Parents Coaches advice on time off please

[Deleted member 18037]

I would really like some other coaches opinions.

Our gym really has no down time. There are no full week closings. I know a lot of gyms in our area do Christmas week, last week of August kind of thing. Staff and athletes are off. But not this one.

We (Dad and I) got lectured last year, because we took the kid on vacation. We put her way behind according to the coach, possibly months. She missed 3 days of practice. Really . She did no gym camp week because it just didn't work out with all our schedules. And based on performance this year, she did really well, clearly her being behind was not the case. And this gym doesn't score them out (at least not at the lower levels) and won't move them without their skills. So my daughter last year was probably more 4 then 3 but was not close to getting a kip, she was not moving. And for the record I asked at the beginning of the summer if she needed more to move up to L4, to let me know so we could see if we could do that. And I got, no way to know as an answer, so we stayed the course.

So the time is coming to plan summer vacation. Because that is important to us as a family.
I am going to email the coach and ask her at what point during summer training would it be better to take some time. And if we can not do all gym camp weeks which would be better. I am willing to work with the coaches.

But I also feel family time is important as well as some down time.

So coaches, with your coaches hat on. Is it a tragedy to take the occasional week off? How much is too much?
And if you are willing to add time, for the time off, does it help or not?

Thank you for your feedback.
LDW

 

[sce]

Any gym that gets upset about a child, esp a compulsory athlete, missing 3 practices due to vacation is not a healthy place. This is not the Olympic Trials she's preparing for! I think it's great you want to tell the coaches before you settle your plans, but they may not have a good answer for all your questions.

I agree that family time and a break is important.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

This is not the Olympic Trials she's preparing for! .

That's exactly what I told them. LOL

I said that they will be ticked every year because we are taking a vacation. Now I am not unwilling to work with them regarding timing.

I am just interested to hear what other coaches think. As my experience with coaches is limited. As is my experience with gymnastics long term.

Wandering around here is making my head spin with how much I don't know. I pretty much know I know very little.

But I just cant imagine the occasional week off is a complete and utter horror. Just hoping I am not completely off and nuts.

In fairness to the coaches, they have their upsides and downsides. Don't we all. And my girl is doing fantasitic with them and that is pretty much what matters.

 

[NMNorskie]

I couldn't agree with you more. Having down time as a family is important. These are kids. Good for you for being willing to work with them, but if that's not possible, you should absolutely do what is best for your kid and your family. If a few days away a YEAR is too much...that just cannot be healthy, IMO.

 

[UnoMas]

Absolutely ridiculous. I'm not a coach, but I've dealt with many coaches during my girls' gym careers and NONE of them would have had a problem with 3 days (or a week!) off. Ever.
Go on your vacation and let them pout!

 

[Moxiegrl83]

Not a problem in our gym either...we don't have any week gym closings, but kids go on vacation in the summer. Sometimes they visit a gym, sometimes they don't. No biggie.

 

[bookworm]

Your gym is nuts! My girls both reached ( and were successful) level 10 and we ALWAYS took a vacation week in the summer....their bodies need resting too. Any gym that gives you crap about a compulsory taking a vacation break in the summer is a nightmare in the making....because it'll only get worse going forward.

 

[gymdog]

Really, 3 days off of practice at age 8? That should barely affect anything. Now I guess if they introduced a new drill for three days, she might be a bit behind on it, but it would take what, 3 days to catch back up? How could it matter?

 

[gymdog]

We have two weeks off throughout the year, but we sometimes have optional practice days during that time, btw - forgot to add that. We obviously expe them not to miss practice before a meet.

 

[Muddlethru]

My daughter took a whole month off practice when she was a Level 4. We went to Asia the whole month of December. She had a meet a week and a half after she returned to the gym and won first AA. I don't advocate this long of an absence but family time is important. My daughter is now a Level 10. It was only at Level 9 that it became evident that extended time away from the gym did set her back; but not in any of the levels before that. We always take at least two weeks vacation. We are taking a two week vacation this June to go to Europe and as I said she is s Level 10. But she is not training to be an elite or anything like that. We are aware it will set her back a bit. So we try to time vacations at he least obstrusive time.

Coaches don't like gymnasts taking time away from practice. They feel their hardwork is sidelined. But most coaches understand time away with family is important and necessary. Enjoy your vacation.

 

[GlobalNomad]

When is competition season? On some level, I think asking a coach what practice is best to miss is like asking a teacher what class is best to miss. The response will be that they are all important. Planning vacation right when competition season ends is usually better. Right before the season starts is usually worse. Also, the time when the group will be learning choreography is not ideal. You might already know when these times generally are.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

The only thing we ask, is if they are gone for more than a week to try and get a workout or two in while on vacation. Other than that, one week shouldn't be a problem at all. UNLESS it's the week prior to a meet!!!

 

[Faith]

I think a proper week off once a year is more valuable than continued training. Rest is very undervalued.

