Parents When to lean in

[dunnowhatimdoing]

My dd is 5 and loves gymnastics. She's having a great time. Her gym is pretty casual but she was just invited to the pre-bronze team.

The gym itself seems to only compete Xcel and I'm not even sure if they have a diamond team (although the gym is only a few years old).

Am I supposed to consider moving my dd to a bigger gym? If she joins the competitive team at my gym, how difficult will it be for her to find a new gym if she wants to be more serious? Will she have to go back to the rec program? Am I hurting her future opportunities by not just going back to another rec program at another gym?

 

[raenndrops]

She's 5. She will be fine. Gymnastics should be FUN at this age.
You say the gym is only a few years old. Some gyms start out with Xcel only, but add DP if there is enough interest. Other gyms remain Xcel only to make gymnastics more accessible to families who don't want high hours/high stress/high costs.
If she gets up to Xcel Gold and wants more, then consider moving her if they can't offer her more.
As long as they are teaching strong basics, she will be fine.

 

[TumbleTwist]

If your daughter is happy and enjoying gymnastics, I see no issue with her staying at this gym for now. I've seen countless girls go from Xcel to DP. To answer your question, no, she would not need to go back into the rec program if you eventually decide to switch gyms. She would attend a tryout, they would evaluate her skills, and decide on the appropriate DP level for her (if they invite her to their team). If she competes up to Gold at her current gym, she could easily make the switch to level 4, 5 or even 6 depending on her skill set. If she competes up to silver, she could probably transition to 3 or 4 pretty easily.

 

[Gym_momma]

My dd is 5 and loves gymnastics. She's having a great time. Her gym is pretty casual but she was just invited to the pre-bronze team.

The gym itself seems to only compete Xcel and I'm not even sure if they have a diamond team (although the gym is only a few years old).

Am I supposed to consider moving my dd to a bigger gym? If she joins the competitive team at my gym, how difficult will it be for her to find a new gym if she wants to be more serious? Will she have to go back to the rec program? Am I hurting her future opportunities by not just going back to another rec program at another gym?

I faced a similar dilemma and left my daughter for a year in Xcel at the smaller gym. By the end of that year, I could see her passion growing and knew we had outgrown the gym. We went to a tryout at a bigger gym and earned a spot on their team. I might have been able to leave her for 1 more season at the smaller gym but I think it would have been tough to move much after that given how limited spots are available in our area and how important good development/coaching is when they are young. Good luck!