Grades

[xxStumpyxx]

My daughter is 9 (October), is training towards County Grades (classed as recreational grades in the some clubs and is lower than club grades).

Next year she is supposed to do her grades (first time doing them) but unfortunately we are away during that time so cannot do them. There is a chance of a retake later in the year if they can arrange that (they are looking into it). If my daughter cannot do the retake for some reason then she cannot compete grades until 2017 when she will be classed as a 11 year old. I have no issue with that as it is out of our control.

My question is, is it reasonable for my daughter to compete the same grade in 2017 as she would have done in 2016? She is doing grades that go from 1-6 and is working on grade 2 (very basic, turns and small leaps on beam, pullover, cars back hip circle and straddle undershoot on bars, floor very basic - handstand forward roll, maybe cartwheel and various leaps and turns, vault handspring flatback on low mats). My concern is that they will compete her at grade 2 in 2017 purely for the reason that she hasn't done grades before (coaches words but isn't set in stone), she trains 3 days a week.

Up until April this year she was with a different coach and training 2 days a week and was working on grade 3 (squat on bars dismount instead of straddle undershoot), cartwheel straight to 1 handed cartwheel on floor, forwards roll on beam, changed to a different group and has more hours/days. The new coaches reason for doing lower grades was that she hadn't done grades before and she wanted them all to score highly (distinction instead of pass). I was annoyed but accepted it but will be miffed after after a year of training 3 dates a week she still gets enters for grade 2. Am I crazy?

These are my daughters skills-

Beam (was her worst but now her favourite):

Straight jump
Tuck jump
Cat leap
Turns
Forwards roll (now solid)
Cartwheel (now solid on high beam)
Back was walkover on floor fat beam (new skill)

Floor
Cartwheel
One handed cartwheel
Backwards roll to various positions
Forwards roll to various position
Full turn
Half turn
Spins
Cat leap
Various other leaps and kicks
Bridge
Bridge kick over
Tic Toc
Back walkover
Front walkover
Front handspring (on trampoline)
Back handspring with a light spot
Round off back handspring with a light spot
Handstand
Handstand forwards roll
Pike fold
Pancake fold flat
All 3 splits after warming up
Swim through.

Vault
Handspring flat back
Training fly springs

Bars
Pullover (most of the time from hanging as she is short)
Casts
Back hip circle
Straddle undershoot
Squat on
Squat on catch the high bar (a few times but hasn't done them in her group lately)
Chin ups in both grips
Long hang pullover (not consistant yet as doesn't often get the chance to get on the high bar as she is short enough to hand from the low bar)
Leg lifts

Looking at her skill list and her current pathway, am I crazy to be questioning her grades entry level? My daughters wish is to train more hours (club grade level in our gym), does she have enough basic skills for this? My daughter turns up to very active, behaves, works hard, does as she is told, loves conditioning (her coach sings her praises) and has a good attitude and gets on well with her teammates.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

its very hard to reply as I have never heard of these "county grades" As you said the skills are very basic and it looks to me like a recreational programme.

I am surprised that you club was even willing to let you daughter re-sit grades later in the year, here that would never happen and if you could not attend when the rest of the club went it would be bad luck you, certainly if a gymnast is on a competitive pathway and for example the family booked a holiday during grades a lot of clubs would question the families commitment.

(I was once told by an old gym coach that they looked at the "family commitment" as a major factor when deciding which pathway to put a gymnast on).

That being said you have very little say on what grade they enter her for. The coach will look at her skills and decide which of them are "competition ready" which is completely different to what she can do.

eg, mine is starting to back tuck on beam, that wont be in her competition routine for a long time as its not "ready" yet.

She is competing 10 next year so in theory if she was on the Regional grades pathway ( the old lowest pathway in the NDP) she should be doing old Grade 12 which I think is Regional 4. Your county grades I have no idea.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

I completely understand about competition ready and as she should have been entering at grade 2 this year then I would imagine the coach thinks she is competition ready, my query is the year after - 2017.

The reason we will be missing grades is due to a holiday, the was checked with the club before it was booked and paid for, the club got the date wrong, that life and there is nothing that can be done about that.

With regards to my daughters commitment, she has been at the club nearly 6 years, development for 2 years, always on time, has had 100% attendance since April this year and works very hard. We have just suffered a family bereavement, I lost my mum last Saturday, it was unexpected and still my daughters attendance is 100% (her choice) this is a family holiday with my dad and my sister and my cousin (who has been a brick for our family during this difficult time and has been part of the caring team for my mum), so in this circumstance family time must come first.

As for the club trying to gage our commitment level, they only have to look at my oldest daughter who competes nationally and do weekends away.

Going back to grades, is it too much to hope that my daughter can be entered in a higher grade in 2017, already has the skills for that and would be competing that if she attended grades in 2016, or am I off my rocker?

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Again, its all down to the club. They will enter her where they want her and as mere bill paying parents we really have no say, its a common thread on here. We as parents have two choices, suck it up or move on. Not necessarily ideal, but that's the way it is unfortunately.

Trying to second guess what will happen 14 months from now will drive you potty, best no to go down that road.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

Again, its all down to the club. They will enter her where they want her and as mere bill paying parents we really have no say, its a common thread on here. We as parents have two choices, suck it up or move on. Not necessarily ideal, but that's the way it is unfortunately.

