Parents progress for 6 year old.... too soon?

[kaloss]

My daughter just turned 6 (yesterday) and has been in gymnastics for about 6 months. She started in level 1, then in June was moved up to "Hotshots" (I guess it's an advanced class for kids that are picking up skills faster than average). Last night, the team coach filled in for her regular coach. She pulled me aside after practice and said that she wants to try my daughter out with our team girls and see how she handles the practices. They're 3 hour practices, 3 times a week. The original plan was for her to do Hotshots until June, then try out for team. The team coach told me that since her evaluation for Hotshots to now (roughly 3 months) she has made huge improvements and she thinks that she would be ready for team.
She wants to move up to team (my daughter), but I'm worried that 9 hours is a lot for a 6 year old. Would it be better to keep her in Hotshots and make her wait, or let her try the team practices and see how it goes? Also, I believe they start competing in November, would it be likely that she would be able to catch up with the other girls?
Thanks for any advice!

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

My daughter did 9 hours a week at age 6, and that is/was standard in her gym for those girls at that ahe they hoped to be competitive.

 

[vbbf]

My dd started gymnastics when she was 4 and they put her straight into the mini competition squad doing 3 hrs a wk. When she turned 5 she moved to 7 hrs a wk, then when she turned 6 she went upto 11 hrs a wk. Now she is 7 and doing 14 hrs a wk and she copes with it fine. I think she has got used to the extra hours as they increased a little every year.

 

[kaloss]

That's pretty much what she told me last night, that she would have an adjustment period but would probably just learn to manage her time (homework) better and would really benefit from the longer practices.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

Yes, the extra time in the gm will take a while to adjust to, but the girls DD were with all handled it well. And the time difference in the gym is what allows them to condition properly and train seriously for the new skills. They just have the ability to fit so much more in, so that cartwheel or back hip circle can be perfected while also having the time to learn new things.

 

[Deleted member 15064]

You know your daughter best.

I don't think with certain types of kids that 9 hrs a week @ 6 is too much.

My daughter "joined" team lvl 4 @ 5 yrs. Nine hour practice weeks, suited up and joined her small team for meets. Started competing as soon as she hit age 6 in Feb. of that season. That was Kindergarten year. She loved it.

However, it's not something I could have imagined doing with my previous children. It just happened to fit her personality/coping skills etc...

It can work. Hopefully your HC is taking into account her total personality along with skill lvl. But that's where you will know if it's worth trying.

 

[lhmom]

Mine was another who started on team at age 6 and jumped from 3hrs (pre-team) to 9 hrs of practice. It took some adjusting but she caught on quickly and is now going into her 4th year of competing. As others have said, it really depends on the child's personality and ability to adjust. I'd have her try it and if it doesn't work right now, maybe wait another year or so and let her try again.

 

[gymmiemom]

Mine has been on team since she was six and is in the gym 12 hours a week. She has handled it without batting an eye.

I was so worried it would be too much, but I'm so glad we did it. She can't even remember having school without a crazy busy gym schedule so to her it's just normal.

Give it a try! You can always drop hours back down if she needs to.

 

[billise]

I was concerned too when my DD start team (9 hours a week) as a young six year old. She is now an old six year old (will be 7 in November) My DD did just fine. Really no adjustment period at all, she just jumped in and ran with it. Of course it didn't hurt that her increase in hours came at the very end of the school year when the teachers were winding things down. We did approach it with a "let's try it and see" attitude but everything was fine.

As for getting the skills, my DD's first competition is in a couple of weeks. She moved up to team several months later than the other girls on her team giving her only 3 months to become competition ready. Thankfully she has picked things up pretty well and the only skill she is missing is her round off back hand spring (ROBHS). If she doesn't have it by the first meet her coaches said she just won't do it. It will be a deduction of course but the general feeling is "she'll get it eventually, no big deal", especially because she moved up so late.

 

[Natasha]

Whether it is too soon, is really up to you. You know your child and family best. My dd at 7 was offered team, we opted to wait a year. Fast forward 5 years- I don't think it would have made a difference skill-wise if she had started team at 7- as she has progressed, she simply needed to be ready mentally to do each progression of skill. Oh, and she is on the same level/skills (or above) as her teammates who all started younger than her....that is of the few who have stuck with the sport.

