younger gymnasts with older gymnasts?

[Midget's Dad]

I'm late chiming in but hey why not.

Midget is right in the middle with her team, she competes L3 this year. but when they do clinics she is always the one put in with the older girls. And considering she is quite the chatterbox I have to say they impress me every time. They really look out for her and never look down on her, well except for height necessitating looking down LOL

Just last week at a bhs clinic she was grouped with a few of our L8/9s and all the cheerleaders from the high school. This one had me nervous as the cheer girls were an unknown, but they really impressed me. Actually I think they were more nervous about being paired with her than the other way around. The look on one of their faces when she asked Midget how old she was and got back 6 was hilarious.

In short I don't think you need to worry.

 

[coachmolly]

My situation was almost the exact opposite of your dd's. I moved to a much more competitive gym as a 15 year old and was one of the oldest girls in the gym. Because of being taught so many bad habits at my previous gym I was moved back from a training level 8 to a level 6. Sometimes I would train with the level 8-10 group which had girls closer to my age, other times I would train with the level 6/7 group where the next oldest girl was 11 or 12. I was embarrassed to be with all of the little ones and while many of them were very sweet and welcoming, some of them were downright nasty! They would talk about me behind my back, resented that I sometimes got put with the older group because I wasn't as good as they were, and all kinds of stuff. This was only a handful of the girls (as I'm recalling it), but it was not a fun experience. Fortunately many of the optional girls closer to my age welcomed me and included me in everything, but it was really hard. I would have rather been in groups with older girls any day.
At the gym I currently coach at the compulsory team I worked with in the fall had girls ranging from 7-15. There were three 14/15 year olds that came as friends and the rest were elementary aged. The older girls seemed to get along just fine with the little ones who worked hard and didn't hang all over them.
Just tell your dd to work hard like I'm sure she does already and be nice to everyone in her group and I'm sure she'll do fine!

 

[All Chalked Up]

In my group, it's three thirteen year olds (me, good friend & sister), a ten year old and a eleven year old (these two are best friends.) We get along great- the ten year old even calls me Big Sis! The younger ones know when not to "intrude" in our conversations, and vice versa. It's almost never like that though and we talk as a group!

Sometimes I train with the older girls and they look out for me like a little sister, even if it's just a glance during super-hard conditioning! It's rather funny actually, considering I'm 13! They have taken to calling me Lil' Sis .

Just tell her not to be whiny and to be mature. That's the only thing that would bother the older girls.

Your daughter will do FABULOUS!

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

At my gym, because there aren't as many levels here and we have a small gym we are mostly grouped by work ethic and other factors, with level playing some role, but most other things because there are big variations in levels. So I will be 16 next year and have people as young as 11 in my class. We all seem to get along perfectly. When there have been issues it has been between girls the same age not a girl who is 16 and a girl who is 11. She will make friends in her class, and should have a great time with new girls!

 

[gymgurl]

I am an older gymnast and I guess it depends on the girls but I am sure they will really like having a little girl in amongst them, We have a 10yr old in our squad, whilst their are other 10 year olds she fits in fine with the older girls she is one of the favourites and I find with the younger girls the older girls often help out making sure they feel welcome.

 

[bribri514]

My DN (niece) has the same feelings as your daughter. She's a really mature 9 y/o (her parents had split custody and her mom started hanging out with shady boyfriends and there wasn't a lot of supervision... needless to say my brother just was awarded full custody). She's in a L 5 class, and for some reason all the girls are 7. I know it's not as big of an age group but don't bother trying to tell her that lol! I told her how I was always the youngest in my group (I was a L 10 at 11 and generally young and small compared to the other girls at my gym).

But gymnastics is like this special club where things in the outside world don't matter. What grade you're in, how old you are (unless it's related to big physical and psychological development things-but that's a different post!), what clothes you wear, what house you live in, etc. etc. We all are out there in our leos doing the same thing! The best friendships I've had in the entire world aren't from school or my summer Deaf camps, they're gym friends, way older (some girls are married with kids now) and way younger (some are in high school still). The older girls were always so nice to me and I've promised DN she'll get along great with the girls in her group (and as summer has passed I can tell she is). Best wishes to your DD!!!!!

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I used to have issues being stuck with the 9- and 10-year-olds since they could be very harsh and clique-y, and honestly as a 15-year-old I did not want to have to deal with their immaturity. Also, for a while I was in the same group as a 7-year-old and, though she adored me, I oftentimes felt like a babysitter. "Help Sarah with her grips" "Sarah wants you to see her new skill" "Can you help Sarah with the mat?"

I think being in a group with some kids your own age is very important in the long run. I am so much more comfortable with some girls who are only 2-4 years younger than I, rather than with a group that is all 6-10 years younger. I don't mind being around younger kids, but I really appreciate having some peers so that I'm not the babysitter or the outsider all the time.

That said, the little 'uns are great sometimes. We have a L10 (age 15) and a L9 (age 8) who are buddies. Guess what the L9 calls the other? "Mommy." I hope her real mother never finds out about this - she would blow a gasket..

 

[my4buffaloes]

When my dd started on pre-team at age 6, there were girls who were 12 and 13 and it has been an age range of 4-5 years every year since then. I was worried at first, but there has never been an issue. First of all, there shouldn't be a lot of down time for any issues to take place. Second, the older girls usually think the young, little girls are so cute that they take them under their wing and help them and befriend them. Third, they were all young and starting out too and they will likely support her and cheer her on.

Good luck! I don't think age is really an issue much in the gym as they are so used to being with girls of many different ages right from the start.

 

[gymnast695]

I'm 16 and love the younger girls on my team! We would never pick on them, they are all so sweet. You're daughter shouldn't worry! They'll probably adore her and take care of her!