Tumbling questions for Gym moms

[Nart]

After three years of asking my seven year old son if he wanted to try gymnastics he finally agreed to try a class last week. He took a tumbling class and loved it. I really don't know much about gymnastics so I was hoping someone might help me with the following questions.

 

1. Can kids progress going only once a week? He plays on a year round soccer team that practices twice a week and has games times a week, so it would be hard to go an additional day.

2. Should he be practicing the things he worked on in class at home? For example he can do a cartwheel and they taught him how to do one with one arm. Should he just practice cartwheels or also practice the one arm ones?

3. Would it be helpful to buy a mat for use at home? Any good brands, where to buy online?

4. In a year how much do the the kids in a beginning tumbling class progress? What can most of the kids do?

Thanks!

[momma2three]

Is your goal that he be on a competitive gymnastics team, or just that he have fun?  All 3 of my kids take gymnastics, although I think only one has any natural talent (though she's 3, so it's really too young to tell).  My older two have been taking it about a year, and I'm not sure they can really do anything they couldn't before.  It's definitely increased their confidence, and built a little upper arm strength in my oldest (she had none, now she has a tiny bit), and is a great active way to spend an hour in the winter months, so overall I'd say it's a win.

[LMV]

After three years of asking my seven year old son if he wanted to try gymnastics he finally agreed to try a class last week. He took a tumbling class and loved it. I really don't know much about gymnastics so I was hoping someone might help me with the following questions.

 

1. Can kids progress going only once a week? He plays on a year round soccer team that practices twice a week and has games times a week, so it would be hard to go an additional day.

 

I think a lot of this depends on the kid, what else they are doing (some sports complement more or less), and also what their goal is.  Do they aspire to team gymnastics or team tramp and tumbling (which are different and in general I would say that tramp and tumbling seems to require less hours in many cases of course there are exceptions)?  Our four year old kind of followed our fourteen year old into gymnastics and she is in a twice a week preschool class now.  She also does swimming twice a week and at least now I would say that is her first love.  Right now we're going with it but when she is a little older I think she will probably need to decide to make more of a commitment to one and sacrifice/drop the other.  We really have no vested interest in either direction so are trying to just kind of step back and see how things play out.  

2. Should he be practicing the things he worked on in class at home? For example he can do a cartwheel and they taught him how to do one with one arm. Should he just practice cartwheels or also practice the one arm ones?

 

Our rule is that gymnastics gets left at the gym or the gymnast gets to leave gymnastics!  Seriously, once you get beyond the most simple acrobatic elements then this becomes a safety issue.  You also have to consider that repeatedly doing an element with poor form is exponentially more harmful than doing nothing.  Sometimes it takes years for a good coach to undo the bad habits learned on home trampolines.  We do allow our daughters to do some stretching and conditioning at home (with their coaches's approval and guidance) and I will admit that my fourteen and I have done some definite bonding through mother daughter yoga (with my MIL no less) and she popped a few of those positions into her L10 floor routine this year.  

3. Would it be helpful to buy a mat for use at home? Any good brands, where to buy online?

 

In general I would say no, because I'm not in favor of kids tumbling at home.  We have some exercise and yoga mats in our home gym and our daughters have used them for some of their conditioning and stretching things.  My fourteen year old knows they aren't for launching double backs.  

4. In a year how much do the the kids in a beginning tumbling class progress? What can most of the kids do?

 

I think this is pretty hard to answer.  It probably depends a lot on the kids' starting level of condition, maturity, and genetic makeup, the skill, competency, goals, and approach of the coaches and instructors involved, and probably also the amount of time devoted per week to an extent.  

 

 

[AmandaVT]

(gym coach chiming in)

 

1. Yes, kids can progress tumbling once a week. 

 

2. If he wants to practice at home, conditioning and handstands are best. Body shapes, pike sits, press handstands, core work, more handstands, splits. Not necessarily skills though. If he tries to work a new skill at home, he runs the chance of practicing it incorrectly. Then he'd have to unlearn and relearn at gym practice. If he does want to practice at home, have him ask the tumbling coach what he/she would recommend. 

 

3. maybe? I don't think it's necessary though. 

 

4. In a year, a boy could (depending on age and ability) progress through roundoffs, front tucks into a pit or off of a springboard, front handsprings on tumble track and maybe on the floor, possibly back handsprings. More natural talent could lead to round off-back handsprings on the floor, front handsprings connected, or harder tumbling passes. I've seen kids with no tumbling experience pick stuff up quickly - they tend to have a combo of fearlessness and talent for the sport. I remember one boy who started taking classes once a week was doing pretty tricky tumbling lines within months. 

[catz]

My kids have enjoyed more recreational tumbling for years. My son can do front and back hand springs, round off back handspring, climb ropes, etc. My daughter is doing less in lieu of dance but can do walk overs, etc. It's been GREAT training for other sports too.

 

We bought a mat for home. My kids have to be solid on a skill for months (or even longer) before I let them try it outside the gym. The mat is great for winter play and stretching too here.

 

I think progress can vary widely. My kids have taken classes several places. Some are very focused at progressing at particular base skills. Some float from stations to stations just really focusing on general fitness and flexibility. It depends on flexibility, fearlessness, coaching, etc. I wouldn't necessarily call a program a failure if a kid isn't doing back handsprings in certain amount of time. It actually took my chicken kid a few years to get to doing them well on the floor. And another one to feel confident about it. I know a girl where my son started rec that took level 1, 4 years in a row. Tumbling just wasn't in her blood, but she was still enjoying it, so she kept coming. :)

 

ETA - what I have found ideal for my son now is a couple places in town are offering 2 hours of boys rec once a week. That is perfect, he maintains and can slowly continue to build skills. He did have to be at a certain age and level to qualify, but that has been perfect and not a big time commitment. ANd not horribly more expensive than the one hour classes.

[JumpyTheFrog]

Tigger started out just before turning six. We switched gyms after six months and within a few months, his instructor at the new gym (the owner/head coach) was hinting about him joining the team. He joined the level four team about 14 months after starting gymnastics, with just taking one class per week. That said, he's naturally athletic and very strong from doing tons of pushups. Strength is super important in boys gymnastics. If your son is serious and wants to progress, pushups and other bodyweight exercises will be necessary. 

[SKL]

I've watched several kids over the past year, and yes, I can see significant improvement.  My kids go to the Little Gym, which is recreational and laid back, but the kids still make progress.  Not like they are ever going to the Olympics, but that isn't what we're aiming for.

 

It's individual, but even the kids who started out looking really awkward are developing skills and looking more graceful and athletic after a year of once-weekly classes.  So yes, I'd say it's worth it if your son is interested and you have the time and money.

[Nart]

Is your goal that he be on a competitive gymnastics team, or just that he have fun? All 3 of my kids take gymnastics, although I think only one has any natural talent (though she's 3, so it's really too young to tell). My older two have been taking it about a year, and I'm not sure they can really do anything they couldn't before. It's definitely increased their confidence, and built a little upper arm strength in my oldest (she had none, now she has a tiny bit), and is a great active way to spend an hour in the winter months, so overall I'd say it's a win.

My goal is that he have fun AND learn more than just going to the park or messing around at home. At this point I would love for him to do another activity than just soccer since he plays year round and sometimes plays on two teams. At this point he loves soccer but I would like him to try different activities. He did baseball last year and it was a lot of standing around. Gymnastics just looks like an exciting activity.