Parents Does starting at age 6 vs 7 matter?

[momofgymnast86]

Hi! Newbie here! My dd is 5 but turns 6 in 2 months. She competes on a dance team currently but became obsessed with acro last year. She taught herself a front and back walkover and is working on front and back limbers now, all self taught (although she just got asked yesterday to join the level 3/4/5 acro class at the dance studio)
I took her to a charity skill clinic at a local gym this past weekend because I’ve had friends telling me she’s a gymnast not a dancer. So I let her do a bars and beam because she hasn’t had any exposure to those (except when she was 2 and we did mommy and me gymnastics).
Well apparently the coach who was doing the clinic coaches the girls team and said he was having her do level 2/3 skills (a double flip on bars seemed like the most advanced skill he had her try) and she did great on beam too (did her dance leg hold on the beam haha) but here is the issue- he literally offered her a spot on their competition team and said she was keeping up with another girl there who has been on the team for a year.
Can I keep her in competitive dance for one more year or does it matter for a possible competitive gymnast to start at age 6 rather than 7? Experiences and opinions welcome!

 

[katrid11]

What does SHE want to do? In the end anything in gymnastics should be done for fun.

In my opinion, I would let her do 1 class at that gym to understand what a practice is like. Then ask a lot of questions. Time, cost, meets, etc. Find out what your daughter really wants - there maybe an option to do a bit of both for a year? Not sure the dance requirements. I can say my daughter did Level 2 and that was 8 hrs a week (2.5hrs 2.5 hrs, 3 hrs). She also did horseback riding, swimming, ballet, and travel soccer that year...

IMO 6 is a great age to start preteam (level 1 or level 2). Their body has developed enough to handle things like back walkovers and their maturity is ripe for listening to avoid injury.

If you were to wait until turning 7 - no big deal to me. If she wants to do gymnastics, there should be a place for her at a gym regardless of her age.

 

[momofgymnast86]

Thanks. She wants both of course, but it sounds like she wants gymnastics a little bit more. Her dance commitment is 3 nights a week for about 9-10 hrs total plus some Saturdays so that’s why it’s not feasible to be competitive in both. But pre-team may be an option to hold her over till next season! I’ll ask. Thanks.

 

[raenndrops]

My youngest did both competitive dance and gymnastics team. It was just a matter of the 2 activities being a little flexible. In 2022, she went to YMCA Nationals and less than a month later, she was at the World Dance Championship.

I would ask more questions of the gym to see if she could do both (and still have a life). If she has to choose, I would give her the option (help her make a pro/con list for both since she is so young). Good luck.

 

[mrt659]

It does not matter

 

[Kara]

Doesn't matter at all. IMO, the extra year of dance will be beneficial if she does start gymnastics next year.