Trying to second guess what will happen 14 months from now will drive you potty, best no to go down that road.

Not ideal, yes it sucks, the good thing is they uptrain.

 

[coach1234]

We don't have county grades but I would have thought that they are only once a year, if your daughter misses it this year then I would have thought that next year when it's grades they will either let her do the next grade (if she's ready) or they will make her do the one she missed so she has a whole 'set' so to speak

Like I said we don't have county grades but this is what we would do within regional grades and I wouldn't worry to much about commitment if she's only doing county grades she's not at a high enough level for her 'commitment' to make a massive impact on her training just make sure she does a little bit of conditioning (ask her coach to make her a conditioning sheet for her to do so you know exactly what she needs to do and how much the coach would like her to do) while you are away so she doesn't lose her strength, this will show the coach that she really 'wants' it!

 

[xxStumpyxx]

Thanks, we are only away for the weekend so will miss two practices and my daughter will be active enough on the soft play equipment not to worry about conditioning.

What you said about the grades is how I see it, her coach will be having a chat with a higher level coach who knows more about this sort of thing so hopefully things will work out for the best.

 

[T-bean]

Sorry for your loss.

 

[Gymbee06]

We don't do county grades either sorry can't help there my dd did grade 14 in 2014 and grade 5 this year it's not until next when she is competing as a 10 year old(even though she only turned 9 today) that there's isn't a minimum age so in 2014 even if she could have done 4 grades higher in terms of skills she wouldn't have been able to having said that around here clubs seem happy to let girls skip grades

 

[xrachx]

For the county comps, I can only speak for Norfolk, but you don't have to compete one level to go onto the next. You just need to be able to hit the required skills list.

I'm still having to learn to trust the coaches to make the right decisions for DD, they know what she's capable of, what her limitations are and what is best for her overall. It's not easy though at times, but so far they've not steered her wrong (touch wood!)

 

[Jenny]

We don't do county grades either sorry can't help there my dd did grade 14 in 2014 and grade 5 this year it's not until next when she is competing as a 10 year old(even though she only turned 9 today) that there's isn't a minimum age so in 2014 even if she could have done 4 grades higher in terms of skills she wouldn't have been able to having said that around here clubs seem happy to let girls skip grades

If she turned 9 this year and had skills 4 grades higher she could have done compulsory 4 this year.

To the OP most clubs allow girls to go in at higher grades if they miss one.

 

[Gymbee06]

She didn't have the skills I was just pointing out that even if she had she would have done any higher grades and she wouldn't do comp 4 because there's only one gym around here that competes it and it wasn't ours.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

Sorry for your loss.

Thank you x

 

[xxStumpyxx]

We don't do county grades either sorry can't help there my dd did grade 14 in 2014 and grade 5 this year it's not until next when she is competing as a 10 year old(even though she only turned 9 today) that there's isn't a minimum age so in 2014 even if she could have done 4 grades higher in terms of skills she wouldn't have been able to having said that around here clubs seem happy to let girls skip grades

Happy Birthday to your daughter, it's sucks for them having a end of year birthday, especially when grades are so early in the year.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

For the county comps, I can only speak for Norfolk, but you don't have to compete one level to go onto the next. You just need to be able to hit the required skills list.

I'm still having to learn to trust the coaches to make the right decisions for DD, they know what she's capable of, what her limitations are and what is best for her overall. It's not easy though at times, but so far they've not steered her wrong (touch wood!)

Probably similar to our county grades. My daughter has the skills for the next grade up and may be the one higher, the coach has put her in lower to score well and because she hasn't done grades before.

It would make no sense to me if she competed grade 2 in 2017 , but I am not a coach so what do I know?

 

[marie83]

Our region has put our club and regional grades the same weekend as the British championships next year so all of our gymnasts are having to sit them out as we always organise a club trip to the British. We expect to put them all into the next grade up in 2017.

I'd imagine provided your daughter has the skills to do the next level in 2017 she would be allowed to move up.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

Our region has put our club and regional grades the same weekend as the British championships next year so all of our gymnasts are having to sit them out as we always organise a club trip to the British. We expect to put them all into the next grade up in 2017.

I'd imagine provided your daughter has the skills to do the next level in 2017 she would be allowed to move up.

She already does

 

[coach1234]

Does your gym give out the criteria for grades? As our parents wouldn't have a clue what their kid needed for the next grade only the one that they are currently working

 

[Faith]

Does it really make a difference in the scheme of things?

When go get stressed over these things, ask yourself if it'll ruin her chance at the olympics. If the answer is no, is it really worth the time and energy?

Grades, IMO, are for reinforcing the basics. DD will do grades this year, but only because working the range, and bars, will vastly help her flexibility and strength, and she'll have to focus on form and the little things like knees. I don't really see it as a competition, but as a step to being a better gymnast. If they don't pass, they have much more work to do on basic form before learning any new skills.

Many clubs round here don't even bother with grades.

 

[xxStumpyxx]

Does your gym give out the criteria for grades? As our parents wouldn't have a clue what their kid needed for the next grade only the one that they are currently working

I don't know, the only reason I know what is needed for grade 3 is because she was working in that in her old group and has the moves written in her book and she should have entered grade 3 in Feb this year but there was a mix up with entry dates and the gym missed it.