Parents Are kids allowed to do school team and USAG?

[2G1B]

We are starting the process of researching private schools for our kids to go to for middle school. (long story on why we are swapping from public to private for middle school; but it is just something that works for our family.)

I was just looking at the website for one of the schools and saw that they have a gymnastics team for middle and high school. It doesn't specify if they have boys and girls or just girls. I kind of assume just girls, which has my DS bummed.

Anyway, I wasn't sure if my kids would even be allowed to compete for the school teams. I know that there have been some posts on here about schedule conflicts and such. But I was looking up some information on the high school teams and found a state website that said the kids could not start practicing until X date. I know that if we did it, my kids would want to continue on their current teams at their team level of practices year round, and then just do the school team in addition. Is that even allowed? Since obviously my kids would be practicing at their normal gym year round, would they be breaking the rules? If it is allowed, is it frowned upon in school gymnastics to have kids compete who are still active in USAG?

 

[skschlag]

We have a lot of girls on our club team that do both. They work it out with the high school coach so that they come to HS practice less often. Our club coaches do not like it much, but they tolerate it. The conflicts are minimal as here, the seasons are different.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Same as ^^^ but although there are no direct conflicts with meets, HS meets do impact training time at the club, so our teammates who do HS may not be ready for first meet. Our HS has a team, but no spring floor, and she's not comfortable on their bars (she has gone to camp there when younger/lower level) these are deal breakers for DD.

I'm guessing the "start" date has to do with official first day of Fall sports, our high school cannot start formal practices before August 14, but that's only meant for on-school premises with the school's coaches.

 

[thefellowsmom]

At our gym, the xcel girls compete or their highschool teams. It is encouraged by the couches at our gym and stated as one of the goals of our xcel program.

I have never seen one of our JO girls compete for their school team and I can't imagine that our HC would allow that.

 

[Muddlethru]

Many gym coaches frown at their USAG gymnasts joining school teams. For one, it does impact their team practices. Team practices are more competitive because many middle school coaches have done minimal gymnastics. The equipment can also be problematic and not as good as gym equipment. Gym coaches also worry about injury at school gymnastics. I would not let my daughter do middle school gymnastics and maybe not even high school. But she is also a Level 9 and just started middle school. Think if your daughter is in the compulsory level, it may be ok. It is best to check with your head coach to see what he or she thinks.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Check with your particular state too. Our HS athletic league does not allow kids to participate in club sports at the same time as HS sports--so you couldn't be on practicing at the club while competing and practicing with the HS team too, but could do it in the "off-season" for HS.

Our particular gym does not allow kids to do HS and club because it's practically the same season here, plus they'd miss out on months of club practices. But I do know some kids in our state do it (HS gymnastics is a winter sport here, so they practice starting November 14/15th, then the State meet is the end of February--so those girls compete HS, then do a meet USAG to qualify for State and compete State, etc. with their club)

 

[GymBee97]

It depends on your state and the club you go to. I know there are some states that don't allow it and there are some gym clubs that don't allow it. My DD does both.

 

[jago]

I would want to be certain that the school coaching methods don't conflict with her team/club (USAG).

 

[KnowNuthin]

As others mentioned it varies from state to state so you need to check.

My younger daughter's gym would never allow her to compete high school gymnastics and they won't tolerate other sports whose practice schedule comes into conflict with gymnastics.

My older daughter left JO for Xcel (and migrated to a different gym). They allowed her to compete high school gym, however there was an imposed high school/state limit that prevented her from competing Xcel more than twice during the high school season (the seasons overlapped).

 

[GymMom67]

Our high school has a pretty big gymnastics team and it is made up of JO girls from our gym (we don't have XCel at our gym) and the other gym in our area. The coach for the high school team is even the boys' head coach at our gym. The school has a really nice gym with a good spring floor that they share with the cheer squad. So it basically just ends up being that the gymnasts mostly train at their club gym as usual, but they get an additional hour during a class period at school and then they go to a few meets, but I am assuming they don't conflict with the regular meets, or I feel sure they wouldn't be allowed to do it.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

I competed USAG level 8 and HS gym at the same time when I was younger. I would check with your school and coaches.

 

[Krystan]

It's allowed in our state, but not all gyms let their JO gymnastics compete on high school teams. Our gym allows it, and a lot of the girls do. But the two main coaches at our club are ALSO high school coaches, so at least half the girls have the same coach for both. Another gym in our area does NOT allow their JO team to compete high school until their senior year. And I know others that don't allow it at all. So I'd ask..