Parents Collegiate Gymnastics

[Kristie]

Hi!
So, my daughter has expressed an interest in collegiate gymnastics. Here's the problem. I've been told that you need to start very young to get the experience and levels needed to even be considered for college teams. And that it is all about the gym you're at. If you're at the wrong gym and are great, you most likely won't even be considered. I was also told, nicely and with concern, that this wasn't going to happen for us. It was already over before it began. I felt a little disappointed and wanted a few other opinons.

So here's what we have:

My DD started 3 years ago and is currently at the final recreational level. She is 10. She'd probably be further along except she broke her arm pretty badly and was out for 10 months so she's basically been in gymnastics for 2 years. She is SUPER motivated and works very hard. She wants this but knows that her chances are smaller than she'd like them to be. She knows that very few girls get recruited. We've had that conversation so she doesn't have unrealistic expectations. But she is still adament that she wants to do it.

Her coaches haven't said she's the next Olympic medalist but neither have they said she needs to abandon her goal.

What I'm wondering is your opinions on the road to college.

1) I know she needs to be a level 10 (at least) before she puts herself out there for recruiters. Does she need to start that in 9th grade, 11th...when??

2) Is it even possible for her, assuming she is Level 3 by the end of this year, to make it 7 levels before her timeframe is up? I have no idea how leveling is done in competeitive world so I don't know if that is just the most insane thing you could even consider or something that someone who is talented and motivated can acheive.

3) Does her gym really matter that much? I know that YouTube is where it's at with getting recruiters to see you. But does her gym choice make a difference provided she is at the level she needs to be?

Is there anything you want to tell me about this process? Be honest. I know these answers might not be what I want to hear however I need to know if she needs to be told this is an unattainable goal for her. I don't want her heart broken after years of hard work. I want her to enjoy gymnastics for what it is even if college isn't the end game.

Thanks for any and all info. You guys are seriously invaluable.

 

[John]

I know little. I do know nothing is impossible. I know there are 10 year old level 10 and elite gymnastics. Knowing a ten year old who can't compete compulsory gymnastics till age 7 can become level 10 or elite it is possible to train and score out of levels and move up.

Your problem is finding a gym that will do what' n for your DD.

 

[sce]

It is tough to get on a Divsion 1 team and you usually have to reach level 10 at least a few years before graduation to get recruited by a top team. But there are other options, ie div 2 and 3 and club teams. So she should be able to participate ins some form of a college gym team no matter where her path takes her.

 

[txgymfan]

Investigate College Club level gymnastics. It's much more realistic but still fun with a competition component.

 

[Kristie]

Thanks! I will check that out!!

 

[duyetanh]

To echo what others have said, club gymnastics would be something to explore. Someone on the frum posted a list of colleges that have college club gymnastics, and there are a lot of them! Unfortunately, I can’t remember the link, sorry.

 

[Sasha]

Agree with above on realistic college options.

Club gymnastics may only need level 8-9ish skills. Maybe even less as I think club takes anyone? Not sure. Maybe others can elaborate on Club?

If she does want to aim for L10 before graduating high school, that is theoretically totally achievable. Assuming she has enough talent, and works hard enough, the gym choice is monumentally important. Make sure she is at a gym who has experience producing Level 10s regularly, that the coaches believe in her and will craft a pathway that will give her a shot at her goals, and that she is in a positive environment where coaches build her up, not tear her down.

10 is still young! But many gyms have a philosophy that doesn't think so. Make sure you're in the right gym.

Good luck!

 

[Muddlethru]

To be completely honest, a Level 3 ten year old may make it difficult to get to L10 in time to be actively recruited by a Division 1 school. However, it also does not mean it won't happen. It depends on her natural ability, coaches, motivation among other things. Additionally, you have personal experience with injuries and how it can derail goals.

1) I know she needs to be a level 10 (at least) before she puts herself out there for recruiters. Does she need to start that in 9th grade, 11th...when??

She needs to be a Level 10 to get the interest of Division 1 colleges. Division 3 colleges have recruited L9s. So if she is not looking for a scholarship, she may get into a gymnastics team in a Division 3 team. If you have strong routines in Level 9, start contacting colleges and sending them videos. Her grade is not as important as her gymnastics skills and level. There is not much you can do if she gets to L9 and she is 11th grade. But if you are asking ideally for the average gymnast, not elite, perhaps during her sophomore year; so you are not too young that coaches may set you aside for a while and not too old that most teams are filling up.

