Where to turn to get advice about gymnastics??

[moopdog]

Sorry about the OT topics today! But since it's SOO much $$$, it does relate to the budget realm.

My DD5 just started gymnastics this summer and her coaches came to me two weeks in a row to see if I'm interested in putting her in a special group they are starting up. It is pre-compete level. It is twice a week & $80/month (opposed to once and only $40 per month). So - is this just a ploy to get more money? I asked what they think is so special about her that the other kids don't have & they say she's very strong for her light weight and also very agile and has good form. To me - she is average - but what do I know?!

First off - we can' afford it. Also - this is kind of a big commitment... if she starts the team now, she can't compete for 2 years when she's 7. I know nothing about this sport and would love to talk to someone who has experience or advice. I don't want to hold my daughter back if she truly is talented, so please help!

BTW - she really, really likes gymnastics but I don't think she'd die without it either. She's only 5 and is too little to have a "passion" IMO!!

 

[ceecee]

We have a gymnastics club here that starts the girls really young as well, it actually is $120.00 month and up. They practice 4 times a week (age 10 not the younger ones). If you can't afford it, that answers your question and if she is really good she will be able to catch up later on when you can. It's also a huge time commitment and something your DD must really want or she will burn out fast. It's a lot to ask of a 5 year old.

 

[gasperdam]

I was a coach in competitive gymnastics for 6 years, and I disagree with letting your dd catch up later. Unfortunately, gymnastics is one of those sports that kids need a lot of time to train to be in the top "elite", and the parents are forced to make a decision whether their child should commit at that level before the child is mature enough to make the decision themsleves.

That being said, I believe it is a wonderful sport that carries over into many other areas of life, and I think it has a lot to offer kids even at a young age. But gymnastics is not an inexpensive sport, and I will warn you, if your dd does move on to a competitive team, the expenses only get worse.

 

[LoveBWVVBR]

I actually have the same question that you do. I've had my 22 month-old in gymnastics classes at 3 different gyms already, and the one that I think we'll end up at for the long haul has raised similar questions in my mind. My DD is such an active child and will probably be in gymnastics (and several other activities) for a while. These activities really add up.

This gym seems $$ to me for such young kids, though, and I don't get the part about telling a person that their toddler or preschooler has talent (mine isn't even 2 yet!). The same gym told my friend that her 4 year-old had a lot of talent and should be in some special class. Both of us were suspicious for the same reason as you...is it a ploy to get more money I'm still not sure, honestly. If you don't have the $$, then that is that in my mind. I'd ask them if they thought that your DD had enough talent to give her a scholarship!

 

[ardig123]

I don't want to get flamed here...this is my personal opinion...my Step daughter has been in "competitive gymnastics since she was 5...she is now 9 and she is pretty burned out from it. I personally think it is way over the top...between the cost of almost $200 a month for lessons (luckily her mom is a Dr. and can afford it) and the long practices. She practices 3 nights a week 4 hours a night.... from 4pm to 8pm and every Sat. from 8am to 12am. When it gets closer to meet season they have extra practices and sometimes meets every other weekend. What really bothers me is that some of these meets are scheduled on school days and she has taken off school to go to the meets. She has also broken her leg twice and her arm 3 times....and she is only 9. Even more crazy to me is she broke her leg over the summer and still had to go to practice every Mon, tues, weds, and Thurs from 1-5pm (all summer long).

Gymnastics is a very time consuming sport...not just for your child but for you also....meets can be in other states for entire weekends. One of my SD's meets is in Florida. She also has to go to summer camp which was close to $500....add in the cost of leotards, warm up uniforms, competition uniforms, each meet usually runs an extra $100 and you are talking A LOT of money.

Personally I would not get my own daughter involved in something like this...I think that going to gymnastics once or twice a week for an hour is more than enough...there is no need for the competition...I hate the fact that my SD gets home at 8:30 pm at night and still has to eat dinner, do her homework, and practice her viola...it is way too much for her. Most days she is going from 8am in the morning till 8pm at night...and like the previous poster said it is a very elite sport...and in order to be "elite" you are going to spend a lot of time and money!

