Parents Hours of practice at different levels?

[kayjaybe]

Brand new to these forums and so happy to have found them!

My dd is 10 and aiming to compete level 6 this year. She completed level 5 last year (the first competitive level at our gym) and loved it.

Anyway, some of the parents at our gym think our girls are not practicing nearly as many hours as at other gyms, so I'm curious to see if that is true. Personally, I think our practice hours are just right for their age & level. I don't want her to burn out. Plus, our gym has the philosophy that "we want gymnastics to be an important PART of the girls' lives, not their whole lives." I like that.

I'm not sure of the hours at the higher levels at my gym, but would be interested to hear yours. We practice:
- Level 3 (non-competitive) - 3 hours/week (1 day @ 2 hrs/day & 1 day at 1 hr/day)
- Level 4 (non-competitive) - 4 hours/week (2 days @ 2 hrs/day)
- Level 5 - 9 hours/week (3 days @ 3 hours/day)
- Level 6 - 12 hours/week (4 days @ 3 hours/day)
- Prep-op - 12 hours/week (4 days @ 3 hours/day)

Looking forward to learning from and sharing with all of you!!

 

[clrmom]

At our gym the girls go slightly more. At level 3 - 4 hours (we do compete this level and 4), level 4- 7 1/2 hours, level 5- 10 hours and then I am not sure from there.

However, sometimes it isn't about how many hours they are practicing, but what is going on during those practice hours. For example, our coaches at level 3 seemed to have the girls waiting in line a lot, but in level 4 there were new coaches. These coaches use rotations and our girls are constantly moving/working, hardly ever in line. If a coach is using time wisely, less hours can still work.

If you are happy with your dd's progress and she and you are comfortable with the hours, that is all that matters.

 

[2020vision]

I don't have a training schedule in front of me but those numbers seem lighter than what my daughter's gym does. I believe for her compulsories she trained from 6 to 15 hours each week, depending on level. I have no idea what the prep opt girls train since we never went into that system. Our optional girls have varied hours each week and are individualized for what each girl needs. They have required hours but then sign up for optional training times depending on what extra work their coach thinks would benefit them. I think my daughter is at about 17-20 hours right now.

 

[lhmom]

That's a little lighter than what our gym does, but not much. DD is competing level 5 this season and currently trains 12 1/2 hours a week (4 days). The next level up trains 15 1/2 hours and the optionals at her gym trains 20 hours max. That seems to be the norm in our area.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

It's lighter then our gym too. We start competing L3, and my DD5 is on pre-team/L3 group. The older girls in her group will be competing in the fall, but she probably won't compete until the end of the season if she's ready. She goes 6 hours a week (3 days/2 hrs), plus open gym.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Just got the school year schedule and this is what the hours are (just started with level 3 in preparation for the change in 2013):
Level 3--6 hrs (2 days)
level 4--9 hrs (3 days)
level 5--10.5 hrs (3 days)
level 6--14.5 hrs (4 days)
level 7--15 hrs (4 days)
level 8-10--20.5 hrs (4 days)

 

[emorymom]

L3 -- 6, L4+ 8. Y team.

At DS's gym, the girls L3 goes 9, L4 goes 12, L5 goes 15. I think up to 20. I don't think the L9's go over 20.

Boys L4 and L5 go 9. Think the higher levels go 12? Don't know.

My L3 needs a lot of practice and does an outside third day of 1.5 hours of tumbling.

 

[mariposa]

I think it depends on a lot of things. My DDs gym does uptraining year round, and a lot of conditioning. As a level 4 she did 10 hours a week, as a level 5 she did 14 and as a level 6/7 (doing split season, 6 in fall and 7 in spring) she is doing 18. She has always done well at meets, repeated level 4 and 5 and has never been bored. Even during competition season, they uptrain and don't work routines a lot.

That said, a neighboring gym does a lot less and they do very well. Their focus in the months coming up to meet season (starting in summer) is routines, routines, routines and mostly level only skills. Their girls do very well in meets and as a team almost always place at the top. They do 9 hours at level 4, 10 hours at level 5 and 13 hours at level 6.

It really depends on how the time is spent and what they focus on. More is not always better. And the gym's philosophy sounds like a good one. Many kids burn out because gym takes over their lives and they have no time for other stuff.

 

[EastCoast]

My 8.5 yo DD competed prep op this past year and will be L4 this year. She trains 16 hrs per wk (4 hrs per day x 4 days per wk).
I believe our L5's and L6's are 20hrs. Still 4 hrs per day but 5 days per wk. That seems to be much more than the averages I see on this thread.

 

[gymmomof1]

At dds gym I think L 4 are 12 hr
L5/6 are 16
L7-10 are 20.5
So your gym is in the mix.

 

[wallinbl]

L4 - 7.5 (2.5h x 3 days)
L5 - 9 (3h x 3 days)
L6 - 14 (3.5 x 4 days)
L7-10 - 17.5 (3.5 x 5 days)

L4 through L10 have the same coaches (L2 and L3 have different coaches), so the schedule seems to be mostly around spreading practices across the coaches. I know some other gyms have different coaches for different levels, which would probably afford a different schedule, but in our gym, all of the coaches coach L4-L10 rather than being split up across the levels.

 

[Krystan]

Our gym is similar to yours (5 hours at 4, 9 hours at 5, 12 hours at 6), and some parents here have had similar concerns. We practice less than most other gyms in our area, but really don't do any worse at meets. The gyms that always win, at least in compulsories, are doing crazy hours like 16 hours a week L4 and up from there. I'm not sure it's worth the trade off, though those are far away anyway. I agree that it's how the time is used more than how many hours, to an extent.

