Parents Getting worried...

[sarahmoe9]

So my 5 year old DD will be completing her 1st year of team gymnastics this spring (her gym actually does 1 level below preteam as their intro level to team, and this is DD's level). Her level practices 2 nights a week for 2.5 hours each night. DD is the youngest in her group and is a preschooler, most of the other girls in her level are in kindergarten. I'm concerned because DD seems waaaaay behind the other girls, both in skills and maturity. They do a little "mock meet" in May, and while most of the girls are getting quite good at there routines, DD still doesn't have (or really seem close to having) some of the skills. Honestly, my stomach hurts sometimes watching practice because I worry that she somehow ended up in a group she shouldn't be in. I worry that the girls in her group will all move up to preteam this summer, and DD will be held back on her training team. I'm worried that this will be extremely disheartening for her. Honestly, I wish we would have pulled her out earlier last fall and let her do rec classes for another year, but I feel like it's too late now. I also don't want her to get discouraged on the whole gymnastics thing because she thinks she's not "good enough." Has anyone else had experience with a little one not moving up with her group? I really think she'll be the only one that doesn't advance- the gap seems pretty big to me.

 

[raenndrops]

Relax. Don't watch practice. She is young. If she doesn't move up, she will get to make new friends. It isn't a big deal at this point (or actually ever). Each gymnast will move at her own pace. It isn't a race. You don't want her to struggle with each new level, so consider this a practice year. She may surprise you and get all the needed skills, but if she doesn't, so what? Will you love her any less? When she is 18, will it really make a difference that she didn't move up with this group?
I bet your answer to the last two questions is no, so just breathe. She will get where she is meant to go when it is time.

 

[e'smum]

like the above poster said - don't watch practice. take that time for yourself!

if she doesn't advance, that's ok! our gym does level 2 and they don't compete at all. they actually do less hours than your dd is doing. then there is what they are now calling 3D - they work out 3 days with level 3 but don't compete. my dd started this actually as she never did level 2. she was the first one to do it at our gym and while she picked up the skills quickly, she needed another year on 3. so her entire team moved to level 4 and she repeated level 3. she rocked her 2nd year as a level 3 and had the advantage of having a couple of meets under her belt by the time she was ready to compete for "real".

at age 5, pre-team, all they are looking to do is to introduce them to the world of competing. how to act, how to get out there and compete. this is the preschool equivalent of gymnastics. it's not going to matter in 4th grade what she did in preschool and the same goes now. enjoy her cute little self out there competing right now! i'll bet she will be adorable!

 

[flipnastic]

One word: motor learning...the ability to learn how to coordinate movement, awareness of your body in space, etc. the difference in ages even a few months apart up until around 7-8 years old is HUGE! (Just think about the difference between what a baby can do 0 months old vs 6 months old...or even between ages 3 and 4. this doesn't suddenly even out once you turn 5. Also,did you know you don't even develop your gait, i.e. How you walk, fully until your seven? ) my dd just turned 6 last week, and competed level 2 as a 5 1/2 year old. She is in a group of girls 9-12 months older, and competed against 7-9 year olds. She had the hardest time with the skills that look the easiest to us...small quarter turns keeping your arms in a pretty position from your body, keeping straight knees on basic moves, etc...all because of where she was in her motor learning capabilities. She was the last to get her routines and most of the skills.Now, a few months later, she's so far beyond where she was...and it all boils down to normal development. She improved with every meet and we were so proud of her, but Of course she wouldn't have had a chance against those 8 year olds who already have an advantage because well..they even walk better!! But, they naturally have a better since of proprioception, muscle memory, understanding of how there body works and move at that age.
Don't worry. There's a reason she's in that group! The coaches saw something in her and the more her motor learning capabilities are challenged, the faster it will come.

 

[flipnastic]

Oh my...that's two words lol!!

 

[sarahmoe9]

You guys rock. Truly my concern is that DD isn't enjoying gymnastics as much as she could because the the level is too hard for her. I've emailed the coach twice since last summer to see if she thinks DD should maybe drop back, but her coach assures me she's doing fine. I guess it's just hard to see your little struggle a bit.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

She is supposed to be having fun at this point.

I loved my daughters first in gym meet. She could barely do a cartwheel and was sure her arabesque on the beam would never get above her calf.

L6 and training flipping vaults. It's all good.

She is a little one. It's supposed to be fun.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

PS kids pick up on our vibes. If you worry, she is likely to. If you are stressing and comparing she will.

 

[flippingtogether]

Gymnastics is a marathon - not a sprint. At some points your gymnast will advance rapidly, at other times she won't. It's all good, it's all just fine. It's ALL completely normal.

Trust your coaches. They truly have it under control and will communicate with you as needed.

