DD going back to rec classes for now

[jcs]

After several great months on pre-team, DD refused to go to class on Tuesday and today wouldn't go in for about 20 minutes and then once she was in she only wanted to do some of the things. Extremely frustrating for me, the coaches, and disruptive to the class. She just turned 5 and at the beginning of the summer they wanted her to be in the higher level of pre-team but she wasn't mentally ready for that. Now it seems like she isn't really ready for level 2 either .

Part of me is sad, she physically could do it. But mental is such a big part of gymnastics, obviously. She doesn't like to be the center of attention, any sort of competition is 2 years away so I was hoping by the time we got there she would get over any fears of competing but maybe this is for the best....less pressure for her, she can take class with a friend of hers and hopefully alleviate these feelings of anxiety she is having.

I know we need to take things one day at a time, but wondering what the chances of her going back to pre-team. It's hard to explain to a 5 year old commitment, preparing for competition, etc. She just wants to have fun. The good news is that she will continue to have the same coaches. So they will continue to work with her and see her progress.

 

[clrmom]

One of the girls on my dd's team was moved to pre-team at 4 and wasn't ready, so the mom pulled her. She then left gymnastics and did other activities. She came back once she was a little older and was moved to team after a fairly short time (our gym begins competing at L2 which for some gyms is their pre-team.) She had to wait until she was ready. Every girl is different. She may become more mentally ready in a year or two.

 

[Deanna]

It is sad when they arent ready mentaly to do something they are well beyond ready for physcialy. But you are making the right choice for her and letting her go back to a rec class. This keeps it fun for her and its not so much work. Yet she is still with the same coaches and they will see first hand when/if she is ready to move back to team. She is so young yet and has plenty of time.

 

[GymnastJoy]

Good for you giving her time. I've seen too many kids pushed and then leaving the sport all together. At least this way she can return to pre-team when she is ready to commit. Would hate for a kid to resent something that they used to love. She's only 5 so has plenty of time.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

A similar thing happened to me. When I was five, I was fast-tracked for pre-team, but I didn't want gymnastics to be serious. I didn't want to spend so much time there. I wanted to go and hang out with my friends and do fun things on the squishy mats and cool equipment. So my parents let me quit.

I didn't come back until I was 11, but in the intervening years I did figure skating, ballet, violin, clarinet, choir, and academic decathlon. When I came back, I knew what I wanted and I knew how to work hard, and boy, I wanted on team. I wanted to be one of the "big girls" I admired, even though I was bigger than most and older than some. As a teenager, everything I did for gymnastics, I did because I wanted it, so I worked much harder than most of my teammates who were there because their friends or parents wanted them to be there.

So if right now all she wants is to have fun, that's totally normal. Gymnastics feels like a race against time, but really, she's got plenty. Would I be a better gymnast if I'd stuck with it? Maybe, maybe not. Maybe I would have decided I hated gymnastics and quit, maybe I would be a level 10 by now, and maybe I would have puttered along with no motivation and wound up in the same place I am now.

 

[gym law mom]

This is all supposed to be about fun. If she wasn't having fun with the higher level class then what was the point? Good call to move her to some rec classes.

 

[cher062]

It's supposed to be FUN first so if your little one is stressed and not having fun then it's not the right place for her to be. I've seen several come back when they got a bit older. I think the key that i've seen is that most of the girls going to a pre-team or team situation tend to really want it and are asking for it before they enter it. Keep in mind too not all gyms have a Pre-team program. They pick right from the rec-classes and go right into the teams.

she is only 5 and needs to find her "thing" this may be close but it's not there yet. The rec class might be what she needs for another year. If she doesn't like being the center of attention then maybe this isn't the sport for her as every event you definitly are going to be the center of attention every time you compete.

 

[lhmom]

I think you're doing the right thing. She may very well feel in the next few years that she wants to go back, but it's good for her to feel that gymnastics is fun. It's funny because I was thinking how I felt the opposite when DD joined pre-team at 4 1/2. I knew nothing about gymnastics and watching her go twice a week (with all the repetitions), I thought she'd get bored and want to move on. And honestly, I wouldn't have minded at all. Well, the joke was on me, I guess because here we are. Hope she has a blast in the rec class!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

she's only 5. good decision.