WAG Consequences in elite gyms

[txgymfan]

As always, Dunno knows all!

 

[gymdog]

10 ropes who cars. but 50 back tucks, NO. The hair??? I have never penalized a girl for having a bad hair day, lol.

Yeah I don't know, and it all depends on the context and how it's presented to the kid "Susie, it's obvious you aren't having a productive day on bars here and some of these skills are looking a little scary. Go climb the rope until we're ready to rotate and we'll try done drills again tomorrow" isn't necessary punitive. But the huge numbers you've posted about isn't a good situation especially during periods of rapid development. And it sounds like your daughter is getting a punitive feeling from the other stuff.

I think you should reiterate your goals to the coaches and let them know how your daughter is feeling, see how they respond and go from there.

 

[Chloe Maher]

If I where you, I would of waited till she was a little older to start at a elite gym and have her start at a gym where they don't have such harsh punishments. But I think what her coach(s) are trying to do is push her to a more advanced level. Otherwise,he/she wouldn't be pushing her that hard

 

[vagymmomma]

10 ropes who cars. but 50 back tucks, NO. The hair??? I have never penalized a girl for having a bad hair day, lol.

I had to laugh at this. If bad hair was penalized, my DD would never get anything done at practice. She lives in a perpetual state of hair stress. A couple of the coach have started fixing it when it's really needed -- thankfully they have the patience to keep it under control.

 

[gwenmom]

I had to laugh at this. If bad hair was penalized, my DD would never get anything done at practice. She lives in a perpetual state of hair stress. A couple of the coach have started fixing it when it's really needed -- thankfully they have the patience to keep it under control.

My dd too. We would have to do 'meet' hair daily.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Right? My dd goes into gym looking neat and tidy and comes out with a face full of fly aways, a loose and lopsided pony and covered head to toe with chalk. I always say it is when I think she looks the cutest. Sweaty and covered with chalk

 

[3rd_time_around]

This is very typical of elite training. 10 ropes is a common punishment, being yelled at, being made to cry and being kicked out of the gym are also typical.

One day the coaches will discover they will get more from the kids with other methods.

This makes me so sad. At the end of the day they are still just children.

 

[surfergirl]

"Meet" hair takes a few hours. I have never seen "fly-aways" on team kids in this gym. Gymdog thank you for your reply. I agree the way things are presented to the kid can make a big difference. The things they do in this gym are pretty much not questioned openly by any parent that I have seen. I had a few talks with my daughter and learned more (she is an observant kid). Thank you everyone for the feedback.

 

[purpleleomom]

When we were checking out gyms, I took my DD to one that has a girl currently on the national team. It didn't seem as harsh as what you described, but I knew it wasn't right for us. This was a beginner class and they made the girls hold splits as far as they could go, and if one fell out, they all had to stay in longer. DD doesn't have splits yet and she was in tears after that. The whole environment felt like a punitive gymbot factory. I saw loads of talented upper level girls though, so it must be working. Just not really our vibe.

 

[iwannacoach]

comes out with a face full of fly aways, a loose and lopsided pony and covered head to toe with chalk. I always say it is when I think she looks the cutest. Sweaty and covered with chalk

A gymnastics "Barbie" couldn't look any better.

 

[Tami222]

Dish rocks as punishment at our gym ,or refusing to do a skill example back walkover on high beam results in 100 back walk overs on floor, its not that bad its good for them in the end and works in there favour for strength , but I do agree yelling in the face of 8 yr olds probably not the best way to achieve the outcome but seems to be the way it's done ,

 

[kecks]

100 backovers as a correction is for sure not good for anyone's back. these *do* add up over the yeras. as i said in another thread, repitition and confidence is of course important, especially in gym, but you only have one life, including one body, and around 50-70 years (looking at this genereation born after 2005 or so) of having to live with this body after your gym carrier is over. especially since 99% of these kids will never be on a national team let alone compete internationally. i get elite sports are not healthy, don't need to be, but also please do not forget ever that these are children who are not yet able to take full responsibility for what they do so we, the adults, parents, coaches and teachers have to make the big decisions in their lifes for now. (note: i do coach elite in other sports, i have been on national team myself and i regret nothing, but there *are* other ways to get the most out if kids than the east block model of "work them all till only one is left standing").

 

[profmom]

Dish rocks as punishment at our gym ,or refusing to do a skill example back walkover on high beam results in 100 back walk overs on floor, its not that bad its good for them in the end and works in there favour for strength , but I do agree yelling in the face of 8 yr olds probably not the best way to achieve the outcome but seems to be the way it's done ,

Nope. 100 back walkovers = perfect recipe for back injuries that will put some of them out of the sport.

 

[wallinbl]

"Meet" hair takes a few hours.

A French braid can be done in 4-5 minutes, and will hold through practice. I wonder if the hair thing resulted from them getting sick of dealing with girls that were repeatedly fixing their hair throughout practice.

 

[Seeker]

French braid won't stay in my daughters hair....they always fall out. Her hair is long, heavy and very slippery/shiny, so a braid will not stay unless there is a lot of product in her hair. She generally wears a pony tail with a headband to keep it secure.

 

[Flossyduck]

Yelling is rare in our gym. So rare that all the parents jump and get nervous when one of the coaches raises their voice. All the more effective - has me scared!

Usual 'punishment' for general attitude is that a girl is asked to go and take ten minutes to think and come back ready to work. Very occasionally a girl might be sent home.

 

[gwenmom]

Yelling is rare in our gym. So rare that all the parents jump and get nervous when one of the coaches raises their voice. All the more effective - has me scared!

Usual 'punishment' for general attitude is that a girl is asked to go and take ten minutes to think and come back ready to work. Very occasionally a girl might be sent home.

This made me think of a funny story. One coach at DD's gym teaches both JO and Cheer. When she is with the cheerleaders she YELLS. I don't know if it is a cheer thing or if she just gets frustrated with them.

One day I asked DD if this coach yelled at them to, and her reply was " No, she doesn't, gymnasts are more sensitive then cheerleaders." I about died laughing. She's 8. I'm not sure where she got that from or if she even knows what it means.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

100 back walkovers is child abuse , no joke

 

[bogwoppit]

results in 100 back walk overs on floor, its not that bad its good for them in the end and works in there favour for strength

This is so not okay it makes me want to scream.

My dd had back surgery to fuse her spine. An over enthusiastic coach loved the fact that my tiny gymmie could do BWO on the beam, so often she would be left doing them for the whole practice. Years of back pain and physio followed, then eventually surgery. Three years after surgery she still is in pain daily. This also ended her gymnastics career. AT 13 years of age she was broken, it messed with her head terribly too, you cannot even begin to imagine what this kind of injury does to a young teen.

BWO's should be limited as much as possible. To hear that they are sued punitively in a gym is so horrific to me.

 

[bogwoppit]

100 back walkovers is child abuse , no joke

I agree 100%.