MAG If/when to look for a boys program?

[Committed]

DS is 4yo and goes to the same gym as big Sis. He is in the kinder gym class for boys/girls.

Unfortunately, this gym is a well-known WAG gym. There are a couple of boys classes, but I don't think anything above a "basic" level 1 or 2 class. So, I know that if DS were to continue with gymnastics, he would need to join another gym.

When would be the "right" age to take him to a gym that actually has a boys program?

 

[curlymop]

Our gym moves boys up from preschool to boys rec classes at age 5, and that's when they start learning basic stuff on the men's equipment. Actually, my youngest didn't like being left behind in the preschool class when his big brother moved up, so they let him move to the 5+ class when he was only 3. Both of them loved watching the older boys on team practice when they were younger.

Age is not as much of a concern with MAG, so you could certainly wait longer to see if he has an interest. For mine, though, their interest in gymnastics was cultivated by watching the older boys. I would start looking around now to see what your options are.

 

[skschlag]

I would agree. If he is showing interest, it won't hurt to at least see what the options are. Maybe wait until he is 5 or 6. Doe they do boys' stuff in this class?

D went to a gym with a lagging boys' group until he was 6 and we switched to the gym we are at. But they did have boys' classes that he started at 3 1/2 and moved up in those.

 

[BlairBob]

At 4 it's not critical. Most kinder classes are still co-ed at this age. Some gyms start breaking them off at 5. One gym I was at had options for coed or boys only classes that focused on MAG events.

At 5yo many boys can get on pre-team for L4 seeing that they need to be 6 to compete. So it kind of depends if he has the right stuff to make it onto a pre-team at 5.

I prefer 5yo for most boys rather than 4. A lot of boys at 4 are in la-la land except the rare boy. That being said, if there was a 4yo boy who was ready for Pre-Team or the 5yo boys only kinder, I'd put him in the 5yo boys only if I felt it was right and they wanted to be with the boys. Some 4yo boys do not want to be in Boy's only classes.

 

[gymdog]

Revisit when 6. You never know...they could be actively looking for a MAG cosch and might have a team by then.

 

[Committed]

Thanks everyone! I know DS isn't "hard-core" gymnastics kid. He has fabulous hand stands (he practices every day) and has a pretty good cartwheels. Then again, he is that la-la land boy.

On the other hand, boys classes don't start until 6yo at their gym. I feel like there is a missed opportunity to wait that long. Not that I'm looking for competition, per se, but whole body conditioning and awareness.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Early, a lot of the strength does not come until later but you need to train the flexibility at a young age to ensure they have it as they get older and give them solid core basics.

The problem with a gym that has no MAG program is that they will not be focused on developing the core shapes and key foundations for MAG as they do have an investment in the future with these boys. I would be looking by 5 for a program.

 

[gymdog]

It's a bit different in this country from my perspective...most MAG programs are going to be happy with a six year old. No missed opportunity, really. Even gyms that have a boys team combine classes up through age 6 like 95% of the time. But if your gym doesn't have boys equipment at all then he might enjoy a different class more. If he's happy enough I would wait until the time comes. You'll know if he's outgrowing it or if team is something you'll want to pursue. Many gyms are actively recruiting MAG coaches, so you never know.

 

[OwlGalLiz]

In our area (and there are quite a few MAG programs) just about all the gyms look at age 5 to go out of preschool class. They decide then if they will go pre-team or rec (and some rec boys go straight to team). There are a few exceptions, but I know one little boy who was on preteam at age 3 or so and burned out. He took a year off before he was even able to start competing at age six.

 

[Sasha]

I'm seeing boys start everywhere from 4-10 in pre-team in our gym and area. The older ones have caught up very quickly in every area except flexibility.

Personally I think age 5-6 is ideal. Another poster mentioned flexibility as a point of consideration. I agree with that from what I've seen and experienced.

For reference, I started my DD(7) at 5 1/2 and he was super-duper tight (non flexible). Through 1.5 years of in-class stretching + many months of daily at-home stretching to supplement that, he now has 2 splits (third direction improving slowly). If I had waited until he was 7 or older, I think the stretching progress would have been even slower & harder, and he might have given up due to that part of the training.

My older son no longer does gymnastics, but he was the opposite - super limber as a young child - but then became tight and lost his flexibility as he aged to 7-8 before we discovered gymnastics for him. It never came back for him and he was never motivated enough to seriously work on it at home.

The boys I see who were reasonably or very flexible as 4-5 year olds who started gym then, have had a much easier time and don't need extra home stretching (nearly all boys HATE stretching!!). Most of the older ones I know are struggling and are asked to add home stretching routines.

Of course, other sports like martial arts also stretch for splits training, so one idea is to put him in martial arts for a couple years to keep/improve flexibility, then transition to gymnastics when his age, attention, and interest match an available program.

My 2c!