S
sportymom
I have 3 children, 2 girls and 1 boy, all in gymnastics.
For DS, who is a Level4, it seems that the point to quit will come soon. He had fun as a toddler, but now he is 9 and all of his schoolmates play soccer etc and he is just not really excited to go to practice and doesn't want to learn new tricks, although he is one of the best at his team.
So I guess for him, it's just the missing "fun-factor".
My DD, who is 11 and a level 5 is also at the point to quit. She is scared of new skills, especially BHS on beam or bar dismounts. She is also not strong, not very flexible and just in general not the gymnast type. She would be better in rythmics or so and told she would like to start dancing. So for her, it is just the way she is that keeps her from progress.
And then, there is my oldest daughter, she is 13 and a L7. She is only training 12 hours a week. but usually goes to extra conditioning classes 3 times a week.
She was never super competetive and dreamned of olypmic gold or whatever, but she is just very very ambitious in everything she does if she wants to be good. She loves gymnastics and when they learn new skills, she is usually the one who picks it up as one of the fastest. Maybe she is talented, but I guess it's more because she just really wants to do it like she wants nothing else!
But now there is the thing that is my actual "question". My oldest DD is one of the best on her team, the most flexible and one if the strongest. She went from pre-team to L7 in 3 years.
She has giants and free hips to handstands, she can almost land her full on floor and of course, has a BHS on beam.
But last week after practice, when I asked her how practice was like I always do, she said "Fun, like always. But I guess Level7 is the last one I want to compete. Skills are so much harder now!" I was shocked, because I have never heard my DD saying something like that. The next practice I asked her coach.
She told me the following: First, I shouldn't worry about my DD. She is doing fine by now, just struggles with new skills a little, which is totally normal. Then she said, that for a lot of girls, Level7 is the point when they are done with the sport. She said in their gym, there are 2 "drop-out" points. A lot of kids never get through Level4. And then the other point is at L7. It is usually "easy" to get to this Level, if the gymnast is ambitious, motivated and loves the sport. Pretty much everyone who is working hard can get there. But once it comes to more difficult bar changes on UB, double twists or saltos, BHS stepout layouts on beam and tsuks or yuris on vault, most kids quit or just stay at this level.
She addes, that the average gymnast spend at least 2 years at Level 7 until she can move up. So a total different world after L7, far more difficult and higher injury rate.
What is your opinion?
For DS, who is a Level4, it seems that the point to quit will come soon. He had fun as a toddler, but now he is 9 and all of his schoolmates play soccer etc and he is just not really excited to go to practice and doesn't want to learn new tricks, although he is one of the best at his team.
So I guess for him, it's just the missing "fun-factor".
My DD, who is 11 and a level 5 is also at the point to quit. She is scared of new skills, especially BHS on beam or bar dismounts. She is also not strong, not very flexible and just in general not the gymnast type. She would be better in rythmics or so and told she would like to start dancing. So for her, it is just the way she is that keeps her from progress.
And then, there is my oldest daughter, she is 13 and a L7. She is only training 12 hours a week. but usually goes to extra conditioning classes 3 times a week.
She was never super competetive and dreamned of olypmic gold or whatever, but she is just very very ambitious in everything she does if she wants to be good. She loves gymnastics and when they learn new skills, she is usually the one who picks it up as one of the fastest. Maybe she is talented, but I guess it's more because she just really wants to do it like she wants nothing else!
But now there is the thing that is my actual "question". My oldest DD is one of the best on her team, the most flexible and one if the strongest. She went from pre-team to L7 in 3 years.
She has giants and free hips to handstands, she can almost land her full on floor and of course, has a BHS on beam.
But last week after practice, when I asked her how practice was like I always do, she said "Fun, like always. But I guess Level7 is the last one I want to compete. Skills are so much harder now!" I was shocked, because I have never heard my DD saying something like that. The next practice I asked her coach.
She told me the following: First, I shouldn't worry about my DD. She is doing fine by now, just struggles with new skills a little, which is totally normal. Then she said, that for a lot of girls, Level7 is the point when they are done with the sport. She said in their gym, there are 2 "drop-out" points. A lot of kids never get through Level4. And then the other point is at L7. It is usually "easy" to get to this Level, if the gymnast is ambitious, motivated and loves the sport. Pretty much everyone who is working hard can get there. But once it comes to more difficult bar changes on UB, double twists or saltos, BHS stepout layouts on beam and tsuks or yuris on vault, most kids quit or just stay at this level.
She addes, that the average gymnast spend at least 2 years at Level 7 until she can move up. So a total different world after L7, far more difficult and higher injury rate.
What is your opinion?
