I don't know where to start, never posted before but I thought some outside input could be helpful. My daughter is 10 and competed level 4 twice. We have known since May that because of struggles with bars she may still not be ready for level 5. She had a decent season this year with some solid scores and good placements. She wanted to continue and train for the summer and decide what to do. I was told by her coach that they would not tell a child they could no longer do gymnastics.
This gym has been a second home to my daughter. She has been there since she was a toddler and I have worked there since before she was born. It has been a constant in her life even when we have had challenges in our family. She recently let her coaches know that she understood she may not be ready for level 5 but that she still wanted to do gymnastics with them. During this time there was no pressure put on them to move her up if she wasn't ready except to ask what additional things she could do (conditioning, etc.) to help her get where she wanted to be.
Well, today I was informed that she could no longer be a part of the team. Not for behavior, attendance, or anything other than the reasons I stated above. There would be "no point" in doing 4 for another year (what about loving the sport?). I had been trying to get her to maybe go somewhere else for a few months because from the inside I have observed many kids leaving unhappy...feeling pushed out of the program. Just not as blatantly as they did today. It breaks my heart that this could possibly be her last experience with a sport she has put so much of herself into. She has had to work hard, much of it has not come easily to her.
.
And then I still have the problem that I work there. REALLY work there in many areas. I love the people I work with directly, the kids, and the work I do. I also need to work.
I will say I feel relief that if she chooses to continue with gymnastics for awhile longer that we will find her a place where she feels wanted and encouraged and can finish of her time in this sport with good feelings rather than negative ones.
This gym has been a second home to my daughter. She has been there since she was a toddler and I have worked there since before she was born. It has been a constant in her life even when we have had challenges in our family. She recently let her coaches know that she understood she may not be ready for level 5 but that she still wanted to do gymnastics with them. During this time there was no pressure put on them to move her up if she wasn't ready except to ask what additional things she could do (conditioning, etc.) to help her get where she wanted to be.
Well, today I was informed that she could no longer be a part of the team. Not for behavior, attendance, or anything other than the reasons I stated above. There would be "no point" in doing 4 for another year (what about loving the sport?). I had been trying to get her to maybe go somewhere else for a few months because from the inside I have observed many kids leaving unhappy...feeling pushed out of the program. Just not as blatantly as they did today. It breaks my heart that this could possibly be her last experience with a sport she has put so much of herself into. She has had to work hard, much of it has not come easily to her.
.
And then I still have the problem that I work there. REALLY work there in many areas. I love the people I work with directly, the kids, and the work I do. I also need to work.
I will say I feel relief that if she chooses to continue with gymnastics for awhile longer that we will find her a place where she feels wanted and encouraged and can finish of her time in this sport with good feelings rather than negative ones.