The hours and conditioning gymnasts tend to do means they very rarely have time to recover fully. A week where they don't think about or do gymnastics can do wonders- heal niggly injuries and aches and pains, and even put fears and worries in proportion. Then they come back feeling great, and think they can do anything!

I tend to think a whole week off for everyone at the same time is best, then you're not trying to catch up different kids who've missed different things. I agree with timing it with the coaches, but go and enjoy!

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

I have no qualms about keeping my kid off gym where appropriate. We don't do it often and it's always with good reason. I let the coaches know in advance by letter.

I think the occasional break does her good. She enjoys the rest and by the time she goes back to gym, she is so excited to get back in there and working.

 

[needcoffee]

Life first, gymnastics second.

My DD had 3 days off a few weeks ago because she wanted to go away with her best friend for the long weekend. She had a great time, and actually really needed it. Our gym has a week or two off over Christmas, that's it. She needed a break.

She also had school camp this week so another couple of days off. It was compulsory so gym just had to suck it up. Too bad.

I remember being a kid and missing out on so much other stuff because I was always at training (a different sport). It just made me hate that sport, and quit not even 2 years later.

Plan your holiday. What are you going to regret later? Not going on the holiday you want, or missing a few training sessions?!

 

[munchkin3]

All work no play, makes Jill a dull and unhappy girl who will quit.

 

[momto2js]

We took a three week vacation shortly after competition season to go to the Panama Canal. The rest he got did him wonders. He was actually stronger when he got back to the gym. (Handstand on a rocking ship are really valuable!!)

Take the time you've need. Be a family.

 

[lovemygymnast]

At our gym, nobody frowns on vacations. I know one girl on my DD's L4 team took off 3 weeks straight this summer to go to Europe. It was once in a lifetime for them and nobody said a word. She's all caught up and scoring well. I just don't see an issue! Now, to take time off on a meet week, that's a huge no-no! Lol. But who does that??

Family time is way more important!!! Hope you have a fun vacation planned!

 

[gracyomalley]

Chunks of time off, esp during summer/off season, are important, for sanity, family life and the kids overall health DS is training L8/9. He skipped L6 this year. He took 2 full weeks off for music camp this summer, on top of the gyms week off and then he had a concussion and only trained very limited amount the 6 weeks prior to competition season - including the gyms week off....he's placing first or second this year at all meets - and although there are a few skills he might have better had he missed less (primarily the concussion part), it is all coming out in the wash - and that's a 14 year old training big tricks.

DD is training L8 and took 2 whole months off (or quit for 2 months - its all semantics) then trained half time for 2 more. THAT much time off really does effect you - she's only now getting back to where she was this summer, after finally training full board for about 6 weeks....She has a friend whose family ALWAYS takes multiple vacations each year - and a full month off in summer. That kid never seemed to "get behind" until Level 7 - but it really did effect her then - we are talking missing a week of practice almost every month...and leaving early lots, etc.

When DD was an 8 yo L5 she was hospitalized for mastoiditis and pneumonia. She missed about 10 days...came back and competed after a week back - made state and hit her first full L5 bars routine at that meet...if properly trained most of the year, a little time off really doesn't matter much in compulsories.

Although as you move up in skills there is a safety factor - and kids really need to be strong and healthy, but what a kid does WHEN at gym can easily make up for missing some for family events, etc. A hard working, dedicated kid will "make up" anything they've "missed out on". DS will likely miss 2-4 weeks for violin camp this summer too - and during symphony weeks/concerto contest season he misses a day pretty much every week (he plays in all adult groups so not school day schedules). No one ever says a thing - they know he's a hard working, dedicated gymnast and good team mate - and that he's not going to the Olympics but might be a professional violinist - no one questions our choices.

Certainly, it is encouraged that during the summer families try to plan their vacations during the 1-2 weeks gym is off - it works better for the whole team that way. And missing practice meet weeks MUST have a REALLY good reason!!!

A program that is giving families of L3 kids a hard time about taking 1-2 weeks off in the summer isn't interested in each kid staying in gymnastics for the long haul, they are acting as if the goal is to weed out the kids and families that want some balance for their children, and only train the super dedicated (or crazy - as at L3 you really have no idea what a gymnast will look like at L8). Maybe that's not what the coaches mean to be portraying with this policy, but it is what it looks like to me!

Now I will say that sometimes coaches will make a point of letting parents know "early" that time off eventually adds up...and kids who come to all practices, take advantage of optional days, and don't miss much will, in the long run, be more likely to be successful as they hit the higher levels...families who are used to being casual about vacation, etc in compulsories may be surprised when the same behavior doesn't work so well as a L8...so maybe that's why they are being sticklers?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Thank you all for your replies, especially the coaches. At least I am not crazy. Because if no downtime was the standard, we would not be long for gym world.

And we normally would not miss practice before a meet, although she did miss the last 2 practices before states last year due to having the flu, she did well but it was L2.

Again she has all her L4 skills, they just need fine tuning and more consistency. So I figure by Oct she should be good to go with even a few days off.

According to multiple coaches she is highly coachable, hard worker, takes criticism well. So I would think she will be fine.