WAG Conditioning for Rec kids?

[Iwannabemargo]

Oldest dd has a comp next month not far from that area - in Bournemouth.

It may seem close, but its 3 1/2 hours from here xx

 

[Ex member]

Tomorrow is dd's rec class again and they are still working on badges (this is dd's second rec class this week) and I am wondering what dd will do for that session as she passed her badge on Monday (they could have split it over her 2 sessions), cannot see them letting her attempt the next badge which will be one of the advanced proficiency bronze badges as she has no idea what to do, I hope they don't make her repeat her previous badge just to give her something to do - it seems like a waste of session for her.

I am considering talking to one of dd's rec coaches about dd and see what they say about moving her out of rec - any tips? Do's or Don'ts about how to approach it and what to avoid saying?

 

[Iwannabemargo]

They are human, just talk to them like any other person.

I would however, try and get an appointment first - you want their attention and their goodwill so don't sandbag them between classes. Explain her progress and her aims and ask what they will do for you. Tell them you are unhappy with her current situation.

Good luck

 

[Tifgymnast]

The rec class at my gym does conditioning in each circuit it's kind of a warm up do each event but its more conditioning and body positions. Like before bar try do a coupe chin ups, fish swings, inverted hangs. For vault they do sprints and dip runs and lying on pommel and lifting legs above head (behind). For beam they do leg lifts on a bar on the wall while waiting for their turn. The best thing is to incorporate it throughout the class whenever they are not being spotted hey should be doing something and why not have that be conditioning?!?

 

[Uglybetty]

My DD's rec gym sometimes turned conditioning into a game....usually a game we in the UK call corners. You allocate one shape per corner of the room....get them to run in a big circle and then the coach (with their back turned) shouts "corners". They all run to the nearest corner and make the allocated shape. The coach then shouts one shape name and the kids in that corner are out. The aim is to stay in the game the longest. They loved it.

 

[marie83]

I'm wit

Have the badges changed?
A good many years ago dd had to flic and handspring vault and handstand pirouette on floor for badge 1 !

I had to do this too! The badges have become much easier but there are more of them!

 

[SXS524]

So apparently I spoke too soon.. the HC told me that the club is now going to be doing badges! Yay I suggested it a few months ago and hadn't heard anything since so assumed it wasn't happening!

 

[Ex member]

Dd's coach said that she could practice her Bronze vault badge last night as she had already passed Badge 1 during her last rec session, her coach told me that the Bronze badge was easy, from what I saw dd doing (peeking every so often) she had a go on the Bronze, Silver and Gold elements of the Vault badge - I only realised this when I saw her do some of the stuff from the gold badge - which was a Front Salto with Support, she was also doing various jumps off the trampet and some Handstand Flatbacks and some Dive forward Rolls off the trampet.

With regards to dd's future a couple of my friends had a meeting with the head coach to discuss various things one of which was the rec side of the gym and I was given some interesting info (unfortunately I wasn't at gym that night when they had a meeting), they discussed the possibility of having a parent rep for the rec side like they do with the squad side, the coach also told them his plans for the club (a newish coach that took over around 11 months ago), the head coach doesn't want to do the badges, the head coach wants to restructure the rec side so it is done by ability (at the moment they are separated by girls and boys groups and put together by age and not ability), once in the new groups they are going to have the same coach per ability group each lesson so they can keep a track on progress and move the girls up when they are ready (to what ever level will be better for them), once they have mastered they stuff in their current group they will them advance to the next level - what ever that may be.

My friend was told to be patient as the changes will not happen over night and there is a lot of organisation and paper work to sort out, with that sort of promise I am willing to be patient and the head coach has my full support in this as this is something I have always wanted for the rec groups - more consistency and progression, the head coach told my friend that our gym is far behind and needs changing - the head coach has big plans which sound very exciting.

With this new information I will not approach the coaches about moving my dd unless they approach me unless nothing changes in the next 3 months and the new plans come to nothing because with their new plans they will be able to identify children with potential easier with the consistency of having the same coach each time. Dd will be placed by ability and will most likely work with older girls when the do the new placings.

 

[gymdog]

I think you should still talk to the coaches personally.

