Gymnastics for Kids: Can My Child Join as a Beginner?
Quick answer: Yes. Children don’t need previous gymnastics experience to join Foundations at Inner West Gymnastics. Our non-competitive program welcomes both new and experienced school-aged gymnasts, with a maximum of eight children per class so coaches can adjust activities to suit their current ability.
“My child has never done gymnastics before. Can they still join?”
This is a question we get often. When you’re looking through class options, it isn’t always obvious whether a group welcomes beginners or expects children to arrive with skills they’ve already learnt somewhere else.
If you’re searching for gymnastics for kids and your child has never tried it before, Foundations is a place to start at IWG. They don’t need to have attended Kinder Gym when they were younger, and there’s no expectation that they can already cartwheel or handstand.
Here’s how we accommodate different experience levels and help you choose a class.
How does gymnastics for kids with no experience work at IWG?
Foundations is our non-competitive gymnastics program for school-aged children. It’s what you might know as recreational gymnastics, with children learning across floor, bars, beam and vault.
Our Foundations classes have a maximum of 8 children. This allows coaches to tailor program activities to the children in their group, adjusting the level of a progression to suit what each gymnast is ready for.
For a child who has never done gymnastics before, that may mean starting with a simpler version of an exercise. If another child is finding the activity easy, their coach can adjust it to provide more challenge.
Children can therefore be working on the same area of gymnastics without being expected to perform exactly the same version of a skill. Being new doesn’t mean your child needs to catch up before they can participate, and having experience doesn’t mean they’ll be limited to beginner activities.
Alongside gymnastics skills, children develop strength, flexibility, coordination and body awareness to support what they’re learning.
Can an eight-year-old start gymnastics as a beginner?
Absolutely! An eight-year-old can start gymnastics without previous experience. They don’t need to have attended classes when they were younger.
At IWG, our school-age Foundations groups are organised by school grade, so look for the group that matches your child’s grade when exploring the options.
If you’re unsure which class to choose, tell us your child’s school grade and a little about their experience. We can help you find a suitable class.
Which Foundations class should I choose?
Our school-grade Foundations classes are:
Kindergarten: 45 minutes
Grades 1-2: 1 hour
Grades 3-4: 1 hour
Grades 5-6: 1.5 hours
Grade 7 and above: 1.5 hours
You can read more about each group on our Foundations gymnastics page and check the timetable for class times.
If your child has significant previous gymnastics experience, has participated in a competitive program or needs additional support, contact our team before enrolling so we can discuss which option may suit them.
Does my child have to compete?
Not at all! Our Foundations classes are non-competitive, and children can continue to develop their gymnastics without entering competitions.
They might enjoy working towards a particular skill, exploring different apparatus or seeing their own improvement over time. They don’t need to start gymnastics with the intention to compete.
If an interest in competitive gymnastics develops down the line, we’d be happy to discuss the pathway with you.
What should we know before the first class?
We recommend arriving 5 to 10 minutes early so our team can welcome you, help your child get settled and introduce their coach.
If your child is nervous, please let us know beforehand. You can also contact us to discuss visiting during an appropriate class time if seeing the gym before they start would help.
Parents and family members can watch from our viewing area, where you can see and hear what’s happening on the gym floor.
We recommend fitted activewear for training. If your child would prefer to wear a leotard, they’re more than welcome to, but it isn’t required.
Kids train barefoot, with places around the gym to leave their shoes and socks. We ask that long hair is tied back so it stays out of the way as they move, and that they bring a water bottle, as it can get warm being active in the gym.
Getting started at IWG in Sydney’s Inner West
Inner West Gymnastics is at 8 Pilcher Street, Strathfield South, welcoming families from Strathfield, Burwood, Homebush and across Sydney’s Inner West.
If your child is interested in trying gymnastics, view the timetable to find a group that fits their school grade and your week.
For more information about their first class, check out our FAQ.
If your question isn’t answered there, or you'd like help choosing a class, please email info@innerwestgymnastics.com. Tell us your child's school grade and whether they've done gymnastics before, and we'll help you work out where to begin.
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