Gymnastics

[MrsEms]

DD's wanted to do gymnastics forever So once she was coming upto five I put her name down for lessons at the local council run beginners class.
Three weeks ago she started, today we have been informed of a place at a fairly local gymnastics club to start this Saturday.
I never did gymnastics so don't really have any understanding/knowledge of what is expected/involved.
Local lessons in the three weeks since starting I've noticed they do warm ups/stretch/strength type activity for 20 minutes, then do some 'bunny type' hops, forward rolls and cart wheels and handstands for 10 minutes and then they use mats, boxes, benches etc and are put in what I assume to be ability groups (ie the group I think are the three most talented girls are running and springing into a cartwheel onto the box and DD and the two others are in her little group and just learning to spring onto the box) and rotate around.
There is about 12-15 pupils and two teachers.
I don't know if they do any certificates etc but there's been no mention of insurance. The gymnastic club that left a message is almost the same price but have insurance added on.
Will there be any difference in the the two types of gymnastics?
DD is loving gymnastics to the extent she wants to give dancing up (dance is 30 minutes after the lesson and she is tired after an hour of gymnastics)
DD enjoys gymnastics for what it is at the moment, a fun activity whereby she gets to cartwheel :-) However her cousin who is quite a bit older is doing really well and represents her borough so DD would love to be like her long term, if she has the ability.

[AddALemon]

I am a preschool gymnastics coach and I sometimes stand in for coaching older children, the club should have insurance, every year we give forms out to our gymnasts and coaches to fill out for insurance, badges are a great way for gymnasts to progress, we follow BAGA badges at our club, the children are assessed every term and when they get their badge they are so excited! the gym shes at sounds like they are doing groups according to ability (it seems repetitive to the children to keep learning basic skills but when they've cracked them they can utilise those skills for most types of move e.g correct vault techniques mean she will handspring easier, correct cartwheel techniques mean she will be able to roundoff easier) maybe ask the club about insurance?

[MrsEms]

Hi AddaLemon,

Thanks for replying. Until today I never knew anything about insurance. I wonder with her being at council lessons could they be built in the price?
I know she's only been there 3 weeks but there's been no mention of badges (DD loves badges, stickers etc) All I was told is that this is a beginners class and after beginners she will move to intermediate and after intermediate they go to a local gymnastics club.
I think the gymnastics club that rang today do the BAGA badges but ours definitely haven't said anything.
DD doesn't seem to mind that it's repetitive, it's gymnastics and she loves it :-)
I was just curious if there is some kind of diffference with the fairly local club mentioning fees and insurance.
Addalemon, quick question if you don't mind. A friend wants her DD to do gymnastics but doesn't want her to come to lessons with my DD because they don't do bar work or think that's what she said. I'm not bothered because after watching three lessons I can see how DD now rolls correctly and how her cartwheels improved and would rather her gain these skills before anything else but friend wants her DD to do more than just "floor work" Will she find a club that will start her on anything other than what dd is doing? I keep meaning to ask DD teachers but there is a class straight after so forget.

[Impresionante]

The club will be joining her up to British Gymnastics who provide insurance, etc. Have a look at their website. If she wants to follow cousin's footsteps, she'll probably want to do that. I'd be surprised if the council one will do competitions/headings, etc. Some clubs don't worth looking at a few maybe. My kids' Gymnastics club has 700 members from pre-school to recreational at all ages to squads through to national level. I'm guessing the council one will solely do recreational, which may be all you want in the end. Mine were at the lower ends of squad and now gone to advanced recreational...

[Impresionante]

Gradings not headings - autocorrect.

[AddALemon]

I work for a private club at the moment, we do bar work with the pre school children, learning how to hang in tuck, straddle and Pike then how to push up correctly, we have a 'mini bar' which is just a little taller than me (5 ft 3) then when they move to older sessions they learn how to operate the higher bars. We also do vault, floor, beam and have a big bouncy floor (almost like a massive long bouncy castle!) I'd personally choose a private club, and have for my ds, but its totally personal preference, theres some great council run clubs out there aswell I'd say if she wants to learn the fundamentals and progress to higher competing gymnastics I'd go for the gym that covers BAGA, they start with badge 7 move down to 1 and then they do their medals, www.flicsgymnastics.com/baga/ this website explains whats on every badge the private gym may also do grade work when shes a little older so maybe enquire about that!

[AddALemon]

Sorry fat fingers... They start from badge 8 then move down to 1*

[MrsEms]

Thanks both.
We have five more lessons of this term left so don't want to loose the money already paid. I should have been more patient but have had her name down on every local gymnastics list for months so took this place because I didn't really know much.
I'll try and speak to the coach(es) and find out if they do any awards but reading above assume it's just recreational. if she has the ability/skill whatever it''s call and wanted to compete like her cousin I assume if we stayed with the current lessons we would have to transfer to a club at some point hence why the contact centre said it's only beginners, intermediate and then they recommend/point you in the direction of local clubs. I might see if one of the local clubs would let us watch a lesson in a few months time to see if they differ and if competitive is what DD wants.
Addalemon, I don't know terminology but think I've seen them use vaults and beams but not bar work but then it's only week 4 this week for DD so maybe they do :-) Thanks both again.

[user1495025590]

BG registered clubs charge all members £17 per year membership (for rec gymnasts) If you are going to sessions run by the council they will have thir own insurance
I have my own gymnastics club and the single most important thing at this age is to keep her interested, so I would send her to where she has most fun.In a competitive club, rec gymnasts and basically there to subsidise the squads who train long hours at a very low hourly rate