Parents L10 gymnast (The Reality Of College Gymnastics)

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ODDBALL

Proud Parent
Looking for suggestions on how to build confidence and motivatation.
There have been several elite gymnasts that are not doing elite meets anymore and just the regular competition meets. Most have been accepted by colleges already. They compete in the same competitions that a non-elite gymnast does and of course they are always on top 1st or 2nd place at all meets as they are excellent elite gymnast.
How do you motivate your gymnast to do the best and have the confidence to show the college coaches , if they are always compared to elites. These gymnast are great gymnast but most of the focus is on elites who over shadow them.
Looking for suggestions on how they can get noticed?
 
Looking for suggestions on how to build confidence and motivatation.
There have been several elite gymnasts that are not doing elite meets anymore and just the regular competition meets. Most have been accepted by colleges already. They compete in the same competitions that a non-elite gymnast does and of course they are always on top 1st or 2nd place at all meets as they are excellent elite gymnast.
How do you motivate your gymnast to do the best and have the confidence to show the college coaches , if they are always compared to elites. These gymnast are great gymnast but most of the focus is on elites who over shadow them.
Looking for suggestions on how they can get noticed?
Several? It seems like there are dozens! It is the most discouraging thing ever considering our state can barely produce a level 10, let alone an elite. Everyone keeps saying that small programs are possible, but even the "small" programs have highly competitive level 10 gymnasts on those teams in this day and age. So I would love to hear tips too!
 
In JO normal gymnast have an advantage over elites. Start value is a 10 (maybe a 10.1). But what’s the point of doing elite stuff if you can’t get an elite score.
 
In JO normal gymnast have an advantage over elites. Start value is a 10 (maybe a 10.1). But what’s the point of doing elite stuff if you can’t get an elite score.
Right, but I think the OP is talking about the elites who drop down from elite to level 10 in order to get recruited for college. I think junior/senior elites have a pretty big advantage over JO level 10s. They generally tend to be extremely high scoring level 10s when they drop to 10. I can’t think of any former junior/senior elites who were worse as level 10s.
 
It is a challenge, but always remember, you are competing against yourself, not anyone else. So in general do the best gymnastics that you can do, focus particularly on form and execution, something that elites tend to (not all) struggle with. That said, there are a few things that I can think of to try to get noticed:
  1. Have 10.0 start values on your routines. Since college scoring is based on JO code, if you are doing a 9.8 start value on something, a college coach knows they either are going to have to "coach" you to a 10.0 or you are going to be a specialist on another event that you do have a 10.0
  2. Y-full preferably Y1.5 vault
  3. E-pass on floor
As far as confidence and motivation, as I said above, worry about what you can control. Toe points, straight legs, solid landings, and CONSISTENCY. These are all things that gymnasts can do elite or not. Trust me college coaches recognize gymnasts that can do those things well.
 
This is going to sound less than encouraging but if a Level 10 competes for an NCAA program, the announcers, media and crowds will go crazy over the known "former elites" and "regular" level 10's swim upstream trying to get traction. It doesn't change, and really is magnified. Media talks 90 percent about the elites and the rest are almost afterthoughts.
 
This is going to sound less than encouraging but if a Level 10 competes for an NCAA program, the announcers, media and crowds will go crazy over the known "former elites" and "regular" level 10's swim upstream trying to get traction. It doesn't change, and really is magnified. Media talks 90 percent about the elites and the rest are almost afterthoughts.

Interesting. The elites are great but they are usually not my favorite ones to watch.
 
This is going to sound less than encouraging but if a Level 10 competes for an NCAA program, the announcers, media and crowds will go crazy over the known "former elites" and "regular" level 10's swim upstream trying to get traction. It doesn't change, and really is magnified. Media talks 90 percent about the elites and the rest are almost afterthoughts.
My oldest is headed to auburn in the fall, and my kids are all thrilled to watch your daughter compete in person. But yes, this is true. My older gymnast daughter has been through the wringer with medical issues but still has her heart set on a small program. I just don’t think this will happen coming from our state and due to the medical issues. My younger gymnast is beautiful to watch but having just returned from regionals, we just don’t have the programs here to be competitive. There are so many talented girls in this country. I feel like it boils down to how much parents are willing to sacrifice to make the gymnastics happen as well as staying relatively healthy/injury-free.
 
I feel like it boils down to how much parents are willing to sacrifice to make the gymnastics happen as well as staying relatively healthy/injury-free.
Indeed. You need talent /hard work, opportunity/access, and LUCK. Just look at how many amazing young gymnasts disappear after doing five years at one of the meat grinder gyms.
 
I've been thinking along the same lines lately. Luckily my daughter doesn't seem to be that motivated by being a gymnast in college. It does seem like the only ones that get any attention are the former elites. And they certainly deserve attention as they do amazing in level 10 and I'm sure will do great in college too. I do think they have an advantage though.. it feels kind of like a pro football player going back to high school and, predictably, dominating there. I have to think a level 10 or even college routine is not that challenging for someone that has trained elite for years and has way more advanced skills. (And yes I've heard the argument about difficulty versus form, but still.. ). But I'm not saying they shouldn't be there or shouldn't be allowed to compete in DP L10 or college after being elite, because they absolutely earned that. It's just pretty hard for the "average" level 10 to compete with. So I get where the OP is coming from completely.
 
