Parents Anyone else's dd getting ready for States this weekend?

[cbone]

First of all, best of luck to everyone's daughters (and sons, too!) This is an exciting time. My baby girl is preparing for her first state championships as a six-year-old level 3. I'm an absolute nervous wreck and she's cool as a cucumber. She's put up the best vault scores in the state in her age group all season and she's set a goal to win the state championship in vault. She's also one of a handful that has a good shot at the AA title. Her success has been great, but it's a double-edged sword.

How do you all deal with this pressure as a parent? She deals with it way better that her mom and I do. Maybe it just takes time to chill as a gym parent.

 

[lhmom]

Good luck to all the kids this weekend!

 

[crazygymmom]

Thanks, Granny. I'll see what I can find

 

[UnoMas]

Good luck to her...and good luck to everyone!

My older DD had state meet last weekend...it was not a great meet for her...hopefully everyone fares much better than her ...will not send fairies or anything else your way as I don't think we had the good kind of fairies lurking around. LOL

Younger DD has L4 states next weekend. I'm so ready for the season to be over!!!

 

[Granny Smith]

For States, for my dd, it's all about the 34AA. It's the motto for the week "it's all about the 34". This is all I say to my dd, I try to keep it light hearted and as stress-less as possible. On the inside for me, each day leading up to States is agonizingly longggggg! I know if she hits, anything is possible. BUT, I also know that my child is a mental minion and her biggest competition is herself and there have been many of meets where her brain beat her body!

The best I can offer for how I deal with the pressure is learn to be good at covering up how you really feel. Keep your thoughts to yourself, keep your expectations to yourself and just tell her the sky is the limit! Go out there and do what you know how to do, make it your best for that given day and know that you gave it everything you had and hold your head high when it's all over! I'm always prepared to make lemonade in every situation!

 

[maryRS]

Your daughter is older than my 12 year old, and her level is more advanced than my level 6, but boy oh boy they sound exactly alike. I know what she is capable of, she knows what she is capable of. She lets her own brain get in the way many times! Oh well - good luck to your daughter!

For States, for my dd, it's all about the 34AA. It's the motto for the week "it's all about the 34". This is all I say to my dd, I try to keep it light hearted and as stress-less as possible. On the inside for me, each day leading up to States is agonizingly longggggg! I know if she hits, anything is possible. BUT, I also know that my child is a mental minion and her biggest competition is herself and there have been many of meets where her brain beat her body!

The best I can offer for how I deal with the pressure is learn to be good at covering up how you really feel. Keep your thoughts to yourself, keep your expectations to yourself and just tell her the sky is the limit! Go out there and do what you know how to do, make it your best for that given day and know that you gave it everything you had and hold your head high when it's all over! I'm always prepared to make lemonade in every situation!

 

[cbone]

Granny, my wife and I agreed to do exactly what you said- don't express our expectations to our daughter. Also, like you said, those expectations are killing us. We want so badly for her to win the state AA. I also feel like it's almost her right to win vault. I know that's crazy, but it's how I feel. Thank goodness we know she won't be crushed by losing vault (she stumbled in one meet and took 3rd and was cool with it), but I want her to have that accolade as a reward for the HARD hours she puts in the gym. I've never felt this emotionally invested in my boys' football seasons. Gym does crazy things to people.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Granny, my wife and I agreed to do exactly what you said- don't express our expectations to our daughter. Also, like you said, those expectations are killing us. We want so badly for her to win the state AA. I also feel like it's almost her right to win vault. I know that's crazy, but it's how I feel. Thank goodness we know she won't be crushed by losing vault (she stumbled in one meet and took 3rd and was cool with it), but I want her to have that accolade as a reward for the HARD hours she puts in the gym. I've never felt this emotionally invested in my boys' football seasons. Gym does crazy things to people.

Funny, whenever friends ask if DD "won" I always tell them in gymnastics there is no winning or losing, it's all about attaining those personal goals (staying on beam, hitting that routine, etc)!! It's a "win" if you tried your best and had fun! DD is stressing herself out because she wants to qualify for Regionals, but it won't be the end of the world if she doesn't. Level 8 is evil as far as Regionals, you can score 37 and still not make it.... Next year she hopefully will be "all about the 34"!!!!

 

[kevchriswilli]

Granny,
Good luck to your DD~~ We have state this weekend also... It's been a rough year for DD... falling about ever meet!! so we have no clue on how it will go!

This coming weekend is States for dd. Practice last night, not too bad, only had to stay an extra half hour! She seems calm and just working her skills. Not sure if she will add anything to her routines, she has been working a new floor pass and States would be a good time to try it, because she just needs a 34 AA to qualify to Regionals - I guess I will just have to wait and see come Sunday!

