Im Starting Gymnastics This Summer What Do I Need

Can I start gymnastics at 13?

You can definitely start gymnastics!! And you definitely still have time to become an awesome gymnast if you have talent and work hard at it. Yes, you even have time to compete, if that's something you want to do. I have a friend who started at 16 and was competing at Level 5 by the time she was 18, so competition is still definitely do-able if you start now. 13 is still so young, and you have quite a few years left to develop your skills. Even if you don't compete, gymnastics is so good for developing your physical abilities, and it'll help you in other sports.

I'd say 13 is a perfect age to start because you're still young and flexible enough to learn more difficult skills, but you're also old enough to understand what you're being taught. You may find that you'll move along more quickly than a younger kid would.

If you look around, you may find some beginner classes for teens. However, if you live in a more rural area with fewer gyms, you might have to be in a class with little kids at first -- are you alright with that? This may be the one drawback -- most kids who are just starting out in gymnastics are going to be younger than you are.

A good article about splits training - http://www.dance.net/topic/1616831/1/Str...

You don't have to be all that flexible to start gymnastics. You don't need to know a cartwheel or walkover or a handspring either; they'll teach you that when you start gymnastics. The thing is, you won't learn to do cartwheels and handsprings with proper technique if you teach yourself. If you teach yourself, you'll learn to do it badly and improperly, and you'll waste a lot of time un-learning what you've taught yourself. So wait and hold off on that. You can prepare for learning handstands by doing push-ups, and sit-ups and arch-ups to strengthen your back. Strength exercises for your upper body and core torso muscles will be the best preparation for learning handstands.

It's fine to work on strength at home.
It's fine to work on flexibility and stretching at home.
But don't work on real gymnastics at home -- there's so much you need to know about the physics and mechanics of these moves that it's best left to a qualified teacher. Nobody will expect you to be able to do cartwheels, walkovers, handsprings, or handstands on your first day of gymnastics lessons.

Starting Gymnastics? age 16?

that is perfectly fine.(: i'm 14 and started not too long ago. you may want to contact a gym near you, and see if they offer an older beginner class. The gym i'm going to put together a 10+ beginner class, but all the girls are only about 10-11, maybe 12. if you do it with your friends though, you should be fine. None of my friends were willing to try, so i'm there with younger kids alone. :/
If you can do a cartwheel, maybe level 2. it depends on the gym, really, and how they organize people. At my gym, they have bronze, silver, and gold, then start the competitive levels. also though, you will have to have enough arm strenth to be able to hold yourself up on bars for level 2, and maybe even be able to perform a pullover.
i can't really tell you how much you will be able to do after then, as it all depends on the gymnast. if you work really hard and practice at home, obviously you will have more skills by the end of the summer than if you don't.
good luck!(:

What age should you start gymnastics?

What age should you start gymnastics? i'm 13 and i really want to start, but i don't want to look dumb.
I want to try cheerleading, but i'm not that great at cartwheels and stuff. i thought that if i took gymnastics, i could become more flexible, but i also don't want to be stuck with a million 5 year olds who are better than me. is 13 a good age to start?
i'm not planning on competing either...

Does doing gymnastics make you shorter?

Well, ask yourself this: Does playing basketball make you grow taller? Haha! Of course not! So then why are basketball players always so tall? Because taller people have an advantage in the sport. They can outperform the shorter players. So the shorter players gradually drop out, and the taller players stick with it and reach the higher levels. It's just the natural selection of the sport.

It works the same way in gymnastics. Smaller people have an easier time doing the really advanced upper level skills. There are lots of reasons for that, but the fact is, their bodies are just better suited for certain high level skills. There are plenty of taller gymnasts out there, but you just don't see them as often at the Olympic level, because their height makes it harder for them to do the skills required at that level.

Now, it is true that young gymnasts who train at a very intense level can experience a delay in the onset of puberty - which includes the natural growth spurt that occurs at that time. But I'm talking really intense, elite-level training. And once they quit gymnastics or decrease the intensity of their training, they catch right up and grow just as tall as their genes are programed for.

If you've noticed that you've stopped growing, chances are it's because you've reached the height you're meant to be. You may even grow a little taller, but it might happen more gradually because you've already hit your "big" growth spurts. But I seriously doubt it has anything to do with gymnastics. So not to worry!

Is it too late to start gymnastics at 11 years old?

i don't think you are too late! however, if you want to compete, then you are considered starting later than most. I personally started around age 8 and am still considered starting late, but i have caught up with people my age that started four years earlier than I, so it is possible. I regret starting late, but that is just because I am serious about the sport and am spending so much time with it, but that is just me. If you want to compete, you would be starting late, but you would be able to progress through the levels and whatnot no problem if you worked hard! if you don't want to compete, no problem at all! you can enjoy classes at gyms until you are ready to be done! there are even adult classes so if you still want to do gymnastics when you are older you can! there is no age limit to gymnastics as long as you are not competeing under USAG, in which case you cannot compete once you are over 18 and/or graduated high school. hope i helped!