Parents Progress... finally

[Amusibus]

My little 7 year old has suddenly started to acquire better form and several new skills in the last month or so, specifically her "standing up from a bridge" and back walkover. Just wondering from other parents was there an age or time when things just suddenly started to come together? Why does this happen? This sudden progress for my daughter has come after over a year of seemingly learning nothing new. So it is nice to see... but strange how it seems to be coming like a growth spurt. Is this normal?

 

[raenndrops]

It is completely normal. They can go for quite a while and seemingly get NOTHING... then all of a sudden- BOOM!!! new skills left and right.

 

[happychaos]

I think it is about the same for my DD. Not much new, and then all of a sudden she gets a bunch of skills at once. Progress wise, I think my DD got those skills at age 7 too. For perspective, she is 9 now, and a level 4. It seems like age 6 or 7 is when the physical and mental abilities develop, and off they go. I love the look on my DD's face when she gets a new skill, and is excited to tell me. Congrats to your DD!

 

[mariposa]

My little 7 year old has suddenly started to acquire better form and several new skills in the last month or so, specifically her "standing up from a bridge" and back walkover. Just wondering from other parents was there an age or time when things just suddenly started to come together? Why does this happen? This sudden progress for my daughter has come after over a year of seemingly learning nothing new. So it is nice to see... but strange how it seems to be coming like a growth spurt. Is this normal?

Gymnasts will go through peaks and valleys in their gymnastics journey. It is very normal. As long as they are progressing, however slow it may be, and are happy, then that is all that matters. I've seen gymnasts of all types. There are those that seemed like they would never get any skills and then it seems like all of a sudden having it click, the slow and steady ones (like my DD, they just seem to slowly poke along, almost hard to notice the progress if you are looking, but definitely over time), those that get skills fast all the time and quickly went through the levels (and of those, some hit hard times and give up and others finally hit hard times and work through it).

Also will say that it depends on the gym program and philosophy of the coach. Some programs focus on skills mostly, not so much form and kids will get skills faster (or so it seems). Other programs place more importance on shapes and form, strength, etc, so they don't get skills as fast sometimes, but when they start working them, it seems like they just get it.

 

[Midwestmommy]

Definitely peaks and valleys, and puddles and hills.... My daughter likes to practice her cartwheels and walkovers on the beam in the basement. Last week she came up frustrated saying in 20 minutes she only hit one cartwheel. Last night she had me come to watch, and she did fifteen nice ones in a row. I'd say my daughter is like hchaos's daughter. Its seems like nothing new at all for a long time and then all of sudden when I am not noticing, she has some new skills. We are relatively early in this journey, though....

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

When DD was younger, I'd look at what she was doing in the gym and say - what is that? why are they doing that? ie. drills to keep a hollow shape from a young age, multiple taps swings, etc. Then as time went by, you see those same shapes and partial skills put together to form a much bigger skill (and sometimes that skill was quite a long ways off).

It took a while to realize that the lack of progression issue was in solely my perception of it..... as like your DD she suddenly was getting skills, ones that wouldn't have been obtainable without the months of what I'll call small stuff.

Now as she is in higher levels, those skill achievement moments are fewer and farther in between, but still come in clumps. I suspect a lot of that is mental.... I find DD goes on autopilot at the gym for a month or two at a time, and while she is still learning, improving, she's not pushing to achieve something specific. Then something clicks, whether it is internally driven, something a coach says, a meet deadline, whatever, and she is boom boom picking off/finalizing skills.

Your gymmie will be fine

 

[JMACAZ]

My DD also 7 also just got her back walkover and mill circle. She is now working on front limbers. Last night was one of the first times she had been spotted for a back handspring-boy was she excited!! Before this I think the last skill that she got was a while ago. It really does go in peaks and valleys like othrs have said. Congrats to your DD!

 

[Amusibus]

And I am noticing also that as she does learn skills, she is getting more motivated and excited about gym. Yes, her gym IS the kind of gym that spends a lot of time on basics, strength, flexibility, etc. This is her first year competing so I guess the new coach is teaching more skills for the routines (I am guessing because we're not supposed to watch but I sometimes sit in the rec area for a little while before pickup-not that I can see much-but that's another story!!)