2) Is it even possible for her, assuming she is Level 3 by the end of this year, to make it 7 levels before her timeframe is up? I have no idea how leveling is done in competeitive world so I don't know if that is just the most insane thing you could even consider or something that someone who is talented and motivated can acheive.

It all depends on her natural ability, drive, coaches and other variables. But yes, it is very possible. There are kids that skip levels which means they do one meet and get the move up score and go on to the next level. I've seen several go through 2-3 levels in one given season. Is this typical? Not really but it happens more often than we think.

3) Does her gym really matter that much? I know that YouTube is where it's at with getting recruiters to see you. But does her gym choice make a difference provided she is at the level she needs to be?

The gym certainly matters but perhaps not as much on the recruiting process. It matters that you are in the best gym and best coaches available to you so that your daughter is trained properly. There are coaches that actively market their gymnasts to college coaches and who have connections. It is good to get to those gyms too but it is not totally necessary. You can advocate for your daughter just as well. And youtube is only where it is at if you send those videos to the coaches. I don't think coaches sit at their desks and search the web/youtube for potential recruits. You will need to actively pursue them.

Is there anything you want to tell me about this process? Be honest. I know these answers might not be what I want to hear however I need to know if she needs to be told this is an unattainable goal for her. I don't want her heart broken after years of hard work. I want her to enjoy gymnastics for what it is even if college isn't the end game.

Honestly, your daughter is too early in her gymnastics career to say whether college gym is a realistic goal or not. There are enumerable variables: she may change her mind, have other interests, injuries, fears and other setbacks. Getting into a college team has also a whole set of other variables: establishing relationship with the coaches, having the skills to cater to the college's weakness, etc. At Level 3 and starting off, kids like to dream. And it is great to dream but they have not had the experience to really know what they are dreaming about. You should just continue to support your daughter in her dreams. I don't see why you should crush her dreams right now. No one has a crystal ball and anything can happen 7 years from now. Many new parents, and I know this because I was once a new parent, want concrete answers usually for their own personal reasons and sometimes not really for their daughters and understandably so. Gymnastics is expensive, time consuming, difficult, frustrating and affects the entire family. But unfortunately, there really are no concrete answers. My daughter was 14 years old (not as young as some) when she first competed Level 10. She had one injury in Level 9. One would think she is well positioned for college gym. But it wasn't. She had so many setbacks with injuries year after year, she considered quitting at one point, we switched gyms etc., her chances at college gym even after this being her 4th year as a Level 10 with two more years ahead of her, is still on the line. I know several girls who got to Level 10 in their senior year and were offered scholarships. All our Level 9s last year got into Div 3 teams and two of our Level 10s that year didn't get into any college team at all. So, really no way to tell.

 

[MuggleMom]

We had a girl at our gym that didn't even start gymnastics till she was 10 or 11 and ended up with a scholarship to a D1 school. This is not the norm but it is possible. More realistic would be club level gym. I would tell your daughter to work your hardest and see where you get and there are definitely options for gymnastics participation beyond high school it just may not be precisely what she envisions now.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

Pressed for time now, so cannot answer in full.... but short answer is that every gymnast's path is different and I would not rule anything out if college gym is her goal. I personally know a Division I graduating senior on full scholarship who didn't do level 10 till 11th grade (I think that's correct, perhaps her mom will chime in and confirm/correct).

 

[bookworm]

Pressed for time now, so cannot answer in full.... but short answer is that every gymnast's path is different and I would not rule anything out if college gym is her goal. I personally know a Division I graduating senior on full scholarship who didn't do level 10 till 11th grade (I think that's correct, perhaps her mom will chime in and confirm/correct).

This could be possible but with recruiting ramped up so early nowadays, a 10 yo level 3 would be more realistic pursuing club gymnastics in college. My guess is that the OP's daughter would be further along in the levels if her talent level was showing, even in the rec classes. I get that she had a broken arm for a time but the forward progression didn't seem to be there before that happened. I'm not trying to dash your dreams but yes, she has 7-8 years until college but her trajectory at this point doesn't make me think that D1 gym is likely.