My oldest is headed to auburn in the fall, and my kids are all thrilled to watch your daughter compete in person. But yes, this is true. My older gymnast daughter has been through the wringer with medical issues but still has her heart set on a small program. I just don’t think this will happen coming from our state and due to the medical issues. My younger gymnast is beautiful to watch but having just returned from regionals, we just don’t have the programs here to be competitive. There are so many talented girls in this country. I feel like it boils down to how much parents are willing to sacrifice to make the gymnastics happen as well as staying relatively healthy/injury-free.
Yours will LOVE LOVE Auburn...such a special place!
 
@LJL07 There are other ways to continue gymnastics in college. It’s not all NCAA.

NAIGC, club teams.

My kid has never been driven to the NCAA path for gymnastic, she never wanted to feel like gymnastics is her job. She just recently found out there are less intense gymnastics programs for gymnastics in college. She is so excited. Her college choice list now includes club gymnastics
 
@LJL07 There are other ways to continue gymnastics in college. It’s not all NCAA.

NAIGC, club teams.

My kid has never been driven to the NCAA path for gymnastic, she never wanted to feel like gymnastics is her job. She just recently found out there are less intense gymnastics programs for gymnastics in college. She is so excited. Her college choice list now includes club gymnastics
I am not 100% certain, but I think club is the equivalent of level 7 or 8? Is that wrong?

I agree with you @mom2newgymnast . It really IS like a pro athlete dropping down. There just are not enough spots on the Olympic team, so at the end of the day, the elite gymnasts are pretty much vying for spots on the top tier collegiate teams after homeschooling and pretty much devoting their whole lives to gymnastics. It seems like a crazy system, but I can't really argue that it is unfair. So yes, the "run of the mill" level 10 doesn't seem to have much of a chance in this day and age. Maybe a walk on spot?? Having just gone through the college application process with my oldest, I cannot even imagine paying out of state costs out of pocket for a walk-on spot.
 
I am not 100% certain, but I think club is the equivalent of level 7 or 8? Is that wrong?
I think the level of skill varies.

I guess it comes down to whether they want to keep doing gym or not.
 
This is going to sound less than encouraging but if a Level 10 competes for an NCAA program, the announcers, media and crowds will go crazy over the known "former elites" and "regular" level 10's swim upstream trying to get traction. It doesn't change, and really is magnified. Media talks 90 percent about the elites and the rest are almost afterthoughts.
Your daughter had such an amazing first season and I was always so sad she did not get the press she deserved in my opinion !!!
 
It is a challenge, but always remember, you are competing against yourself, not anyone else. So in general do the best gymnastics that you can do, focus particularly on form and execution, something that elites tend to (not all) struggle with. That said, there are a few things that I can think of to try to get noticed:
  1. Have 10.0 start values on your routines. Since college scoring is based on JO code, if you are doing a 9.8 start value on something, a college coach knows they either are going to have to "coach" you to a 10.0 or you are going to be a specialist on another event that you do have a 10.0
  2. Y-full preferably Y1.5 vault
  3. E-pass on floor
As far as confidence and motivation, as I said above, worry about what you can control. Toe points, straight legs, solid landings, and CONSISTENCY. These are all things that gymnasts can do elite or not. Trust me college coaches recognize gymnasts that can do those things well.
Thank you so much!!! Appreciate all the suggestions and insight you have. Awesome!
 
My oldest is headed to auburn in the fall, and my kids are all thrilled to watch your daughter compete in person. But yes, this is true. My older gymnast daughter has been through the wringer with medical issues but still has her heart set on a small program. I just don’t think this will happen coming from our state and due to the medical issues. My younger gymnast is beautiful to watch but having just returned from regionals, we just don’t have the programs here to be competitive. There are so many talented girls in this country. I feel like it boils down to how much parents are willing to sacrifice to make the gymnastics happen as well as staying relatively healthy/injury-free.
Mine was wrought with injuries as a level 10. She may have been able to secure a spot on a lower ranking D1 school but she didn't want to be so far from home. She chose D3 and it turned out to be the absolute best decision for her. A lot less pressure but still able to train and compete her L10 skills. It took a long time for her to come to terms with not being a D1 but once she did, she fully embraced it and is having the time of her life, going into her senior year in college. She 8s even studying abroad for the fall, something she would never have been able to do with most D1 schools
 
Mine was wrought with injuries as a level 10. She may have been able to secure a spot on a lower ranking D1 school but she didn't want to be so far from home. She chose D3 and it turned out to be the absolute best decision for her. A lot less pressure but still able to train and compete her L10 skills. It took a long time for her to come to terms with not being a D1 but once she did, she fully embraced it and is having the time of her life, going into her senior year in college. She 8s even studying abroad for the fall, something she would never have been able to do with most D1 schools
Several girls on my DDs team have also studied abroad! Some have been able to train in their host country.
 
Several girls on my DDs team have also studied abroad! Some have been able to train in their host country.
Mine will Train In her host country as well. That was a requirement of her coach (and really my dd wouldn't do it any other way)
 
Mine was wrought with injuries as a level 10. She may have been able to secure a spot on a lower ranking D1 school but she didn't want to be so far from home. She chose D3 and it turned out to be the absolute best decision for her. A lot less pressure but still able to train and compete her L10 skills. It took a long time for her to come to terms with not being a D1 but once she did, she fully embraced it and is having the time of her life, going into her senior year in college. She 8s even studying abroad for the fall, something she would never have been able to do with most D1 schools
It looks like D3 has gotten pretty competitive too and requires making it to nationals etc. Is that incorrect?
 

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