What is the oldest age a gymnast should start?

[LizzieLac]

I thought this might bring about a fun, interesting conversation, although I think I already know what some of the answers will be!

1. What is the latest a gymnast should start gymnastics if they want to make Level 10 by their senior year in high school?
2. What is the ideal age to start gymnastics, generally?

I wonder these things because I sometimes think I should have moved my duaghter to a more serious program sooner than I did. I had her at a gym that only did rec classes until she was 8. While she seems to be "progressing fine" now at 10, if she has aggressive goals of getting to level 10 or college gymnastics, I worry that we got her to the gym she is at now to late.

Looking forward to everyone's opinions on this!!

 

[MdGymMom01]

I think the age question really is dependent on what you and your dd hope to get out of the gymnastics experience. For me and my dd, gymnastics is an activity to do that keeps her fit, challenged, having fun, working with teammates and learning teammwork and commoradery, and teaches her discipline, goal-setting and how to overcome fears and challenges. She never really entered the sport thinking how far she could go, she just wanted to do it because it was fun and she liked performing at the meets.

My dd started gymnastics late as a 9 year old and is now 11 and learning level 5/6 skills. Our state doesn't have high school gymnastics so that isn't even an option if she ever gets to that level.

What level is your 10 year old at right now?

 

[gymdog]

1. Realistically? Probably 10. I was 11ish when I started a competitive program (I did gymnastics before that but it was only a couple hours a week and rec though). I'm pretty physically talented and it was a stretch getting to the top levels. It doesn't really matter for me because I hate competing so at some point I just wasn't going to do it after high school anyway.

I've certainly seen isolated cases of girls starting older and progressing quite fast, but as a generalization that would be my best approximation of the latest age I see the most success (make any sense)?

2. If I thought my kid liked gymnastics and had potential, ideally I'd try to have them competing around age 7 in our current system. But really the main important thing would be to achieve approximately a (good) L7 skill level (strong basics) by about age 10 (so even if this was achieved without focusing on compulsory competition or progression through levels). I would note that I was about a L6 skill level at this age (bars kind of weak, had kips but never tried much else, no big swinging), despite not doing a competitive program. But I think I needed about two more years solid optional basics in order to make the later years easier.

 

[bpatient]

I know an athlete who started in gymnastics in her twenties and competed until she got a bit too pregnant in her early thirties. She had a good experience in the sport.

 

[bogwoppit]

THere are many girls who begin gymnastics early and just don't have what it takes to get to L10, or even L7. I know many kids who have been in the gym for years and have plateaud in their skills and just cannot get the BHS on beam or giants on bars. They continue, and they love gym, but they do not progress despite hard work.

I would imgine starting gym around age 6 would be fine in our Canadian system, we do not compete until the year they turn 9. I know that is the same in the UK too.

In the US it is mixed, the USAG says no backbends until they turn 6, but then you can compete L4 at 6, how does the latter happen without the former happening??? I would imagine a talented child with lots of drive could begin at 8 years old and reach L10 by the end of high school. Unless they quit or get injured that is!

SO many variables.

 

[10.0]

We had a coach at our gym who started gymnastics as a flat out beginner at age 10 and made it to level 10 and got a college scholarship, but that is not the norm. I will kind of make a guess by this she will really need to be a level 10 by 10th or 11th grade if she is looking for a college to recruit her, so you can add a year or 2 if she was just looking to make a college team as a walk on. So she would need to be a level 10 by lets say 16. Most kids spend a year at each level once they reach level 5 and many repete a level at least once so say she needed 2 years to get to level 5, then a year at each level except one year she repetes then she would need to start out as a beginner at about age 8. And that is figuring she only repetes one level and doesn't get injured and has no issues gaining the skills to move up. So it all or reality if your dd works her behind off and the gymnastic lords bless you with no problems she can get there.

 

[Megley]

It's probably dependent on natural ability and luck (i.e., no injuries). We have a girl on our team who started Level 4 as a 9yo. She is now set to compete Level 9 as a 12 yo (7th grade). If she continues on this track she will be a Level 10 by age 14 and 9th grade (assuming she repeats L9, which may or may not happen). She did Levels 4 and 5, skipped 6, and did 7 and 8 in one season. I'm sure she's the exception, not the norm, but it is possible to start later and still make L10 by hs. I don't think she was in rec gym more than a few months before they put her on team.