 

[EthansMom]

Both DS6 and DD3.5 have been saying they want to take gymnastics lessons. But I already have them both in swim lessons and don't have the extra money (or time and energy) to put them both in gymnastics also. The big decider for me was that gymnastics classes for two kids was going to cost around $450 for two kids for 12 weeks... about the same $ per hour that I pay for swim lessons, but I just don't have the room in my budget for both.

If you can't afford it, then you don't have to make a decision, it's already been made for you. But, even if you could scrimp to afford it, what would your DD really gain? It isn't likely that spending another $40 is going to make the difference between a kid having fun and an Olympic hopeful, KWIM?

 

[hinodis]

I was a gymnast for 12 years. I competed at the state level. I also coached for 5 years. First of all I TOTALLY agree that pushing too hard at such a young age will burn a child out. This is true for all sports. My son is a college wrestler and I saw alot of burned out kids quiting in high school. More importantly, you said you cannot afford twice a week. Just keep doing what is affordable. They most likely do want your money. Will you regret spending too much money and MAYBE your daughter will be in the olympics? Will you regret staying in your budget and not going in debt?

 

[cats mom]

I had two DD's who were involved in competitive gymnastics for many years and it is a HUGE commitment for the entire family, both in terms of time and money.

I would advise you to ask plenty of questions about the team program at your DD's gym and make sure you're comfortable going down that road before you make your decision; since if she continues to progress, that's what they're grooming her for... and once she starts, if she really loves it and is good at it, it gets more and more difficult to make the decision to pull back or quit.

Also realize that only a handful of girls continue to the elite level gasperdam mentioned and I'm personally of the opinion that if a girl is talented enough to make it at that level she can certainly start team gymnastics later than age 5and catch up. I've seen it happen.

We had 2 elite gymnasts on a team of about 28 optional gymnasts (these are the upper level girls who have progressed beyond compulsory levels)
And our team was very competitive ie: elite level gymnasts involved with international competitions, national champions, girls actively working for scholarships to top college programs, you know... hard core gymnastics.

My girls both quit in high school because they found they could not stay competitive at their level on their team if they wanted to be involved in any school activities at all. (minnimum 20 hours of practice a week, sometimes more)

Of course different gyms require different levels of committment.
If your DD is OK with her class and not wanting to go more often or asking to move to a higher level, maybe you could keep her there for now, but watch the group they are suggesting she join to see if it's something she/you want to pursue or not.

Good Luck!

 

[bhoffman]

This is a totally personal decision. I have two daughters in competitive gymnastics. One started when she was 4 in a pre-team class (not rec, it was team before she could compete. she did "fun meets") and one started when she was 8. They are now both on the team and going to sanctioned meets. They both love it. It is a HUGE time commitment, but if you have them in two other activities it would take up that much time as well. If you cannot afford the class, absolutely forget it. As was mentioned there are a lot more things to pay for besides the class so if that is cutting it close itself, forget it. Leotards, grips, warm ups, private lessons, travel...etc. These of course all add up to quite a bit. My girls go 10 hrs. a week, plus a 1 hr. private lesson. They love it, but have been told if they get less than A's or are tired they are out...We are very strict about keeping this in perspective in their lives. We encourage it but they know church and school come first (and so do their coaches). Any ?'s let me know!

 

[PolyHereWeCome]

As others have already written, if you are concerned about the $$ now, take a step back. Gymnastics is a HUGE money hole, probably the most expensive activity around. It's also a HUGE time commitment, one that by your DD is 10 will not allow for much time for soccer, ballet, playdates, etc.

Keep it light is my recommendation, so your daughter doesn't burn out, you don't burn out your dollars, and your/her time. Gymnastics can be fun and is a great physical activity, but so are many other activities.

 

[dis4me]

As a former coach and mother of a competitive gymnast, I would say don't do it if you can't afford it. Gymnastics is a very expensive sport and requires a huge commitment on not just the child but the whole family.At age 5 many children show potential based on body type, strenghth and sometimes just plain willingness to learn and make corrections.Does that mean they are going to be successful gymnasts- no It just means that they have things going for them that can be developed. I don't think the gym just wants your money though. If they show an interest in your child it is because they think they can help her develop into a good gymnast.
My dd loves it and goes 21 hours a week and does not have time to do any other sports.SHe is a teenager though and capable of making that decision. SOme of the girls on her team who started developmental team classes burnt out befoer they were 10.Others are still loving it. It all depends on your child.
Gymnastics teaches discipline, agility flexibility and strength. THey learn to be gracious winners and losers and be part of a team.The girls have great time management skills and eating habits because of the commitments they make.
If you have any questions feel free to PM me but I would go with your gut and if you feel the moneyis too much it may not be the right thing for your family.

