All,
Can you please assure me that my daughter's coaches are making the "right" decision?
Background: My daughter competed L6 in the Fall of 2011 and finished 1st AA at all her season meets, scoring above 37.00 at every meet. She finished first at the State meet in her age group and was in the top 5 of all age groups. She competed L5 the year prior and did equally well. Our gym tests for the next level in the spring. She passed the L7 skills with a 98% only missing her switch leap on the high beam (her leap was only 170 degrees). Partly I have concern that the coaches did not try to push her to do L7 in the Spring of 2012, but I understand that it's better to have strong, solid routines than to be in the "middle of the pack." She did have all her skills in the beginning of 2012, but they told her she couldn't even try. I think the issue was partly due to the fact that the group that she trains with did not do as well in L6 2011 and some needed to repeat the level due to injuries. So there was no one to move up with her.
So the coaches want her to repeat L6 again this fall (2012). The coaches say that this will only benefit her and give her extra competition experience to keep her polished in performance. My concern is less with the added expense of another season, but whether this choice to repeat L6 is actually for her benefit or for the gym's. One coach has made comments like "I need her at States," which I translate to mean that he needs her scores for the State Team. Is this wrong? I was additionally troubled when my daughter made the comment that they are only working on L6 routines on bars (with only one or two passes of 7 skills). Does L6 really build on L7? It seems from my observation that it takes repetition of the cast to handstand and free hip/toe shoot handstand to get the muscle memory. (She's doing her L7 sets on the high bar, versus L6 on the low bar.) Shouldn't she be focusing on the L7 skills 90% and the L6 routines 10%?
Please correct me if I am wrong. (I hope I am.) We love our gym and the other gymnasts and families there, but the politics and inequality (unequal standards and miscommunication) are frustrating. There are a couple girls in the gym who are the same age, that train in a different group (different coaches) who did not do nearly as well as my daughter (35s and maybe a 36 last year), who do not have to repeat L6. It's frustrating for my daughter (and for me), and I don't know what to tell her other than, "Your coaches know what is best for you," (but I'm starting to doubt that).
My daughter just turned 10.
Thanks.
Can you please assure me that my daughter's coaches are making the "right" decision?
Background: My daughter competed L6 in the Fall of 2011 and finished 1st AA at all her season meets, scoring above 37.00 at every meet. She finished first at the State meet in her age group and was in the top 5 of all age groups. She competed L5 the year prior and did equally well. Our gym tests for the next level in the spring. She passed the L7 skills with a 98% only missing her switch leap on the high beam (her leap was only 170 degrees). Partly I have concern that the coaches did not try to push her to do L7 in the Spring of 2012, but I understand that it's better to have strong, solid routines than to be in the "middle of the pack." She did have all her skills in the beginning of 2012, but they told her she couldn't even try. I think the issue was partly due to the fact that the group that she trains with did not do as well in L6 2011 and some needed to repeat the level due to injuries. So there was no one to move up with her.
So the coaches want her to repeat L6 again this fall (2012). The coaches say that this will only benefit her and give her extra competition experience to keep her polished in performance. My concern is less with the added expense of another season, but whether this choice to repeat L6 is actually for her benefit or for the gym's. One coach has made comments like "I need her at States," which I translate to mean that he needs her scores for the State Team. Is this wrong? I was additionally troubled when my daughter made the comment that they are only working on L6 routines on bars (with only one or two passes of 7 skills). Does L6 really build on L7? It seems from my observation that it takes repetition of the cast to handstand and free hip/toe shoot handstand to get the muscle memory. (She's doing her L7 sets on the high bar, versus L6 on the low bar.) Shouldn't she be focusing on the L7 skills 90% and the L6 routines 10%?
Please correct me if I am wrong. (I hope I am.) We love our gym and the other gymnasts and families there, but the politics and inequality (unequal standards and miscommunication) are frustrating. There are a couple girls in the gym who are the same age, that train in a different group (different coaches) who did not do nearly as well as my daughter (35s and maybe a 36 last year), who do not have to repeat L6. It's frustrating for my daughter (and for me), and I don't know what to tell her other than, "Your coaches know what is best for you," (but I'm starting to doubt that).
My daughter just turned 10.
Thanks.