WAG Mother of a 10 yr old Level 8....to be elite or no?

[Natasha]

Best wishes to your daughter on her continued journey and let us know how it goes!

 

[Committed]

Yeah...... but they do it with a higher level of originality, difficulty, and execute the "move" with remarkably clean lines.

It's true!! My very skilled 3 year old male gymnast ALWAYS has to try BOTH nostrils before getting a good booger. Then it goes right to the couch. He misses the carpet "dismount" every time!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

bwhahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iwannacoach]

It's true!! My very skilled 3 year old male gymnast ALWAYS has to try BOTH nostrils before getting a good booger. Then it goes right to the couch. He misses the carpet "dismount" every time!

Well it's just like anything else. To do your best you have to really get "into it" and reach the very depths your inner "spirit."

 

[bookworm]

Thank you everyone for your advice. We talked with our DD last night and told her we will let her train this summer with the elite girls and evaluate in Sept to confirm if she enjoyed it. We told her that if she wants to continue down this path we will give her one full year to really go for it and then have another sit down to reconfirm she is still on board with the process. She was beyond thrilled. Our biggest goal is to make sure she understands that if she decides she wants to just go to elvel 10 we are happy either way.

My only caveat with this is to really look deep down and asks yourselves (I'm assuming you and your husband) if you truly will be "happy either way" if she "decides she wants to just go Level 10"...I speak from experience on this..my daughter did elite for a short while and then decided she didn't like it (it's COMPLETELY different from JO) and wanted to drop back to do "just" Level 10...I was ok with that but my husband was not and never was ...he felt that if she had the talent to do elite then she should and shouldn't be "allowed" to do Level 10. It really hurt their relationship and for that alone, I regret ever wading into the elite waters. She was a mighty fine Level 10, JOs every yr , won at JOs , is on a full gymnastics scholarship at at great D1 school so it wasn't like she "needed" elite to succeed but that's how my husband saw it, and her. They've repaired their relationship somewhat but my daughter will, every once in a while, make the comment "why was elite so important to Daddy?"

I guess my advice would be that if you truly think that even if she made the National team and was getting assignments but then a yr or two down the road , decided she wanted to do JO level 10 , and you BOTH would be ok with that , then go for it but if their would even be a shred of resentment, I would avoid it like the plague...

 

[gymdog]

I guess my advice would be that if you truly think that even if she made the National team and was getting assignments but then a yr or two down the road , decided she wanted to do JO level 10 , and you BOTH would be ok with that , then go for it but if their would even be a shred of resentment, I would avoid it like the plague...

GREAT point.

 

[LemonLime]

It looks like you are in Texas. Texas state law mandates that the kids can do alternative schedules. The top teams at Texas Dreams and Woga, for instance, have perhaps 75% of their kids in public or modified school. The only glitch is for kids on national team because the absence rule is somewhat inflexible. Even with kids on national team, I can think of some in public school who attend a modified schedule through a local school + TXVA. At age 10, there is no reason why you should have to pick between homeschool and public school unless your coaches have challenging gym schedules that other gyms do not.

There are many gyms in Texas that "train elite." If your gym consistently (year after year, multiple children) has elites at Classic and Visa, then it's a great time to try out the new training group this summer. I think many talented kids reach Level 10 by the time they are 13 and there are many 10 year old Level 8s. Three of the kids going to JO nationals this year from region 3 are barely 11 years old. The Level 8 AA Champion for Jr. A with a near 39 is 9 or barely 10. The place most children are ahead is beam and the place they are most behind is bars. If you have a bar worker, then particularly go for it. In the end, the point is to have a great coach who knows how to build elite routines compositionally and keep the execution as high as the start value. If they can do that, and want your child to train in that group, there is no harm trying it out. If it doesn't work, then you can always switch back to a different schedule.

As for injuries, watch the elbows. Younger gymnasts that start training repulsion (like a pogo stick) vaults, beam dismounts and beam skills with great power are at high risk for OTD in their elbows. It tends to strike those age 10-12 years old. Also, make sure your gym has resi landings for tumbling and trains tumbling on all surfaces. Those softer surfaces will save her back in the future.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

i think you meant OCD?

 

[GymBee97]

this is a VERY COMMITED track in gymnastics. Not just the gymnast has to be on board here. The parents and basically the whole family have to be on board as well. For everyone it has to be the first choice of the thing to do above family events, above friends activities, above sleepovers, siblings activities, etc. With that said I think I would allow my child to try it. Also going elite most will home school as the number of hours in the gym will make it such so that is really the only option that she has if she is going down this track so another big commitment from the parents. The gyms usually have something set up to help the elites achieve the school requirements. There is a huge financial aspect to this as well - so if the resources are there for her to do it then it can't hurt to try it. Its not a decision we can make for you or even suggest for you - its a decision that your family not just the gymnast will need to make.

 

[Enjoy Watching]

It looks like you are in Texas. Texas state law mandates that the kids can do alternative schedules. The top teams at Texas Dreams and Woga, for instance, have perhaps 75% of their kids in public or modified school. The only glitch is for kids on national team because the absence rule is somewhat inflexible. Even with kids on national team, I can think of some in public school who attend a modified schedule through a local school + TXVA. At age 10, there is no reason why you should have to pick between homeschool and public school unless your coaches have challenging gym schedules that other gyms do not.

