What kind of gymnast do you have?

[Megley]

Welcome Gymmom! Wow, 16 hours a week is a lot for Level 4. Our Level 4s practice 12 hours a week. They don't go to 16 hours until Level 5. I'm Mom to a recently turned 5 (Oct. 2nd) year old who is currently doing preteam 6 hours a week but who will be a Level 4 next year. Canadiangymmom's comments are right on the mark for me. It took some time to get to know the Moms and feel accepted but once I did I found everyone to be really great. Our group of preteam moms is very nice and not at all competitive. We are all rooting for the girls to get the skills they need to move on to Level 4 next year. Best of luck to your DD in getting more of those blue ribbons!

[gracefulone]

Whoa! I'm at a ymca and everyone does 5 hrs except a few (any level) who do 7.5.

[gymmom]

Thanks for all the great replies. Yes, 16 hours is a lot of hours. She just turned 8 and its a very big decision. I think gymnastics is the only sport that you have to make a big decision at such a young age.

My daughter had a really hard practice last week and was crying on the way home. I told her, "honey, is this really what you want to do? Its ok to find something else that you love." She looked at me with teary eyes and said, "Mom, no. It was just a hard practice. I love gymnastics".

Sometimes I wonder what drives these little girls with gymnastics. It is really amazing to see

gymmom
*with a daughter who just wont give up!*

[rebeccapaige!]

Hi, I have a 4 1/2 year old and a 7 year old. the 7 year old is a Recreational gymnast who has recently taught herself a back hip circle and a backwalkover to keep up with little sister! I have been told they don't allow the little ones to compete till they are age 6 around here, so we have awhile yet:-) but my 4 1/2 year old is on the prehotshots pre-team (to be most likely moved up to hotshots preteam--this is a preteam for the youngest ones-- in the early spring)and has recently learned a standing backhandspring, Round off backhandspring, backwalkover, and backhip circle. She can also do her handstand vault really well, has all 3 splits, handstand bridge kickovers etc etc. Her favorite events so far are vault and floor. ok that was fun to kind of brag a little bit!! Most of our preteam moms are really fun etc, and cheer each other on but we have a couple whom you need to zip it if your around them!! Hailey spends 3 hours at the gym + 1 hour open gym for fun! I think next year that will increase to 4-6 hours. i'm amazed at the hours for level 4 posted on here, when she is that she will go 9 hours a week and I thought that was a lot!!
Becky

[beamqueen]

i am a provincals 2 argo gymnast turning 11 in this month

[beamqueen]

i train 14 hours a week 3.5 - 4 hours each of my 4 gym days

[audra]

Our daughter is now 19 months and been taking a Parent Participation class since November. It has been so much fun watching her excitement each week, she learned forward rolls very early since my husband and I both teach. Its amazing to watch her figure new things out, you can see her doing a seat drop in the picture gallery- (magz). And her favorite thing is hanging on the bar, which is funny because that was always my least favorite.

[kids041]

Well- where to begin? My kiddo started gymnastics when she was 6 and has been going strong since then. She started in a rec class and within weeks got moved up to level 3. She stayed there for about 6-7 months. We went to a new gym for an eval. and she skipped level 4 and went straight to team! She is currently 8 and will be competing level 5 this fall. She would have competed sooner- except the gym we used to go to had coach issues, and training was slowed down for a while. Anyway- I am so proud of her. She is soooo close to the "elusive" kip. Her poor hands are showing the determination that she has on trying to get that particular skill... They are all ripped up.
anyway... enough bragging here. This is a great board- I am so glad that I found it.

[xstitchcarina]

Of course our system works totally different from all yours. We have level 17 till level 1. 17 is the easiest. Then you have different divisions. My daughter used to do recreational for 2 years, which was level 14 and that was just 1 competition a year with just 3 other clubs in the area. When she was 7, she won a silver medal and wanted to learn more. But that wasn't possible then in the recreational part. So, I got in contact with the trainer of the selection team. Talitha was tested with a few more girls, all a year or more younger than her. This was end of last year/season. Although she is somwhat behind in her technique, she was allowed to stay. She trained just 1½ hour a week at first, but trainer decided 3 of the new girls, including Talitha, could start with competitions already, in division 5, which means it is just for the one province we live in. Her group had just 9 girls of her age and level, only 2 of our club, Talitha and another girl, and she ended 5th, which we didn't expect, since she couldn't do her handsprings properly yet. The 2nd competition she was 9 from 9. She was quite sad, but she did better than last time, she landed on her feet with the handsprings this time. So all this is in level 11. She didn't make the semi final, so her competition year is over. She is going to do level 10 next year. She will go on a 5 day Christian gymnastics camp this Summer, so we hope she can do some preparation for that and get her basics up.

For her the most important is, that she gets to do gymnastics, she loves it. If she could she would love to do it more, but that is just not possible in our town. It is just a small club with 19 girls in the selection team of ages 7 till 22.

CARINA

[davjam]

Did I miss something in the question It asks what type of gymnast do you have. and not what you have done or what your child has done. I just think most of the reply post were off the mark. Bye, see ya