WAG Describe your rec. program...progressive or overlooked?

[tooootsie]

The rec program at our gym is great!
They call the rec program the "Gym Stars" program, they do evals every 6 months for kids, Spring and Fall. They have Mommy & Me, Pre-School and Levels 1-3 for Gym Stars. Every Spring and Winter they have a gym show so the kids can show off their skills to friends and family. At the show children are awarded medals They use team coaches for the Gym Stars, and they pull from Gym Stars to be in the "rising stars" program as well. I think they are fantastic!

 

[KimmeeA13]

Our gym has developmental rec classes available for Levels 1-4 (separated by age groups within the levels) and the kids are evaluated twice a year. They earn stickers to put on a poster which lists all the skills they have mastered. There are team tryouts every year in May and anyone is welcome to try out. When my daughter tried out for team and made it, she was in a level 2 class. From what I saw, they rotated around the various apparatus (apparati? apparatuses?) at least every other week, if not every week. One problem I'm aware of now is that once a child gets into a level 4 rec class and masters all the skills there, there's nowhere else to go unless they want to go on team or try tumbling class.

 

[MamaLindsay30]

My DD's gym has a very large rec program and I often feel that girls are overlooked. All rec kids are put into level 1 classes until they have mastered (shown the skill to the Rec teachers 3 consecutive times) all USAG level 1 skills. They than advance to level 2. Rec classes end at level 3 and to be honest I am not sure what happens to the girls after that.

We do get the skills sheet to let rec children know where they are at with their skill levels.

 

[OzZee]

Just looking at the progression chart posted above and same thing came to mind when I read another thread about level 2 kids getting stuck in a pullover. Is a pullover not a level 1 skill in the US? In that chart it's not even a level 3 skill.
It's a requirement of level 1 here (and as everyone competes from level 1, a good chinup pullover is a requirement to get to level 1 never mind level 2).

Or are rec levels different to the USAG levels?

My DD's gym has a very large rec program and I often feel that girls are overlooked. All rec kids are put into level 1 classes until they have mastered (shown the skill to the Rec teachers 3 consecutive times) all USAG level 1 skills. They than advance to level 2. Rec classes end at level 3 and to be honest I am not sure what happens to the girls after that.

We do get the skills sheet to let rec children know where they are at with their skill levels. View attachment 3967

 

[wandrewsjr]

Just looking at the progression chart posted above and same thing came to mind when I read another thread about level 2 kids getting stuck in a pullover. Is a pullover not a level 1 skill in the US? In that chart it's not even a level 3 skill.
It's a requirement of level 1 here (and as everyone competes from level 1, a good chinup pullover is a requirement to get to level 1 never mind level 2).

Or are rec levels different to the USAG levels?

I don't think this chart describes level 1 -2 - 3 at this gym, this is level 1 broken down into three sub-levels, bronze, silver, gold.

 

[MamaLindsay30]

^^^ That's correct. That's just level 1.

 

[OzZee]

Ahh ok thanks, that makes more sense.
I was very confused as you'd said level 1, 2, 3 and I wondered if there was a whole other rec levels thing i'd not heard about.
So level 1 at your gym is rec and it's divided up into three groups.

 

[MamaLindsay30]

The levels are to gauge where your child is at in the level. You have to pass gold to go to the next level.

 

[Liv...]

I think our rec program is pretty good, children are divided up into ages and ability and we have a huge program so we have the luxury to take both aspects into account most of the time. While we have a lot of workshops and we do share a lot of our knowledge among the coaches I do find that because you don't get to follow a class through from beginning to a certain level it really depends on what the previous coaches have emphasised with the kids as to what you're able to teach. I was just wondering if anyone else struggles with this as well. Sometime's I can get groups where they don't seem to be progressing for extended periods of time just because we have to go back and emphasise technique in some skills or try to teach them control and body tension. I was wondering if anyone has any strategies to help accommodate these things. Sorry it's a little off topic but this seemed the most relevant place to post it.

 

[juststartingout]

I think ours is of average quality. In our gym rec doesn't progress to team. Anyone who is in rec that they think is team quality is plucked out and put in either pre-team or straight on team depending on skills. When my dd came from our previous gym they had her do a rec class to check her skill level and then recommended team. I met a few of the rec moms during this class and most seemed frustrated with the lack of communication on what their kids still needed to get to preteam or team. They all seemed to have already been doing rec for 2 yrs or more.

 

[shelovestoflip]

My daughter's gym has a great rec program. She was rec for 2 years before moving to Prep Op and then JO. They definitely recognized her potential while in rec.

The gym runs classes from Parent and Child on up. They work hard to meet the needs of the community. There is a preschool 'drop and play' twice a week, teen tumbling classes, etc.

The team coaches coach these classes during the day before team practice. So, they have a good idea of kids who are 'out there'/team potential as well as good coaching skills.

They also run Kids Night outs, vacation and summer camps. They clearly keep their customer happy!

 

[myliljunebugs]

I don't have much to compare mine to, but it is a rather small gym that I personally think does a good job. They have a toddler class, a preschool class, several 5-7 beginners, a 5-7 intermediate, 8+ beginners, 8+ int., 8+ adv., preteam and team. My dd is joining the intermediate 8+ class now, with the hopes of going into team within the next couple of years. In order to move to intermediate she was required to do a one handed cartwheel, pullover, roundoff, and a bridge kickover. I do wish they had better instructors for the younger kids, they tend to be high school and college aged kids, with the "real" instructors going to advanced and team classes. I shouldn't complain though, my DD seems to be thriving.

 

[hawaii_gymnast]

I don't have much to compare mine to, but it is a rather small gym that I personally think does a good job. They have a toddler class, a preschool class, several 5-7 beginners, a 5-7 intermediate, 8+ beginners, 8+ int., 8+ adv., preteam and team. My dd is joining the intermediate 8+ class now, with the hopes of going into team within the next couple of years. In order to move to intermediate she was required to do a one handed cartwheel, pullover, roundoff, and a bridge kickover. I do wish they had better instructors for the younger kids, they tend to be high school and college aged kids, with the "real" instructors going to advanced and team classes. I shouldn't complain though, my DD seems to be thriving.

Just wanted to say that the younger coaches can be great, age is not a big contributing factor that makes coaches great yes experience helps. There are a couple "older" (like 30's) who are less knowledgeable in the sport than the high school and college aged kids. Yes for sure, some younger coaches are not that great but they need practice to grow into a "real" instructor.