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Extra-curricular activities

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Original poster

Gymnastics - my son's bad experience - advice please?

37 replies

musicalfamily · 08/07/2013 09:49

My DS (6) has been going to a gym for 6 months or so and the feedback I got for him is that they will not allow him to train for any competition and that basically he has not future at the club. I am heartbroken for him as he tells everyone he wants to be an Olympic gymnast!!!

On the flipside, a gymnastic coach who comes to the school to do an afterschool club, approach my DH (in parallel to all this happening!) and told him that he though DS had a talent for gymnastics and he would recommend him doing it out of school!

As I had such conflicting advice, I feel torn as to what to do. We could sign DS up with this guy who also runs a club (much smaller though), but I don't understand how we can get such radically different views?

The other club said that DS wasn't strong enough or flexible enough, but surely these are skills you develop? He is a very slight, super acrobatic type child....I don't know whether to just try another sport or pursue this different club, what would you do in my shoes?

OP posts:
Original poster
musicalfamily · 08/07/2013 13:43

yes that was our experience too. The sad thing is that they put young children off the sport, which is a shame because gymnastics is fun in itself even if not done at Olympic standard!!

turkeyboots good to know that your DD is now enjoying herself at the new club, my son's new club is also at the LA gym...fingers crossed for him!!

OP posts:
NoComet · 08/07/2013 13:42

DDs club do both, they have serious DCs who practice several times a week and a recreational group who don't care if you can only do cartwheels and walkovers by age 12.

DD started too late ever to do competitive stuff, but she has a huge amount of fun. She practices endlessly on the trampoline so it keeps her fit.

turkeyboots · 08/07/2013 13:34

I think some gymnastics clubs are all about high through put of any possible talent and aren't fun supportive places. I took DD (also 6) out of the local "future Olympians" club as they had written off her lack of natural ability. She's now in a small club at the LA gym which is all about fun and mastering the basics.

Original poster
musicalfamily · 08/07/2013 12:46

thanks cloudkitten all good points. Thanks for taking the time.

I think I will keep an open mind, I will give this other club a go and see where it takes him. Even if he never gets to do competitions, at least he will be in a nurturing and fun environment, which is the whole point of doing sports I guess?

Someone told me that doing gymnastics will give him a good level of fitness which will serve him well for other sports anyway!!

OP posts:
Cloudkitten · 08/07/2013 11:26

There's a few things here:

  1. Don't be "heartbroken" for him - at 6, he barely has a concept of what being an Olympic gymnast entails - I understand you want him to have hopes and dreams - but heartbroken sounds a bit over the top for a 6yo (more understandable for a 14yo who has been doing gymnastics since they were 6 and has been told they won't make it to the top!) At 6 I remember wielding a tennis racket and thinking if I didn't practice hitting balls against the wall I would never get to Wimbledon(!) Seriously. I didn't have any idea at all.

  2. The gymnastic coach may well see potential in your DS however he is also looking to increase membership to his (much smaller) club. Of course he is going to be flattering to potential customers. That is maybe why you have received such conflicting advice (as you asked, sorry I know it's maybe not what you wanted to hear). The bigger current club has not as much to lose as they are established, the smaller club wants members to join up.

  3. The only important thing to consider here is if your DS enjoys gymnastics. His first club have made it clear they aren't looking to progress him. The gymnastic coach says he sees potential. It's clear that he would be better off at the smaller club where he would be welcomed. If he enjoys it why would you look to try another sport? (unless it becomes obvious he is not and never will be competing material and he is either expected to compete, or he would want to, and feel miserable at being left behind).

  4. I would still look into different sports that he might enjoy anyway. Trampolining maybe? (I don't know). Ice skating? Cricket?

Dackyduddles · 08/07/2013 11:10

Could be the smaller gym club is a better environment and he becomes an Olympian.

I'm not suggesting you hoik around looking for someone to get him to Olympics, just that your boy will be better in a positive fun environment. Serendipity if it turns out he has talent for anything else.

lljkk · 08/07/2013 11:04

Different clubs exist for different purposes, find one that's right for your child, methinks.

Stupid pressure from such a young age is so offputting, though, isn't it? Reminds me of the tennis hype ("we need more kids playing" etc.) now that Murray has won. The infrastructure to support the top talents won't exist if the environment isn't friendly for the merely ordinary.

Original poster
musicalfamily · 08/07/2013 09:58

Absolutely agree about the fun and enjoyment - for my son it is all about that but he also likes the idea of competing.

In a way as he is only 6 years old, he could be competing with his friends in the local club or at a very local level, it doesn't have to be a regional or national competition. I think I will give the other gym a go!

OP posts:
PeterParkerSays · 08/07/2013 09:53

Go with the smaller club. basically, the other club don't want your son. He is 6 - at this stage surely it's not about training for competitions but about fitness and confidence and developing friendships and new skills.

TBH, even if there wasn't another gymnastics club, I wouldn't be sending him back to the first one. They sound vile.

MrsMangoBiscuit · 08/07/2013 09:53

I think I'd sign him up for the other coach to be honest. Maybe he doesn't have a natural affinity for gymnastics, if that's the case then he'll probably lose interest in it when it starts getting too hard and stops being so much fun. Maybe the club isn't a good fit for him, but he is actually pretty good, in which case it would be a shame for him to stop doing something so active that he enjoys.

TolliverGroat · 08/07/2013 09:52

Given that your son enjoys gymnastics and is keen on it, I'd try the other club.

SoupDragon · 08/07/2013 09:52

If he enjoys it, I would send him to the other club which may be more supportive.

However, I would also start making him understand that not everyone can be an Olympic class gymnast and sometimes it's good to do these things just for the enjoyment. Obviously not in a way to crush his spirit :)