 

[LizzieLac]

I think the age question really is dependent on what you and your dd hope to get out of the gymnastics experience. For me and my dd, gymnastics is an activity to do that keeps her fit, challenged, having fun, working with teammates and learning teammwork and commoradery, and teaches her discipline, goal-setting and how to overcome fears and challenges. She never really entered the sport thinking how far she could go, she just wanted to do it because it was fun and she liked performing at the meets.

My dd started gymnastics late as a 9 year old and is now 11 and learning level 5/6 skills. Our state doesn't have high school gymnastics so that isn't even an option if she ever gets to that level.

What level is your 10 year old at right now?

MdGymMom01 - My DD is maybe not the norm. She competed Prep Opt Novice last year while she was also on year-round swim team. She ended up winning states in the 10 YO category and decided that she wanted to focus on gym and give up swimming. This was fine with us, and coach had her train with the level 4s over the summer with plan of competing level 5 this year. Well, she still has not gotten her kip, but has all of the other level 5 skills. So, she is going to compete level 4 until bars comes together and then compete level 5. Again all of this is fine with us.

 

[MdGymMom01]

LizzieLac--as Megley said, it is quite possible for someone like your dd to reach level 10 in high school. Even though she is Level 4/5 now, she could gain a lot of skills in the next few years and start competing optionals very soon. It really depends on how they get through those adolescent years with growth spurts and hopefully avoid injuries.

Just curious--what distance did she specialize in on swim team? My sister used to swim the distance events in college. I tried to follow in her footsteps, but only lasted on swim team for one day. I am not a very strong swimmer!! Your dd must be very strong to swim year round--kuddos to your dd !!!

 

[gymnastbeth]

It's probably dependent on natural ability and luck (i.e., no injuries). We have a girl on our team who started Level 4 as a 9yo. She is now set to compete Level 9 as a 12 yo (7th grade). If she continues on this track she will be a Level 10 by age 14 and 9th grade (assuming she repeats L9, which may or may not happen). She did Levels 4 and 5, skipped 6, and did 7 and 8 in one season. I'm sure she's the exception, not the norm, but it is possible to start later and still make L10 by hs. I don't think she was in rec gym more than a few months before they put her on team.

My story is similar to that one. When I was 8, I started going to a real gym, before that, I was in an after-school program in the elementary school gym. I started level 5 at 10, and did it the same season as 6. I competed 2 seasons of 7, (broken hand) a year of 8, and now, I'm planning on competing 9 this year, freshman year. It was a short, but VERY strenuous journey. But hey, I love this sport!!!

To answer the question, I'd say 12 is the very oldest you could start competing to be level 10 by senior year. That being said, it would have to be an EXTREMELY talented kid. Especially at that age, dealing with growth spurts, etc. while doing gymnastics can be really tough.

 

[gymdog]

In the US it is mixed, the USAG says no backbends until they turn 6, but then you can compete L4 at 6, how does the latter happen without the former happening???

Until they turn 5. USAG's answer to that are that the age 6/L4 is a minimum, not a guideline. Nevertheless, a talented kid could get a RO BHS in a year between age 5 and 6. That to me isn't really a big deal. They don't need to be doing BHS before age 5 if they're truly good enough to compete L4 at 6. I got a standing BHS the first day I tried it, and a RO BHS in less than a year. It should not be that hard for a kid to get RO BHS if the right things are in place, otherwise they are not ready or the coaching isn't right. I went to one gym and had standing BHS but not RO BHS and they wanted me to just try it and fall on my head until I magically figured it out with no coaching. I probably would have still gotten a RO BHS, but it would have been much worse for a longer time and way more frustrating (and dangerous) of a process than it would have to be.

Surely many kids can start at 8 (or even later) and reach L10 early enough. I was answering from an optimal standpoint and my main optimal goal would be to have them at solid L7 skills at 10. This is the goal I strive for with the kids I have who have the potential to go long term (not just physical but emotional readiness, etc). That doesn't mean I discount any kid at any time, but some do not show readiness in the stage they're in at the moment, so we strive to progress strengthwise and lock down compulsory basics.

