Gymnastics or Dance?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing what I know now after having kids do both, I'd start with gymnastics to see if the gym would want to put her on the pre-team track. For many gyms, it's amazing how early the kids are identified as team potential vs rec level (around your DD's age), and really hard for kids who come in later on the rec side to catch up. If your DD ends up choosing gym over dance, at least you gave her all of the chances you could.

Dance is much more forgiving, especially for ballet schools where the first level of serious study starts around 7-8. And if she ends up choosing other styles of dance over ballet, gymnastics skills will help.

She's FOUR. And as someone who has been involved with gymnastics since before I can remember, any gym that is identifying 4 year olds for pre-team and/or refuses to look at older kids for team simply because they're older, is not a gym you want to go to.

You're absolutely right, but the choices are limited around here once you factor in commute.

This was at Capital. The lowest pre-team level was full, at age 6 in 1st grade she had "aged out" of the preschool pre-team feeder developmental levels (the path most team kids seem to follow unless they're coming from another team), and she wasn't advanced enough for anything else. The key problem is that rec classes don't keep pace with team training AT ALL so the ever-widening gulf between rec and team just gets worse and worse over time. The training just isn't there to allow for catching up unless there's crazy natural talent at work. Hence my advice to get in when the track starts just to have the chance.

[Anonymous]

at that age I wouldn't do one or the other year round. I would switch off for different seasons so she can try different things. Maybe that's already what you're doing and I misinterpreted the question and she's just always feeling sad if her dance/gymnastics class ends. She's 4 though so I don't think you want to be focusing in too much on one thing. Also because like others have said dance and gymnastics are very common things that kids under 5 like, but often don't continue to later years (which is fine! she doesn't need to be identifying her lifelong sport now either so that's okay).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing what I know now after having kids do both, I'd start with gymnastics to see if the gym would want to put her on the pre-team track. For many gyms, it's amazing how early the kids are identified as team potential vs rec level (around your DD's age), and really hard for kids who come in later on the rec side to catch up. If your DD ends up choosing gym over dance, at least you gave her all of the chances you could.

Dance is much more forgiving, especially for ballet schools where the first level of serious study starts around 7-8. And if she ends up choosing other styles of dance over ballet, gymnastics skills will help.

She's FOUR. And as someone who has been involved with gymnastics since before I can remember, any gym that is identifying 4 year olds for pre-team and/or refuses to look at older kids for team simply because they're older, is not a gym you want to go to.

You're absolutely right, but the choices are limited around here once you factor in commute.

This was at Capital. The lowest pre-team level was full, at age 6 in 1st grade she had "aged out" of the preschool pre-team feeder developmental levels (the path most team kids seem to follow unless they're coming from another team), and she wasn't advanced enough for anything else. The key problem is that rec classes don't keep pace with team training AT ALL so the ever-widening gulf between rec and team just gets worse and worse over time. The training just isn't there to allow for catching up unless there's crazy natural talent at work. Hence my advice to get in when the track starts just to have the chance.

Capital is batpoop crazy and I'd never send my kid there. Just IMO, of course. It works for some, but lord have mercy, that gym has some warped thinking.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, pick dance. I've gone far in both. Dance is better for posture. It's more gentle on the body.

I would say go for gymnastics. Then she can be a cheerleader in MS and HS.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing what I know now after having kids do both, I'd start with gymnastics to see if the gym would want to put her on the pre-team track. For many gyms, it's amazing how early the kids are identified as team potential vs rec level (around your DD's age), and really hard for kids who come in later on the rec side to catch up. If your DD ends up choosing gym over dance, at least you gave her all of the chances you could.

Dance is much more forgiving, especially for ballet schools where the first level of serious study starts around 7-8. And if she ends up choosing other styles of dance over ballet, gymnastics skills will help.

She's FOUR. And as someone who has been involved with gymnastics since before I can remember, any gym that is identifying 4 year olds for pre-team and/or refuses to look at older kids for team simply because they're older, is not a gym you want to go to.

At four our girls were invited to join the invitation-only pre-team class and at five were invited to join the Level 3 class (even though they couldn't compete at Level 3 until six). Our gym does not discourage older kids from joining teams, but it is true that kids at that age could be put on the pre-team track.

OP, my opinion is that dance at four can be relatively boring and a lot of kids end up quitting before they get to do much. Gymnastics is a better foundation at that age and she can easily transition to dance in a few years if she's interested. All my friends who have been professional dancers have said they wouldn't start their own kids in dance at that age.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Knowing what I know now after having kids do both, I'd start with gymnastics to see if the gym would want to put her on the pre-team track. For many gyms, it's amazing how early the kids are identified as team potential vs rec level (around your DD's age), and really hard for kids who come in later on the rec side to catch up. If your DD ends up choosing gym over dance, at least you gave her all of the chances you could.

Dance is much more forgiving, especially for ballet schools where the first level of serious study starts around 7-8. And if she ends up choosing other styles of dance over ballet, gymnastics skills will help.

