DD due to compete routines she hasn't learned yet

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Bobby

DD is scheduled to compete next month. It'll be her first competition this year and she's really looking forward to it.

I on the other hand am chewing my nails because she hasn't actually started learning her routines yet. This is kind of standard practise at her gym. They focus more on conditioning and uptraining and I'm happy with that.

But I could really use a happy story about someone learning their routines a few weeks beforehand and doing well anyway. :)
 
Some of the girls last season that moved up late had only a couple of weeks to learn the routines before thier first competition. None of them forgot the routines. What level is she competing? The compulsary routines build on each other so they are familiar to the girls even before they start practicing the next level routines. Also, I am pretty sure my DD had the L5 routine memorized way before she was a L5 just by watching the older girls. You will be surprised how quickly she has them down. Good luck at her meet!!
 
LOL I remember thinking "how are they going to learn the routine in such a short amount of time" when DD was L4 but they do :) As AlexsGymmyMom said compulsory routines build on each other so she will be familiar with the routine and if shes a novice L4 I am guessing she has seen the routine practiced by older girls. If she is optional, again familiarity with how routines go will make it easier to learn a routine pretty quickly.
 
I'm as concerned as you! My daughter, L5, does not know her full floor routine yet, has not done anything to music, etc., and they start competing in October. I don't think they know the beam routine fully together yet either. Let's hope they all get it quickly!
 
My older dd learned the level 6 routines less than 2 weeks before she competed them and didn't actually do a full floor routine with music until 6 days before the meet and she scored like a 35.5 all around with a fall on her squat on of all things (something not new, hee hee). As the other poster said, it really depends on the level, the jump from 5 to 6 isn't as hard to remember because the routines are so similar. Luckily the first meet isn't the last meet, so even if it isn't smooth, it can be a good start to build on for the year! Don't worry!!!
 
GL to everyones kiddos. Kadee (just L3), hasnt learned her "routines" either. But like others said she does know the L2 routine and the L3 is very similar with a tweak here, and addition there sorta thing. Right now, at least at her gym they are concentrating on getting those "elements" so ingrained in the minds and muscle memory, that when it comes time to string it all together it will be alot easier than trying to teach them the "new" things and how to put it together in a routine at the same time.
 
Do the Austrailian routines build on themselves like the USAG routines? Because that IS helpful, but I'm sure she will get it all together and do fine...it's probably not the first time the gym has readied gymnasts for comps, so they must know what they are doing-I get your nerves, though!! My dd learned her routines right away when she moved up to level 5, but then they kinda detoured away from doing them over the last two months...now they compete in a month so that's pretty much all they are doing is routines!
 
Don't worry! My daughter competed her first L5 and First L6 meet all in the same week. I was convinced she would forget or get confused about the levels or something, but she did well. She said it was not hard to remember because they are similar. I think us parents worry more.
 
Good luck to your DD :)

I have some happy stories :) My DD has competed with routines that she had only learnt 2 weeks prior, she still managed to come second AA. She was seven at the time. This year her beam routine was only completed the week prior to her first competition.
DS competed level 2 as an 8 year old, then was moved up and competed level 3 four weeks later. He learnt routines for six apparatus in that time frame with no problems. He did get slightly mixed up on floor, both routines had a handstand, but with different skills following the handstand. DS does the handstand, then the level 2 skill... realises then does the level 3 skill, he came second on floor that day.
 
It depends on the child... I had a little girl join my group two weeks before an in house comp (four practices basically) and she had the routines remembered very well by the comp. She is very driven and practised at home (I gave out sheets with the routine). One of her team-mates got nervous and forgot at the real comp, and she had been doing the routines on/off for about two months. I try to spend as little time on routines as possible at the low level, because great routines at low levels does not equal a future level ten gymnast.
It is also about getting the muscle memory to do skills correctly in a routine. I try to have the skills looking really good before teaching the routine as they tend to revert back to doing a skill poorly in the routine even when time has been spent fixing it in isolation. You also need to factor in the time in the gym. If your DD goes once a week, a month is not long enough, but if she is in 3-4 times a week she will get plenty of practice time to remember.
 
DD is too much of a beginner for me to know yet whether Australian routines build up similar content as you go up the levels? :D The next group up train at different times so the only other girls she gets to see are WAY higher up and I don't think she learns anything routine-wise by watching them.

It's good to hear that last-minute learning of routines is commoner than I would have guessed. And yes her coach and gym have done this before with many other girls so I guess it must have worked out well for most of them at least.

Thanks everyone - I'm breathing easier already. (But please don't feel shy to add another good news story if you have one!!).
 
I Australia there are only set routines or level 1-3. From level 4 each gymnast has their own individual routine on each apparatus to their own music. It just has to contain certain skills.

Happyfacegrin, if you DD is in level 1-3 then she should be okay as far as learning the routines. If she is in level 4, then thats a big concern as she has to get all her routines individually choreographed.
 
No she's still down in the compulsory levels so just has a standard set routine to learn. :)
 
. she will be fine. My dd got it in a couple of weeks so she will. As long as she has the skills the routines are the easy bit. But I know how you feel about learning late routines, I feel they leave it way to late for the little ones.
 

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