All Star Cheer Vs Gymnastics Team

[Mouey77]

Hi,
I am trying to help my just turned 6 yr old daughter make a decision between cheer and gymnastics team. She began taking gymnastics around age 3 1/2 or so. The gymnastics gym had a Preschool ages 3-5 group. She loves gymnastics, but this past year when she turned 5, I decided to let her take tumbling as well at a cheer gym across the street.

She was one of the oldest in the preschool group at gymnastics gym, and she had really pretty cartwheels, whereas some of the kids could barely do rolls. The gymnastics gym indicated she had "talent" but was unwilling to consider moving her up until she turned 6. She has loved tumbling at the cheer gym, and has made some great progress. They just moved her to level 3 tumbling.

The cheer gym is having tryouts this weekend and they really want her to try out. Meanwhile, the gymnastics gym finally offered her a spot on the competitive team, but it's level 1 (last year this was level 2, but they have a new system this year). From what I understand, the tumbling might not move as fast as she likes. I'm not even sure they do back walkovers at level 1?

So, is there any benefit to doing the gymnastics team a few years and switching to cheer, or should I let her go ahead with cheer? She thinks she is going to do both, and that is not happening.

 

[littlemisscheerleader]

From what it sounds like, she would be doing Level 1 in Gymnastics, and Level 3 in Cheer. Even though traditionally, gymnastics is the way to go to get really good tumbling, it sounds like this isn't quite the case. She could easily progress very well by joining a cheerleading gym.
If her goal is to eventually switch to cheerleading, I would personally have her start now. She will really enjoy the experience of working with a team, instead of just competing individually, and she'll also have the chance to do the stunts and dance and everything else that comes with cheer.

 

[WinstonsGirl]

Not sure if she's old enough to understand the difference between the sports, but what does she want to do?? If she loves all aspects of gymnastics (bars, beam, vault, floor), then keep her there. If she prefers mainly the tumbling and wants also to try dance and stunting, then I'd say move her to cheer. What has she said?? Go with that, cos if you move her and she doesn't like it/want to do it, she won't want to keep doing it

 

[Mouey77]

I really think I created this dilemma by not considering that she might also get really sucked into cheerleading. I'm not sure she understands the difference since she has primarily done tumbling at the cheer gym, but she has done two cheer camps there and loved those.

She loves floor and bars, but she could probably take or leave vault and beam. My gut says she will eventually gravitate towards cheer. My sister started as a gymnast and switched to all star cheer. She insists that she will get better tumbling skills at her age through gymnastics and can switch easily to cheer when she's older? But that was 15 years ago. The cheer gym actually has gymnasts doing the tumbling coaching, so what is the big difference? Thanks!

 

[nataliamxc]

I think that letting her stay in gymnastics and then, if she wants to, switching to cheer its the best idea, she'll have good technique and it will be easier for her to fit in a cheer team. My younger sister was a gymnast for 6 years and then she joined cheer so it was relatively easy for her to be a cheerleader.

I think you should ask her to chose between cheer and gymnastics, depending on her response you'll know what it's the best for her.

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[Akallstar907]

Cheerleading has a lot of teamwork and trust involved with it, and it's a lot more social. However, in gymnastics she might learn more independence. I do think you should let her decide...but I feel like 6 is an age where for the most part kids know what they want to do. At least for the short term!


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[cheernerd5678]

Is she level 3 tumbling gymnastics wise, or cheer level 3? Cheer level 3 is tucks but gymnastics is different. Roundoff i think? If she's cheer level 3 then having her on a level 1 gymnastics team seems silly


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[Mouey77]

She is tumbling at cheer level 3 and is working on a back tuck now. She started cheer tumbling this year with a backbend kick over and learned her back handspring and round off back handspring surprisingly fast. I don't really understand why gymnastics is putting her at level 1 (not trying to fast track her, but I personally think she should have been doing more at the gymnastics gym all year, since she was eager to learn and seems to pick up fast), but maybe it's because she hasn't learned the skills on vault, beam, bars??

 

[Mouey77]

I don't know that she would necessarily be on a competitive level 3 cheer team. I would guess level 2, since she is just learning a back tuck?

 

[retiredl5cheer]

I don't know that she would necessarily be on a competitive level 3 cheer team. I would guess level 2, since she is just learning a back tuck?

Could be either, depending on what gym you're at. Some gyms may have a youth 3 that they're trying to fill, and would be willing to bump up a mini-aged athlete to fly. A lot of gyms can't offer a youth 3, so she could be placed on a mini or youth 2. It's all about the size of your gym, their philosophy on stacked/push teams and the levels and age groups they are able to offer.

 

[DropAndRun]

In most instances, gymnastics is not competitive at level 1, so if you want to compete you will need to choose cheer. USAG doesn't do competitive until level 3. Or atleast that's how it was when we were in gymnastics. Some gyms do in house meets for levels 1 & 2 but you can't really compete until you're ready for level 3.

 

[Mouey77]

Louisiana will be competing gymnastics at level 1 from what I understand. It's the old level 2. I know she will be bummed if she isn't at least practicing her back handsprings.

I think the mini team is level 2 at the cheer gym. So maybe she would be doing the same level of tumbling either place? That's what is confusing to me!

 

[retiredl5cheer]

Louisiana will be competing gymnastics at level 1 from what I understand. It's the old level 2. I know she will be bummed if she isn't at least practicing her back handsprings.

I think the mini team is level 2 at the cheer gym. So maybe she would be doing the same level of tumbling either place? That's what is confusing to me!

Sounds like she'd probably be placed on a mini 2, which means she'd be challenged to throw standing BHS, running specialty passes through to BHS, etc. My very limited knowledge of gymnastics tells me she wouldn't be doing BHS in level 1 of gymnastics.

 

[mecheermom]

My CP used to be a level 5 gymnast, until age 7, when she switched to cheer. They are very different in competition styles and how kids are placed.

If she does not have skills in every event as a gymnast she will not compete that level. They have to start out as compulsory (lev 1-6) which requires a certain set of skills for every event. Therefore she would compete in gymnastics at the lowest level of all events...for example of she can only do a level 1 vault it won't matter if she has strong level 5 floor skills (round off bhs) she would still compete level 1.

Gymnastics is an individual sport while cheer is a team sport. Therefore a cheerleader with level 2 tumbling or flying may still be placed on a level 3 team. The coaches look to make a strong team and that takes a variety of strengths. A CP does not have to be equally strong in every part of a routine (although that is ideal).

Either way...the gym you choose should also have the capability to challenge your child regardless of what level she is competing.

Good luck with your decision!!


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[Mouey77]

^That sounds about right for the cheer I think. Not that it's the end of the world, but I was thinking she might lose those tumbling skills if she doesn't use them on the gymnastics team. I know she can relearn, but it feels like the year will have been a waste of time and $. It's really up to her, but like I said, she isn't indicating a preference. Just that it would be fun to do both...