Hi, I'm new here and I have no gymnastics background, so I hope I can ask for some advice here!
My dd is 4.5. Background: she started in Mommy and Me classes when she was around 18 months at a gym that only has rec classes. She continued taking gymnastics and at age 3, moved into a child-only class at the same gym. This gym did not seem to focus only on gymnastics skills but also on a lot of just coordination, physical activity stuff. The teachers were very enthusiastic, friendly, kind, warm, and dd liked her classes here.
This fall, she switched to a different gym. We were happy with the old gym, but the class times for 4 year olds weren't at a time that we could make. One of her friends who had taken gymnastics at a different gym last year was also switching gyms and since the class time at her new gym was at a good time for us, we signed up too. I didn't do any research into the gym because it was a rec class and I thought it would just be for fun. One of her other friends also signed up, so she's in a class with 2 of her friends from school.
Her new gym is a "good" gym with some very high level gymnasts. I knew this, but given than dd is 4, I didn't think it mattered. Her rec class teacher is not particularly warm, friendly, or kind like her teachers were at her old gym. I don't think her rec class teacher is mean or anything like that, but my dd likes warm and friendly teachers, and she likes praise, and I don't think she's getting that in her current class. Even though she's in a rec class, there is a lot more focus on skills than there was at her prior gym, and to my surprise, she seems to love this. Since she started at this new gym, she has been showing a real interest in gymnastics and the new skills she's learning. She practices at home, something she has never done before. She is always talking about what she can do on the bar, beam, etc. She really seems to enjoy the gymnastics, but not the teacher. She likes that her friends are in her class too.
I was very surprised to find out that dd was invited to join the preteam at this gym. Being new to all of this, I didn't even know what preteam was. I asked them, and I was told that preteam is for girls who would like to consider competitive gymnastics and joining the team down the line. I was told that they focus more on acquiring skills than in the rec class, so they the kids acquire enough skills to join the team.
From reading here, it seems that preteam is different at all gyms. At her gym, there are several different levels of preteam (at least 4 or 5). I was told she could join either of the 2 bottom levels of preteam. I asked what the difference was, and I was told that the only difference is that the bottom level meets only 1 hr/week and the 2nd level meets for 1.5 hour/week, but the skills taught are the same in both of these levels of preteam. I was told that some kids go to preteam more than once/week, and dd is welcome to go more than once/week if she wants, but because she's 4, it's fine to just go once per week as well.
I'm wondering what I need to figure out to make the decision as to whether to move her to preteam or not. I guess I'm surprised that she was asked because I don't think dd stands out in her rec class at all. I think my dd's biggest strength is that she is an extremely good listener and follower of directions. (She's a lot better at listening and following directions than my 8 yo ds!) She's fairly coordinated. I think her flexibility is better than average. But she does not have a lot of strength.
She doesn't seem to like her current rec coach very much, but I don't know whether the preteam coach has a different style that dd would like better. She tried preteam this week, but I guess one of the coaches was out so there were 11or 12 girls with 1 coach, and there was a lot of waiting around for the girls. I was told by the other moms that this is not typical, so I don't think we got a good feel for what preteam is like.
I get the feeling that some of the moms of the kids in dd's rec class take their kids to this gym because they want their kids to be competitive gymnasts. That's wasn't our plan, but at the same time, I wouldn't rule it out if it's something that dd wants to pursue down the line.
So given all that, would you have dd switch to preteam? Her 2 friends who are doing the rec class with her are not going to continue with gymnastics, so even if she wasn't to do preteam and stay in rec, she wouldn't be with them any more. She also doesn't like the rec teacher, but I don't know whether the preteam coach might be a better fit for her or whether preteam will be a lot more serious and whether dd won't like that either, or whether it will be something she will thrive with.
If I was to put her on preteam, I'd start out with 1 hr/week first and see how that goes before considering upping her time.
Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. If there are other factors I should consider, please let me know.