Good luck to everyone!

 

[Granny Smith]

Kevchriswilli - sorry to hear the season has been a little rough! Did you dd move up to 10? I hope she can pull it together from here on out! My dd is doing a 2nd yr of 9, so it's a little easier for her. She will definitely do 10 next year & I'm not expecting the same level of success as she has felt this season.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Yeah, that is a little crazy ;-)--you have to remember that the vast majority of the gymnasts out there are working hard in the gym each week--some with better success medal-wise, but all deserving. Try to focus more on the skills she's gaining and the fun she's having with her teammates, and less on whether or not she wins.

Granny, my wife and I agreed to do exactly what you said- don't express our expectations to our daughter. Also, like you said, those expectations are killing us. We want so badly for her to win the state AA. I also feel like it's almost her right to win vault. I know that's crazy, but it's how I feel. Thank goodness we know she won't be crushed by losing vault (she stumbled in one meet and took 3rd and was cool with it), but I want her to have that accolade as a reward for the HARD hours she puts in the gym. I've never felt this emotionally invested in my boys' football seasons. Gym does crazy things to people.

 

[Natasha]

For States, for my dd, it's all about the 34AA. It's the motto for the week "it's all about the 34". This is all I say to my dd, I try to keep it light hearted and as stress-less as possible.

On the inside for me, each day leading up to States is agonizingly longggggg! I know if she hits, anything is possible. BUT, I also know that my child is a mental minion and her biggest competition is herself and there have been many of meets where her brain beat her body!

The best I can offer for how I deal with the pressure is learn to be good at covering up how you really feel. Keep your thoughts to yourself, keep your expectations to yourself and just tell her the sky is the limit! Go out there and do what you know how to do, make it your best for that given day and know that you gave it everything you had and hold your head high when it's all over! I'm always prepared to make lemonade in every situation!

Granny Smith- I was just thinking how long the days are this week! My dd actually competes in the first session Friday, so only 2 days to go. The top 19 girls go to regionals though (out of 110+), so if she hits everything and manages to have a great meet, we still won't know if she qualified until the other L7 Session finishes Friday night. Her biggest challenge right now is dealing with the adrenaline in meets. It helps her on every event except beam. She has been hitting every routine in practice, but with the adrenaline in meets it is a different story!

 

[Natasha]

Crazygymmom- you might be able to find the info on your regional website, that is where I found the qualifying info for our state, as our state doesn't have anything posted.

 

[crazygymmom]

Crazygymmom- you might be able to find the info on your regional website, that is where I found the qualifying info for our state, as our state doesn't have anything posted.

Thanks! I've been searching the web like a mad woman, not finding anything. Maybe it really is a secret

 

[Natasha]

Thanks! I've been searching the web like a mad woman, not finding anything. Maybe it really is a secret

I guess you'll just get to be surprised! lol...

 

[Granny Smith]

Dd's gym had a judge come in last night and judge the girls on beam, bars & floor. Dd is confident and was happy coming out of the gym last night! No practice tonight, but back in the gym again Thurs, Fri and Sat. I think she mentioned that the judge is coming back again either Fri or Sat.

You know how I have mentioned that she is a mental minion, well this is all part of it. She will nail routines in the gym, day after day, it's the meet situations that her brain fights her on! If we could just tape the routines from practice and submit them for judging.... she'd do fine!

 

[crazygymmom]

I guess you'll just get to be surprised! lol...

Yep! not like knowing how they picked would help me know anything anyway.

 

[Natasha]

Dd's gym had a judge come in last night and judge the girls on beam, bars & floor. Dd is confident and was happy coming out of the gym last night! No practice tonight, but back in the gym again Thurs, Fri and Sat. I think she mentioned that the judge is coming back again either Fri or Sat.

You know how I have mentioned that she is a mental minion, well this is all part of it. She will nail routines in the gym, day after day, it's the meet situations that her brain fights her on! If we could just tape the routines from practice and submit them for judging.... she'd do fine!

I only wish!

 

[cbone]

We have a girl like that on my daughter's team. She's so good in the gym and then stage fright takes over at meets. The last couple of meets she's started putting it together, which has been really fun to watch. But my heart goes out to her and others like her.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Dd's gym had a judge come in last night and judge the girls on beam, bars & floor. Dd is confident and was happy coming out of the gym last night! No practice tonight, but back in the gym again Thurs, Fri and Sat. I think she mentioned that the judge is coming back again

Glad to hear that your dd had a good practice with the judge.

Our team also had a judge come in last night, but according to dd she only watched the 10's and 7's but not the 8/9. DD was not happy about that