It is stressful to play catch up. I did it, and from a physical standpoint, I probably could have done NCAA gymnastics. That said, I wasn't in the right place emotionally/mentally to do that, so I am not doing competitive gymnastics anymore. I don't know if having a little more of a cushion time-wise would have changed things for me, maybe, maybe not, there's no way to know. But I think there is a definite advantage to it, and if I saw my kid had the same potential I would want them to have that advantage. But I don't think L4 at age 6 and skipping levels is necessary. Just that they get a solid time period of very basic optional skills and drills for higher level skills before they need to really push for those skills and compete them. I always had to push for skills and compete them really soon. It was very stressful. I do think I had more stress over it than most of the girls I competed with in high school, many of whom were already optionals when I was doing L4/5. That's possible but it's just not optimal. I support taking a reasonable path through gymnastics, but I think it's possible to go too far in the other direction and not be realistic about what is optimal to achieve certain goals.

 

[LizzieLac]

Just curious--what distance did she specialize in on swim team? My sister used to swim the distance events in college. I tried to follow in her footsteps, but only lasted on swim team for one day. I am not a very strong swimmer!! Your dd must be very strong to swim year round--kuddos to your dd !!!

She was an excellent backstroker and her butterfly was really coming along - she was less than one second from qualifying for states in 100Fly...when she decided to quit. In our state, the longest distance they compete is 400/500 Free. She was just starting to swim those.

She was not a good breaststroker because the kick and feet position were TOTALLY contrary to gymnastics. In breaststroke, your feet are actually in a flexed position, but all DD wanted to do was point her toes!!

I sort of wish she could still get the benefits of swimming - the cardiovascular workout can't be beat!

 

[MdGymMom01]

She was an excellent backstroker and her butterfly was really coming along - she was less than one second from qualifying for states in 100Fly...when she decided to quit. In our state, the longest distance they compete is 400/500 Free. She was just starting to swim those.

She was not a good breaststroker because the kick and feet position were TOTALLY contrary to gymnastics. In breaststroke, your feet are actually in a flexed position, but all DD wanted to do was point her toes!!

I sort of wish she could still get the benefits of swimming - the cardiovascular workout can't be beat!

That's awesome LizzieLac!!! I tried doing swim team in college but only lasted one day. Swimming is definitely harder that running (I was a distance runner in HS and college). Good for your dd!!

 

[gymnastjess]

hi im level 4 and have been doing gymnastics for about 6 mnths and im 13 i will be 14 in a week and i dont really think there is a real age to start i just think you have to be extremely determined your dd will do fine with her gymnastics career

 

[lilgymmie7]

Why the interest in determining the right age? Every gymnast develops in their own way. Some may take a longer time to develop a skill, while others pick up so quickly regardless of age. I think nothing is guaranteed in life. An extremely talented 5 yo can start gym, progress nicely, rapidly, and then decide to not do gym anymore. On the other hand an older, more determined gymnast may make it all the way in leaps and bounds. The reverse can happen as well. If a child reaches level 10, elite status, whatever, I think perhaps it was predestined for them. I'm speaking divinely of course. We just aren't sure. That's why my kids get all my support, love, and $$ and they get to go for it. I hope I've made sense.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Definitely no ideal age.

Here in Australia almost every gym has adults classes, and there is even a gym that offers only adults classes. Many people don't take up the sport until their 20's, 30's, 40's or even 50's.

They generally learn quite quickly if they are the sort of person who has kept themselves active and healthy and can learn at an accelerated rate as they have well developed muscles.

They also tend to learn fast because they really want to be there, and didn't just do gymnastics because it was the thing to do at age 5 or 6.

I believe the ideal age to begin gymnastics is the age when you want to do it.

 

[emorymom]

This is obvious but most kids are just in to have fun in L4 or L5 and most parents want their kids to have "balance." If a child wants to progress faster than the typical comcompulsory petitive track to and through optionals, and the parents support it with the research / driving / big bucks / etc, there are options in many ares for day programs where the kids do home or correspondence / virtual schools, and of course there's always privates.