Expert: Dean Dryer - 6/17/2009

Question
My daughter who is 6 was at the same gym for 3 years, taking a 1.5 hour recreation class.  I felt she wasnt learning enough & they were no longer challenging her.  Just this month she switched to a different gym & is now on their junior team.  She will be going 3 times a week, 2 hours at a time.  This new school works on more technique & conditioning & the children seem to be learning more.  My daughter misses her old gym & says the new gym is not as fun.  I am trying to convince her to give the new gym a chance.  Any ideas on helping her adjust?  I dont want her to lose her love for the sport.  Thanks!

Answer
Laura,

Your daughter has just made a huge change. She has gone from an hour and a half a week in a kind of class that is designed around having fun, to a class that has her going quadruple the time with an emphasis on training and hard work. That is going to be tough on any 6 year old.

You might consider asking the new gym if they offer any classes that kind of split the difference, perhaps 3-4 hours an week. Give her some time to adjust and start thinking of gymnastics as a sport instead of playtime.

You might also want to prepare yourself for the possibility that your daughter might not like that aspect of gymnastics. I'm not saying that will be the case, but it does happen. Gymnastics is hard enough if you love it, if you don't it's nearly impossible.

My best advice is to watch your daughter and see if she really likes what she's doing.

Best of Luck,

Dean Dryer