Hello all, and thanks for reading. I am hoping to get a bit of input from both coaches and gymnasts and perhaps any parent experiences. I will start with a bit of background on my 8 yo.
About 2 years ago my dd started rec classes. She displayed talent and was moved up to the level 3 devo “pre-team†about 6 weeks later. She trained with the devo group and we were approached early fall of 2010 and asked if my dd would like to compete level 4 in spring of 2011. We talked, and she was thrilled. (She had previously been in dance and loved the recitals.) We agreed. When December came along, we were told she would not be moving because she was the only one “ready†out of her devo group and it would not be good for her to go alone. She was bummed, but I trusted the coach’s experience and judgment. Along comes fall season 2011 and my dd was superb at competitions. In every meet she was in top 3 AA for child division and won bars at all but one meet. She took 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] AA and floor at state and 1[SUP]st[/SUP] on bars and 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] on beam. (For what it is worth, the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] place AA at states was her teammate who was a 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] year competitor.) Never once in the season did she receive an AA score below 36, and 5 of her 8 meets posted AA’s above 37.
My dd has always been goal oriented and intrinsically motivated. She was thrilled when, after fall states, she was able to up-train level 5 skills, because it enabled her to set new goals. She wanted to get her kip before the end of 2011, and she did. On the last practice of the year she popped up 6 straight arm kips. She is now doing kips at about a 50% success rate now that she got new grips, but her coaches tell her that the import thing is that she is doing them correctly when she does them. She has also recently put a BWO on beam with almost perfect success rate. She has decent front HS and RO BHSx2 and a decent dive roll on floor, cartwheel, full turn, BWO and 4 second handstands and dismounts on bars, is vaulting over the table with a decent block, and is working on fly aways on the pit bar.
I have always been supportive of dd’s goals. She writes them down and gives them to her coach and sets a date on her own calendar. She has met every goal she has set for herself, however, her most recent goal has me feeling a bit conflicted. DD has decided that for the 2012-2013 fall/spring season that she wants to compete level 5 and 6, 5 in the fall and 6 in the spring. I definitely think she is capable of this; however, this is a goal that is not entirely within her control. In the couple years we have been in the gym it has been made clear that this is not a “push through the levels†gym. I have often heard- “this is region 2, we do gym for fun not for the future.†While I respect that, and I would not allow my dd to stay in any sport if it was not fun, I know that my little one will become frustrated if she is not challenged.
When I asked her why she had this particular goal instead of her ususal “straight arm bar routine,†or “longer tumbling pass†goals, she offered 3 reasons: She already “mostly knows†both 5 and 6 routines and wants to get the remaining compulsories done before the new routines in 2013. She got bored doing the same level 4 stuff for over a year. She wants to be an optional by the time she is “double digits.†(Age 10.)
Only one of the level 4’s was moved up mid season to level 5- she was a second year competitor of level 4 and her mum is the parent club president. Interestingly, she was not the one who got 1[SUP]st[/SUP] place AA at states. This gym is not known for moving people mid season.
So, my question is this- should I support and encourage my dd with this goal? And if so, I assume that we would need to have a sit down with the coaches and be sure they are on board. I am not fearful that they will see me as a CGM, as I am a drop off/pick up mum who only stays if DD specifically requests that I observe a skill. There are several other gyms in the area that may be willing to work with my little one, but we are very happy with the coaches here and she enjoys her teammates. If her gym is not supportive of her goal, should I present the option of a different gym to my dd? I don’t want to be a gym jumper- and I know that the future is unwritten and we have no idea what might happen, but I want to support her in any way possible as long as she is happy and making healthy choices. Should I try to get her to drop this goal because there are so many variables?
Thanks so much for reading along this far- and thank in advance for a reply from those that do.
About 2 years ago my dd started rec classes. She displayed talent and was moved up to the level 3 devo “pre-team†about 6 weeks later. She trained with the devo group and we were approached early fall of 2010 and asked if my dd would like to compete level 4 in spring of 2011. We talked, and she was thrilled. (She had previously been in dance and loved the recitals.) We agreed. When December came along, we were told she would not be moving because she was the only one “ready†out of her devo group and it would not be good for her to go alone. She was bummed, but I trusted the coach’s experience and judgment. Along comes fall season 2011 and my dd was superb at competitions. In every meet she was in top 3 AA for child division and won bars at all but one meet. She took 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] AA and floor at state and 1[SUP]st[/SUP] on bars and 3[SUP]rd[/SUP] on beam. (For what it is worth, the 1[SUP]st[/SUP] place AA at states was her teammate who was a 2[SUP]nd[/SUP] year competitor.) Never once in the season did she receive an AA score below 36, and 5 of her 8 meets posted AA’s above 37.
My dd has always been goal oriented and intrinsically motivated. She was thrilled when, after fall states, she was able to up-train level 5 skills, because it enabled her to set new goals. She wanted to get her kip before the end of 2011, and she did. On the last practice of the year she popped up 6 straight arm kips. She is now doing kips at about a 50% success rate now that she got new grips, but her coaches tell her that the import thing is that she is doing them correctly when she does them. She has also recently put a BWO on beam with almost perfect success rate. She has decent front HS and RO BHSx2 and a decent dive roll on floor, cartwheel, full turn, BWO and 4 second handstands and dismounts on bars, is vaulting over the table with a decent block, and is working on fly aways on the pit bar.
I have always been supportive of dd’s goals. She writes them down and gives them to her coach and sets a date on her own calendar. She has met every goal she has set for herself, however, her most recent goal has me feeling a bit conflicted. DD has decided that for the 2012-2013 fall/spring season that she wants to compete level 5 and 6, 5 in the fall and 6 in the spring. I definitely think she is capable of this; however, this is a goal that is not entirely within her control. In the couple years we have been in the gym it has been made clear that this is not a “push through the levels†gym. I have often heard- “this is region 2, we do gym for fun not for the future.†While I respect that, and I would not allow my dd to stay in any sport if it was not fun, I know that my little one will become frustrated if she is not challenged.
When I asked her why she had this particular goal instead of her ususal “straight arm bar routine,†or “longer tumbling pass†goals, she offered 3 reasons: She already “mostly knows†both 5 and 6 routines and wants to get the remaining compulsories done before the new routines in 2013. She got bored doing the same level 4 stuff for over a year. She wants to be an optional by the time she is “double digits.†(Age 10.)
Only one of the level 4’s was moved up mid season to level 5- she was a second year competitor of level 4 and her mum is the parent club president. Interestingly, she was not the one who got 1[SUP]st[/SUP] place AA at states. This gym is not known for moving people mid season.
So, my question is this- should I support and encourage my dd with this goal? And if so, I assume that we would need to have a sit down with the coaches and be sure they are on board. I am not fearful that they will see me as a CGM, as I am a drop off/pick up mum who only stays if DD specifically requests that I observe a skill. There are several other gyms in the area that may be willing to work with my little one, but we are very happy with the coaches here and she enjoys her teammates. If her gym is not supportive of her goal, should I present the option of a different gym to my dd? I don’t want to be a gym jumper- and I know that the future is unwritten and we have no idea what might happen, but I want to support her in any way possible as long as she is happy and making healthy choices. Should I try to get her to drop this goal because there are so many variables?
Thanks so much for reading along this far- and thank in advance for a reply from those that do.
