WAG Practice times

[profmom]

I've been at meets where some levels competed in different sessions, and the host gym definitely took the strength of the gyms into account in assigning them to sessions. At one recent meet, my DD's seventh place AA score would have put her in third if she'd been in the other session. I think that's a pretty good way of handling it if the meet is big enough.

 

[munchkin3]

I think at L5 there is a wide variety. We are in the lower amount at 12 hrs.
It bumps up to 15 after that. We have a small program so it works out fine.
Frankly, everyone at our gym is SO grateful that our kids get very very good scores at competitions without having to put in super long hours.

For the kids who are outliers, they usually end up going to more intense gyms. out of the 5 girls who left in the past 7 years, 5 are out injured, and 2 are very successful L10s.

Whatever works.

 

[juliasmom]

Only other note is that more hours isn't necessarily better. It's about how the quality of the practice (which means coaching and equipment). Our gym is on the lower end of hours and still manages to place as a team at states at many levels.

We've competed against the gyms with the crazy hours and it often makes a difference. However, I worry some about overuse injuries with little ones in those environments. Part of it is lifestyle choices and smart coaching. I thought I remembered reading that Shawn Johnson only trained around 20 hours a week up to the elite level. May not seem fair, but a talented gymnast can do a lot with lower hours.

I know that this is definitely true. We have one girl at our gym (also a level 5) who is awesome. She only comes to practice about 4 hours a week. She usually scores 1st all around on every event no matter who we compete against (37 or higher all around usually). It just comes naturally to her. She can do anything the first time she tries with correct form. I wonder what she would be like if she practiced even 12 hours a week. Her mom told me the other day that she wants to quit gym because she doesn't like it. My daughter would love to have that ability. She works so hard.

 

[twinmomma]

Our Level 3s practice 9 hours a week, and as they move up in level they add time in 3 hour increments. The 4s and 5s have 12 hours with an optional 3 for 15 if they want, and our Optional girls practice 20.5 hours a week. I always wonder how the higher level girls, who are mostly high school age, get their homework done. Right now, DD is in the gym 6 hours a week (3 days, 2 hours) on Xcel Bronze. If she makes the switch we expect her to make, to JO Level 3, she'll be 3 hours, 3 days a week, and I do worry how her days will go homework wise.

 

[MaryA]

I always wonder how the higher level girls, who are mostly high school age, get their homework done. Right now, DD is in the gym 6 hours a week (3 days, 2 hours) on Xcel Bronze. If she makes the switch we expect her to make, to JO Level 3, she'll be 3 hours, 3 days a week, and I do worry how her days will go homework wise.

These girls become masters of time management. I am amazed by how much homework my gymnast manages to get done in the little bits of time that she finds during the school day. We just got back from a travel meet, and I often woke up in the mornings in our hotel to find her doing her school work... totally unbidden! I can tell you, I would have NEVER done that in 7th grade. My parents would have had to remind me, nag me, and threaten me before I would have cracked a book.

 

[MILgymFAM]

At our gym the lowest level of competition, xcel bronze, trains 6-7 hours a week. Other xcel levels train 10. IGC at all levels train 16 hours and JO all train 20. Girls training both JO and IGC train 24-30.

 

[MILgymFAM]

At our gym the lowest level of competition, xcel bronze, trains 6-7 hours a week. Other xcel levels train 10. IGC at all levels train 16 hours and JO all train 20. Girls training both JO and IGC train 24-30.

 

[pamred4]

I'm level 4 and I train 12 hours...

 

[Muddlethru]

I've been at meets where some levels competed in different sessions, and the host gym definitely took the strength of the gyms into account in assigning them to sessions. At one recent meet, my DD's seventh place AA score would have put her in third if she'd been in the other session. I think that's a pretty good way of handling it if the meet is big enough.

There certainly is an advantage to practicing more hours. The above may be true at majority if the meets. However where it shows is in states, regionals and nationals where there are no discrimination between hours practiced. You are ranked according to scores and age groups alone. I think that is when it practice hours does count (and good coaching).

 

[raenndrops]

In Ohio, at States, they divide teams into National and American Divisions... it is based on the number of girls on the team at a level, with American being for the smaller teams. They do allow a team to bump up to National from American, but they don't allow them to bump down. It does seem, though, that the bigger teams often practice more hours.

 

[Mama2JLN]

Our L4 and L5 teams practice 9 hours. It seems a bit low compared to what I see on here, but we do seem to place well at meets. I am thankful that they can do well with only three days a week practice. It gives us more family time and flexibility with schoolwork.

 

[gothgymmom]

Ill take that $80 a month! Now im not at all struggling as I put back money for tuition every pay (which between me and my DH is every week), i use what fundraising I do get for DD's meet fees. She practices for 6 hours a week...2 days...and the higher levels go every day for i think 3-4 hours...the only thing that bugs me about the hours is it hurts my bum sitting on the bleachers for 3 hours straight! lol.