Parents Meet report and a beam question

[gymboymom]

I would look at it like this, now you know Jo is not an option at this gym. But she has done a year of comps right? I think you said she has all the skills but robhs to be a new L3. So assuming she got the robhs is that what she wants? Does she love comps and working hard to be in Jo? I think now is a good time to really think about what is best for your child. I do agree with the posters suggesting a gym change if you and she really wants Jo but there are many factors I would consider too. Does she like her gym, do you? Do you think the coaching is as good in excel? I would hate to have her move if trying the Jo program is the main motivator and it doesn't work out. Good luck!

 

[IreneKa]

She says she really wants it. But she is 8, so of course she doesn't realize the full level of commitment it will require.
But yes, she did a year of comps at xcel bronze. We love this gym, the coaching is good, but if she stays here, she will be doing another year of bronze, with almost the same routines, and the same 5 hours of practices. I'm mostly worries that she'll get bored. She loves challenge, and wants to work harder and more hours and learn new skills.
She can do RO and BHS separately now, but not together yet. I think she'll get it in a few more weeks, so new L3 seems like a good fit for her.

 

[MaryA]

I think there is less chance for regret if you try the JO track. It is easier to "drop back" to Excel if you find it not to be a good fit than the other way around. When you read the "regrets" posts, they seem to be all about gymnasts wishing they had started earlier or in a more serious program. Granted, I'm sure it's not a valid sample, because people who started at a very intense gym, burned out, and maybe wish they had gone a lower-intensity route probably aren't on this site. But still, I think that if your DD is an "all-gym, all-the-time" kind of girl... not doing gym plus soccer plus swimming plus cliff diving plus unicylcle riding and not wanting to give any of it up, then I'd let her take a crack at JO. I'm sure there are plenty of gyms around who would welcome an 8-year-old who has just about all of the level 3 skills already, plus some competition experience, onto their level 3 team. I know ours would!

 

[SignHere]

As far as the beam routine, I'm a JO mom, not an Xcel mom. However, she's not in releve for nearly the entire routine. Her handstand didn't look like it hit 3/4, her tuck jump wasn't tucked,band her dismount prob needs to be held at some point. All in all, I'm not surprised at the score.

And given the number of hours she practices, I'm impressed she does that well! 8 is not too old to start JO track at new level 3. You really should look at other gyms, given her coach's response. She may surprise everyone if given the opportunity to shine!

 

[alsmom]

I am also in region 6...just as a point if reference, my dd will be the only member of her new 3 team who will not be 8. It seems like a perfect time for a move if JO is what she wants!!

 

[IreneKa]

Talking about being too "pushy" from another thread. lol
I found this great gym that I really like (based on what I see on their website). I called a few times, no one answered. I left a message. Should I also send an email, or that would be too pushy?

 

[MeetDirector]

How about a personal visit? When it is your own child you are talking about, you are trying to gather as much information as possible to make the right decision. Clubs are a business - they should be wanting to share information about thier business. If they aren't, then this is a red flag.

 

[MaryA]

I think it would be fine to email. I would think you'd ideally want to switch before summer. And absolutely go visit, but you may want to visit at a time when you can see the training group your daughter would be in, and the owners may want you to make an appointment so that they will be available to answer your questions. Good luck!

 

[IreneKa]

They called me back. Yay! She said we should come to their level 2-3 practice next week, and they'll see what DD can do.
This gym sounds really good. They have teams starting with level 1. I checked the results of their state meets for levels 3 and 4, and they had a lot of girls in Junior and even Senior divisions, which tells me that they do accept older girls on their teams. She even laughed on the phone, when I said that our current gym considers DD to be too old for JO track.
They also have prop-op team, but it's very small and consists mostly of older girls at the higher levels (only two girls competed bronze this season). Which tells me that they don't push their athletes toward prep-op, but consider it an "optional" program for those who wants less intense gymnastics, just like it should be.
And geographically, it's only 5 minutes longer commute for us, no big deal.
So, keeping my fingers crossed for this to work out. Thank you to everyone who encouraged me to look for other gyms, rather than give up and stay at xcel!

 

[MeetDirector]

Congrats and Good Luck!

Just a caution - go on the visit with your eyes wide open; keep a look out for things like how big are the training groups, is there a lot of standing around, how do the coaches control thier groups, etc. Ideally, you want this to be THE place well into the future. But definitely, follow that old adage - look before you leap!

 

[MaryA]

How about their optional team? Do they have girls going up through level 10? Do their girls do well? Changing gyms just gets harder as you go along. Even if optionals seems like a million years away, it would be good to be in a place that will be able to support her for as long as far as she decides to go in the sport.

Also be sure to check out stuff like booster club, level of parental commitment, cost, etc. You want to find out as much as you can before you commit.

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

Good luck to you and your dd

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[iwannacoach]

I just had to jump in with a pep talk/advice? about choosing another gym, and a reality check.

The reality is that gyms are run like you parent your child. You have expectations, values, hopes, and fears that direct how you raise your child, while the kid down the street has a very different set of parents with their own expectations. Some families are vegetarian, others others have a mixed diet, and others subsist on take out and McD's...... all for their own reason stemming from values that work for them. I feel the same can be said about gym clubs, as they each seem to have values that suit them for reasons that suit them.

So which family is getting it right, and which gym is getting it right? For myself, my answer is any of them that has a constructive spirit that guides them to do what they do the way they have chosen to do it. In the context of 100 kids with varying goals, fitness levels, and sense of purpose, it's impractical to operate a gym club that can suit every child. There are just too many nooks and crannies that would need a team group, coach, and equipment time.

The bottom line, as a parent, is you have to go out into the community and shop for the gym that works best for your child now, and a distant future that may, or not, come to pass. This is a pretty important process because, even if your dd is not too old now, she'll likely get too old if she moves a few times to a gym that fits for a few years but fails to serve up the goods the third year. Ya see, she won't get from her point A to her point B if she has to lose a year here, and a year there. So shop well in the hopes it's the last time you need to do so.

Another reality check....... From what you're saying she want's to eat, breathe, sleep and dream gymnastics..... but you qualify that with the observation she's only 8, so, quite agreeably, who knows. The burden is, no matter what you know and when you know it, you have to be willing to travel down that same road and match her stride for stride....... so are you ready for that, or are you just going to cross that bridge when you come to it.

Really, a lot of what I've brought up is rhetorical, and meant to provoke some thoughts beyond wanting to provide for your child right now, as the actions you take in the next few weeks may hold sway over you in the future.

You've gotten some pretty good advice on this thread about switching and what to look for, and I'm sure you'll get further help if you ask for it.

Good luck to both you and your dear daughter.

 

[IreneKa]

Thank you, guys! I'm really blown away by all the support, and concerns, and advises on this board. Love this place!
Yes, I'll go there with my eyes open, and will consider carefully all the things you've warned me about.
As for their optional team, MaryA, they do have a lot of L7s, fewer L8s, just a few L9s, and no L10. But they are relatively young gym, only been around for 5 years. So, I guess the girls who started there when the gym was first opened haven't reached L10 yet. I'll ask. They do say on their web site that they teach all levels, including 10.
We'll keep looking, if we don't like this gym for some reason. I just really don't want to commute too far. Our current gym is only 8-10 minutes away, this new one is 15 minutes away. Any other gym I found is 20+ minutes away. I have an older DD, who also have a bunch of different activities, so I usually drive back and forth between the two of them.