Parents Consequences

[cbifoja]

I am not assuming, you are making assumptions about why I think kids repeat. You assumed that based on one situation quoted I assume all kids who repeat are slacker and therefore you assumed I was calling your child one. And took personal what was not meant to be so.

I think there are many reasons why kids repeat. They don't have skills ready for the next level, usually. The coach wants to stack the deck, sometimes. Gym change. They want to work on a kids confidence. Kid has had an injury. Fear issues, growth spurt they haven't adjusted to yet. And slacking/lack of effort can be one too.

I have no doubt my kid will get to a level where she repeats. I rather expect it to happen again. Because she already has when she changed gyms and got bumped back a level, best thing that ever happened to her. And it was because of a number things including her lack of a consistent mill circle . Our gym just doesn't allow for skipping that silly mill circle, although many gyms do. She didn't get to level 4 last year because she didn't have her kip . She is a much better gymnast today. Is she on track to move up a level next year, probably but won't know until summer and if she doesn't have say her flyaway, nope she won't. And it just so happens she is not a slacker. She a slow and steady kid, it takes her as long as it takes.

I am very aware anything can happen and that this is a long road.

Again, no idea how far she will go, but when she is not putting forth the effort, she will be done, be it L5 or L10.

You're right. It is silly for me to get offended by your posts about what optional gymnasts experience

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Yeah..our boys are conditioning at 8:30......not staying past 9!

Again all gyms are different. I can only speak to ours. Conditioning is very much emphasized at our gym and done first. You don't move on until conditioning is done.

Same with conditioning at a station, no pull-ups in the pull-up spot you don't move on. You vault then do your rope and planks before you vault again.

Kids don't get punished, but us parents hear it when they are not stepping up. Same with being late kids don't get punished, the parents hear it.

 

[skschlag]

Again all gyms are different. I can only speak to ours. Conditioning is very much emphasized at our gym and done first. You don't move on until conditioning is done.

Same with conditioning at a station, no pull-ups in the pull-up spot you don't move on. You vault then do your rope and planks before you vault again.

Kids don't get punished, but us parents hear it when they are not stepping up. Same with being late kids don't get punished, the parents hear it.

Our compulsaries condition at the beginning. Optionals...at the end. They need to be fresh to work their skills!

 

[l.c.o]

Oh my goodness!!

My DD is a repeat level 4 at a gym that does not usually compete seasons of levels 5 or 6. She will likely be waiting a year yet to compete level 7, but has been training optionals for a bit. This is her fourth compulsory season.

In general, her team does not get "punished" as a whole, but if one kid manages to distract the rest they will all have to repeat a section on conditioning. This has happened once in over 10 months.

Coaches are still really hands on and watch these kids. The even correct form on conditioning! And coach has zero trouble "loudly encouraging" kids to keep up in conditioning, specifically calling them out for slacking.

She'll also pull aside girls she thinks are cheating and explain why it's wrong. Beyond that, it gets noted when considering the next set of groupings.

One of DD's closest teammates frequently *cheats* conditioning. It used to really, really upset my DD until she realized she was becoming one of the strongest in her group, and her friend was stagnating, still complaining.

The characteristics carry over to events. DD's BFF also generally hates trying any new skills. When DD's teammate was asked to work her beam series on the pit beam, said girl made a "nasty face". Coach apparently caught it and loudly ranted that it's the kids like my DD (and two other girls) who have the drive from within and push, push, push that have the best chance to go far in the sport.

DD's friend still refused to try the skill. :/

Anyway, the point is, even though my DD lost her beam flight after a series of scary falls (getting there though), my DD is one who usually initiates taking the next steps in getting them back. This frustrates my DD to no end, as she feels as though her friend is wasting ability/opportunity.

Now, I don't know what optional gymnasts experience yet, but we know several girls level 7-9. There are definitely those who are more intrinsically motivated and don't cheat, and girls who seem to show up and do the minimum required.

Coaches are aware of this difference, and it seems at the optional level they account for it by the way they group the girls... In fact, they often have mixed-level groups. More motivated girls have a tendency to get more hours and better coaching. That said, there are exceptions.

 

[buttercup]

Our boys also condition at the end- and skills worked earlier in the practice when they are less tired. Personally I think this is a safer option when the skills get bigger and bigger!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I think there are many reasons why kids repeat. They don't have skills ready for the next level, usually. The coach wants to stack the deck, sometimes. Gym change. They want to work on a kids confidence. Kid has had an injury. Fear issues, growth spurt they haven't adjusted to yet. And slacking/lack of effort can be one too.
.

It's fine I have a good grasp on what the sport takes.

And how important it is for the girls to support each other and how it's about the skills not the scores. As does my daughter. They have had their first meet, they all realized it just got harder as did the parents. A bunch of parents were surprised. I wasn't. And the girls all supported each other. And next Level will be harder still and so on.

It was actually interesting to see. Some girls used to doing well didn't and didn't handle it well. Some girls barely hanging on but fought and got through it. Yes it's going be an interesting next couple of years at least.

 

[Mom2-4]

In my experience, kids who don't get the team aspect at all have a much tougher time as they move up the levels. A child who cares primarily about beating teammates will find the gym to be a very lonely and alienating place once the skills start getting hard.

I hope they can also succeed without the team aspect. My Dd has no other optional teammates. The closest thing is an excel platinum. No chance of this changing anytime soon. She is level 7 there are some L 2's, 3s and 4s. She goes to her meets and sits with coach. She says she likes it that way. Most of the time other team girls will cheer for her at meets. I get bummed sometimes with no other team parents to cheer with, just DH and myself. Good news no CG parent drama. The only way to change this would be to move to a bigger gym. There are a couple of them around but DD likes and trusts her HC and refuses to consider the change.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

T E A M W O R K But you have to pick and choose and not over do it. However when it comes to conditioning, we get stronger as a group period.

 

[profmom]

I hope they can also succeed without the team aspect. My Dd has no other optional teammates. The closest thing is an excel platinum. No chance of this changing anytime soon. She is level 7 there are some L 2's, 3s and 4s. She goes to her meets and sits with coach. She says she likes it that way. Most of the time other team girls will cheer for her at meets. I get bummed sometimes with no other team parents to cheer with, just DH and myself. Good news no CG parent drama. The only way to change this would be to move to a bigger gym. There are a couple of them around but DD likes and trusts her HC and refuses to consider the change.

When I said "don't get," I meant more kids who don't think of themselves as part of a team when they have a team around them. I know a few very successful gymnasts who are by themselves at their level. One of DS's teammates has, for age and skill reasons, been competing by himself for two years and is looking at a third year this year. As long as the coaches are capable of coaching your DD to the higher levels, that alone is not a big cause for concern. Has your HC coached any L9-L10s before?