 

[moopdog]

Thanks to all of you, I had to take a break for the day as I have two heartfelt threads going on this board this weekend. I am trying to clear my mind! Anyway... I come back this morning to see that people are giving some good, honest advice - THANKS.

That said, I have another question particularly for the former coaches. Is gymnastics harmful to your body, & do they put you on any kind of diet (like in wrestling) at some point, etc. This seems like a silly question too, but are there very many "tall" good gymnasts? My DH and I noticed the short stature of the best ones at my daughters gym including the coaches. Also, the most well known seem to be very short. My DD is very tall for her age, will this matter eventually? They don't end up short in the end because of what they do to their bodies or because of nutrition, right?? Just thought I'd ask and please don't flame me if I'm way off base.

 

[alliedogsmom]

Mom of a former competitive gymnast here....as an answer to the height, we had a girl in our gym that was a level 9 or 10 and she was about 5'9" and a large framed girl. She did just fine. She was a good gymnast.

Speaking from personal experience, my daughter started out at what was, at the time, considered one of the top gyms in NJ and well known in the US. But it was way too hard core for what both she and her dad and I could do in terms of money and time. We found a great gym with a wonderful coaching staff and she was much happier there. It is a great sport for teaching discipline and time management. The coaches were nothing but supportive. They made it fun. Even at the compulsory level, she went 4 nights per week for 3 1/2 hours, and Saturdays as well. I only have the one child so it was not a problem for us, but I can see where families with multiple children would have trouble due to the time involved. And yes, it gets quite expensive, by the time you pay your monthly coaching fees, parents association dues (if your gym has one), leotards, meet fees, travel, etc. But I still think that it is one of the best sports, and if the coaches feel your child has potential, I would look to see how many "elite" level gymnasts they have produced and such before I would consider it, especially if it is going to be a financial burden for your family. Sadly, there are many gyms out there that are just in it for the money. But be realistic about the whole thing-if it is too much, then I would not even consider it. The chances of getting to the Olympics is far too miniscule to put your family into debt for.

 

[cats mom]

Mom of a former competitive gymnast here....as an answer to the height, we had a girl in our gym that was a level 9 or 10 and she was about 5'9" and a large framed girl. She did just fine. She was a good gymnast.

Wow, 5'9" I honestly didn't realize the bars could accomodate someone that tall. There was a tall-ish girl at our gym as well (about 5'7") and bar settings for her gave the coaches plenty of grief.

moopdog,

I think those are all valid concerns; though certainly not at the 5 year old pre-team level.
But if you're looking way ahead...


I think tall girls who excel at advanced levels in gymnastics are few and far between.

Svetlana Khorkina towered over most other gymnasts at 5'5"

There are definitely some programs/coaches who will only accept girls with the right body type into their programs.


This is a short summary from a very long paper that focused on why body size is so important when it comes to talent identification in elite level gymnastics programs:

In summary, from these results, for optimal performance in gymnastics the following factors are important:

a small body
small steady increases in growth
high strength : weight ratio
training greater than 20 hours per week


From an article on Octavian Belu:
(Romanian Nation Team Coach)

It was a fallacy, he asserted, that the female gymnasts were small because of training and strict diets. "It is the selection that makes them small," he said. "If the father is two meters and the mother 1.85 meters, I say, 'Thank you very much, try another sport.' If the girl is too tall, I can't do anything with her. The bar has a dimension."


As for weight... again, it depends; some programs really focus on weight, others not so much.
The gym my girls were at did have a nutritionist who came in periodically to do workshops and just before we left there were a couple of girls who were referred for private consultations with her.

I don't know that I want to to even attempt the harmful to their bodies question. Lots of studies out there that have tried to address that question and they certainly don't all agree.