 

[Galadriel]

I agree I think you should too

 

[Ex member]

Thank you for your feedback, it means a lot. So you guys still think that I need to talk to the coaches about dd after reading the info I gave you over the past week? I know you cannot give an opinion about my dd without seeing her, but based on what I have told you (if you believe what I have said) do you think dd should be in rec or a more advanced group? I trust your opinions and it is nice to hear what others have to say.

Dd is quite small for her age and very slight in figure but that doesn't effect her , she isn't that strongest but she seems to learn quickly. Like I said she has passed all her badges first time and she loves gymnastics, she also loves dancing and I think they can complement each other, she is quite flexible - has her left leg split (not pretty) and nearly her right leg split and can get with in a few inches of her box split - she can do a pancake stretch and lower herself to the floor (not perfectly flat yet but parts of her upper body does touch the floor),her pike stretch need improvement, she can do a bridge with feet together and straight legs, she can do loads of sit ups if someone holds her feet, she can do some push ups and chin ups with a light spot, she can swing on the bars well, she can also hold her arms and hands in the gymnastic pose way.

 

[Flossyduck]

I think you should speak to them also, but I'm not basing that on what I think of your daughter's skill level. It's not my assessment of how good she is because I really can't tell that. It's based on the fact that she has specific aspirations and goals and she is trying her best and working towards those goals and you are not doing anything wrong by asking for some feedback as to her progress.

The fact that they are changing the classes around in the gym, so she may end up in an ability based rec group, is not terribly relevant if she wants to get on the team. So you are still a couple of answers short.

Also if she's 8 next year and wants to compete, then the prep really starts around now for in age comps in March.

Just talk to them. Tell them that she really wants to make it on to the team and to compete and ask what they think she needs to do for that to happen. I'm not really sure what your reluctance is? If you were bugging them every week, then that would be cgm, but one conversation to find out if she's on track for her goals - that's sounds perfectly reasonable to me and will put an end to your guesswork and speculation.

 

[gymdog]

Thank you for your feedback, it means a lot. So you guys still think that I need to talk to the coaches about dd after reading the info I gave you over the past week? I know you cannot give an opinion about my dd without seeing her, but based on what I have told you (if you believe what I have said) do you think dd should be in rec or a more advanced group? I trust your opinions and it is nice to hear what others have to say.

Dd is quite small for her age and very slight in figure but that doesn't effect her , she isn't that strongest but she seems to learn quickly. Like I said she has passed all her badges first time and she loves gymnastics, she also loves dancing and I think they can complement each other, she is quite flexible - has her left leg split (not pretty) and nearly her right leg split and can get with in a few inches of her box split - she can do a pancake stretch and lower herself to the floor (not perfectly flat yet but parts of her upper body does touch the floor),her pike stretch need improvement, she can do a bridge with feet together and straight legs, she can do loads of sit ups if someone holds her feet, she can do some push ups and chin ups with a light spot, she can swing on the bars well, she can also hold her arms and hands in the gymnastic pose way.

We would have to see a video I guess, but I will tell you the requirements for most developmental classes in the US. We have different system though so I'm not sure if in GB you have to be "elite" material to be accepted into the developmental stream you spoke of that goes by birth date.

-1-2 pull-ups (fingers facing forward kind)
-Pullover with feet together on bars
-Good cartwheel and handstand
-Bridge kickover
-Somewhat decent splits

So from what you wrote above, she cannot do pull-ups yet and possibly not a pullover (not all gyms require this though, but some are particularly strict of requiring at least 1 pull up). I would definitely start working on pull ups as much as possible if she wants to improve, can she hold her chin above the bar with her arms bent for 10-20 seconds?

 

[Flossyduck]

Damn, I really need to stop posting when it's late and I've just got back from the gym and am tired...

Tiny Dancer the last paragraph of my reply sounds abrupt and isn't at all meant that way. I genuinely empathise and many of us have been at your stage, not wanting to be the cgm, but wanting to support our dd's dreams as well. I only meant that you can wait around and try and second guess what the changes will mean for your dd, but it will mean spending several weeks more wondering and speculating for you and I can see it's starting to eat you up. There is no harm in asking them specifically how they think your dd is getting on and what she needs to do to improve her chances of getting in the team.

