WAG Is it common to have a large difference in skill within a group?

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gymhorsemom

Proud Parent
My DD is staying in pre team for another year b/c she hasn't gained the last couple of skills necessary to move to team. Other than the last couple of skills she's very much on par with those moving up. The kids in her new group are mostly way behind my DD in skill -they have all moved from a beginner 1/per week class in the past couple of months. Many of them can't fully kick up into a handstand or do a round-off. My DD pretty much has her back handspring (v light spot), and has been holding a handstand for a few seconds for over a year now. She's also looking great with the lvl 3 floor routine (just leaving out ROBHS). While I can see how the entire new group is together b/c all will train for level 3 for the following fall I am very concerned that my DD won't be challenged in this new group. Should I be concerned about this or can coaches find ways to challenge the more advanced members of a group? She's been doing so well in the more advanced group.
 
It will all depend on the gym and the coaches. At our gym, if a girl has a skill and it is solid, competition ready, she will "show" the skill on her first turn, then she will move to the next progression (no matter what the rest of the group is doing).
For example, on Bars, we have some girls that still need help on the pullover... while others can do a pullover. Those that HAVE the pullover work on BHC or FHC or Middle Circle. One girl is CLOSE to the entire L3 Bar routine (a little trouble on the Middle circle sometimes), so on her turn, she does the full routine - this doesn't take any longer than anyone else's turn because they all do multiple attempts each turn.
 
There is so much to perfect within a skill as well. Even if she can do good casts on the bar she still can work on making them higher and prettier. In competition it's not if you can do skill or not it's how technically correct the skill it. There is so many details involved in each element. Evens pullover require a lot of details. Those details are determine who gets first place in competition :)
 
The pre-team group I coach is a pretty big mix. Kids who have basically all of their skills to be meet ready, kids who are super close but have some kinks to work out, and some who are plugging alone but missing a good number of skills. They all work the same strength, flexibility, routines, and dance as well as working towards the same "big" skills (what they need to compete) but there is a lot of variation in how that looks among kids. Some of them are working on the details- connecting routines, presentation, little tweaks here and there as well as attempting some new skills. Other kids are doing supplemental drills to get them closer to where they need to be. Each kid is different, and while I have the same end goal of getting them meet ready by approximately the same time, how that looks for each one of them is very different.
Depending on your gym, they might have a very individual plan for your daughter, addressing the areas that kept her from moving up while still keeping her challenged and learning new things that others in the group might not be ready for. However, some gyms are really stuck in working with groups as a whole, which might not be all bad. Look at it as a chance for your DD to really refine the basics.
As a coach, I am happy to talk with parents about my plans for their child and where they stand, so if you are curious about their plan for her, feel free to ask. There is a big difference between merely asking what their plan is for your child and telling a coach what you think needs to be done with their child!
 
my Dd has been on a team with 13 girls. they all came on the team with different skills. the coaches have been working with the girls and from what I have observed some girls have the majority of their skills and the rest of the girls are still working towards them. the coaches modify for individual gymnasts. some girls get extra spotting while some girls are expected to do their skills without spots. As long as your dd has coaches that modify for individual strengths she should be good to go. At the end of the spring season dd and about 7 girls will be split up and one group will go on one team and the rest of the girls will go on pre-team.
 
I think you have to give the coaches a chance. DD's coach does a really excellent job working each girl at her own level.
 
At my dds gym, they are grouped. Based on their skill level or ability to perform it. But it does take some time for the coaches to group them. So yeah, give them some time.
 

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