 

[kellyg403]

As a mom of a gymnist from age 5 to last year...not only is the $$$ a problem eventually but the time committments when you have other children are a huge problem. My dd has competed at the state level as well and just the practices, cost for that particular meet exceeded what we spent all year on 2other children in other sports. If you are having a hard time meeting the $80 a week alone, the rest will really be a deal breaker. For the state meet not only were there all the extra "gym" stuff but hotels for me, food for 3 days, entrance to said meets etc.

Last year when dd decided to participate in hs things there was literally no way she could do gymnastics and participate in school activities. She chose marching band and that had summer practices all day starting in July. In the summer with gymnastics she was doing 3 4 hour practices a week, sometimes more. Just too much. After winning the silver in the state games, she just didn't want to cont. I think she was competitive but being a gymnist was something she wanted at 6 not 13. At first it felt like alot of $$ wasted but later I realized she enjoyed it and I really enjoyed it. And now, we don't have the schedule conflicts we had before.

As for injuries. We were lucky, dd never had any broken bones but, she does have ankle problems still from a few sprains. She does have a bone spur on her shoulder...probably from an injury she chose to ignore at some point and never let on it was injured. I read an article recently that kids are getting in to sports so much earlier that they are getting injuries so much sooner than they were before. I can see that. One of the girls on the team had knee surgery twice in 8 years from an injury on the balance beam. My dd is small, 4'11 and maybe 100lbs on a good day. She never dieted or anything but she did and always has been a healthy eater. As a young child she never really cared for meat and that is still the case today. There was never a push to be a certain weight at her gym, nor did the teachers tell the kids to do better they needed to lose weight. Now, more classes...yeah they always pushed for more classes. Also, I agree with the others that a very few of the gymnists will be "olympic material". We we were hoping if dd cont she would/could get a scholarship to college leve gymnastics. She is very strong. She can do 9 "marine corps" style pull ups easily. So, she did great on the bars and floor exercise but she had a real hard time with balance beam. She did better than some on the vault, but lower body strength and speed were not something she had in droves. All these things count.

Whatever you choose, remember if she loves gymnastics she DOES NOT have to compete. She can enjoy the sport for what it is. Sometimes I look back and wish dd just took a class or two a week and left the competing alone. She probably would not have burned out or left the sport.

Good Luck...

Kelly

 

[hinodis]

Most sports have some type of risk for injuries. The body does take a pounding in gymnastics. My coach used to line us up and weigh us. We could not weigh over 100 pounds. That was a looooong time ago. I don't think they do that anymore. The wrestlers are not even losing weight like they used to. They measure the boys body fat now and are really restricting the weight loss. If you want an expensive sport try horseback riding:scared1
I pay out 6 or 7 grand a year ~ easy! I knew what I was getting in to. I really wanted her to be gymnast because I was one and I knew all about that.

 

[Darcy03231]

My friend's daughter is in gymnastics and competes all over the US. She spends between $600-$1000/mo! They only have the one child and she works to pay for gymnastics. Its not only the $$ for lessons, but for meet fees, travel (airfare, hotels, meals, etc.), team jackets, team leotards, etc.. If you are truly concerned about the money I wouldn't do it. My DD dances competively and I thought that was expensive until my friend and I started comparing figures (I spend about $3,000/yr).

 

[carone0318]

My dd (11) is a competitive gymnast at the optional level. Gymnastics is extremely expensive, but it is gradual. First you might start out going 6 hrs a week, next thing you know you are at 12 hrs, then you're at 20. My dd trains 20 hrs a week (M, T, Th, F 4-8 & Sat 12-4). It's a huge time commitment. Luckily I live about 15 minutes from the gym so I go home and cook dinner and spend time with my ds before going back to get her from the gym. There are some girls at our gym who travel 1 hr each way and the parents end up staying because it's too far to go home and come back - plus the cost of gas. Cost can easily get close to $500 a month when you add everything up, then add the cost of meets, leos, grips and stuff on top of that. Again it doesn't start this way, it is gradual, but you will end up at these costs....

