Parents Pre-Team advice! New to CB :)

[LouAnne1107]

Hi all!

I'm new to CB but have always read threads when I'd google different gym related topics so I decided to join. Glad to be here!

Just a little about our current gym situation:

My 5 year old daughter has been doing rec gymnastics (one hour a week) for 4 months now. She also does a tumbling lesson at home with a former cheerleader and family friend. She has recently learned to do a back handspring at her home lesson and debuted it at her gymnastics class this week. Since she is only in a level 2 skill rec class at gym they do not work on that skill yet and they did not know she could do it.
She showed her instructor and the instructor asked her to do it again for the head coach/ gym owner. He was impressed and took her from class to do a brief evaluation on the bars. ( Basically he just checked out her pullover) He then sent her back to class and came to speak to me.
He told me he was impressed at her skill for her age and invited her to skip her current and the next level to join the level 3&4 pre-team. He didn't tell me much about it. Most all the girls in that class are about 7-12 years old id say and have quit a bit more skills.
So my question, how long is a child on pre-team and what does it mean really?
Also I have a few concerns about her maturity and cooperation ability. She won't be 6 until July.

 

[BlairBob]

She can compete L3 as a 6yo.

It'll probably be about 6 months to 1 year before she is ready to compete. Maybe a year and a half granted things like head issues, etc.

At 5 1/2, I'm happy if they can make it to the water fountain and bathroom without running through a class or me holding their hand. If they can do that, the rest can be solved.

Pre team just means she is training with the hopes of making it on the team someday. It does not mean she is a lock for team by any means but ideally she should make it since she did get invited to pre-team.

 

[GYM0M]

Congrats! I'm sure she will love it! 'Pre-team' differs from gym to gym but generally means the step just below competitive team. How long she stays on pre-team is determined by any number of factors regarding your daughter and your gym. My suggestion is to do your research!!! What types of competitive programs does your gym offer (JO, XCEL, TOPS)? How are team tryouts conducted and when? Be prepared when coach's ask you questions about your commitment level. How many hours are you willing to come to gym, etc.? Monitor DD demeanor in gym. She's really young and new to gymnastics. Make sure she transitions to pre-team smoothly, physically, mentally, & emotionally. My DD started TOPS training and L4 (old) when she was about that age. She went from 2 hours per week to 9 hours per week!it was a rough transition at first. She had to train L4 for months before she was even eligible to compete. First meet was 18 days after her 6th birthday! She now trains upwards of 20 hours per week, competes L4 (new), will compete at state next weekend, made National TOPS team, ! Oh she's not even 8 yet! Be prepared to move fast, but do not EXPECT it. Gymnastics is a marathon, not a sprint! Enjoy every single minute of these young moments! Welcome to CB,!

 

[LouAnne1107]

Very informative BlairBob, thank you!

GYMOM, thanks and congrats to your DD as well that is impressive! This may seem bad but I have no idea what program the team girls compete in. I was actually surprised by the pre team invite bc we haven't been taking gym all to seriously. Dd likes to tumble for fun so we joined at the end of summer. Previously we participated in competitive cheer but she did not like cheering. She however says she would like to further in gym. I do want to take our time in pre-team now that I have an idea of what it is about. I feel like taking it to seriously to fast caused her lack of interest in cheer. I think that's also a valid concern.

 

[Quadqueen]

Welcome to the CB! Please realize GYMOM's DD's experience, above, is NOT typical. Most kids are not doing 20 hours a week at L4. Your DD just started gym, so the best advice you'll find here is to get ready for the "marathon" of gymnastics. There's no rush at 5 years old.

Also, some people might suggest you drop the tumbling with the cheer coach. Cheer tumbling and gymnastics tumbling are very different (and one would argue that cheer tumbling is not taught with proper gymnastics form in mind, but that's for a different discussion).

 

[LouAnne1107]

Thank you Quadqueen! I thought of that as well concerning the proper technique for gymnast tumbling vs cheer. Before being taught each skill Dd and her coach watched many videos on YouTube! Cheer tumbling always seemed sloppy LOL. However, we will probably stop the tumbling at home since she picked up a few more gym hours. As long as the tumbling at gymnastics is keeping up with what she wants to learn next!

 

[gracyomalley]

I agree with Quadqueen...most kids who hit some form of "pre-team" move to some form of "team" within 1-2 years. At DD gym "pre-team" (L1-3) is rec OR "hot shots" (5-7 year old ready to work up to 5 hours a week and do lots of skill and strength building, working toward new L4 skills....). We skip new L3, with girls ready moved onto team as "non-competing" L4s....some girls do this for 6 months, some for 2 years....My DD is now 11, did hot shots at 5 and is still only practicing 16-20 hours a week as a L7 this year....and yes, she had a back handspring at 5....a scary don't do that ever again according to her coach back handspring that she learned at home on a mattress....kind of like some cheer tumbling I've seen...

I am not saying that your daughters cheer tumbling is like that, just giving you some perspective....

