Gymnasts Starting Gymnastics at 18, am I too old?

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BellaLarsen18

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Hi, I am an 18 year old trans girl who is considering starting gymnastics in college. I have no prior experience and am wondering how to start and if I am too old.

The school is part of NAIGC and has a small team by what I can see in their instagram. If anyone could help me that would be great.

Thanks,
Bella
 
Hi Bella,

I hope others can help you with how to start, because others on here are more familiar with options in the US. It's possible your college club has requirements that you do or don't meet, but you'd have to ask them. And otherwise there are probably other options or clubs. You'll also need to think if you want to compete or if you prefer just training without the hassle/pressure of competition.

As for if you're to old, I would say definitely not. I started at 24, and now I'm 27 and still going. I think starting older has its own strengths and weaknesses. Strength: you understand instructions better than kids do. This helps learn faster. Weakness: you have less free time for gym practise, and it's harder to gain flexibility if you haven't worked on it while you were developing.
I see some adults learn things really fast and others have more trouble, so how much you can still learn depends a lot on you. However, no matter the speed, I see everyone progress around me. The age in our group ranges from 16 to... fifty-something? For those of us who started as adults, the skills range from "still learning to cartwheel" to saltos flight elements on bars. So it can go all kinds of ways.

If I may ask, what are your goals? Do you just want to have fun? Is there anything you'd want to learn or achieve specifically?
 
You're definitely not too old. I just joined an adult NAIGC club in my town and I'm 41. Like the previous poster said, we have people of all ages, first timers and veterans. You'd have to check with your school about eligibility and requirements and maybe send an email to the coach and ask them. If you haven't already, check out naigc.org website and see what the level requirements are.
 
Hi! Nope, not too old and you should reach out to your school's NAIGC team. Most teams have a wide range of abilities and include people with little or no experience.
 
It's never too old to start! Most NAIGC teams have little to no requirements, I would reach out to the team to see steps for joining
 
Hi Bella,

I hope others can help you with how to start, because others on here are more familiar with options in the US. It's possible your college club has requirements that you do or don't meet, but you'd have to ask them. And otherwise there are probably other options or clubs. You'll also need to think if you want to compete or if you prefer just training without the hassle/pressure of competition.

As for if you're to old, I would say definitely not. I started at 24, and now I'm 27 and still going. I think starting older has its own strengths and weaknesses. Strength: you understand instructions better than kids do. This helps learn faster. Weakness: you have less free time for gym practise, and it's harder to gain flexibility if you haven't worked on it while you were developing.
I see some adults learn things really fast and others have more trouble, so how much you can still learn depends a lot on you. However, no matter the speed, I see everyone progress around me. The age in our group ranges from 16 to... fifty-something? For those of us who started as adults, the skills range from "still learning to cartwheel" to saltos flight elements on bars. So it can go all kinds of ways.

If I may ask, what are your goals? Do you just want to have fun? Is there anything you'd want to learn or achieve specifically?
I mainly want to have fun and compete against other people with similar abilities
 
Hi, I am an 18 year old trans girl who is considering starting gymnastics in college. I have no prior experience and am wondering how to start and if I am too old.

The school is part of NAIGC and has a small team by what I can see in their instagram. If anyone could help me that would be great.

Thanks,
Bella
You are definitely not too old.
In NAIGC, you would probably want to compete Xcel Silver. It's the lowest level they offer, and it is perfect for a newbie.
Reach out to your college's NAIGC contact. They will be able to help you.
Good luck.
 

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