 

[thefellowsmom]

My dd started 9 hours a week at six. She transitioned just fine, but she is a all gymnastics all the time kid. Three years later she still wants more hours than she gets.

At that age school really isn't too much of an issue as there isn't too much homework. Is she tired out by school or does she bounce off the bus, so to speak? I think that would be a big consideration for me.

You know your dd and what she can handle. I say if she loves it and can't get enough then let her go for it. If they are going to stick it out then adjusting to balancing the schedule while school is still "easy" can be very helpful.

It only gets crazier and more demanding from here. Welcome to our own private roller coaster park

 

[Committed]

My DD was doing 6 hours in kindergarten (age 5). She's 6 now and is dying for more hours. She's so jealous of the L4 girls who get to go 13.5 hours a week.

 

[Gym Beam]

As for getting the skills, my DD's first competition is in a couple of weeks. She moved up to team several months later than the other girls on her team giving her only 3 months to become competition ready. Thankfully she has picked things up pretty well and the only skill she is missing is her round off back hand spring (ROBHS). If she doesn't have it by the first meet her coaches said she just won't do it. It will be a deduction of course but the general feeling is "she'll get it eventually, no big deal", especially because she moved up so late.

billise,
we're basically on the same path. DD is 2 months older than yours and she's just missing her ROBHS. She's also a late arrival to the L3 team.

kaloss,
if your DD loves gymnastics, i say go for it. had the same concerns as everyone else, but DD loved the extra hours once she got used to it (which took about a week). Because of some quick leveling up, DD at 6 years old went from 4 to 6 to 9 to 12 hours before she turns 7 next month.

 

[billise]

As another note, for us, we've found that it's best to not have her do stuff at home (ie working on her splits, etc.). Recently DD's coach gave us the ok to allow the girls to run through floor routines at home if they want to so they could practice standing tall, straight arms/legs, etc.(none of the tumbling though). I asked DD to run through hers on a couple of occasions and she obliged but really didn't want to. At that point I realized that 9 hours of gym a week at the gym is enough for her. At home it's strictly play time.

 

[level9mom]

J.O rules say she must be 7 to compete

 

[billise]

Our compulsories compete AAU. They must be 6 to compete level 3.

 

[Quadqueen]

J.O rules say she must be 7 to compete

I don't think she mentioned what level, but level 2s can be 5, level 3s can be 6.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

My DD was doing 12 hours and competing level 4 at 6, after joining the team (12 hr) at 5.5. She did fine, but she's that type of kid that thrives on activity (if she loves it) Meanwhile, her twin loves his sport but balks at three 2 hour practices! It really all depends on the individual child.

 

[alsmom]

J.O rules say she must be 7 to compete[/quote

New level 3s can be 6. You have to be 7 to compete new 4.

To the original poster: my dd went from 3 hours per week on pre team during her last year of preschool to 7.5 hours a week at (old) level 3 in kindergarten. She is a June birthday, so was a relatively young 5 at the time. At first it was great- she transitioned very smoothly. There was a time in the spring when she had a hard time- she was completely exhausted. Keeping in mind that she was only 5 helped to keep things in perspective. When she needed a break she took a break.

Dd is now working level three and training 9.5 hours a week as a first grader. So far it is going great! I will tell you that on practice nights she is exhausted, but we minimize what needs to be done on those nights- it is usually just dinner, bath, bed.

I think that I have has the biggest adjustment this year- I feel like I never see her and I miss her!!!

 

[kaloss]

Well, I talked to the coach yesterday after. Posted this, the practices are actually 12 hours, not 9. Tuesday/Thursday 4-8 and Saturday 12-4. She is definitely the type of kid that is bouncing around all the time, she is constantly doing handstands and cartwheels/round offs everywhere we go. She will be moving to level 3, she almost has her back handspring and can do roundoffs,but hasn't worked on connecting the skills.
We're going to let her practice with team on Tuesday, when it would be her normal Hotshots class, and see how she does with the long practice and school.