WAG Optional Level Gymnasts Beginning Freshman Year & Burnout

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JBS

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Some of our optional level gymnasts that are beginning high school seem to be having a hard time handling it. What are everyone else's experiences with athletes as they enter high school? Besides dropping hours...which we are doing with some of them...what other advice do you have?
 
explain that they can only do gymnastics now while they are young. if they find it to much now (peer pressure, parties, friday night lights etc; ;)) and they quit let them know that i said that the overwhelming number of them will change their minds about the middle of sophomore year and attempt a comeback only to be injured because they were out to long.

be democratic. explain that they have a responsibility to themselves to train and they must prioritize the days that they take off. 598659647 football games is irresponsible to themselves. 1 or 2 are manageable. they must find balance.

also explain that gymnasts "quit" mentally approx 4786087787493 times beginning freshman year and up until around junior year. be responsible as athletes to themselves and they will learn about themselves. they barely know their own selves. and they don't know what they're capable of or where they are going unless they take responsibility as athletes and as students.

they will thank you later...:)
 
dunno...you are awesome!

You obviously know exactly where I'm at...thanks for the help!
 
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I know this differs from state to state, but in our state "cyber charters" are the latest "big thing." I'm not sure the logistics of it, because my DD is only in 6th grade, but I know that most of the HS optionals, while attending public school, take some of their classes via cyber charter. I think they all take phys ed through cyber charter or through a "contract" program with their school... basically, they log their gym hours and do some other projects on their own. Some also take things like "health" or whatever through cyber charter. This allows them to fit these classes into their busy schedule (sometimes in the summer). It either gives them more study hall time during the school day to get work done or allows them to come to school late or leave early. Finding a healthy balance between school/gym/sleep/friends is already not easy in 6th grade... I can't imagine what it will be like in a few more years, if she sticks with it. If she does, I see us making use of the "cyber charter" option for some classes. I wouldn't feel comfortable home schooling or going the cyber charter route just so that she'll have more time for gym, but I certainly wouldn't mind her taking health class or drivers ed or music appreciation or whatever online so that she gets a majority of her homework done at school and can get a good night sleep.
 
Good advice Dunno. The hc at dds gym requires all L7s and up quit all other sports, regardless of age. It has been a sore talking point with some parents but I agree with the reasoning behind it - particularly the increased risk of injury and decreased rest time when other sports are involved.

When jbs posted, I assumed it was in terms of school workload. I hadn't even thought of the extra-curricular activities. Most of dds teammates handle school and gym fairly well but we have only a couple optionals in highschool. The rest are middle school.
 
I think it all comes down to a matter of priority and deciding that this sport is the passion for which you want to sacrifice everything else.

90% of dd's lvl 9/10 optional team are HS sophomore's. They have to be extremely well organized to make maximum use of thier available study time. For the most part, they have no other school activities except for maybe dance, and they don't have social lives. They are at the gym 4 hours a day (immediately after school), 6 days a week. I would hazard a guess, that the majority of these athletes are also very good students (I know mine is).
 
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It is the concept that they can't even come to practice if there is a football game or dance that day...have to get the hair and nails done.
 
and maybe there are only a couple optionals in high school because he forces them to quit everything else before high school. you have to have balance. and kids should be able to participate in other sports/eca's to a degree. each kids is different. better to lead them to water...and wait for them to drink. otherwise you risk drowning them right out of the sport.:)
 
I haven't posted in a really long time, but just wanted to chime in here. Dunno, as usual, has it down to a science. My dd is not a rock star gymnast. She works hard and is a middle of the packer. She is a L9, 10th grader. She switched to an extremely challenging private school last year. She never did much to be part of her school. This fall she made Varsity Football Cheerleading (gasp, I know). It was a real challenge for her. Academics and Gym and Cheer. We went through some ups and downs. She did not LOVE cheer like she LOVES gymnastics. She did it for the experience. It worked for her because her football games are Saturday afternoons for the most part. Practices were before gym. It really pushed her and made her question if she wanted to do gymnastics anymore. But she adjusted to the rigorous schedule. I am very proud of her. She not only cheered, she made high honors and has reaffirmed her committment to gymnastics. Her gym has been closed due to Hurr. Sandy. When I dropped her off today, she opened the front door and said GOD I MISSED THIS!!! lol this is the girl who wanted to quit about 6 weeks ago. Life is all about balance, the trick is finding it.
 
All of what has been said is true but sometimes when they get to be that age, for whatever reason, they just want out. I've seen some highly successful gymnasts do it ...gymnasts we've gone to JOs with one week, leave the sport the next...and never look back...some went on to do other sports (usually track or diving), others decided just to have a regular HS experience. It all depends what feels right for the kid...
 
What's your practice schedule? Is there way to change the days or times so Friday is off or ends earlier, but you still have equivalent training hours?
 
I think alot of coaches see "outside" sports, eca's, and "gender centric" social functions (school dances, parties) as a threat to their ability to keep, train, and make great, their gymnasts, and prohibit them to help kids keep their eye on the brass ring. This type of philosophy's great if you know how to make the horse drink the "Koolaid".

