Parents new to sport with 8yo, which gym?

[tortuga]

My DD started gym about one year ago. She quickly moved from rec to rec team to preteam. She looooves it and wants to "go to Olympics" -- and we've discussed that path - that there's a LOT of decisions and goals between here and there, including giving up a lot of other things. She's currently all-in without hesitation, and after deep thought. At her current program she is the top girl and is expected to start competing Fall of 2014 and to that end is working on the routines.

While we love the gym where we are at, their goal is "whole family" and to hopefully get girls to the level where they can get scholarships to college. We have three other gyms in reasonable distance and are exploring a move. We have talked with two of the gyms (one had a Olympic member in recent memory) and the philosophies are "strong bodies" at one and "precise technique" at the other. The former has said they would take her, the latter we haven't met with yet but have eval scheduled. The latter has expressed concern about her age, being too old.

Beyond further evaluation of the coaching staff and culture of the gyms, what should we be looking at to help her make a decision on where she can continue to excel and follow her dream? Could we reasonably stay where we are to start competitions since she's happy with the girls/coach/philosophy and then move in a year or two if she's still on track and committed? or are we better (given her age?) moving to another gym now that professes wanting to reach her greater goals?

Thanks!

 

[3LittleGymmies]

Only a handful of girls make it to the Olympics, ever. I am not saying that your daughter won't or shouldn't dream big. My gymmie wants to go to the Olympics, too. In the beginning, I wanted her to be at a "tough" gym where she would advance quickly and be trained "hard" so that she could go really far in the sport. Now that she is a little older, I have come to my senses (haha) and have realized that gymnastics is just part of who she is. She is now at a gym that recognizes this. They still push the girls and they still want the girls to do well and go as far as they can, but they also truly care about each gymnast's well-being and success in life, both in and out of gymnastics and I think that's a healthy approach. We have discussed that it's okay to shoot for the stars but that the odds of her making it to the Olympics are very low even if she is amazing, because there are so many amazing gymnasts. We have discussed other options.. scholarships, college, coaching, etc. and how those things may be more attainable, and she is equally excited about those options. Now all of that aside.. when you say that your daughter will start competing next year.. start competing what level?

 

[gymmomtoo]

What level will she be competing next fall? And when you say the one gym will take her--at what level will they take her?

 

[tortuga]

The gym that has seen her would place her in their top preteam with the intent she would move to team in Spring and compete next Fall. The gym we haven't seen yet is more circumspect in our conversations.

I assume she would start competing at Level 3... I assume (I'm clueless here) that all girls must start at the bottom and work up? Your questions seem to suggest she could start at a higher level if she were prepared? I've no gym background so this is all new to me!

 

[IreneKa]

Your questions seem to suggest she could start at a higher level if she were prepared?

Or lower. Some gyms start competing at level 2 or even 1.

 

[Quadqueen]

if they would place her in preteam now I wouldn't expect her to compete higher than level 3 next fall. what is the lowest level they compete?

 

[tortuga]

oh! no, all these gyms start at the new Level 3

 

[3LittleGymmies]

9 at Level 3, 10 at Level 4, 11 at Level 5, 12 at Level 6, 13 at Level 7, 14 at Level 8, 15 at Level 9, 16 at Level 10.. and that's without repeating any levels, which would be rare. From what I have read on CB, gymnasts typically need at least 3 years at Level 10 to get "good enough" to be considered for a college scholarship. Olympians are beyond Level 10, they are "Elite".. which comes after Level 10, but is certainly not as easily attainable as going from Level 9 to 10, for example.. it's more like going from Level 5 to Level 10 and takes a while.. just from what I have read. Again.. I am not saying anything is impossible or that your daughter shouldn't dream of going to the Olympics. But I would probably consider a lot of other factors in a gym before determining which could get her on a track to the Olympics.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

To answer your question... of course, if your daughter is exceptionally talented, there is the potential to skip levels.. but not every gym is willing to do that.. some flat out won't do it ever. If she is in pre-team now, I don't think that she could get all of the skills that she would need to skip new Level 3 (especially if she doesn't even have Level 3 skills yet) in time to go to new Level 4 (old Level 5).. as new Level 4 has fast choreography, a double back hand spring, front handspring, back walk over, back extension roll, back hip circle, low bar and high bar kip, cartwheel on beam, front handspring vault, etc. Just my opinion.

 

[tortuga]

this is what I want to know! thank you, keep it coming. This sport is new to our family so I have no history to rely on and am trying to learn what I need to help her be happy with her choices.

Based on current rules (16 to compete at Olym) she would be too young in 2020 so has more time than if she were just a few month older. She is working on some Level 4 skills, but the team is concentrating on Level 3 right now.

But I would probably consider a lot of other factors in a gym...

Got a list? We're looking at team fit, coach style, gym ambiance... as well as path to success. Like I said at the start, she *is* happy where she is, but is it better to be the top girl and have (maybe) fewer chances for challenge or be in the mix and getting more pushing by both girls and coach?

