate get on he forums.


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