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Six-year-old children have to go through an audition to get a place in the exclusive training group of the Oslo gymnastics association.
At the trial training, the children that the trainers think are best suited are chosen. These will then train six hours a week, in their own competition group.
– A lot is about willingness to train and maturity. That is, if the children want to train more and you are mature enough to train a little differently. Those who are not motivated to train more or are mature enough, get the opportunity to come in at a later time, says Stian Skjerahaug.
He is your sporting leader in the Oslo gymnastics association. It is the country’s largest gymnastics association.
– Unfortunately, we don’t have room for all. We would like to have that, but it is, among other things, about hall capacity.
Turn leads:
VG recently wrote about et beware about «Swedish conditions» in Norwegian sports. Journalist Patrik Brenning warned against early focus and specialization in the sport. So reported the NFF keep going, also Høyre leader Erna Solberg get on the field.
In Oslo turnforening, people are concerned with having an offer for all, regardless of maturity and skill. That means large broad groups in the age group 2 years to those over 60. But it also means a competition group for those born in 2018.
– How do you see maturity and talent when your children are six years old?
– In the competition group, you train on slightly more difficult exercises that not everyone at that age is ready for. All of you are not ready to participate in such a party. Those who are unable to do so are notified in dialogue with the parents, so that each individual member receives an offer that provides the greatest possible coping skills.
– It is again up against twelve 6-year-olds who are told that they are not eager or clever enough. What do you think it does to them?
– A good question, begins Skjerahaug.
He thinks for a few seconds before continuing:
– There is probably no point in it. As a club, we are dependent on the parents, so that an understanding of what this is all about is created. So we try to have the best possible dialogue with the parents.
Skjerahaug emphasizes that the understanding of what apparatus turns require from motor skills is not always the same among either children or adults.
The sport contains demanding exercises, he emphasizes.
– It’s also a bit about security. In this sport, you do exercises that make it impossible for arms and legs to be everywhere.
– Is your turn a special sport that requires something more than other sports?
– It’s a question of where you as a performer want to be. But considering coordination and motor development, you are more receptive to technical movements at a young age. So traditionally it is a sport you start early.
– Can you start so early if you want to be “good” at the turn?
– My opinion is actually «yes». In any case, you should start before you are ten years old. We want to put in place a natural development ladder, says Skjerahaug.
The trial training takes place in Oslo next weekend. As of now, around 20 children born in 2017 and 2018 are registered. They compete for eight places.
The rest gets space in a width section.
In the invitation, which VG has read, it says that the children want to be photographed and get a name tag. This is for the coaches, so they have an overview, and according to the club will be deleted afterwards.
Stian Skjerahaug emphasizes that some six-year-olds are “ready” to participate in competitive tournaments early, while others will only get there in a year or two.
Until the children are ten years old, they only participate in exhibitions anyway. From the age of 11, you can compete in turns.
– That’s perfectly fine. As I say to the parents: This is the low threshold and on the children’s premises. However, when they turn 12-13 years old, this is a sport that takes a lot of time. Then you must be happy in a lot of repetition and spend a lot of time on this. Apparatus is not a one-size-fits-all sport.
– What do you think about what was said in the matters surrounding Patrik Brenning’s book?
– I am absolutely in favor of children playing different sports. I played soccer and football until I was in the 9th grade. Then I had to make a choice. You’ll probably have to make that choice later if it’s football you want to pursue.
– This is your six-year-old child going to the audition. Do they know what they are getting into? They are tiny children, aren’t they?
– I understand that you can use the word audition to see if the children are good enough or not, but our purpose is more about them participating in a training session to test if this is a training program they want, or if they would rather go on a width section.
Skjerahaug believes the scheme is within the children’s sports regulations to the Norwegian Sports Confederation. Among other things, it regulates how and when children can compete at different ages.
– Isn’t it a big dropout when you ask a 6-year-old to participate in training six hours a week?
– In our last groups, where they are a bit older, there are maybe one or two out of ten athletes who have found out that this is not for them. They seem to be enjoying themselves. But we are aware that the more time it takes, the higher the dropout rate. As a club, we must have a dialogue with the parents and talk about the fact that there are also other offers in the club. Alle does not have to bet on apparatus turn in the competition group. But everyone should have a good offer, says the tour leader.
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