How do you know when your child is ready to move up to another class?

Hi Everyone,

Thank you so much for choosing CCG as your child's gymnastics center!  It can be confusing to understand whether your child is in the right class for him or her.  When do they move up?  Are they asked to move up or do I ask the coach?  What skills does he/she need? 

Often times our coaches team back to back classes so it makes it challenging for them to speak individually with each student's parents.  There are certain criteria that we use to be sure that a child is ready to move to the next level of classes.  We hope that you will find this chart helpful.

My Buddy to Pre-K Kids: Moving to pre-k kids should be done when the child is at least 3.5 and is ready to do class without mom or dad.

Pre-K to Gym Dandy: Children should be age 5-6 to move to the Gym Dandy class.  The structure of our Gym Dandy class is similar to the Pre-K class, but it is geared toward older students (5-6) so that the class moves more quickly and develops gymnastics skills at a faster rate.  We often have many boys in this class because it bridges the gap between our pre-school program and our boys recreational classes which require more ability to focus and listen to the coach.  Often times boys and girls stay in this class until 6 years old because they love the unique warm-ups each week as well as the obstacle courses.

Gym Dandy to 1-Hour Boys or Girls:  Girls must be age 5 or older to go into the 1-Hour class.  This class is beginner, so NO experience is required.  Many girls choose not to do the Gym Dandy when they turn 5 and go right into the 1-Hour.  This class has an "older feel" to it.  Their warm-up consists of cardio, stretching splits and bridges and then gymnasts go to 3 different events each week.  The events rotate so that gymnasts get 6 different apparatus training in a 2-week period.  On each event, gymnasts are expected to master basics such as rolls, cartwheels, pullovers, running and jumping on a spring board and climbing the rope.  Gymnasts should learn correct terminology for the skills that they practice.  Boys may enter the 1-Hour class at age 6 or older.  The structure is the same as the girls 1-hour except that the events trained are different and include the men's Olympic events.

1-Hour Girls to 1.5-Hour Girls: Other than girls being ages 6 or older there are certain skill requirements needed to move to our Intermediate 1.5-Hour class.  The following is a list.

Vault: excellent springboard work as well as a strong squat on vault and handstand fall flat to mats.

Bars: Must have a pullover and a strong cast and front support

Beam: Must be comfortable on a high beam doing basic walks, kicks, jumps and turns.  Can do a forward roll on a wide beam by herself.

Floor: excellent forward and backward rolls, excellent cartwheel, strong round-off, bridge kick over

Other: Gymnasts should be able to climb half way up the rope (not the rope with knots) strong splits.

1-Hour Boys to 1.5-Hour Boys:  Other than boys being ages 6 or older there are certain skill requirements needed to move to our Intermediate 1.5-Hour class.  The following is a list.

Vault: excellent springboard work as well as a strong squat on vault and handstand fall flat to mats.

Bars: Must have a pullover and a strong cast and front support

Parallel Bars/Pommel Horse: Strong support and swings.

Rings: Strong Swings, Good candle hold, working on front support

Floor: excellent forward and backward rolls, excellent cartwheel, strong round-off, bridge kick over

Other: Gymnasts should be able to climb to the top of the rope (not the rope with knots) strong splits.

1.5-Hour Girls to 2-Hour Girls: Other than girls being ages 8 or older there are certain skill requirements to enter this Advanced 2-Hour class.  The following is a list.

Vault: Dive Roll onto resi with a run.  Handstand Flat back with a run.

Bars: Cast to horizontal, squat on, swings on high bar, cast back hip circle, cast to mill circle

Beam: Excellent leaps, turns and jumps, forward roll without spot,  cartwheels and bridges on low beam, round-off and front handspring dismounts

Floor: Round-off rebound, back handspring with a spot, front handspring with a spot, fly spring on tumble trak, front tucks tumble trak or into pit

Other: Rope climb to the top, standing backhandspring on tramp

If you still have questions or don't know what a skill is, please email me and I can have your child's coach contact you.