Parents Question about summer schedule

[Gymnast C's mom]

This will be our first summer of team gymnastics and I would very much appreciate some insight please. At what point do gyms typically decide who moves up to the next level and who stays? My almost 7 year old dd joined pre team in January and is currently practicing 4 hours per week. Our gym recently posted their summer team schedule and pre team practices only 2 hours per week.

The next step at our gym would be level 3 and I am not sure if she is ready for that yet. Would she need all of the skills in place first in order to move up? Although she can do most level 3 skills (except BHS) they are definitely not consistent and not always with great form.

I do not think the gym knows for sure yet where they will place her but I think she would prefer more than 2 hours per week over the summer. The level 3 girls train 9 hours per week both summer and during the school year. I think she would have no problem doing 9 and in fact she would prefer 9 to 2 for sure. Have you seen gyms cut team/pre team girls hours over summer? I always assumed she would do more not less.

Is it possible they would let her train level 3 over the summer for the hours and then if she's not ready just not let her compete? Or is it more likely they will have her stay in pre team and only do 2 hours over the summer? I realize I could just ask her coaches but since we are new I figure I will lie low and let them do their thing. I am just curious about the experience of other gymmies and how it works and what typically you see at your gyms.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Serenity28]

I think it depends on the gym. Kudos to them for having the summer schedule out already! In my gym if a kid has to repeat a level they usually know by the end of that meet season for compulsory. Optionals were a little different because if they had a giant they could move to L7. If she only needs a BHS I would suggest putting her in an additional tumbling class to master the skill. Also my DD is currently competing L3 and there are kids who still get spots so you never know. There are also those who struggle with the mill circle and handstand on beam. Depends on the gym really. Ask the coach what is needed to move up. Good luck!

 

[GymDad9.9]

If the competition season is the fall, I would think those decisions would have been made or being made. If the competition season is right now, I would think those decisions would be made in the spring. Just based on my experience.

 

[gymmom41]

Our gym requires they have the skills prior to summer then they perfect the routines over the summer. But if she has everything except the BHS I bet that would be pretty reasonable to get just with more hours. I would send an email saying she's very motivated to do more hours this summer. Ask if there's the possibility of doing a few privates or an extra tumbling class this spring to help prepare her?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Really this is something you need to ask your gym because how they do it is what matters to you.

That said. Our gym, we uptrain all year long but it kicks up in May. More hours because we have camps in the summer. No levels officially decided until August. Before that you are "training level x"

 

[MomIdidit!]

In my dd gym she continually up trains during off season which means they practice skills for the next level. In addition, dd is offered additional training hours over the summer. Head coach decides on level anytime after the summer, around September. Our season begins in December. Our gym does not "cut" gymnasts but I have heard of it from a neighboring gym.

Wow! Very impressive the summer schedule is already posted in your gym.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

That does seem unusual that preteam hours would drop over the summer. I agree with others that it really depends on the gym and you really need to find out how it works at your gym. Maybe you could casually ask another parent if they know how it works since you said you don't want to talk to the coaches about it quite yet? When does the competition season start?

In our state, we have fall compulsories. So the season starts in early September usually. In dd's gym move ups and new training schedules usually happens the fist week of June. You pretty much need to have all the required skills for that level by June, although there have been minor exceptions. But the focus from December after States to June is learning all the new skills for the next level. June-August is perfecting skills and routines and then September-December is meet season. But that is just how dd's gym operates. Every gym does things differently.

 

[GymDad9.9]

That does seem unusual that preteam hours would drop over the summer. I agree with others that it really depends on the gym and you really need to find out how it works at your gym. Maybe you could casually ask another parent if they know how it works since you said you don't want to talk to the coaches about it quite yet? When does the competition season start?

In our state, we have fall compulsories. So the season starts in early September usually. In dd's gym move ups and new training schedules usually happens the fist week of June. You pretty much need to have all the required skills for that level by June, although there have been minor exceptions. But the focus from December after States to June is learning all the new skills for the next level. June-August is perfecting skills and routines and then September-December is meet season. But that is just how dd's gym operates. Every gym does things differently.

The gym could see the pre-team more in line with rec and during summer you'll see less rec classes going on as folks tend to travel and do camps and stuff like that....

 

[gymdog]

Most likely they get all new preteam girls in the summer and that's why they start with shorter hours. Gymnasts who aren't ready for 3 probably go Xcel bronze.

 

[raenndrops]

That does seem unusual that preteam hours would drop over the summer. I agree with others that it really depends on the gym and you really need to find out how it works at your gym. Maybe you could casually ask another parent if they know how it works since you said you don't want to talk to the coaches about it quite yet? When does the competition season start?

