I'm hoping you placed your question here because there is no gymnastics forum. If you're wondering if you have realistic Olympic aspirations, sadly, the answer is almost certainly no. But as long as you work hard and carry realistic expectations, there's every reason to believe it will be very good for you.
It sort of depends by what you mean by doing gymnastics. Your not going to have a shot at the Olympics. Your not likely to reach a really high level. Your less likely to be successful at a State level than if you had starter younger. On the other hand you can certainly learn a lot of new skills. If you stick at it and work hard you'll end up able to do things that might seem barely possible today. You can get stronger and fitter and imporve your coordination, control and body awareness (as in awareness of how you are positioned and moving in space.) You can't expect it to come easy. Gymnastics is a sport where you have to work for improvement and you need some patience and determination because it takes time and there are setbacks along the way. On the other hand, as a beginner, if you do work at it consistently significant improvements are pretty much guaranteed.
Tumbling is also a bit easier to get into as a gymnastics discipline than artistic because you don't need a lot of flexibility, but you do need strength and power (Given that you are extremely light you may need to work on those a lot.) Also there is less of a fear factor because there's no bars or beam and you start out on trampoline sprung or inflatable tumble tracks before you go to rod floor so it is a softer landing and you don't have to worry about falling off stuff or hitting yourself on hard objects on the way down.
You said that you would specifically like to do tumbling. You are not too old to do this. There are classes that focus specifically on floor tumbling (no bars, beam, or vault). They even have classes for older beginners. You may find that you are a natural or you may find that it is hard for you.
We have had girls join our TEAM at the age of 15... but they were in rec classes at 14... a little younger than you, but they still had fun.
You also might want to consider T & T. There are competitors of all ages in tramp & tumbling. I have seen a 50 year old compete (and place well).
Your parents would only be right if your ultimate goal was the Olympic Team or College Scholarship... you are too old for that, but you are not too old to enjoy the benefits gymnastics has to offer to everyone!
Not true at all. In fact, younger smaller gymnasts don't vault because they are too small. You can not only start now, but if you would like to only tumble, there are Tumbling Championships where that is all you do.
Although becoming an elite gymnast is almost impossible you can certainly join gymnastics and enjoy it.
your parents are rights...why???i will tell you...when you start gymnatics practice at the child age itself means{from 5years} your bone gets flexibility too good...there is a proverb in asia that"WE CAN'T BEND A THING IN 50'S,YES WE CAN BENT AT 5'S"...its means we have to develop our character at 5 years itself,if we didn't develop means it is hard to develop in 50 years...in china gymnastics are not consider as a game...it is consider as a tradition,culture,character....don't think iam saying not to practice gymnastics...yes it is possible!!!but remains one thing it hurds you a lot...if you are able to accept the pain then definately you will get gain in future....all the best>>>>>>dude.......
no
I told my parents that I'm interested in maybe doing gymnastics in the summer of next year. Specifically tumbling. And my parents said some really discouraging things like I'm too old and that I should've done it when I was younger. And stuff like you can't do it and that it will be too hard. Is this really true?????
(I'm 5'0, will be 16 next year on sep 14, 2015 and weigh 102 pounds)
