Parents So what are your boys doing?

[MyBoysFlip]

Hi- I love reading about all of the meets & skills that everyone's girls are doing and it's so familiar to me after several years of competing & coaching but... I have two little boys (just 6 & just 7) so I'm entering the unknown world of MAG. They're on training team this year so I'd like to know what other boy's are working on and at what age & level. My kids do a lot of conditioning & handstand work (holds & presses) and have just learned back handsprings on the tumble track alone! Little JJ can swing to HS on the pbars but thankfully his coach catches him at the top or I couldn't ever watch. They can also do pull up pullovers and single circles on the mushroom. Thanks for answering - there's not many people around who like to talk about this!

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

Nice to see another parent with some male gymnasts
My son is currently training level 3/4. (we are not in the USA so not sure how the levels correlate?)

He trains for 6 hours per week at a small gym. I don't stay to watch him train very often but from what I can gather they do a lot of strength, handstand holds, rope climbs, presses, lots of work on good static shapes.
A lot of work on the dreaded circles on the mushroom, his level three grading required five full circles on the mushroom and I held my breath the entire time.
On the bars they have mastered chin up pull - arounds, back hip circles, doing lots of work on tension swings and tap swings.
A lot of time is spent practising RO, they have done a little tumbling work. Lots of stretching to try and increase their flexibility. He has mastered two out of three splits.

 

[emorymom]

Mine is 5.5 on preteam. I guess he's doing a lot of the same. He is way in the back of the gym most of the time and I don't know the names of the skills as well as I do WAG.

 

[lovemylifex4]

So neat that your boys are able to do this! Our gym does not offer gymnastics for the boys. They do have tumbling though and Austin (6) is on pre-team! He LOVES it!!!

 

[thawley64]

Yes, boys are great!

As a parent of twins dd and ds, we spend so much time looking and and doddling over the girls, we sometimes (well, maybe all the time) miss what the boys are doing. The rings and pbars are all the way in the back--for that matter, so is the mushroom. So, through all of the cheerleaders, tumblers, team girls, and tots, many people don't know we even have boys!

At our last in-gym meet, it was a surprise to most when the boys came out...and then when they worked their press hs and inverted hang on rings, people were flabbergasted!

My cool man has a pretty fine looking press hand stand! It's a nice feeling to see that because most people think of gymnastics as a girls sport.

Our level 4 boys are working on getting strong and toned. Our level 5 boys are working on flying and sticking! Our team is actually quite good. Thanks for posting this...

 

[cher062]

Ihave a girl and boy that were on team for many years at the same time.

My son started a 3yo was on the boys pre-team until age 6 then on to the team. Made it to L7 at 15 1/2 and dislocated his Knee cap twice in that season and ended up needing surgery if he wanted to contiue. He chose to quit instead at which point his gym offered him a position as a Jr team coach. He coaced the team and rec classes until this past sep when he started college. Now he is a sub coach and will coach in the summer at his old gym. He always did well placing in the top 5. His last season he made it to regionals placing 1st in the state and 9th in the region. When he dislocated his knee cap the 2nd time we were at the meet just before states and that was that. Retuning to the meet after the hospital imobilized his leg he had almost all the coaches come up to him and tell him he would have place 1st at states and they felt 1st at regionals too. That he was a great gymnast and hope that he will return.

Mens gymnastics is definitly a different experience from womens gymnastics. I think because it seems more dad's seem to come out to see their son.

 

[3stars]

Well my boys are still little but are doing well. My 4yo is about to move out of the preschool gym and into the big gym (which we all know is mega exciting) in a few weeks. He tells me he can't wait because he is ready to learn some new skills so he can compete for medals like his big sister. We also learned that he can do a one-armed cartwheel when he was imitating her the other day. My 2yo has decided to try classes again. He surprised us yesterday when his big sister was stretching and practicing splits by going down into a full straddle style split. (Big sis was MAD as he was able to get lower than her.)

 

[millymomof4]

I have a twin boy/girl who are both gymnasts. I would never tell my dd this, but watching the teenage upper-level boys is my favorite thing!! It is a shame that there are so few robust boys programs in the U.S., because watching those boys fly on high bar and vault is just AMAZING to see in person. And the tumbling is sky high as well. T.V. just doesn't do men's gymnastics justice. I think if more people saw it live, they'd be hooked.

My son loves the camraderie of his teammates and really looks up to his coaches. I love gymnastics for boys-- certainly beats afternoons glued to the T.V. or video game console.

 

[pattymello]

I totally agree with you. I think it's a shame men's gymnastics isn't more popular. however i thought i should let you know this post and another i just saw you post in are nearly 2 years old. Usually you should try to post in the up to date topics. Welcome to the Chalk Bucket!