Thanks so much.
My dd is 4.5. Background: she started in Mommy and Me classes when she was around 18 months at a gym that only has rec classes. She continued taking gymnastics and at age 3, moved into a child-only class at the same gym. This gym did not seem to focus only on gymnastics skills but also on a lot of just coordination, physical activity stuff. The teachers were very enthusiastic, friendly, kind, warm, and dd liked her classes here.
This fall, she switched to a different gym. We were happy with the old gym, but the class times for 4 year olds weren't at a time that we could make. One of her friends who had taken gymnastics at a different gym last year was also switching gyms and since the class time at her new gym was at a good time for us, we signed up too. I didn't do any research into the gym because it was a rec class and I thought it would just be for fun. One of her other friends also signed up, so she's in a class with 2 of her friends from school.
Her new gym is a "good" gym with some very high level gymnasts. I knew this, but given than dd is 4, I didn't think it mattered. Her rec class teacher is not particularly warm, friendly, or kind like her teachers were at her old gym. I don't think her rec class teacher is mean or anything like that, but my dd likes warm and friendly teachers, and she likes praise, and I don't think she's getting that in her current class. Even though she's in a rec class, there is a lot more focus on skills than there was at her prior gym, and to my surprise, she seems to love this. Since she started at this new gym, she has been showing a real interest in gymnastics and the new skills she's learning. She practices at home, something she has never done before. She is always talking about what she can do on the bar, beam, etc. She really seems to enjoy the gymnastics, but not the teacher. She likes that her friends are in her class too.
I was very surprised to find out that dd was invited to join the preteam at this gym. Being new to all of this, I didn't even know what preteam was. I asked them, and I was told that preteam is for girls who would like to consider competitive gymnastics and joining the team down the line. I was told that they focus more on acquiring skills than in the rec class, so they the kids acquire enough skills to join the team.
From reading here, it seems that preteam is different at all gyms. At her gym, there are several different levels of preteam (at least 4 or 5). I was told she could join either of the 2 bottom levels of preteam. I asked what the difference was, and I was told that the only difference is that the bottom level meets only 1 hr/week and the 2nd level meets for 1.5 hour/week, but the skills taught are the same in both of these levels of preteam. I was told that some kids go to preteam more than once/week, and dd is welcome to go more than once/week if she wants, but because she's 4, it's fine to just go once per week as well.
I'm wondering what I need to figure out to make the decision as to whether to move her to preteam or not. I guess I'm surprised that she was asked because I don't think dd stands out in her rec class at all. I think my dd's biggest strength is that she is an extremely good listener and follower of directions. (She's a lot better at listening and following directions than my 8 yo ds!) She's fairly coordinated. I think her flexibility is better than average. But she does not have a lot of strength.
She doesn't seem to like her current rec coach very much, but I don't know whether the preteam coach has a different style that dd would like better. She tried preteam this week, but I guess one of the coaches was out so there were 11or 12 girls with 1 coach, and there was a lot of waiting around for the girls. I was told by the other moms that this is not typical, so I don't think we got a good feel for what preteam is like.
I get the feeling that some of the moms of the kids in dd's rec class take their kids to this gym because they want their kids to be competitive gymnasts. That's wasn't our plan, but at the same time, I wouldn't rule it out if it's something that dd wants to pursue down the line.
So given all that, would you have dd switch to preteam? Her 2 friends who are doing the rec class with her are not going to continue with gymnastics, so even if she wasn't to do preteam and stay in rec, she wouldn't be with them any more. She also doesn't like the rec teacher, but I don't know whether the preteam coach might be a better fit for her or whether preteam will be a lot more serious and whether dd won't like that either, or whether it will be something she will thrive with.
If I was to put her on preteam, I'd start out with 1 hr/week first and see how that goes before considering upping her time.
Any thoughts and advice would be appreciated. If there are other factors I should consider, please let me know.
Thanks so much.