by E. Tillery

Created on: September 10, 2009

Starting your child in an organized sport is a big decision to make. You need to determine why you've chosen the particular sport and decide if you believe it's something where your will excel. Gymnastics is a great sport for younger and older children to explore. It's a sport that teaches discipline, self control, listening skills and promotes a team environment. I've found this 5 step process will ease any anxiety related to signing your child up for gymnastics.

First, you must decide if your child is at the right age to begin the sport. Second, decide if you want your child to go the recreational route or competitive. Third, you must research facilities in your area (gyms or recreation centers). Fourth, find the proper clothing for your child to wear. Finally, help your child to enjoy the sport of gymnastics.

AGE APPROPRIATE

My daughter was 18 months when we began taking parent/child gymnastics classes. One would think that a child that young couldn't possibly grasp the concept of the sport. However, her enthusiasm to take classes was amazing. 18 months is the generally the youngest age recommended to begin learning about the sport. By the end of her first session she could do a forward summersault, walk on a low balance beam with some assistance and hang from the uneven bar. Most facilities group children based on their age. This is done so the children in the group more often will: learn at the same pace, have the same attention span and make friends more easily.

RECREATIONAL V. COMPETITIVE

Something I quickly learned about gymnastics is that there are two different routes you can take when determining the right type of class for your child. Are you signing your child up in order to help them make friends? Do you just want them to stay physically fit? If you answer yes to either or both of those questions, then your child should take the classes for recreational purposes. If you want your child to go to meets and win medals, then the competitive route is for you. The competitive route is much more time consuming and typically classes are held more frequently during the week.

CHOOSING A FACILITY

Depending on the area where you live there may be several choices. You can choose to take your child to an actual gymnastics center. This may be a local gymnastics center that teaches from toddler age through adults. Many areas also have places like The Little Gym or JW Tumbles, which specifically teaches children from toddler age through grade school.

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