Anyway, I think it really varies region to region and gym to gym....but before I'd commit to that much of a quick increase in gym time I'd find out a little bit of what the program is like - It sounds on CB that some gyms are "competition mills" and have kids/families traveling to 10-20 meets a season spending oodles of money for what other teams consider "rec" or "playtime while learning some gym in a safe environment" skills....on the other hand, there is a bit of a crunch as girls move on to get some higher level skills learned (with proper form and strength) before they grow too much/run into fears, etc....so 5 is a very "reasonable" age to have a coach notice potential - just not a reasonable age to decide for sure if your kid is a top gymnast or not (it can change a great deal either way as age, maturity, dedication, injuries, etc...kick in)...

Don't jump in until you have a sense of what you're in for and that it makes your daughter happy!

At our gym (actually gyms as my boys are at a different one...) kids can ease into the competition track - start with one practice a week and add on if they are liking it and able to focus enough, etc...this is used for young kids with high level skills (like your daughter) so that they can work some exciting stuff properly but not be overwhelmed by the hours, etc....really, many will quit quickly if they are pushed too far when they should be doing plenty of "kid stuff" at home still...

 

[gracyomalley]

Thank you Quadqueen! I thought of that as well concerning the proper technique for gymnast tumbling vs cheer. Before being taught each skill Dd and her coach watched many videos on YouTube! Cheer tumbling always seemed sloppy LOL. However, we will probably stop the tumbling at home since she picked up a few more gym hours. As long as the tumbling at gymnastics is keeping up with what she wants to learn next!

Well...its unlikely that the "tumbling at gym will keep up with what she wants to learn next..." as there will likely be a lot of skill progression and drills before the tumbling moves on....months to years between the early drills and the final tumbling skill is the norm with competitive gymnastics.....but she may still love it - just know that if done correctly its fairly strict...but that's good once they hit the optional skills and really need all that foundation....

 

[LouAnne1107]

@gracyomalley Thank you for all the detailed advice! Exactly what I'm looking for. I wanna know the upside and down sides of starting young! And of course I welcome all info on the subject.
Anyone with any other info on the topic or know of an article or good informative site? I'm want to know everything about what to expect during this transition from rec to team prep.

 

[LouAnne1107]

Also some info about the gym I left out: it is a smaller gym. It has great equipment all the must have stuff. But it seem pretty low pressure. There isn't a large number of team girls but the girl that are team are great. Defiantly not training for Olympics there but fun health competition is what it seems like to me.

 

[Committed]

Well, I can tell you my experience. My DD started gymnastics at the Mommy & Me level and went through all the little preschool programs. When she hit 5yo, there weren't any higher classes for her to go into for her age 5-8yo. She would have had to practice with the REALLY big girls.
At that time, her gym started an artistic team and asked DD to join. So, there was no pre team. She competed old level 3 as a 5yo. This was at a rec gym who had only ever competed 'team gym', never artistic. It was cute and fun. The girls did a mix of USAG sanctioned as well as fun, in-house meets with other gyms.
At this point, we realized that DDs gym wasn't the best place to be for 'serious' gymnasts .....they didn't even have un-even bars. And 2 of the bars were plastic.

So....we moved to a well-known and respected gym in the area. DD was placed on the pre team at this gym. They only practice 4 hours a week (2 hours, 2x a week). There is a lot of focus on form and repetition. It's been a bit frustrating for DD, as she was used to practicing with 7-12yos and getting to practice lots of new skills. However, her form has gotten much better.
Also, at her gym at least, there is no push to join the team if the girls just want to do pre team (as far as I know). Several chose not to try out recently.

It sounds like you may want to talk with your gym coaches and see what exactly they expect or look for. Also, why is there such a large age difference? I would ask if they have separate classes for the younger pre team girls and the older ones.

 

[iwannacoach]

Age 5 is a terrible thing to waste.

Be very careful too monitor the intensity and hours because none of this is as important as arriving at the destination with plenty of energy and enthusiasm. The irony is that those who truly "have it" can wait until they're xxxx years old to get into serious training, and xxxx does not equal 5.

It's been said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and also that familiarity breeds contempt. I don't think the familiarity thing is always true, but the absence part is almost always a sure fire way to keep kids wanting, and appreciating, more.

Try to always have a little more set aside for her to enjoy later.

 

[LouAnne1107]

Domalley, thanks for sharing. Our gym has 2 sets of uneven bars, about 7 beams, a couple vault stations and 2 foam pits. It has everything needed.

We've done class on several different days and from what I can see there just isnt many girls of my daughters age at the gym. There is a lot of younger 2-5 year olds in mommy and me, pre gym and kinderGym. After that the rec classes are called Sparklers, Firecrackers, and Rockets. (The level 1-3 skill level classes) typically our gym will not move up into level rec class until 6 years old. However DD kept passing evaluations so they kept moving her up until she reached "firecrackers". And 2 weeks after that we received the invite to pre team. I've not really seen any 5 or 6 year olds that were not in kinderGym. I think maybe our gym moves slowly with the younger girls and tries to stick with the age limits until 6. If that makes sence.

