WAG Being the Only Optional Girl

[Becauseisaid]

It's a building year at our gym. Currently we only have L3 and L4 teams (we do have preteam as well). This is an established gym with an established HC/owner (over 25 years in business in the same area) with a very good reputation who only lost his high level girls a couple years ago after some back-stabbing drama I won't get in to. I say all of that to let you know that our gym CAN handle high level gymnasts with no problem - we just don't currently have any.

So last night an L8 came in to try out the gym with the possibility of moving.

Our L3s and 4s were thrilled, of course, but I keep asking myself WHY. Why would a gymnast transfer gyms where she would be the only optional gymnast? I should also mention that this girl will be coming from out of state to make it to gym. As a coach or gym owner, would this ring warning bells in your head? As a gymnast, would you be okay being the only optional in the program?

 

[iwannacoach]

Some gym moves are a matter of choice, and some are the result of differences between a child or her family and the coach or gym. That's not always a bad thing as the gym she came from may have ben one you wouldn't want your own child to be involved with.

The question of being able to blend a level 8 into an otherwise compulsory team on it's way upward can only be answered by your hc and time.

 

[dynamicduo]

We had a similar situation at our gym! Last year our HC left town and our optional team left too. So, we had about 40 girls level 2-5 and only 1 level 7. Luckily, we have a new HC and he is absolutely amazing!! Our level 7 trains with the level 5s and is making really good progress but I know she gets a little lonely at the meets because she is the only girl! In a few weeks our level 5 girls will start training for level 7, so there will be at least 6 optional girls by then so we are slowly building back up!

 

[raenndrops]

We had 2 L7 the first year OG competed L4. The next year, they both left (as it turns out, one left to do dance... and the other left right before that because she was tired of competing with the first girl, so she was switching to dance... they ended up on the same dance competition team - same age group, lol). The next season, we didn't have any optionals (only L4 & L5). Then we had a year with 1 L7 who came to us when the other gym in town closed down. Then she left to compete jr. high sports. We got another L7 who moved to town and and one more who was a senior in high school (she chose to compete for us because she couldn't be a HS Varsity Cheerleader and compete for her old gym that was an hour away)... so we were back to 2 L7s the season we had 9 L6... but the senior didn't compete in very many meets, so it was like we only had 1 L7. Of the 9 L6, 5 were set to move to L7, but one moved out of state, the senior graduated and went into the Navy, the other old L7 demanded to move to L8 or she was going to quit (she was a 2nd yr L7 and expected to be able to compete her L7 routines as an 8... but wouldn't do giants, was lucky if she didnt balk on a FHS vault 2x in a meet... didn't have any B tumbling on Floor... and her BHS on beam was hit-or-miss)... so she quit. We had 4 girls in L7 that season... One got injured uptraining twisting tumbling on floor - hurt her ankle... the first ortho said she didnt need surgery, boot, rest, pt... 2nd opinion when she wasn't getting any better (2.5 months later)... surgery scheduled for the next week... out through September (6 months). She decided she wouldn't be ready by the beginning of our season, so she was just going to compete HS. Had little aches and pains throughout... texted HC the morning of the first meet that she had to quit due to injuries.
This season, we have 2 repeat L7. We also have 4 L6 though and they compete in the same session. And (usually) the Xcel girls are in the same session too.

My OG was the only one on her team in Xcel Gold that competed at Nationals last year... she said that she was a little lonely... but that it was nice having the coach's undivided attention

 

[Muddlethru]

We in fact were in a similar position last year. A new qualified coach from another country that claims to have trained elite became HC of a club nearby. We were searching for new gyms. She did not have a team and my L9 daughter would have been her first. Because of red tape, she wanted us to start in Sept. Not to bore ya'll with too many details, we eventually joined another gym. She now has a team of maybe 6-8 outstanding L6-L8, state champions and scoring 38s. I think this coach is a better all around coach than the coach we ended up with. But if we had joined her gym, my daughter would have been very lonely but at the same time would have had tremendous one on one coaching everyday. I can only imagine a gymnast progressing quickly under those circumstances. In addition, once the gym has an optional gymnast, particularly a successful one, other gymnasts will follow. So, I don't see a red flag at all for either the gymnast or the gym.

In addition, as girls move up the levels, there is a steady drop of gymnasts. At the elite level, most gymnasts train alone.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

But if we had joined her gym, my daughter ....would have had tremendous one on one coaching everyday. I can only imagine a gymnast progressing quickly under those circumstances.

I think this is an important point. There is a gym around here that had one national level gymnast, and noone else even close in terms of level. The dedication to that child was incredible, and she benefitted. It may be that the coach was searched out specifically due to good fit, proven track record, etc. not every child requires teammates of similar age and levels to be happy with their training, while others do.

If it was my daughter and that was what she wanted and needed, I would have no issue with it.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I think I posted about this on another thread recently but I will share my story again. I switched gyms when I was a level 9 to a gym that basically had no level 9s. I say basically because I did end up having one level 9 teammate but she was basically a level 8 on every event except one. However, the coach was very good and had coached a college team before so she knew what she was talking about. I was the first one in the gym to pretty much all the skills that I did, but the coach knew how to teach them since she had coached at a college previously.

I didn't have anyone to look up to, or anyone to work on the same skills with but I didn't need that. I was self-motivated and I think I was actually more motivated because all the girls looked up to me since I was doing the hardest skills.

I was never going to be the best gymnast ever so I would have been just a middle of the pack gymnast who excelled on one event at a gym with 20 level 9s and 10s. At my gym I got be the big dog which I really enjoyed.

I probably would have gotten an even bigger kick out of being the only optional.

 

[Becauseisaid]

I think the reason I'm leery about this is because this is someone who will have to drive (be driven) over an hour to get to the gym. Not an issue if there are no gyms close by, but that is not the case.

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

When I switched I had to drive 45 minutes to the new gym when the old gym was very close to my house. However, I had one friend who I already knew at the new gym and I knew of the coach I was going to have and she was very good. The gym was a great fit for me so it was worth the drive. My mom even thought so too when she saw how happy I was at the new gym.

 

[Muddlethru]

A

I think the reason I'm leery about this is because this is someone who will have to drive (be driven) over an hour to get to the gym. Not an issue if there are no gyms close by, but that is not the case.

An hour drive to a gym you believe meets your needs and aspirations is not a bad drive. Many gymnasts make that drive even in compulsory levels and many think it is not even a big deal. Honestly, I would not worry about this gymnast. She can always switch if it does not work out.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

So long as the kid is not moving because no other club will take her mother...