As clear as mud

[Ex member]

I have found out the name of my youngest dd's group - it is called Intermediate C. I am still very confused over my dd's gym sessions and different pathways. I am not sure if she is still classed as Rec or if she is on the beginings of the competition structure. Dd's group is very full on with conditioning and form (which I am happy with) but with it being only one session a week with no clear indication on wether they will compete or work towards grades, it seems as if they are just working hard with no end goal.

My dd has expressed a wish to do another session and she wants to compete. Dd is working on her strength and flexibility at home as she doesn't get much gym time. I guess it is also frustrating as the coach told me a few weeks back that she doesn't want them doing Grades or Competitions on one session a week and wants them to have more hours. I don't think there is any space in the gym for them to have more hours but they have just started a new Advanced Rec group that dd's coach teaches for 2 hours once a week.

I would love to be able to have a meeting with her coach to find out what the plan is for the group but I don't feel comfortable talking to her anymore as I used to when dd was in Rec, something has changed but I can't put my finger on it, I guess I don't want to create an uncomfortable situation for dd as she loves her group and coach and I want to be able to support dd in gymnastics without being a pain in the backside towards her coach.

Thanks for listening..

 

[floppycat]

Could it be a floor and vault group ours only train once or twice a week. They do competitions but no grades of any sort. In our gym there is no movement between F&V group and the squads that do grades but in some gyms there is movement. Just ask the coach. How old is your DD?

 

[Jenny]

I don't think a floor and vault group would spend most of their time on bars and beam. I think it likely that they are seeing how they get on and settle in before increasing their training. It sounds like they are building strength and learning basics for 4 piece .

 

[Ex member]

Could it be a floor and vault group ours only train once or twice a week. They do competitions but no grades of any sort. In our gym there is no movement between F&V group and the squads that do grades but in some gyms there is movement. Just ask the coach. How old is your DD?

My dd is 7 , she will be 8 at the end of the year. My dd hasn't done any Floor or Vault work since starting the group in Novemeber, the class is made up with girls aged 7-10+. I am not too bothered by Grades but would like to see dd go to competitions.

It seems as if dd's group is in limbo between Rec and Competition, they were not asked to take part in the Recreational Christmas Festival (niether was the advanced rec groups). The way things are set out on the gym are :

Rec - You can get invitited to Advanced Rec, The group that dd is in, Another group that meets twice a week (used to be Floor and Vault but now works on County grades). From there I am not sure what happens. I think dd's group is a development group and is probably an Intermediate development group, the Advanced Rec group is for children my dd's age and under and is once a week as well but for 2 hours, my dd's group is 2 1/2 hours a week.

My dd was recently upgraded to Silver Club Competitive British Gymnastics membership level, as my dd doesn't compete or work on grades I thought it was a mistake, I asked at the gym and it wasn't a mistake. Dd was given Bronze level in October and was upgraded last week. I cannot see the need for the upgrade given dd's current hours, but maybe that will all change soon.

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

At my daughter's gym, we have a couple of groups that sound similar to this; with no clear direction or goals.

There are three groups which are defined as development groups; one for young girls under 9, and one for boys around the same age, maybe a bit older. Kids can be pulled from here into higher groups to work for grades or levels, or they can stay there until going into the older development group, which is where my girl is. This group doesn't work towards anything in terms of benchmarks and it appears that they can't move anywhere from here, but they do the odd local two-piece comp.

There is a recent addition of a group between rec and the development groups who train for three hours a week but are not yet competing. A couple of kids have been moved into my daughter's group from there, doubling their time in the gym. The kids in my daughter's group work hard, particularly given that they don't work towards anything concrete. Some of them are really quite good and I do feel that they could go further, except that their ages seem to go against them.

When I watch the other groups and what the coaches are doing with them, I have to agree that their system works and does seem to root out excellence but I can't help but feel sorry for my girl and her peers that they can't be moved anywhere or work towards something for their efforts. They weren't even included in a recent in-house competition and their BG memberships are still Bronze. They do it for the love of it, which is no doubt the best reason, but it requires the same amount of commitment as those that are being offered a future.

I hope, given the upgrade in membership and your daughter's wish to compete, that her group is a stepping stone towards her goal.

 

[gymdog]

I think you should relax. I don't think the coach has any more information to give you and I think continuing to ask is only going to hurt your daughter's chances of being moved to a higher level.

 

[Ex member]

I think you should relax. I don't think the coach has any more information to give you and I think continuing to ask is only going to hurt your daughter's chances of being moved to a higher level.

Thanks, don't worry, I am not going to bother the coach, I am just sounding out on here, she is still young and her future hasn't been decided yet. The main thing is that my dd loves gymnastics and is making more progress then she would have done in the 1 hour a week Rec group, it is just frustrating for dd to go only once a week and apparently working hard towards nothing when she is eager for more, I don't think that she wants to move to a higher group, she just wants an extra day with her current coach and group.