My dd is a very petite sized girl. She is just slightly over 4' and weighs about 60#. The dr's told us they would be happy if she reached 5', so for her gymnastics is a great sport that actually supports her size and she can be confident when many go - oh you're so short, she goes yeah, but I'm a gymnast and I want to be short. But, let me say that the trend of gymnastics is changing. You see a lot taller girls who are still competing up to the college level. They have the strength that the coaches are looking for these days. Maybe a 5'9" girl won't be an Olympian, but only 7 girls will every 4 yrs. Face the facts, it probably won't be your child. Not my child - I know this for sure. We do have a girl at our gym now that is on the National Team and does have a shot of making the Olympic Team next yr. Right now she just finished competing in Scotland with the Nat'l team and is in Texas at camp for the week. This girl started gymnastics when she was 8. Her talent just shined through and she was pushed right through the levels - she's a rare gem! If your child is that good, she will be that good in 2/3 yrs.

As for injury - yes you can get hurt, but any sport that you do at this same level of training you are bound to get hurt. I don't believe that doing gymnastics makes you more susceptible to injury. The girls are actually taught how to fall and to do things properly. Many who get injured get injured outside the gym and it is extremely important when you have an injury to still come to the gym to condition what parts of your body that can be conditioned. It makes returning to compete easier and also it helps to keep the gym mindset. If you are a gymnast or a parent of one, you know exactly what I am talking about.

As for weight - if a coach ever tells your child that they are overweight, run as fast as you can and don't look back! Who would possibly be overweight if they trained 20 hrs a week and at such an intense level. Every child's body is different and no gymnast should ever be told they are overweight!

As every other PP has said, if finances are an issue, keep her in the sport, but don't go team yet. Once they are on team and are loving it - it's too late to take them out. Another route to consider. I do not know if they have it PA, but they do in NJ is JOGA, which is a competitive program, but not as stressing as USAG. In PA, it would have a different name because JOGA stands for something and the J stands for Jersey. JOGA competes only in our state and uses HS rules. They still require training, but not 20 hrs a week, the girls actually get to choose the days they want to train and lastly the cost is lower. Also at our gym, you have to be a certain age - like 10 to do JOGA. Where USAG Level 4 you start at 6-7 age group.

Good luck with you decision!

 

[mom2kazkids]

To the OP, my DD now 6 started out at our old gym in the same style of class that you described. She went 2 times a week for 2 hours a night as an "elite" which was basically at the bottom of the team pathway for girls that showed potential. We recently changed gyms and now she is competing at a level 3. Since joining our new gym in the middle of Sept I can tell you that I have paid out over $800. (Meet fees, leotard, USGA fees, and monthly practice fees). It is truely not a cheap sport. I plan to at the start of the year pocket away another $50 a month outside of the monthly fee $125 for 6 hours, so that when fall rolls around, I will have a start to the level 4 meet fees. Good luck with whatever you decide. It is a sport that my daughter at this point in time cannot get enough of.

Barb

 

[myAAbatteries&aTD]

This has been very interesting reading.... my just-turned-7 dd loves, loves, loves gymnastics and can't get enough of it. She'd go every day if we'd let her. Right now she's only going twice a week for 2.5 hours a practice session, but since we're splitting time between 2 houses (loooooong story) that are 2 hours apart and are only in her gym's town for 3 days that is all she can do right now. Other girls in her class also take ballet on Thursday, team practice on Fridays and optional work-outs on Saturdays (they are all older than her). If we were still living here all the time she'd be going more often, but w/ our current situation it is all she can do right now. In one sense, I'm kinda glad b/c I don't want her to burn out early and in another I'm kinda sad for her b/c she'd really like to go more. She does what she can at home, which isn't a lot since we only have a trampoline and small balance beam and I don't want her doing anything her coach doesn't want her to do.... I'd say she probably spends at least an hour almost every day doing something gymnastics related.... She loves to compete and just has the attitude and self-motivation to do well in the sport (that her coaches and we can see). On the other hand, my younger dd also takes at the same gym and she definitely is in a completely different mindset than my older one and will probably end up finding enjoying the sport for recreation and not competition (unless she surprises all of us later). I don't think they would approach you about moving your dd up if they didn't feel she has some potential. There is a little bit more advanced class going on at the same time as my younger dd's w/ her same age-group kids and they've never said anything about moving her up (even though it costs more) b/c she's not ready and may never be.....

As far as cost, $80 per month for 2 2-hr sessions sounds like a bargain! I wish our tuition was only that much! Just follow your dd's cues and know that right now she doesn't know any different than what she's doing.... best of luck!