There are many gyms in Texas that "train elite." If your gym consistently (year after year, multiple children) has elites at Classic and Visa, then it's a great time to try out the new training group this summer. I think many talented kids reach Level 10 by the time they are 13 and there are many 10 year old Level 8s. Three of the kids going to JO nationals this year from region 3 are barely 11 years old. The Level 8 AA Champion for Jr. A with a near 39 is 9 or barely 10. The place most children are ahead is beam and the place they are most behind is bars. If you have a bar worker, then particularly go for it. In the end, the point is to have a great coach who knows how to build elite routines compositionally and keep the execution as high as the start value. If they can do that, and want your child to train in that group, there is no harm trying it out. If it doesn't work, then you can always switch back to a different schedule.

As for injuries, watch the elbows. Younger gymnasts that start training repulsion (like a pogo stick) vaults, beam dismounts and beam skills with great power are at high risk for OTD in their elbows. It tends to strike those age 10-12 years old. Also, make sure your gym has resi landings for tumbling and trains tumbling on all surfaces. Those softer surfaces will save her back in the future.

In regards to the schooling… I have inquired several times and the school will not modify her schedule until 6 grade. She will be going into 5 grade next year so we have a year and a half before they will work with us. Our coaches strongly prefer you do homeschool so they have the one on one time with them in the mornings vs having the entire gym in the afternoon. We are still debating this option but I think if we did it we will only do 5 grade.

Thanks for the information. Yes they have defiantly asked we allow her to train in the elite group so they can work new skills. She started this week and is enjoying it. They are doing some higher bars skills i.e. paks? And double back dismounts. However to your point, she is not in my mind a strong bar worker. Her form is beautiful and her lines often get complimented….HOWEVER she has a fear of bars so she does not acquire the skills as fast as some of her team mates. In regards to beam she’s by far the best beam worker for her age in the gym. She has acquired all level 8 and 9 skills so far. They have had her start doing the elite compulsory routines on beam for practice. It is shocking to me how she can have such a fear of bars and is almost fearless on beam? Do you often see this?

Thank you for the tip on elbows…I did ask and our coach said they do resi landings.

 

[Enjoy Watching]

I agree. I think where she will have a difficult time is when my younger son has events. We have told her when he has games and what not we will be with him watching and help support him. We have also explained that she will have a lot of alone time at the gym with out us there. She seemed to be on board with all of it when we met...now we will see as time goes on.

One thing that does work in her favor is she really does not hang out with many girls from school, all her friends are gym friends. She actually has begged us to let her do the homeschool for at least 5th grade so she does not have to attend her current school.

 

[LemonLime]

I think your school is incorrect with its interpretation of their obligations, but I can appreciate that it's challenging to get them to understand. The traditional elite gyms in Texas train in the mornings and afternoons, but the girls are still able to attend live school.

Level 9 bar skills are shootovers or paks plus a double tuck bar dismount. Elite compulsory bar skills would be two KipCasthandstands (straight body) connected to two circles (such as toe hand and stalder hand) connected to a pirouette, plus blind/front giant/front giant/pirouette. Elite optional required elements are single-rail release, uphill, downhill, 360, reverse grip skill.

Level 9 beam skills would be some sort of bonus (such as switch leap/C or bhs/blo) plus a full dismount. Elite optional beam required elements would also include a salto series, front or side D acro, four acro on top of the beam, 2.5 or double tuck beam dismount and three dance elements.

Your daughter is at the perfect age and level to gain considerably from one-on-one attention in the mornings, especially on bars. So long as she's in good hands with her coach (both in his/her abilities to coach and ability to control appropriate repetitions and surfaces), it should work well.

 

[Enjoy Watching]

Thanks for the info. I have seen the elite compulsory routines only a few times from the other girls in the gym. I think she will do well. I think if she decides this is not for her it will be due to bars. Her coaches are very patient with her and are aware of her fear for bars. We are very lucky that they allow her to go slower with bar training and understand it takes her a bit longer due to her fear. The great thing about it her form is so pretty that they laugh and say it is usually worth the wait.

Do you all often see a gymnast who is fearful of bars and no fear at all on beam? If find it so odd given I think I would be more fearful of beam???

 

[GymMomK]

Sounds like you have a very talented daughter
Fears are a strange thing! My daughter has a fear of her bhs bhs series, but will do her leap back tuck series on the beam without hesitation.
I'm sure with more practice on bars her confidence will grow and her fear will lessen!

 

[raenndrops]

In regards to her age, just remember Gabrielle Douglas was a Level 4 at the age of 8... and she ended up doing ok for herself in the Olympics I say to go for it!

 

[LemonLime]

There are different types of fear. If you land on your head on something, you may fear it. If you are training over your level or have poor technique (i.e., you keep your head out on everything on bars and therefore cannot learn a blind/front giant easily), then you may have fear based on certain types of skills or events. Generally speaking, however, fear in gymnastics is a natural response to a certain types of stimuli. It's rare that a child has fear issues on only one event and - over the years - a child with fears may go through dips and highs with anxiety over different skills on different events. Fear can be frustrating, but learning coping mechanisms can be empowering. So long as the child isn't paralyzed by fear or anxiety, fear is simply something to overcome like lack of flexibility, systemic injuries, etc.

 

[Shawnjohnson]

I am not a mom but I am an elite age 10

 

[bogwoppit]

I am not a mom but I am an elite age 10

Banned for so many reasons.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

bwahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!

 

[iwannacoach]

Geez..... I was just about ready to "come out" and reveal my heretofore secret identity. But now? No way! I mean, if you can ban my dear, sweet, twin sis.... err, uh, I mean some poor random past Olympian and American hero, I'd last an internet nano second under the scrutiny of an astute nine year old........