I personally think banning activities is fruitless. Kids that want to be somewhere else while they're at the gym will usually drag down the group atmosphere, and I can't say I blame them. I think it's much better to help them understand the importance of working hard as blazes when they can, and that you have to "have a little fun" to have the energy to make that happen.

Some kids "fizzle" more from "the big deal" we make out of "the commitment" than they do from the demands of the sport. I've been amazed over the years at the number of kids who only want the choice to be their's, and given that choice they choose to come to the gym rather than the eca. Kinda figures really....if you let them choose......they have passion for the sport, and if you don't give them a choice....they become less passionate because their passion can't be demonstrated by the choices they make.
 
Honestly, I think the urge to skip practice and go do other things is healthy. It is a sign gymnastics hasn't crushed the life out of them yet. But, obviously, giving in to that urge too often is detrimental. There are some things you can do to encourage attendance: make practice fun, give them Friday nights off, put strength in the middle of practice (or else they will come late or leave early all the time). I've noticed that people who hate beam tend to be late a lot when we have beam first, so perhaps varying event rotations could encourage attendance. Change things up a bit...we get so bored doing the same warm up and the same strength list day after day after day. We don't necessarily want it to be easier, we just want something different.


I know so many girls who quit in middle school as level 8s/9s and now want to come back to gymnastics, and you probably have similar stories at your gym. So they can serve as an example to show these girls that 1. a lot of people who quit really regret it and 2. you lose a lot of ground by taking a year or two off.
 
I agree with those that suggested Friday nights off. Our optionals (really L6 and up) get Friday nights off and don't need to be in till 11 on Saturdays. Our gym doesn't ban other sports or activities either. But then again, I don't think our optionals do enough hours. It's a tough balance to make sure the girls don't burn out.
 
I agree with those that said to give them Friday nights off. Our optionals (actually L6 and up) get Friday night off, and don't have to come in till 11 on Saturdays. Our gym does not ban other sports or extra-curricular activities. Then again, our optionals don't do enough hours, in my opinion.
 
It is the concept that they can't even come to practice if there is a football game or dance that day...have to get the hair and nails done.

I think you need to ask your girls what they want out of the sport (gymnastics). Everyone is looking for a different outcome and if your girls want to just have a competitive gymnastics experience, then they probably don't care about missing practice to get their hair done for a dance or going to a game. If they want to compete in college or try to obtain a scholarship, then I'd question their decisions. If you push girls who just want the experience, that is when they will quit. If your girls are looking to compete in college or try to obtain a scholarship, then you need to let them know that their commitment level is not on target for this.

My dd is a junior in HS and aspires to do gymnastics in college. She is trying to obtain a scholarship, but that part is still up in the air. She has missed dances due to competitions, she will miss her junior prom, most likely her HS senior class trip, but should not miss her Senior Prom. But, she will do things that most of her class mates will never do. It's a trade off and it must be her choice.

See what your girls really want and go from there.
 
and maybe there are only a couple optionals in high school because he forces them to quit everything else before high school. you have to have balance. and kids should be able to participate in other sports/eca's to a degree. each kids is different. better to lead them to water...and wait for them to drink. otherwise you risk drowning them right out of the sport.:)

Not the case in our gym. It's a small, growing program. In the next 2 yrs we will have several more optionals in high school. It just takes time to grow. While it's always hard to predict, most of the middle school L7-8 will stay on through high school. All the girls take time off to go to special dances and to occasional football games. They don't give up their lives, but when you are trying to do middle/high school sports, something is going to suffer, and usually it's gymnastics because you simply can't continue to progress well when you're only showing up 3x a week.

I should have also clarified that the girls have the choice of competing only high-school level, which is a good option for those now wanting to be in the gym 5 days a week. They practice with the rest of the team, just don't come in as much and don't progress as quickly.
 
What's your practice schedule? Is there way to change the days or times so Friday is off or ends earlier, but you still have equivalent training hours?

We actually don't even train on Friday's...only the compulsories do. Optionals train Mon - Thurs and Saturdays. We are flexible in the fact that we allow them to make up on Fridays if they need to miss another day. The optionals are able to come in anytime from 3:00 pm - 7:15 pm to get their work done.

We are having a hard time getting them to understand that what is on paper for the schedule really means nothing...it is about getting done what they need to get done as an individual. If they miss Tuesday because had something that was super important...come in Friday for a couple of hours to get the work done. We don't want them to come in and miss a football game...just make gymnastics important enough to come in from 3:00 - 5:00 pm...hit the mats...then go home and be ready for the game at 7:00 pm.

We do not ban any activities...we are flexible in the fact that there are many other hours during the week that they can come in and workout if they miss their regular hours. I'm just starting to wonder if I am shooting myself in the foot offering these flexible options...it's only been a couple of months...but they are just not understanding it yet.
 
Some kids "fizzle" more from "the big deal" we make out of "the commitment" than they do from the demands of the sport. I've been amazed over the years at the number of kids who only want the choice to be their's, and given that choice they choose to come to the gym rather than the eca. Kinda figures really....if you let them choose......they have passion for the sport, and if you don't give them a choice....they become less passionate because their passion can't be demonstrated by the choices they make.

The bold...yes...that is what I feel is going on.
 

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