What Skills are Taught?

[DynamicMom]

Our dd is 4.5 and is going to a 5 year old intermediate class this week, I was wondering what skills they would be learning? The coach said they are getting ready for level 2 and pre-team, but I was wondering when they actually are allowed to compete. I thought they had to be a little older?

[flippymonkeysmom]

At that age they will be focusing mostly on basics. Most gyms don't start competing until level 4 and the gymnast must be 6 years old. Individual skills will vary from gym to gym and each gym has its own criteria for how they move kids up. Try not to stress out and look too far down the road right now - enjoy watching her where she is right now

[Blackie6]

Let me try to think back to when my DD was on pre-team (age 5). She was w/ girls a little younger like your DD and a little older. She learned the spring board & to do a flat back vault onto the mat, which was a biggie coming from just a regular rec class. They learned/did some of the conditioning exercises, splits, V-ups. On bars they learned the pull-over and practiced swings and hip circles. On floor they were starting back bends and towards the end (before she hit L4) back walkovers, hand stands, cartwheels and round offs. Did lots of beam stuff like the different poses, turns, but didn't really do the dismount until L4.

Our program was re-structured after us and now the pre-teamers actually work out w/L4 team once week and do so much more than what we learned, they will be much more ready for the L4 team. But our gym doesn't compete until L4 so I am not sure what is required in L2 or L3, but I am sure you will be doing the basics. I know much time was and still is spent on posture, sucking in the gutt, tight booty, hollow holds, arm postions and pointed toes in these earlier classes. With the little ones the coaches know how to "work" them and still keep it fun. Stickers, contests, ect....my daughter loved her pre-team class.

[kristilyn73]

I coach an intermediate class.

Vault

• I really work on basics, run, arm circle and a handstand on the vault table

Bars

• Pull over, Back Hip Circle, Casts, straddle through dismounts

Beam

• Forward roll, areobasque, Tuck Jump, handstand on low beam, pivot turns

Floor

• Head and hand stands, cartwheels, forward straddle rolls, Backward rolls, Back bends ( not kickovers). Turns, leaps

You can always ask her coach what she is working on, she should have a skill card that they use. It shows all skills for her level and the progress on the skill.

Good luck!

[DynamicMom]

Thanks for the info, my husband asked me this question last night and I had no immediate answer. Sounds like she will be working on perfecting old skills and throwing some new ones in, should be fun to watch. I'm glade to know that she won't be competing for over another year at least (she won't be 5 till August). I'm just going to sit back and enjoy this year!

[gym law mom]

Every gym has their own names for their rec classes and there is no real standardization set up by USAG regarding what skills are taught. Some gyms give the kids a skill card and some don't. After her 1st class, just ask the coach what she'll be working on in this group.

Yes, enjoy your time to sit back and not worry about fundraisers, getting to meets at weird times etc. Your time will come

[Gymnasticsgirl521]

DD is just finishing up her pre-team year and just turned 5. What she worked on this past year was

Floor
Back handsprings
round off backhandsprings
Back walkovers
Back limbers
Back bend kickovers
Handstands
Handstand forward rolls
Front limbers
Front tucks in the pit.

Beam
Cartwheels on Intermediate beam
Handstands on high beam
Leaps
Turns
Handstand walking onlow beam.

Bars
Back hip circle
Shoot through
Mill circle
Front hip circle
Timers on pit bar
Skin the cats


Vault
Front handspring flat backs
Spring board approach

Vault is what they worked the least all year. I am sure there are a lot more things but this is just a small over view of what DD did in her program.