As much as I don’t know enough details about your situation, I know that with my girls I’d be extremely hesitant to let them near anything that smells of competitive sports.

Granted, baseball is not as rigorous or as physically demanding as gymnastics, but I did fear that so much baseball would kill his love for it, turn it into a chore.

That has not proven to be the case. We opted not to play Allstar ball last year, a nd though we had a wonderfully relaxing summer, my son missed baseball and talked about it constantly.

He has been asked to play travel ball several times, and I have resisted, because it’s a lot more work and a lot more expense…but eventually, I think he will. He was not happy that he wasn’t allowed to join the travel team.

It’s a tough decision, I know, but if it’s her thing and she loves it, you might be surprised.

Give it a try. You can always quit if it isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.

20+ years later: I have had 10 surgeries, one for a broken back, all for orthopedic issues caused by or exacerbated by gymnastics. When I look back, it is not fondly.

As a child, I loved jumping and flipping and tumbling - and I was good at it. I could do a backhandspring by myself at the age of 6, a back tuck less than a year later. I chose to join the team, and become a “serious” gymnast - it was not something my parents forced on me. But once in, things changed. Gradually, but inevitably. Gymnastics changed from something I loved and looked forward to, into something I had to do - every day, for hours on end. It became my life, and though I grew to hate it, I didn’t know how to stop it because it was all I knew. My parents, I know, would have supported me no matter what, but I just didn’t know how to tell them I wanted to stop. After all, I was good. And I’d chosen it. And it would get me a scholarship and an education, so… I couldn’t just quit, could I? (I remained a gymnast until my injuries sidelined me at the age of 18)

And then I broke my back. On top of the foot and knee injuries I’d already been suffering through. And that ended it. And as much as it sucked, I was relieved, too. It was over.

So: my admittedly completely biased perspective? I’d try to keep it as fun and light as long as possible. Then let her choose. And always keep checking in on her to make sure the choice remains the one she wants… (I wouldn’t advocate taking her out mid-way through a season she’d adamantly committed to in the beginning, but at the end of each one, have a serious discussion about the next one)

Also? Every gymnast I know got injured. Some more seriously than others, but I don’t know of one yet who hasn’t spent a good portion of time on crutches. Yet another thing to consider…