Parents Didn't make Bronze, so frustrated

[TallaB]

My 7 yr old started preteam in Aug. This was after she fell off beam and broke her elbow in May, developing a huge fear of falling. She wouldn't get on the high beam without a panic attack.
I know I have parent goggles on, but she's done SO MUCH this year. Shes really been working on her form and strength. She has basic skills - cartwheel, roundoff, handstand, forward roll, backbend kickover, handstand flatback. She's, like, 2" off from her splits being on the floor. She struggles a bit with her pullover. She's gotten it solo a couple times but usually requires a gentle nudge over.
Most importantly...after MONTHS of crying and trembling, she got back on that beam!! She can comfortably walk across it. They practice all their skills on low beam and she has a nice lever, T pose and cartwheel.
She's managed to stay fairly on par with her teammates.
So, it caught me by complete surprise when over half the team was invited to bronze and she wasn't. She is now the oldest, left with mostly 5 yr olds who just moved to preteam as she watches most of her friends move up.
She's frustrated and I'm frustrated for her. It saddens me that her hardwork hasn't been aknowledged. When she finally found the courage to get back on that beam, not a single coach congratulated her.
I'm not one to make a fuss or question decisions. Hopefully she is inspired to keep working hard and not feeling as though hardwork doesn't pay off. She will keep going to preteam, I'm just so sad for her.

 

[Deleted member 26368]

Sorry to hear this, since it sounds like your DD overcame some adversity to get to where she is now. Just based on the information in your post, I wonder if the beam fears your DD developed had anything to do with her not moving up. Although she is working through it, maybe the coaches saw that as a reason to keep her on preteam - thinking she could use more time to develop her beam skills and not add the stress of competition in the mix?

I am a little sad the coaches didn't recognize her beam progress, though. Positive reinforcement goes such a long way, especially for the younger ones. However, it sounds like you are doing a great job supporting her, even if the coaches didn't do it publicly.

 

[novagymmom]

Sorry to hear this. I'm sure it's frustrating for her and you. That is HUGE that she conquered that beam fear and will go on the high beam now. Congrats to her and I'm sorry that the coaches didn't recognize that as a big accomplishment for her.

 

[littlebearmum]

I know you said you don't want to question decisions but I think you should ask some questions. Transparency with athletes and families is really important in this sport. At the very least you should be able to talk with her coach/coaches and understand why the decision was made, what she needs to work on to move up to bronze, and if there is any chance she could get a spot if she had growth in her skills over the summer - the Xcel season is months away. I know there is often a concern about the overuse of private lessons for younger gymnasts but I have seen several girls (my own included) benefit from a few private lessons when there is significant fear. I think it is a safe space for a coach who knows the anxieties and is trusted by the gymnast to work on not only the skill but the fear. It's so sad to me that her coaches didn't see her progress but I am happy for her that she has you to celebrate her accomplishments!

 

[Tumble]

Not sure if this is what you want to hear, but if it helps I didn’t get invited to excel silver until I was 15, but I kept working and got there. Don’t lose hope, the important this is keep trying and love the sport.

 

[katrid11]

Have you talked with the coaches to understand where your daughter is at with regards to progressing ahead?

Sometimes as parents we can list all the things our kids can do and we are amazed but what we miss is the coach's view that "yes she can complete these skills but to be Bronze she needs those skills +

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

The fact that she is struggling with the pullover is probably the reason. If you can't consistently get yourself on the bar - it's hard to compete a routine. Kid's are often delayed because bar progress is behind their skill development on the other apparatus.