All-Star Over Practicing

[Cheer Dad]

The third skills practice is optional, which she asks to attend, the other two are the mandatory team practices and no fun and games those little ones work hard! They run laps, do sit ups and push ups right along with the big girls. Two hours of stunting, tumbling, jumps, and drills with two, two minute drink breaks. I guess you would have to love it at that age to really want to do it.

Probably unpopular comment here but I personally think that is too much for a 5 yo mini. If you are insistent on doing anything outside of the gym I recommend general classes only instead of privates just like has been previously suggested. Find a class that is more fun and no stress to help keep the joy in it otherwise I can foresee burnout being a concern.


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[darlingsmomx4]

Probably unpopular comment here but I personally think that is too much for a 5 yo mini. If you are insistent on doing anything outside of the gym I recommend general classes only instead of privates just like has been previously suggested. Find a class that is more fun and no stress to help keep the joy in it otherwise I can foresee burnout being a concern.


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Thanks for the input Cheer Dad, initially when I knew that she would be practicing that much I was concerned because it did seem like a lot of practice for a 5 year old and I was debating between a tiny team with 2 hours of weekly practice or the mini team with 4-6 hours of weekly practice time, but then she was waking up everyday asking when she got to go back and trying to tumble first thing in the morning and up until bedtime even when I encouraged to stop practicing. I cannot see her stopping the practice she does at home so I am just trying to find the safest way for her to do it. I think I will talk to her coach as advised and ask her to tell her what types of things for her to practice/ not practice at home. If she loves cheer I want her to continue loving it and not get to the point of dreading it. Thank you!

 

[SL&AM]

My CP is also 5 (6 in September) and is currently doing 8-10 hours a week in the gym this summer and probably another fewhours at home. All by her choice and want. Her team practice is only 2 hours, she does a private and the rest are technique classes (stretch, jump, tumbling, stunting). At home, she mainly does jumps and tumbling. If I notice she is trying something I know she can't do herself or isn't safe, I tell her to stop and explain to her that she needs to try to talk to her coach about it first to avoid injury. Thankfully she's yet to throw anything that makes me cringe...she's more interested in combining stuff she already knows.

She chipped her growth plate when she was 4 after jumping up and down on hard wood (freak accident) so she remembers what being in a cast is like, so that has helped because she knows if she gets hurt she can't cheer.

I'd also ask her coach for some recommendations and get a mat or two for your house so she can practice on those versus the grass or floors.

Good Luck!

 

[yooolizzi]

When I was in kindergarten, I decided I could tumble and attempted a standing tuck. Busted up my face and cracked a back molar, which got a cap at the time, and a root canal four years later. Long story short, tumbling at home isn't a good idea for anyone.

 

[TheVipersMom]

I want to talk about my kid again like I do in every thread but I agree with the others!! I'm the poster parent for allowing my kid to tumble at home a lot without proper instruction... (Although I think I'm a great coach) I have millions of videos of her learning her BHS I even purchased an expensive cheese mat to help and although she wasn't in much physical danger I think I helped teach her the most jank BHS ever. My daughter has all level 4 skills and a sometimes full but to this day the ugliest skill she has is a BHS and by no coincidence that was the skill I taught her most of. Switching gyms and them enforcing a lot of things did fix most of it but I think there is one thing she still does in her BHS that she will do forever that I will always blame myself for because of nothing more then the fact it looks ugly! I know others don't want you to push it and they say no tumbling outside of the gym because of an increased risk for injury but if she is doing a skill she already has perfect and it's not as likely she will learn or practice it wrong then it may not be nothing to worry about. However, coaching her on a new skill would probably be the worst thing you could do or even if you are are not coaching her I still would not recommend her practicing something on her own that she doesn't have perfected!

Good luck to her, she sounds very motivated at this point and time. Hopefully you can get her in the gym more outside of privates or maybe they have another option for you!


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[AliciaM]

Hmm I find it so odd that they have to wait a year. I do tumbling privates and semi privates and quite a few of the minis at my gym take privates. Throwing a couple handsprings on a trampoline once you have it or almost have it with a light spot is one thing but "trying" skills she doesn't have and has only seen someone else do is such a bad idea. Not only because of injury but as others have said it can lead to bad technique! Hope you can find somewhere that she can take private lessons. I used to do privates at my work (gymnastics club) it was good because there was more equipment to work on skills and conditioning for said skills.


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[cheernerd5678]

I wish I had half the bravery these kids do I wouldn't even use it to try random new skills, just to actually throw skills I have w/o a spot!


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[CheerBank]

@darlingsmomx4 is the rule for no privates until being at the gym a year for all new athletes or just for minis?


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[darlingsmomx4]

@darlingsmomx4 is the rule for no privates until being at the gym a year for all new athletes or just for minis?


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It is for all new athletes, they have to have 12 months tumbling experience. So maybe for 5 year old minis it might make some sense since they are new learners learning from the beginning, but I see those preteen girls just starting and they feel as though they have a lot of catch up and could benefit even more with a private.

 

[12stepCheermom]

It is for all new athletes, they have to have 12 months tumbling experience. So maybe for 5 year old minis it might make some sense since they are new learners learning from the beginning, but I see those preteen girls just starting and they feel as though they have a lot of catch up and could benefit even more with a private.

That just seems counterintuitive to me not only from a business sense in turning away money, but who can't benefit from one on one instruction at their level and why wouldn't you want that benefit collectively for the teams you're putting on the mat.


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[dawgshow]

I wonder if they have more people who want to take privates than slots available.


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[darlingsmomx4]

I wonder if they have more people who want to take privates than slots available.


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Yes that is the conclusion that I came to because only 4 of the coaches give privates and you have to choose the one that matches your experience level and with 300+ kids it seems like high demand for the 1-3 year coach.

 

[cupieqt]

Tumbling and being in the gym is like going to the candy store and eating candy--probably not a good idea to do that every day. But for a kid, you can never get enough of that! I'd have had a strict candy diet if I had my way growing up
I try to encourage parents to moderate how much the little kids are practicing and coming to the gym, otherwise by 8 years old they're burnt out and looking for something new to try. I want them in all-star for the long haul!

 

[SL&AM]

It is for all new athletes, they have to have 12 months tumbling experience. So maybe for 5 year old minis it might make some sense since they are new learners learning from the beginning, but I see those preteen girls just starting and they feel as though they have a lot of catch up and could benefit even more with a private.

That seems so odd to me.

Are you able to find a different gym who would accept her for privates and would your gym be okay with that? If it's about the numbers versus coaches, then something would have to give.