When did your kids get it...?

[harry'smum]

Hi

My son is 7, has been doing gym for 2 years and trains 10 hours pw.
So far he seems to have found most things fairly easy and he loves to go to each class.

I am just starting to notice now that as the skills are getting harder, ROBHS, somersaults, giants he seems to
be lacking the.... courage? skill? ..inclination? to perfect them. He seems to be able to do them with the coach there but lacks the determination to really perfect them. There are other boys in his class who seem to have so much determination and will to succeed and I hear about kids on this forum who set their own goals, practice at home etc.
My husband feels that 10hrs pw is a lot of time to spend at a sport if you are not really determined and/or motivated. I think that he shows a fair bit of commitment just by going for 10hrs pw at his age!

Sorry for rambling but I guess what I am trying to ask is - are there any parents out there with kids in the higher level gymnastics who started out just going for fun and became more motivated as they got older, or should I just accept that if he hasn't got it now he probably never will.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Some kids are driven from the start, they are focused and know what they want and go for it. Other kids never end up going that way, they train fairly well but are never the goal directed and driven ones, others develop the focus and determination as they get older and start to see that hard work=success.

At 7 it is hard to tell which group your son will eventually belong too. If he is enjoying himself and progressing in the sport then he is on the right track. Even if he never becomes the determined, goal driven type he will still gain an enormous number of life skills and positive experiences from his gymnastics.

 

[Chocoholic]

There's also a maturity issue. My daughter was always very mature for her age and she found it easy to focus and stay on task. I've noticed with some other girls on her team that they took longer to gain the appreciation that hard work is necessary to find success. If the sport is his passion, he may very well gain that focus as he matures.

 

[gymdog]

It would be at the far end of extreme for a 7 year old to have giants on their own. Even RO BHS is impressive at this age. Unless he is unhappy, I wouldn't worry. Think of all the exercise he is getting!

 

[MaryA]

A 7-year-old who enjoys doing any one activity for 10 hours (that doesn't invove sitting in front of a screen) a week is already ahead of the pack as far as focus goes. If he enjoys it, focus will come. I noticed a lot of things "clicking" for my daughter right around her 9th birthday. Not sure if it was a focus thing (that comes and goes even now, at age 11) or if it was a body-awareness thing... Pointed toes, being able to be aware of what her arms and legs were doing at the same time, etc.