In our state, we have fall compulsories. So the season starts in early September usually. In dd's gym move ups and new training schedules usually happens the fist week of June. You pretty much need to have all the required skills for that level by June, although there have been minor exceptions. But the focus from December after States to June is learning all the new skills for the next level. June-August is perfecting skills and routines and then September-December is meet season. But that is just how dd's gym operates. Every gym does things differently.

Yes, every gym is different. Our gym, pre-team who are ready (it is really just the highest rec class) and want to compete will move up to team on a trial basis in April or May. They will work on learning the L3 routines through the end of June. In July, we have camps... 2 weeks of rec camp (the new girls attend one or both of these camps and continue working their routines) and 1 week of team camp (where optionals will learn their routines and compulsories that are moving up will learn their new routines). Then, we see who comes back in August. Some new girls change their minds about competing and never return, lol.
Our meet season begins in November and the main season ends in mid-March.

 

[Gymnast C's mom]

That does seem unusual that preteam hours would drop over the summer. I agree with others that it really depends on the gym and you really need to find out how it works at your gym. Maybe you could casually ask another parent if they know how it works since you said you don't want to talk to the coaches about it quite yet? When does the competition season start?

In our state, we have fall compulsories. So the season starts in early September usually. In dd's gym move ups and new training schedules usually happens the fist week of June. You pretty much need to have all the required skills for that level by June, although there have been minor exceptions. But the focus from December after States to June is learning all the new skills for the next level. June-August is perfecting skills and routines and then September-December is meet season. But that is just how dd's gym operates. Every gym does things differently.

We are in region 6 but since dd is not yet competing I am not entirely sure when comp season starts. I think it starts in December and goes through the spring. I could be wrong. I am thinking gymdog is correct and they are planning to move some rec kids to pre team this summer because otherwise it doesn't make sense. Why would they want the current pre team girls to drop their hours. Another point is that none of the current pre team girls (as far as I can tell) have their BHS and they have never worked mill circles so I have no idea. I am assuming dd wouldn't have that either although she is strong on bars.

 

[Gymnast C's mom]

Most likely they get all new preteam girls in the summer and that's why they start with shorter hours. Gymnasts who aren't ready for 3 probably go Xcel bronze.

This makes sense to me.

 

[Gymnast C's mom]

The gym could see the pre-team more in line with rec and during summer you'll see less rec classes going on as folks tend to travel and do camps and stuff like that....

I don't know but they do seem to treat pre team as part of team. For instance there are no rec classes this week (as it is school vac week) here but my dd still has pre team practice both days. Also we are on their team distribution lists so.. Not sure.

 

[e'smum]

i feel like our gym knows by the end of the competition season which kids they anticipate moving up. they do have all summer to work on new skills and things could change by the end of the summer if it clicks with one kid all of a sudden and they start picking up skills left and right. that is the exception though, not the norm.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Why not let the gym know that you would like her to do more hours over the summer and see what they offer you.

 

[Flyaway]

In my dd gym she continually up trains during off season which means they practice skills for the next level. In addition, dd is offered additional training hours over the summer. Head coach decides on level anytime after the summer, around September. Our season begins in December. Our gym does not "cut" gymnasts but I have heard of it from a neighboring gym.

Wow! Very impressive the summer schedule is already posted in your gym.

This is what our gym does too. The girls have all summer (more hours) to gain the skills needed for the next season which starts in Dec. No official decisions regarding level are made until the fall.

 

[Mommyo2az]

This is what our gym does too. The girls have all summer (more hours) to gain the skills needed for the next season which starts in Dec. No official decisions regarding level are made until the fall.

This is what our gym does as well. Girls are told at the end of season what skills they are missing for next level and they work toward that over the summer and onwards. No level decisions until atleast fall (for spring season) and girls that are close may be given extra time.

I would talk to the gym because it doesn't seem you have enough information about what the plan is for your DD. I have never heard of a team program decreasing anyone's hours over the summer . It may be that they treat "pre-team" more like rec, if so - find out what your DD needs to achieve to get over to the team program.

 

[NY Dad]

It may be that they treat "pre-team" more like rec,

This is how it is at my dd's gym. Pre-team had 4 hours during the year but no hours over the summer.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Ok I am confused. Preteam it seems would track to team how do they do that with less hours?

Our gym doesn't have preteam, our kids are rec or they start at L2. L2 doesn't go less hours in the summer. Their hours stay the same as do all our levels. And all our levels can go to camps. Which are strongly encouraged but not mandatory.

 

[dancingimmie]

This is how it is at my dd's gym. Pre-team had 4 hours during the year but no hours over the summer.

Is that because over the summer preteam becomes team and new preteamers start in the fall?