Watching practice is both wonderful (we all love to watch our kids and see them do fun tricks!!) and the worst thing you can do (it is an emotional roller coaster - constantly thinking in your head, 'is she good? Is she doing what she needs to do? How does she compare to the others? What do her coaches think?').
However, remember- comparison is the killer of joy. Stopping watching practices eliminates comparison, bringing more joy into your life. (I've been there on both sides. It's true. I know from experience.)

And finally, as others have said, if you are worried and stressed, your daughter will pick up on it and she will also start to feel badly and perhaps that will spill over into the gym. So figure out ways that you can relax and decompress for the happiness of everyone!

One more thing - so many of us have been in your shoes and had the same worries. Years later, I think we will all agree it all works out, and everything happens for a reason. (I wish I knew back then what I know now!!)

Good luck, sit back and relax, and enjoy the ride!!!!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

comparison is the killer of joy

Love this

 

[triplethreat+1]

In my experience, coaches are good at modifying the exercises for individual differences so that all the gymnats can succeed. And at that age, she won't really compare unless someone points it out to her (depends a bit on each kid of course).
As far as moving up or not, don't use that term to her. If necessary, next year she just gets a 'new class ' at gym, new kids to make friends with. If she doesn't expect to stay with the same group all the time then she won't know the difference.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

I second what everyone else has said here, that she should be having fun at this point. However I wanted to add that sometimes coaches see things in kids that we as parents don't always see. Your dd may be a little slower at picking up skills but perhaps she is really strong or really flexible and that's why the coaches have chosen to put her in this training group, because they think that shows future potential. That may even be enough for them to go ahead and move her to pre team at the end of the year as well. But even if she doesn't, another year on her training team will only make her stronger in the long run and it's nothing to stress over.
As a young 5 year old, it's possible that your dd's motor skills may not have fully developed and that's why she might be slower picking up skills. My dd has always been slower at picking up skills , especially at your dd's age, but when it finally clicked, she would usually pick up several new skills at once and really surprise me. Her coaches weren't surprised because they knew she had the strength to do it, she just needed the coordination part down. All kids are different and coaches pick all different kinds of kids for team, for all different kinds of reasons. Some b/c they pick up skills quickly, some that are super strong, some that are super flexible, some that are very attentive and take direction well and sometimes even just because the coach feels they have a good "body type" for gymnastics. Trust me when I tell you they have your dd in this training group for a reason and if you feel she is in good hands, just sit back and trust the process. She will very likely surprise you. =)

 

[GymnastMomX2]

She's 5, she will be fine even if the other girls move up and she doesn't. The only reason she wouldn't be ok with it is if you make a big deal of it. My 6 year old DD did not move up to pre-team in January when probably 75% of the kids in her pre-pre-team group did. I was worried, and she is just fine. She's enjoying being the best one in the group and the coaches frequently use her to show off skills.

 

[CuriousCate]

So my 5 year old DD will be completing her 1st year of team gymnastics this spring (her gym actually does 1 level below preteam as their intro level to team, and this is DD's level). Her level practices 2 nights a week for 2.5 hours each night. DD is the youngest in her group and is a preschooler, most of the other girls in her level are in kindergarten. I'm concerned because DD seems waaaaay behind the other girls, both in skills and maturity. They do a little "mock meet" in May, and while most of the girls are getting quite good at there routines, DD still doesn't have (or really seem close to having) some of the skills. Honestly, my stomach hurts sometimes watching practice because I worry that she somehow ended up in a group she shouldn't be in. I worry that the girls in her group will all move up to preteam this summer, and DD will be held back on her training team. I'm worried that this will be extremely disheartening for her. Honestly, I wish we would have pulled her out earlier last fall and let her do rec classes for another year, but I feel like it's too late now. I also don't want her to get discouraged on the whole gymnastics thing because she thinks she's not "good enough." Has anyone else had experience with a little one not moving up with her group? I really think she'll be the only one that doesn't advance- the gap seems pretty big to me.

If it makes you feel better my YDD just turned 5 last month, is the youngest on her pre-team, is in preschool and has her first and only meet of the pre-team season next weekend and she still doesn't know her routines!! And since they couldn't find a level 1 meet nearby, she's competing in a xcel Bronze meet! It's going to be hilarious! She's lefty gymnast (but right handed) and we didn't fully figure it out with regards to leaps and turns, etc until about a month ago, so things could get ugly! I plan to cheer and giggle and drink wine from a thermos while eating gym-meet-nachos with fake cheese.

I think in these kiddie meets they give everyone a medal, so she'll be happy! Of course she watches my ODD at meets and may have picked up more than we've realized with regards to placing, etc. but these are all life lessons, right?!