 

[mommyof1]

Is XCel a viable option for college students or is that just not done? You would have to have a car on campus, which is usually difficult especially for freshmen, and the schedule would have to work out, but at least you would get coaching. The college club gymnastics teams I've looked up don't appear to have coaches, although I could be mistaken.

 

[raenndrops]

Is XCel a viable option for college students or is that just not done? You would have to have a car on campus, which is usually difficult especially for freshmen, and the schedule would have to work out, but at least you would get coaching. The college club gymnastics teams I've looked up don't appear to have coaches, although I could be mistaken.

All it takes is finding a gym that is willing to allow girls to continue in gymnastics into adulthood. You can compete in JO or Xcel after high school. If you find a gym that offers adult classes, you can ask them questions about actual coaching in the classes (some are just basically open gyms and others have actual instruction) and if they allow 18-22 year olds to compete (or would they be willing to allow it).
Where I went to college, the COLLEGE actually had gymnastics CLASSES that you could take. And often, college club teams work out at a local gym. They may not have "coaches" per se, but they can get coaching help from from coaches at the gym they are using or the other girls on the team (some of whom may have been L9/10 and coached some back at their home gym).
And now, club has the option of 3 different competitive levels... Level 6, Level 7, and Level 9 (it used to be JUST Level 9 and you just had a lower SV if you didnt have the skills).
Good luck.

 

[Aussie_coach]

It's not impossible to go very quickly from level 3-7.

If you just read around the board yiu will hear of lots of gyms and gymnasts who start their gymnasts in level 4 and then skip them to level 7 the next year, doing just 1 level 5 comp to score out.

But, your gym may not even do that. Have a look at their track record, have they done it before? If they have kept her in rec for all this time instead of accelerating her through to comp leve,s because of her age, then the answer is they probabaly won't do it, at least not for your gymnast.

 

[raenndrops]

All it takes is finding a gym that is willing to allow girls to continue in gymnastics into adulthood. You can compete in JO or Xcel after high school. If you find a gym that offers adult classes, you can ask them questions about actual coaching in the classes (some are just basically open gyms and others have actual instruction) and if they allow 18-22 year olds to compete (or would they be willing to allow it).
Where I went to college, the COLLEGE actually had gymnastics CLASSES that you could take. And often, college club teams work out at a local gym. They may not have "coaches" per se, but they can get coaching help from from coaches at the gym they are using or the other girls on the team (some of whom may have been L9/10 and coached some back at their home gym).
And now, club has the option of 3 different competitive levels... Level 6, Level 7, and Level 9 (it used to be JUST Level 9 and you just had a lower SV if you didnt have the skills).
Good luck.

OOPS, Level 8, not Level 7 is the other level. So Level 6, Level 8, and Level 9 are the options with NAIGC (College Club Gymnastics).

 

[2G1B]

It would be tough, especilly since she has been in a gym and not been put on team, so that makes it sound like she hasn't been ready for team yet. That said, there is a girl at my DD's gym who started gymnastics summer before last as a rising 6th grader (as in started rec gymnastics) she then was moved to team and competed, XS a couple of meets and then XG the rest of the season. Over the summer she scored out of L4 and L5 easily and just did state at L6 with a successful season (36+). So she went from rec to starting to train L7 in less than 2 years. It will still be a tough road for her if she wants to do college; but it isn't out of the realm of possibilities if she skips a few more levels.

 

[jessifrostR]

If your daughter is exceptionally talented and has great coaches, her dream can definitely be a possibility. No point in telling her otherwise. But the first step is actually getting out of rec and making team. Once her hours increase, she will begin to progress more quickly. Are you pretty sure she is going to be on the level 3 team this year?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

It’s not all Div 1.

 

[honu]

I think it is common and completely normal for anyone looking to start on team to have "big" dreams. As time passes, she will figure out for herself what may or may not be possible in the future and if she even likes competing. There are phases of gymnastics and starting on team is an exciting phase to enjoy. Everyone has given great information about the paths and different options for college gymnastics. If she starts on team and ask more about pursuing her goals you will have good information to share with her.

 

[Peachy88]

We have a 10 year old who has literally only competed two level 3 meets and 1 level 4. She will compete level 5/6 next year. She has amazing talent and really could possibly do some college gym some day if she wanted but she would need to soon switch to a high hour gym. She currently only trains 4 hours a week which should give some indication of her talent. Even her path would take an amazing amount of grit, money, and luck.