For Coaches schooling at gym?

[gymgirl0805's Mom]

Does anyone here homeschool AT the gym? and if so, what program do you use? The gym my daughter goes to is thinking about doing this and I'd love ANY information that you have regarding this!!

Thanks sooo much!!

 

[bogwoppit]

Homeschooling at the gym doesn't make any sense. Homeschooling is done at home. However a gym providing an academic programme is basically a gym based private school. Are they talking about parents doing the educating or would they hire educators. There is a world of difference between one and the other, and how that would affect the long term goals of any child.

I have no issue with homeschooling as a concept, but homeschooling is like most things, there is good and bad and everything in between. Just like regular school too.

The question is, what are your priorities regarding your childrens' education. If your DD decides to quit gym, she'd have to change school too and lose all her friends, too many eggs in one basket perhaps.

Shawn Johnson attends regular high school, and does very well there. A life outside of gym whether in a mainstream school or in real homeschooling is a good thing, it gives a child another life outside of gym.

Just my 10 cents worth. I love the gym, but my kid needs to have friends who don't do gym as well as those that do. Think long and hard before you commit to this type of educational commitment.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Honestly I've always considered those programs to be a bit excessive; a kid needs time to be a kid, afterall, and I think they benefit from spending time and making friends outside of the gym.

I will not deny that there are definite benefits to such a program, but on the whole I think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

The biggest disadvantage I see is this; if school and gym are one and the same, it essentially means that her entire life revolves around gym, with no other frame of reference by which to evaluate either herself or other people. It seems to me that a program like this one really sets kids up to have their entire sense of self-worth built on how they're doing at gym. Which is a very bad idea in my opinion.

Another problem is that with something like this is that often a gym-based private school has more interest in the gym side than in the education side. I'll use an example of a kid I used to compete with who was schooled at his gym. At state meet, after he had gotten off the podium having gotten first place all-around, I asked him how many hours a week he practiced. His response: "I don't know. 4 hours a day, 5 days a week." So we have an 11-year-old who can beat anybody else in the state at gymnastics, but can't multiply 4x5 in his head.

Though in all fairness, this guy is doing gymnastics in college right now, so it doesn't seem to have hurt him too much.

Take my thoughts on the issue with a grain of salt; I've never been a part of a program like this myself; I'm just basing my judgements on my experience working with kids in a standard club gym with no associated school.

 

[gymdog]

The idea is relatively foreign to me but I think it would work best if resources are pooled to bring in some sort of outside instructor. I think the best place to start would be to connect with a homeschooling cooperative group in your area and see what they do and if there is any flexibility to work within it, some days a week or whatever info they can give you. There are lots of these groups with varying missions and involvement, hopefully there is one in your area. I would just google "[area] homeschooling cooperative/group"

 

[kristilyn73]

My Gym looked into this a couple years ago and found the same issues.

They couldnt 'hire' educators, then it would become a charter school. With it becomming a charter school - a whole new set of rules and regulations happen

From the very beginning my husband and I have been against home schooling. No offense to anyone, but we feel it is really important to have the social aspect of school. Daily interaction, structured assignments, and even learning how to socially interact with others - work in conflict, etc.

When my DD moved to optionals we were spending 4 nights a week at practice, my younger DD (a competitive dancer) was away the only night Gymnast DD didnt practice. Family dinners and together time came to an end. We started looking at other options.

We then found a solution that is working for us. We talked to DD's school, She has been allowed to miss school on Tuesday's and Thursday's. She goes to day practice on T & TH, school on M, W, F. Along with Evening Practice on Monday & Friday's.

This is working out very well for us. She is 100% responsible for her schoolwork and making sure all assignments are turned in. We have some flexibility to go to school on days that there are important assignments or field trips.

We have rules of course, Number 1: If her grades drop she is out of day practice. But we have been very happy so far. Straight A's first quarter, 1 B second quarter... 2: she needs to respect her teachers and coaches for the extra effort they are putting for her.

DD is working hard to make this work - she loves the extra time in the gym and the ability to still be with her school friends and have a school life - It is the best of both worlds for her.

As long as her grades are good, she can keep it up..

Hope that helps!!

 

[Valentin]

I think that yeah the ideal really is the scenario kristilyn73 explained. And that is to arrange special circumstance with their schools, where they maybe do only the essential subjects, such as maths, english. science, but skip extra stuff like PE, or workshop (i dont know what is avaialble or done in American Schools).

Even here in New Zealand some clubs have managed to arrange special arrangements with schools to be able to enjoy the best of both worlds.

 

[bogwoppit]

Here in Quebec we have what is called Sport Etudes, this allows children who are at a certain skill level to do school in the morning and gym, or any sport, in the afternoon. The kids usually are around level 7 or P3 here. Only certain gyms/schools offer this system. It is certainly not just for Elites, but grades have to be kept up as the kids are tested academically.

At our high school, my DD next year could miss school to train, it is up to us, as long as her grades are kept up and she is training it is fine with them. We may take advantage of this one afternoon a week, only really to allow her to get home earlier than usual one day a week. Three days a week she leaves home at 7:45am and returns at 8:30pm, with homework on top of this it can be tiring for her and she is only in grade six.

Academically it won't be a challenge for her, but of course we would only do it if she kept up her average.

The French High School in town also allows another gymnast to skip phys-ed and English classes to train during the day.

Even Shawn Johnson attends regular school, is very bright and her school allows her to train when necessary and compete too. She maintains very high grades. She also only trains 25 hours a week, even leading up to the Olympics.

Quality time in the gym is so much more important than quantity.

 

[Valentin]

Hi

Yeah "Quality time in the gym is so much more important than quantity" but that only really hold true to the talanted hard worker. For the not so taleneted hard worker it doesn't hold as true. Not to mention that from what i understand Shawn Johnson is pretty much coached 1 on 1 with the benefit of being amost her mates..big! help i think.
However i too would choose in general quality over quantity

 

[Aussie_coach]

I think Valentin makes a great point. Shawn Johnson is one of the best gymnasts in the world she is a top level senior elite and the vast majority of her 25 hours of training would be done one on one which is like the equivolent of most girls having 25 private lessons a week.

In reality the vast majority of gymnasts must train in teams of at least 5-8 gymnasts and often even 10-12 gymnasts in order for the gym to even be financially viable.