Advice from gymnastics parents / teachers pls!

[Tintarella]

Would you send an (enthusiastic) 8yo to gym classes if they couldn't even come close to being able to do a handstand or cartwheel? How common is that and how much is there to gain by them attending classes? (I'm looking at an Explore 8+ at our local leisure centre if that means anything to anyone!)

Fairly common. Choose a club that's aimed at recreational gymnastics and if they are good you could move to a more competitive club if that's where they want to go.

I have a serious gymnast daughter, and no, it's unlikely yours would get to be competitive. However, my son is absolutely hopeless and did parkour for a bit and I think it really helped his bodily awareness. Wasn't his favourite thing to do though as he obviously wasn't one of the best but valuable s a short term experience I think.

If you want good progress I'd go to a club which has a squad rather than somewhere where its basically babysitting with physical games.

Thanks both! I'm definitely NOT thinking she will ever be competitive. More just will she stick out like a sore thumb if all the others can do this stuff easily? I was never able to manage a cartwheel (but then I don't know if I was ever taught...)

Me neither! The ones with a natural talent will have taught themselves to cartwheel by 5 or 6 but most people don't have natural talent.

I'd go for it as it's a good lesson that you are unlikely to be the best at most things but it's still fun and worth getting better . If she's enthusiastic she'll cope fine.

'Natural talent' was maybe the wrong phrase....the drive and determination perhaps? At about 7 my daughter was never the right way up even walking down pavements she'd do it all by cartwheels. It was just a really strong interest.

Our local gym club has over 1000 members i think and only a handful compete. There is no expectation that a kid should be good before they join. Most just go to enjoy it, and they improve strength, flexibility and coordination along the way.

My eldest did gym from about 7-10. She struggled with coordination, is hyper mobile but couldn’t really handstand or cartwheel very well. She enjoyed it and o my gave up when it closed over Covid. She was their oldest/biggest beginner. They even held beginner level competitions and she actually got a first place beating her sister who was much better than her at things like cartwheels but was 3 years younger so had her own struggles.

I kind of wish we kept it up after Covid but she took up musical theatre instead but recently struggled at college with that due to lack of body strength and fitness, so changed courses. Still does musical theatre on a weekend.

Absolutely send her, gymnastics mam here! As long as they have recreational classes she will be absolutely fine. There's so much that can come from it, improve skills, fun, learn discipline. Never to old to go in my opinion 😊

Trampolining is also very fun and there are more total beginners at every age.

Was about to say the same!!! its a sport that you can start later and still be very competitive in!

They would be welcome at our club and there are a couple in every recreational class that struggle with the basics, they move up recreational classes by age not ability. If they have potential they are moved into a development class and then the squad. I've made sure my older child who isn't very good knows that we are proud of her effort but that she will never make the squad and shines in other non-gymnastics skills. She does sometimes get a bit annoyed her much younger sister is better and been invited to a development class.

Explore is part of the Rise gymnastics framework for recreational gymnasts including children like yours @Tintarella who are just starting out.
this is the skills matrix for the rise progammme - remember this is what they will develop/learn - there will be no expectation that they will already be at that level. https://a.storyblok.com/f/83342/x/554d99b2c6/rise-award-scheme-pathway.pdf

Gymnastics training is great for developing body confidence and poise even if they never manage a neat cartwheel but also your child is still young enough to develop into a competent competitive gymnast if they get the bug.

I say go for it!

Full disclosure - I’m a gymnastics mum and a big fan of the power of sport for kids.

I used to (when much younger) do competitive Gymnastics at National level.

Get her involved!! It’s about fitness, having fun, friendships. They get out into groups based on ability so she won’t be put in with those way more advanced than her. If she tries it and dislikes it, fine. At least she’s tried.

Telling her she can’t do something as she isn’t great teaches her to be defeatist and to not try.

Give it a bash.

My son has two left feet and wanted to do football. He’s defo more rugby than football. However he wanted to try…he didn’t last more than 3 months and now wants to try Rugby. He is generally not coordinated. Got him into karate (again not great), BUT it taught him patience, control, focus. Sports teach so much more than the actual sport.

They probably aren't going to get competitive but for fun absolutely!

majority of gymnastic classes are ‘general’ which means they are for all. I would sign her up and encourage her to give it a go.

My DD did three years of comp gymnastics and the ages in her group varied quite a bit so they might do that at general.

i woudk personally look for a club over leisure centre.

No she wouldn’t stick out. There will be girls of all abilities, strengths and weaknesses there from my experience. Especially at 8. I have watched a fair few gymnastics shows at our club, such as Xmas performance, and girls of all ages had different abilities. I think she would soon pick up the basics of its something she enjoyed.

I think most will start gymnastics without being able to cartwheel or properly handstand and 8 is a totally nor al age to start so she’ll be fine

Gymnastics is for everybody! My daughter has been in competitive gymnastics since she was 4 but loads of her friends attend the same club in the recreational classes and are doing great. There is a massive variety in skill level within the recreational classes so I wouldn’t worry. I would recommend a recreational class at a proper gymnastics club where they also have competitive squads - as they’ll be registered with British Gymnastics, will have the best equipment and trained staff who can help her progress quickly and safely. My daughter started just before she turned 3 and has lived and breathed it ever since. My poor lounge is just an extension of a gymnastics club at this point 😂 but we’d choose it 100 times over, even if it was just recreational for her.

Is it something she actually wants to do? If so, why not.

My dd does trampolining competitively and also assists with coaching. There are definitely lots of children who aren’t particularly good at it or very coordinated. But they seem to have fun, so why not.

Thank you ALL so much for replying. It will never not surprise me how generous complete strangers can be with their time!

I am going to book her in for a month and see how she likes it. She will be thrilled- and can make up her own mind if she wants to continue after having gleaned a bit more about what's expected etc.

@celticprincess my DD is slightly hypermobile too and I wonder if it might be this that makes her a) very flexible but also b) totally uncoordinated! Great to hear your DD did enjoy it while she was doing it- and musical theatre also sounds a lot of fun.