 

[LouAnne1107]

Iwannacoach, that is the exact reasoning behind us leaving cheerleading. She seemed uninterested in it and even a little bored with it after doing it twice a week at 2 hours a practice. I'm going to let HC at gym know we do not want more that the 2 hour class per week at least until she decides herself she wants to do more. And even then I feel a year in pre team will be a min for us. She show a lot of natural talent and promise to do well. And like you said it can wait. Thank you!

 

[Becauseisaid]

It sounds like your DD is in a good gym. But you definitely still want to have a talk with the owner/head coach. A few things to ask that may affect your decision:

1.) What is the practice schedule for this level?
2.) What is the practice schedule for the next 2 levels?
3.) How much is the cost? (Make sure you ask about class fees plus team fees and any extras)
4.) Are there any competitions? If so, how many and when? Are the competitions "in house" only?
5.) Do they uptrain? (train skills for the next level up - keeps kids from getting bored with doing the same skills over and over)
6.) What is the coach/gymnast ratio at this level? The next 2 levels? (I ask this because standing around waiting your turn for half the class is counter productive)
7.) Can your daughter try out the pre-team class for a couple of sessions?

Lastly, ask to speak to some of the Moms of the higher levels girls. They've been through it and can tell you things the owner may not.

When you're trying to decide whether to do this or not, look to the future requirements (for your daughter AND you).

 

[LouAnne1107]

@Becauseisaid Great advice and info! There is 2 more classes before the gym closes for winter break. I will suggest the next 2 sessions be trial. And I'll definitely be asking some of the questions you suggested! I've been trying to come up with a list of ?'s and have been unable to come up with anything. Thanks so much for the help!

 

[Becauseisaid]

Forgot one - ask about parent commitments. For example, at DD's gym parents are required to work a 3 hour shift at the meets we host.

Also be sure to ask about the team competitions - how far is the travel, how many meets, etc. You want to know what you'll be looking at next year and the year after. (Okay, so that's 2 things I forgot. )

When DD was put on pre-team, I was clueless. And pretty much had to figure out things as we went along. Now I (and another Mom who came in at the same time) always make sure to talk to the new Moms and give them the skinny.

 

[gymmutti]

My younger DD kept moving up the rec level like yours and got to the point where she was treated by the older rec girls (9-11) as the baby (she was 5). It finally made her hate going to class and that is when I agreed to allow her to be evaluated. They actually moved her into the first level pre-team (learning level 1-2 skills) which was a slight step back but it allowed her to improve her form (which rec did not focus on). I assumed she would stay there for about a year but they moved her up to the next level pre-team 6 months later. She was placed on team shortly before turning 7. The big difference between rec and pre-team is the focus on form and conditioning/strength and the increase in hours (ours ranged from 3-6 hours for different levels of pre-team) and typically more experienced coaches. I know our pre-team still tried to make it fun with kids earning stickers or having a little free time at the end of practice to play in the foam pit. I completely agree to talk to the experienced team moms at the gym to get some understanding not only of what pre-team entails but what the team levels are in regard to number of days and hours.

 

[LouAnne1107]

My younger DD kept moving up the rec level like yours and got to the point where she was treated by the older rec girls (9-11) as the baby (she was 5). It finally made her hate going to class and that is when I agreed to allow her to be evaluated. They actually moved her into the first level pre-team (learning level 1-2 skills) which was a slight step back but it allowed her to improve her form (which rec did not focus on). I assumed she would stay there for about a year but they moved her up to the next level pre-team 6 months later. She was placed on team shortly before turning 7. The big difference between rec and pre-team is the focus on form and conditioning/strength and the increase in hours (ours ranged from 3-6 hours for different levels of pre-team) and typically more experienced coaches. I know our pre-team still tried to make it fun with kids earning stickers or having a little free time at the end of practice to play in the foam pit. I completely agree to talk to the experienced team moms at the gym to get some understanding not only of what pre-team entails but what the team levels are in regard to number of days and hours.

Thanks @gymmutti !! I really enjoy and appreciate reading others experiences with the advice.

 

[LouAnne1107]

Hey all. I just wanted to give an update since today was the day DD started "pre-team"! She had a great time and really enjoyed the longer practice time and harder skills that she got to work on! I spoke to her new instructor. Today was the first day of this age group (5yo) class. So in regards to my concern as well as the ? about why such a big age gap between DD and the established pre-team, they now have one for her age There are 4 littles in her class. But only 2 of them stay the full class. 2 of them only do half the class.
Practice is 2 hours. They did half an hour of stretch and warm up then this week they focused on bars, beam, and a little bit of tumbling at the end. On the bars they did pull overs, worked on their casts, and back hip circles. On the beam they did basic exercises along with some cartwheel and hand stands and they introduced dismounts. And at the end DD worked on her BHS while the other child was taught a BHS.
This new 5yo pre-team from what I understand has been put in place to separate the ages a little. So I'm just guessing that next step will be pre-team with the older girls. It seems to me that it's just a little more advanced and not overly demanding. I feel silly for worrying now lol! I think I was mostly afraid of her being behind the older girls and not mentally up to it. Now I'm excited and relieved thanks again for all the advice!