 

[Ex member]

I didn't think your post sounded abrupt, I can understand about the tiredness as its like that for me, my day started at 9am today, I needed to pop down the gym to pay for oldest dd's hotel fee's for her upcoming competition then both dd's had dancing then eldest dd had to go back to the gym in the afternoon for her training session.

I think you asked a very good question - what is my reluctance to speak to the gym, I had a think about it and the conclusion I come up with is that I do want to speak to them about dd but the other side of me is thinking that if they thought dd was good enough then they would have already invited her to join a different group (I call it the negative side of me and that side nearly always seems to speak the loudest in my head if that makes sense), but thinking about things from a rational point of view I can see no harm in speaking to them especially as they have a fairly new notice up saying that parents are not allowed to enter the training hall (we have a lobby and café to sit in) during sessions but they will be happy to discuss anything about your child's gymnastics after the session, the positive side of me thinks I have nothing to loose by speaking to them, I just want to ask the coach about my daughters progress and let them know what she wants (I at least owe that to my dd) and see what the reaction is.

I guess I was also afraid of being a Gym Crazy Mum but I don't think I am that bad as I have one daughter in a development group who has an upcoming competition with routines for floor, vault and beam and we have been told to look up the routines online and maybe go through some of the movements and balances but I must confess I haven't even approached older dd to practice, her routines are coming along nicely and there doesn't seem to be any major issues so I am happy to keep it in the Gym, if older dd was struggling I would then encourage her.

Going back to younger dd, she wanted me to talk to the coach after her second proper rec class with the older girls, I will do that as it will give both of us a chance to see how it goes with harder stuff that is new to her instead of going over what she can do, sort of take her out of her comfort zone (her first classes in the older group were badge practice and testing). Dd has got a particular class that she wants to join and its more like advance rec / floor and vault type groups that do more hours the her current rec groups, I have seen them ask girls of 6-9 years to move into those groups, these hours are anything from 4 hours up to 6 and would suit dd as it wouldn't interfere with her dancing.

 

[gymdog]

I think you should just ask, at least you will find out some info and can decide what to do with it (example: must have chin ups - then you can get a chin up bar and practice) or maybe there is a strict birthdate like you heard about the other class, so you can encourage her to get excited about that floor/vault class.

I would just say to the coach(es) "my older daughter is going to be competing through X program, I know it is completely different, but this has gotten my younger daughter very keen to advance as well, she really loves it and wants to compete also - I was wondering if there are any programs for competition she could eventually progress to?"

 

[Jenny]

I would be very casual and open about it. Say dd is keen and asking about doing competitions. Ask is there any chance they will pick her in the future to do grade 14. You would like her to have the chance if she is capable.

 

[Ex member]

Thanks for your replies, I will talk to the coaches this week, wish me luck lol

 

[Ex member]

Didn't get a chance to talk to the coach about dd as they were short staffed, she has her second rec session later in the week so hopefully we will have a chance then.

We were able to sit up in the balcony this week and it gave me a chance to watch dd , she had a good session, was able to keep up with the older girls (was better than a lot of the girls in her age group 7-8, I know you shouldn't compare to others but she just looked like she was doing well), she was picked to demonstrate on the bars and they had to go on the high bar using a block then moving across to the centre of the bars with their hands before doing some fish swings (dish and arch) and then land, dd didn't need any help with this, they did races in various shapes, on the vault they did various jumps off the vaulting table, they also did a dive roll off a spring board onto a crash mat - my little money was doing dive rolls without using her hands like a little sumasult (I had a word with her about that in case she got hurt as they were suppose to use their hands), on the floor they were working on handstands against a tall block, a handstand with tummy against a smaller block and a hand stand off a spring board landing flat on her back with legs straight and arms kept above her head, dd did well doing that and even held the hand stand for a few seconds before dropping down.

 

[Ex member]

Tomorrow is dd's rec class, I am still planning on talking to them, yesterday I had to tell dd off for standing on the arm of the sofa and doing a bid air dive roll onto the sofa (I guess most of your dd's/ds's have done that)- I am worried she will break her neck, I told her things like that needs to be left in the gym under supervision, not done on her own at home or when the coach is not looking at gym.

Would it be pushing it if when I speak to them that I ask if dd can have a trail period in a more advance level group than one size fits all rec?