+1.
My daughters did both as well, and gymnastics is a better foundation for dance then vice versa. Also even though most dancers begin dancing in preschool, there is absolutely know reason to do so. A kid could start dance at 7 or 8 and easily catch up. In fact, I feel like the first three years of dance were a waste.

[Anonymous]

If she were willing to choose, I'd let her, but if not, I'd pick whichever one is most convenient for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Knowing what I know now after having kids do both, I'd start with gymnastics to see if the gym would want to put her on the pre-team track. For many gyms, it's amazing how early the kids are identified as team potential vs rec level (around your DD's age), and really hard for kids who come in later on the rec side to catch up. If your DD ends up choosing gym over dance, at least you gave her all of the chances you could.

Dance is much more forgiving, especially for ballet schools where the first level of serious study starts around 7-8. And if she ends up choosing other styles of dance over ballet, gymnastics skills will help.

She's FOUR. And as someone who has been involved with gymnastics since before I can remember, any gym that is identifying 4 year olds for pre-team and/or refuses to look at older kids for team simply because they're older, is not a gym you want to go to.

You're absolutely right, but the choices are limited around here once you factor in commute.

This was at Capital. The lowest pre-team level was full, at age 6 in 1st grade she had "aged out" of the preschool pre-team feeder developmental levels (the path most team kids seem to follow unless they're coming from another team), and she wasn't advanced enough for anything else. The key problem is that rec classes don't keep pace with team training AT ALL so the ever-widening gulf between rec and team just gets worse and worse over time. The training just isn't there to allow for catching up unless there's crazy natural talent at work. Hence my advice to get in when the track starts just to have the chance.

Fwiw Capital is the one I was referring to when I said our local gym offers 8 week sessions for the preschool class.

[Anonymous]

I limit my kids to one activity at a time too.

I'd start with gymnastics.

My daughter did ballet, then gymnastics, then found she loved competitive cheer, which combines both to an extent.

[Anonymous]

I agree with other posters about gymnastics. There were two levels of developmental invitation only programs from 4-5 that my daughter completed and is now doing Pre-Team this summer at 5.5. We don’t go to that particular gym but this is what gyms do all over the US. Other posters are right, after 6 you are set in a recreational track so if you think she’d enjoy competitive gymnastics then I’d go that way. Most children competing at level 3 are 6-7.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I agree with other posters about gymnastics. There were two levels of developmental invitation only programs from 4-5 that my daughter completed and is now doing Pre-Team this summer at 5.5. We don’t go to that particular gym but this is what gyms do all over the US. Other posters are right, after 6 you are set in a recreational track so if you think she’d enjoy competitive gymnastics then I’d go that way. Most children competing at level 3 are 6-7.

Absolutely not true. I had athletes at the VA state meet for level 3 this year. I had one 7 year old and no 6 year olds. And the majority of kids at the meet are 8 and up. I looked at my copy of the state meet roster and looking at Capital specifically, one 6 year old and the rest were 8 and up.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with other posters about gymnastics. There were two levels of developmental invitation only programs from 4-5 that my daughter completed and is now doing Pre-Team this summer at 5.5. We don’t go to that particular gym but this is what gyms do all over the US. Other posters are right, after 6 you are set in a recreational track so if you think she’d enjoy competitive gymnastics then I’d go that way. Most children competing at level 3 are 6-7.

Absolutely not true. I had athletes at the VA state meet for level 3 this year. I had one 7 year old and no 6 year olds. And the majority of kids at the meet are 8 and up. I looked at my copy of the state meet roster and looking at Capital specifically, one 6 year old and the rest were 8 and up.

I just mean at our gym. I said we don’t go to Capital. The youngest allowed to compete Level 3 is 6 and many do. My 8 year old is having to compete on the Xcel Silver team because they say she is too old for JO Level 3. When my 5 year old turns 6 she will be competing JO Level 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I agree with other posters about gymnastics. There were two levels of developmental invitation only programs from 4-5 that my daughter completed and is now doing Pre-Team this summer at 5.5. We don’t go to that particular gym but this is what gyms do all over the US. Other posters are right, after 6 you are set in a recreational track so if you think she’d enjoy competitive gymnastics then I’d go that way. Most children competing at level 3 are 6-7.

Absolutely not true. I had athletes at the VA state meet for level 3 this year. I had one 7 year old and no 6 year olds. And the majority of kids at the meet are 8 and up. I looked at my copy of the state meet roster and looking at Capital specifically, one 6 year old and the rest were 8 and up.

The rest from Capital were 8 and 9 because the 3 pre-team levels start around age 5 and kids move up one level per year. The point is that if you’re not transferring from another pre-team program or encouraged/allowed to do private lessons to catch up or pulled out of their rec track for developmental by age 5, it’s usually too late.

If anyone has suggestions for teams in NoVA that aren’t run this way, please advise.

[Anonymous]

That just enrages me that an 8 year old is "too old" for level 3.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP, pick dance. I've gone far in both. Dance is better for posture. It's more gentle on the body.

I would say go for gymnastics. Then she can be a cheerleader in MS and HS.

Lol, cheerleadeing is NOT anything I would ever encourage.