Parents Gym choice for little kids

[newbie504]

How important are the first few years of gymnastics?

If you notice preteam and level 3/4 are struggling would you try out a different gym for your preteam child? Not sure if it matters this early

 

[Coach Kate]

I think it depends on what you mean by struggling. It is very important to learn good basics and set a foundation for strength, flexibility, and also fun.

It can also depend a little bit on goals and expectations.

Sometimes looking at the higher levels can give you a better picture of what's going on. Are the athletes placing well? Do they generally seem happy? If it's a goal for your family, do they help kids get scholarships? Do they have elites?

 

[newbie504]

I think it depends on what you mean by struggling. It is very important to learn good basics and set a foundation for strength, flexibility, and also fun.

It can also depend a little bit on goals and expectations.

Sometimes looking at the higher levels can give you a better picture of what's going on. Are the athletes placing well? Do they generally seem happy? If it's a goal for your family, do they help kids get scholarships? Do they have elites?

The preteam girls are working on strength but thats about it. No flexibility. Little form. No skills. My daughter is close to a straddle press to handstand but can't do a backwards roll. She has fun in clad but its not fun a fun class in my opinion.

There aren't many optionals here and only 2 level 10. No elite. Not sure how They place but everyone seems happy. I don't see a lot of direction with any of the girls though. I feel my daughter needs more hands on and not just "do this".

There is a new coach that taught my daughter's class and she was great. She noticed they couldn't do something and instead of saying don't worry about it, and showed them how to do it and did drills for it

 

[Ty’s Dad]

All depends on what your kid wants to do in this sport. If she’s just wants to have fun then stay long term, but if it’s something that she wants to go to college, try elite, and OTHER people see she has talent then I’ll say switch when she’s a level 5 depending on her age when she gets there

 

[newbie504]

just wanted to update. We ended up changing gyms shortly after this and it was the right choice for my daughter. Some things weren’t sitting right with me, like watch a girl swing the rope while my child was 10ft in the air.

She is doing great at this new gym. Still doing strength training but is also working on skills. Even started working on cast to handstand (with her teacher helping and shaping), handstand on beam, dismount, and level 2 vault. She’s only 4 so mom eyes are impressed lol. Especially since she didn’t even try this things a couple of months ago.