 

[skschlag]

I think one thing to look at is whether the gym uses a one-size-fits-all approach, or looks at each child individually. Some gyms have rules that kids must repeat levels, others will move kids as needed. Since she is a little older with lots of dreams, you woudl want to find a gym that is willing to move her at her pace, not at a predetermined pace.

Also, really, the biggest thing is that she like the coaches and is comfortable in that gym. You could find the "best" gym in the area, but if she doesn't get along with the coaches, it will not be a good fit for her. She has to be happy and comfortable. Gymnastics is a hard sport, physically and mentally, and even emotionally, so having that comfort level for me is key.

 

[emorymom]

This is an example of moving rapidly through the levels with high hours. From what I can tell, she competed about the equivalent of New 2 the spring she was 7, New 3 the fall she was 7, and then she entered a high-hours pre-elite day program and tested rapidly through to about Level 8 the fall she was 8. However, I think she's now on hiatus. I show you this just so you understand that it is POSSIBLE and if she is willing to train hard enough and has sufficient ability AND a gym with this orientation, she is not constrained to one or two levels a year and could catch up with the kids who started earlier moving at a slower pace than this slightly younger girl.

 

[gymmom8772]

This is an example of moving rapidly through the levels with high hours. From what I can tell, she competed about the equivalent of New 2 the spring she was 7, New 3 the fall she was 7, and then she entered a high-hours pre-elite day program and tested rapidly through to about Level 8 the fall she was 8. However, I think she's now on hiatus. I show you this just so you understand that it is POSSIBLE and if she is willing to train hard enough and has sufficient ability AND a gym with this orientation, she is not constrained to one or two levels a year and could catch up with the kids who started earlier moving at a slower pace than this slightly younger girl.

 

[gymmom8772]

When did she go on hiatus? Do you mean she is doing gymnastics at all?

 

[gymmom8772]

* Not doing

 

[mouey77]

This is an example of moving rapidly through the levels with high hours. From what I can tell, she competed about the equivalent of New 2 the spring she was 7, New 3 the fall she was 7, and then she entered a high-hours pre-elite day program and tested rapidly through to about Level 8 the fall she was 8. However, I think she's now on hiatus. I show you this just so you understand that it is POSSIBLE and if she is willing to train hard enough and has sufficient ability AND a gym with this orientation, she is not constrained to one or two levels a year and could catch up with the kids who started earlier moving at a slower pace than this slightly younger girl.

Am I the only one who feels sort of exhausted watching the video of this child? Even though she is amazing. I'll bet she missed a lot of movies, birthday parties, and family vacations.

I see nothing wrong with dreaming of the olympics, but it is so statistically improbable that I would hate to see my child sacrifice an entire childhood over it. I second 5g1b advice above.

 

[LizzieLac]

Moving quickly through the levels is certainly possible. We have had girls do old 4/5 in one year and then old 6/7 the next year. One started gym at roughly the same age. So it is possible.

I am not sure others agree with me, but I don't think she needs to be at a gym that trains elites until you have a reasonable sense that she is gifted in the way I described above. If she likes the gym she at and they have relative success in the JO system, you might be fine to leave her there for a few years until you have a betteer sense of her ultimate potential.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

Yes, it IS possible for sure with a very talented gymnast who is at a gym that is open to doing this.. but I wouldn't say that it's the "norm" at all. It seems much more likely that an average/even above average gymnast will take one year to compete each level, possibly repeat a level or two, and possibly skip one level at some point at the majority of gyms. For example, my daughter had a great old Level 4 season last year.. AA's around 38. She is doing new 4 this year and she is in an advanced group where they do a LOT of up-training.. but the purpose isn't really for them to skip levels, it's for them to be really great and refined at that level when they get to it so that they can not only do well, but not have to repeat levels.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

And for another example.. one of my daughter's friends at her old gym is 8 years old. She did Level 4 one season at 6, Level 5 the next at 7, and is now in Level 7. That gym does NOT traditionally allow gymnasts to skip levels, but this particular gymnast is VERY talented.

 

[Natasha]

Since she is just starting out, as long as she is at a gym that focuses on strong basics, lots of conditioning, and tailoring to individual needs, there is no need to move at this time, IMO. At the level she is at and with just starting a year ago, the training at this point I would think would be the same for the goals of elite or J.O. level 10. For a beginner gymnast as long as she is having fun, getting solid foundation, good conditioning, and nothing squelches her passion, she will get what she needs from most solid programs. I know it is hard to take it one step at a time, but, until a coach tells you that she has exceptional talent to make it in the elite world, it is best as a parent to just make sure she is in a program where she is thriving, growing, and most of all really enjoying all of the experience- and enjoy the ride. You could search some threads on CB regarding Elite gymnastics and what it takes, how to know if your dd has a shot, etc. Really, until your dd starts doing some of the higher level skills it is hard to know if she will have the talent and mental toughness to do it.