DD is interested in gymnastics but I’m hesitant…

[Anonymous]

OP I am all for worrying about stuff but you’re way, way ahead of yourself here. Especially because she’s tall, the chances that she gets really into competitor gymnastics are so small.

[Anonymous]

Hi OP, I hear you. DD is interested in ballet and it makes me uneasy. But she is starting ballet classes next month and I love seeing the excitement in her eyes. She is 5. The chances are so low that she will continue the interest and have any natural talent for it. Give it another 5 years and I may start worrying for real then.

[Anonymous]

So I have a 6 year old who is on the competetive track in gymnastics. I share some of your concerns about the future but honestly even lower levels of competition don't pose much of the risks you mention. Also, my daughter is particularly good at gymnastics because she is tiny, she's been small for her age since the day she was born, it's not the gymnastics that is making her short. She's also not at all good at any traditional sports so this is an area she can shine athletically so we're going with it for now and if I see red flags down the road we'll reassess.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Find a rec program and let her take classes. You can say no to competition teams if you don’t want to do competitive gymnastics.

This, but its good for exercise.

[Anonymous]

A 5-year-old is fine in gymnastics. My son took twice weekly classes for 1+ years starting at 6 and loved it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:6 year old girls want to take gymnastics. That's totally normal and typical and healthy. She probably wants to learn how to do a cartwheel and a back handspring and it sure looks like a ton of fun to flip around on the uneven bars!

It's totally understandable to have concerns about a child entering high level competitive gymnastics. 6 year old beginner lessons are not that.

+1

[Anonymous]

My 6 and 8 year old DDs have been doing gymnastics for the past 6 months. It’s a great exercise, but it is only 60 min once a week… ItMs nothing. My eldest does not want to continue next session and my youngest does (for now). Oth are going to be on the taller side (I think), bug my you heat is very strong and athletic. Either way I am not worried at all and never gave it a second thought. I would be more worried about them getting hurt… but even that is not really a concern I have

[Anonymous]

Friend competed in gymnastics. Her growth wasn’t stunted. But she had to learn to do the parallel bars differently bc of her long legs.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I wouldn't...

I think it is totally fine to do recreationally and chances are high she wouldn't be super good and love it and go on to competitions and such.

BUT if she is one if few that are very good and go on to higher level, it is a terrible sport for you, physically. Yes it can stunt growth, cause lifelong joint damage plus eating disorders and abuse are rampant.

Honest - I agree.

[Anonymous]

I am a former elite gymnast who ended up competing in college for four years. I’m happy to answer any questions about the sport. I actually started at the rec level when I was young then moved to another state/ gym when I was older. There are quite a few misconceptions about gymnastics on here. Happy to give my perspective if it’s wanted.

[Anonymous]

Pp... please share your experience as an elite gymnast!

[Anonymous]

My God, if she wants to try it, let her try it. Don't let your anxiety and fear take control. I was raised that way and I am now a bit resentful about always being told no because I might hurt myself or I probably wouldn't be any good. Trust me, it did a number on my confidence.

I have an 11 year old who started gymnastics at 3 and wanted to quit at 6, and this was a kid who has the body and talent for it. Tall, lean, very strong and athletic. I wanted her to keep going because she was so naturally good at it but she lost interest and has since moved on to soccer, swimming and running.

She will now take a class here or there and she does summer camp but that's it.

Stop putting the cart before the horse.

[Anonymous]

I’m the former elite.

I think looking back on my gymnastics career is like childbirth: you forget how hard/ difficult it was in the moment but look upon it fondly later. I started training 20+ hours a week by 2nd grade and was homeschooled by 5th grade so I could train more hours during the day. I’m not particularly short at 5’4. My mom is smaller than me and my dad is about 5’11. So I don’t think gymnastics stunted my growth, though I did hit puberty later than many of my non - gymnast friends.

I turned elite at 14 and competed at the junior and senior level. It’s a great sport. I learned so much more than the skills. I learned time management, respect and how to handle big decisions (did I want to quit to be a normal high schooler?) at a young age. I had the opportunity to travel throughout the US and a few international locations as well. College gymnastics was fun. It reminds you of why you love gymnastics in the purest way. Elite practices were long and you drilled the same skills over and over while college practices you need to practice routines more as it’s a numbers game with the amount of meets.

I was never weighed at my practices but I knew some girls at other gyms that were, though it didn’t seem to be common practice. As for injuries, I was thankfully never severely injured. I have had shoulder and wrist surgery but both are fine now thanks to rehab.

Let me know if there’s anything specific you’d like to hear about. Don’t want to bore you all.

[Anonymous]

Not pp but find gymnastics fascinating, so thanks for weighing in, pp. 20 hours a week in elementary school is a lot! Did you show a lot of natural talent early to get so intense? Or are you from a gymnastics family?

Just curious, did you ever watch that show "Make it or Break it"? My older dd liked it and was curious how realistic it was. I got sucked in a little bit, too.

Younger dd's best friend is in gymnastics and travels a couple weekends a month to meets out of state. But her family had to choose that track. It's not like she went straight from a six years old tumbling class on to an elite track.

[Anonymous]

My DD is a competitive gymnast who also does other sports. She’s so strong from gymnastics that she doesn’t get knocked down on the soccer field. When you get to the competitive levels there are good and bad gyms and coaches out there, just like in any other sport. But it’s way to early to think about that if you’re just starting rec classes.