As parents, we all would like to know all about our children’s innate talents and hone them as early as possible. We all want it not only for the child’s success but also for his/her happiness.
One such talent that we all like to hunt is gymnastics. How to tell if your child is good at gymnastics?
If you, too, are wondering should I put my child into gymnastics, we share some telltale signs and ways to identify your child’s aptitude for it. Stay hooked!
How to tell if your child is good at gymnastics?
Below is a list of ways that will help you to identify whether your child is good at gymnastics.
A no-give-up attitude
Gymnastics is a challenging skill. It is not meant for the feeble. A determination to win and not give up is intrinsic for any gymnast.
Your child might have the physical attribute of a gymnast, but without determination and focus, it would not materialize. Hence, if your child knows to work hard and persistently till success is achieved, you have a budding gymnast in your house.
Loves unusual physical activities like climbing trees
Children with better upper body strength and mobility do well in gymnastics. Hence, if your child is inclined towards physical fitness and tends to indulge in activities involving physical fitness, then you need not wonder- Should I put my child into gymnastics?
Even if your child loves to spend time in the gym and tries to do tasks well beyond their age or loves to climb trees, you can seriously consider gymnastics training for them.
High level of energy
This indication goes hand in hand with the above sign. Even though children are naturally energetic, there would be a few who would have exceptionally high energy.
These children always look for physically challenging activities to expend their energy.
These children would often express extreme happiness and joy for motions and activities involving physical movement.
For instance, jumping on the trampoline requires high energy. Hence, energetic and gymnastic-inclined children will find it incredibly fun and rewarding.
Coordination
The younger the child is, the greater is his/her struggle for coordination. But if your child has an intrinsic affinity for gymnastics, you would notice an unnaturally high level of coordination in them.
You can spot them by their effortless and remarkable balance, ability to catch things easily, etc.
Consistency
We have all witnessed our children getting excited and passionate about something but the interest frizzes out once the child comes face to face with the involved hard work.
If a child shows perseverance and consistency towards any work and does not flee when faced with obstacles, you can decipher that you have a budding gymnast in your hands.
Competitive spirit
If your child exhibits a competitive spirit in just about everything and tries to emerge a winner, then you can be assured that your child would do good in gymnastics. The desire to win and reign supreme is a must in any gymnast.
Attraction towards gymnastics
The child often gives telltale signs of his/her interest. If your child is seen glued to the TV whenever gymnastics is being aired, you know how to tell if your child is good at gymnastics.
The uncanny interest and attraction will let you know if the kids interested are in the niche.
Favorite outfit
If your child is forever demanding leotards, shorts, wristbands, and other accessories, favorite of any gymnast?
These clothes render free movement to any gymnast, and your child demanding the same shows their inclination towards sports.
Missing out on events
You have enrolled your child in a gymnastics class. Now you find your child loath to leave the class.
Consequently, the new norm in your house becomes missing out on evening parties and invitations. The child is clearly letting you know of his/her interest and passion.
The child’s room is full of gymnastics pictures and motivational quotes.
It’s a known fact that children like to plaster their room’s walls with posters and motivational quotes. But what they stick on the walls gives a vital clue about their interest and hobbies.
If your child’s room walls are plastered with posters of gymnastics and motivational quotes, you have signs of your child’s interest clear.
Your child immediately spots and grooves on floor music.
There is barely any child who does not love music? But the choice of music varies.
If your child is always looking out for floor music and tries to do exercise routines on it mostly, then he/she would be the right candidate for gymnastics.
What is the best age to do talent identification for gymnastics?
The best age to do talent identification for gymnastics is between 5 to 8 years because the early identification of an athlete’s talent can contribute majorly to reaching an athlete to high levels of performance.
The longer the child takes time to begin, the less likely he or she will have the ability to compete with other children that have been training since the early years of their lives.
The early identification of talent is one of the most important factors that plays its role in an athlete’s sports life.
This is because an athlete requires a minimum of 5 to 7 years of training to attain a level of proficiency in any sport. Moreover, there is only a narrow passage of years that the athlete can expect peak performance.
So, if the athlete’s talent is identified earlier and monitored consistently, he/she has more time and chances to reach high levels of performance in gymnastics.
Also, due to performing the sports since the early years of their life, they develop multitudes of skills over time.
What is the average age to start gymnastics? What age is too late?
There are gymnastics classes for kids as young as 2 years of age, but the idle age to enroll your child in a serious gymnastics program is considered to be at least 5 to 6 years.
The younger children can go for introductory classes that focus on creating body awareness and a love for gymnastics in children.
The parent-child classes are a gentle way for developing their self-confidence and physical coordination in children of 2 to 3 years of age as they emphasize more on jumping, climbing, and crawling.
The tumbling classes are for children that are between 3 to 5 years of age. In it, the basic gymnastics moves such as cartwheels, somersaults, etc are introduced.
The introductory classes in which the serious training begins are idle for children aged above 5 to 6 years.
While waiting for your children to reach up to the idle age to enroll in gymnastics training programs, you can get your child involved in various other activities such as soccer, dance, etc. that can help in preparing your child to thrive in a sport such as gymnastics.
There is no age at all that is too late to start learning gymnastics. No matter how old you are, you can start learning gymnastics.
However, whether age will be a barrier for a person starting late or not, depends on the purpose behind starting gymnastics.
If you are someone who wants to practice gymnastics for recreational purposes, age would not be a hurdle in your case. But, if you want to start gymnastics for a competitive purpose, age can have a major effect on your performance. The earlier you start, the better you will be as a gymnast.
Competitive gymnasts need years to work their way up. The older you start, the harder it may be for you.
So, gymnasts that start late may not end up competing but they can still enjoy the sport for purposes like recreation, fitness, developing skills, etc.
At what age do gymnasts start competing in competitions?
A gymnast of a minimum of 6 to 7 years of age can start competing in competitions.
Generally, the minimum age eligibility of participating in most of the competitions is 7 years but it may differ according to different levels of competitions.
In the Olympics, as per the current age regulation, the minimum age of gymnasts must be 16 years to compete in senior-level events.
What qualities make a good gymnast?
There are various qualities that define an athlete as good. Similarly, some qualities are essential for a person to be a good gymnast. The qualities include:
- Mental Toughness
- Passion
- Work Ethic
- Discipline
- Perfectionistic
- Resilient
- Perseverance
- Confidence
- Competitiveness
- Appreciation
Other than these qualities, a person also needs the following physical attributes to be a high-level gymnast.
- Strength – To perform gymnastics, a gymnast must have a lot of strength to perform well without failing to do so.
- Flexibility – A high end stretching is required to be a good gymnast. There are various leaps, tumbling, and jumps that require stretching to reach up to 180 degrees splits.
- Quickness – Speed plays a crucial role in performances.
Conclusion
We all like to think of natural talent, but it does not have any meaning if attributes like passion and determination are missing.
If you spot a higher number of the above signs in your child, then you must definitely try out gymnastics for your child. Chances are your child would come out with flying colors.