 

[2gymmies]

For the summer, our 4's did 12 but they will drop down to 10 during school. The 5's do 14. We don't do 6. The 7/8s do 19. And the 9/10s do 23. It seems to be working. Like others have said it is about quality not necessarily quantity!

 

[GymBee97]

My DD
at level 4 12- 15
at level 5 and 6 15 - 18
at optional levels 20 hours (extra hours may be added during competition season)

at all levels an extra day with 4 hours is available - the optional girl are supposed to go if they can.
During the Summer Months add four hours to the above as that extra day is mandentory

 

[sglemon]

Here is ours:
L4 10.5 hrs/wk (3.5 x 3 days)
L5 and L6 12 hrs/wk (4 hours x 3 days)
L7 16 hrs/wk (4 hours x 4 days)
L8 - L10 20 hrs/wk (4 hrs x 5 days)

Plus they offer addition TOPS and Skills class on the weekend, pay as you go. You can pick up an additonal 3 hours a week at any level.

 

[ejgymmom]

We are at a Y, so I don't know if that makes a difference.. here's ours:

Level 3 - 4 or 6 hours (there are 2 groups)
Level 4 - 9 hours
Level 5 - 10.5 hours w/ optional 4th day for an extra 3.5 hrs
Level 6 - 14.5 hours

 

[Life.is.good]

Not sure of the other levels at our gym, dd is L3 and she has practice twice a week 3 hours per practice, so 6 hours a week.

 

[thefellowsmom]

So our groups aren't split directly by level, but generally it works out that it goes up each year you are on team, whether you move up a level or not until you get to optionals.

Level 3 - 6 hours
Year 1 level 4 - 9 hours
Year 2 - 12 hours (sorta second year 4/5)
Year 3 - 16 hours (sorta 56)
Optionals - 20-25 hours depending on who you are (age, skill level etc)

 

[wallinbl]

So our groups aren't split directly by level, but generally it works out that it goes up each year you are on team, whether you move up a level or not until you get to optionals.

Level 3 - 6 hours
Year 1 level 4 - 9 hours
Year 2 - 12 hours (sorta second year 4/5)
Year 3 - 16 hours (sorta 56)
Optionals - 20-25 hours depending on who you are (age, skill level etc)

That's somewhat interesting. Do they practice together, with different skill levels mixed? How do they deal with such variety of skill level in the same practice?

 

[thefellowsmom]

Sorry for being long-winded, but let me see if I can explain a little. I can't seem to just keep is short and sweet

Please keep in mind that this is just a parent perspective of what is happening based on what I see and what the coaches tell us. I really know nothing.

Generally the girls in each group are working somewhat the same skills. They adjust what is being asked for each individual girl. Each gymnast has their strengths and weaknesses and some girls are working farther ahead in one thing and not so much in another. They are really allowed to push their strengths and given the time to work out and build upon their weaknesses.

In general I have seen no issue with the difference in level as the philosophy is that all the girls should be training skills 1-2 levels up and compete where they can be successful. Competition at compulsory levels is for experience and confidence. The overall goal for everyone is high level successful optional gymnastics and hopefully college scholarships. Some will get there and some will not, but that is the goal for everyone.

An example, we had a girl who did three years of level 4 because she couldn't hold it together in competition. She would just fall apart. But then the third year it finally clicked for her and she did very well, even winning AA several times. But she has been training higher skills and has stayed with the girls who train at her skill level that whole time and it is possible that she will compete 6 or even 7 this year, just scoring out of the others. Watching her train, she looks totally ready for that.

In my daughters group they are all working toward competing level 5 this year. Some of them will compete five and some will do another year of 4 depending on what the coach feels is best for the gymnast. Some may need another year of level 4 for confidence or because they struggle with a skill or two and need more time to polish. Some may be ready after another level 4 meet or two and move to 5 mid season. Some are ready to compete level 5 right now.

Really there aren't any rules, the coaches train how they feel is best for each girl. The ambiguity has been tough for some parents and the program is definitely not for everyone. I really think it is great. My dd is one who may benefit from another year competing level 4 for a variety of reasons, but I am very reassured by the fact that if she isn't ready to compete five she will continue to work her level 5 skills and start training level 6 skills as soon as she is ready. And she will get to stay with the group of girls that she is bonded with and support her. They are amazing friends and encourage one another and are as excited about each other's successes as they are about their own.

If a girl becomes too far ahead or behind, I would have to assume they would move her to an appropriate work group, but I haven't seen this happen much.

During competition season they are still uptraining and working new skills along with working their routines.

examples of how a practice rotation may go.

So on tumbling, there may be several fundamentals stations with conditioning in between and then each will take a turn on the tramp, but one may do a back handspring and one a front or back tuck depending on what skill the coach is working with them on. The when they get a turn with the coach then they will do whatever skill each kid is working on that day. One may do a ROBHS and another may do a ROBHSBHS and another may do a ROBHSBT depending on her skill level is. The coach is always watching everyone and will make adjustments when needed on each station. It's like they have eyes everywhere (amazing).

On beam is looks like there is something they all work on and then the quicker you master it, the quicker you get to move on to uptraining whatever it is you are working on at the time. So they may be doing vertical handstands as a group and then once a girl gets good ones and can show the coach then then they can move onto working on their cartwheels or backwalkovers depending on where they are.

Floor routines get a little more complicated, but they make it work by breaking the group up into smaller groups. We have enough coaching coverage (about 6-7 to 1) to ensure that everyone is safely watched and given the individual attention she needs to be successful in this system.

Overall, it is awesome. I couldn't be more confident my dd is in the right place. That doesn't mean I don't have my frustrations, of course, but overall I am very pleased.