WAG Dilemma with a gym change... (NoVa)

[bribri514]

So it seems like me and my niece have reached that point I was hoping not to where a gym change is in order.

My niece went from doing gymnastics clinic/classes at the rec centers in DC, no real clubs, no USAG or anything. She loved it so much I enrolled her at the Y closest to us in NoVa and she started as a level 4 and excelled. I love the gym and community so much. The problem is that she might be outgrowing the gym.

She's 10 and at the level 6 state meet she won vault with 9.5 (totally my niece!) and got second on beam with 9.4 (okay maybe we're not related)! Her floor and bars were in the 20s heh heh but she got 11 AA with 34.450. I'm so proud of her! She's training level 7 now and putting together her own routines. The problem is our Y gym really only goes up through L 6 and then pushes girls towards the Prep Op system.

I was able to work with a few girls this year and we actually had some 7 and 8s do super well at state. We've never had level 9/10s. I love coaching at this gym and I love my girls. My niece loves it so much but she's told me she wants to get more competitive and always has that look of awe at some of the other more competitive gyms in our area.

Any input on what we should do?

Staying at Y: Pros- Love the head coach, the girls, the parents. For the first time ever we had placing 7 and 8s.

Cons- The equipment really maxes out for level 8 routines. There's only one girl at each level almost so that team mentality is missing.

In that case, if we left the Y, any suggestions for NoVa gyms? My niece won't be 11 until Feb and really is training her 7 skills strong. She loves the sport so much and is very self driven.

 

[iwannacoach]

I'll let you be the judge of her level of commitment, but it sounds to me that she'll outgrow the Y by the end, hopefully not the beginning, of the competition season. If I were her and wanted to get to the upper levels with a chance of doing as well as the next kid...... well, I'd feel I was being held back and abandoned.

You description of her beginnings and growth rate in the sport have me thinking she has an abundance of some or all of the following qualities....

1. Physical ability

2. Love for the sport

3. Dedication, deterimination, desire, the ability to see herself do well

4. Intelligent and able to work with coaches.

5. Able to work hard and enjoy it because work helps her get closer to each goal she sets.

These qualities in sufficient numbers and quantities make a gymnast, More than sufficient numbers and qualities make for a gymnast that has potential to excell and fulfill some, most, or all of her dreams. Can the Y do that.

You did a great thing by getting her going, and a bad thing by getting her going, because now she wants more (???) than you envisioned. You must be a great aunt and should be credited with caring enough to get her started, but maybe it's time to let her progress and potential dictate her loyalties, whether that's to a gym club that has a stable of L9 and L10 kids,
or to the Y program.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

If the people who run the Y are looking to build a team then do it. If not then look elsewhere. Once upon a time we only had level 7's as our top level for 2 years... Now,,, well, we have a full team(3 - 10) and they do pretty good.

 

[MaryA]

Sounds like where we were a couple of years ago (with the exception of me loving the Y... somehow it seemed to foster more drama than the private gym we're at now). It sounds like the equipment at the Y will keep the program from growing much beyond where it is now, and it would be a shame if your niece looked back on her gymnastics experience and thought "if only..." If the Y is meeting her needs for now, I guess I'd say start looking around for the next place so that you have all of your ducks in a row when you know that it's time to move on.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Sounds like now is the time to look around. But what does your niece think? Does she want to move and progress more?

 

[vagymmomma]

I sent you a PM (I think). Is a PM same as conversation?

 

[JBS]

I sent you a PM (I think). Is a PM same as conversation?

Yes...PM in the old software is a "conversation" in this software.

 

[bribri514]

My niece is torn too. She loves all the friends she's made. It's given her a real sense of family and consistency as my brother had to go through a bit of a rough custody battle to get full custody of her from her mother a few years ago, right before she started gymnastics. But her goal (still lol) is to be an Olympic gymnast. If not she says she wants to do college like me (I love her so much, she's so sweet). She's the girl who insists that we go to meets the day early or stay late to watch the L 9 and 10 girls compete. She went to the Air Force gymnastics camp this summer too (so me and her were able to go home to see my mom). She still lives and breathes gymnastics.

I put her at the Y originally because it was her first chance to try out "real" gymnastics. There's not a single gymnastics JO club in DC and she was just doing some of the mini clubs with tumbling through the rec district. The Y fit our costs and travel originally too. I thought it would be a great intro to the sport, it wouldn't burn her out and she'd have fun. I had no idea she'd excel so quickly or so well. But unfortunately they're really only equipped to barely handle lower optional levels. My niece excelled at bars at the lower levels, but the lack of full equipment (like foam pits) has made progressing really difficult.

The other hard part is I'm coaching at the Y. They were the first gym to really trust me to teach hearing girls on my own. I've helped our L 7 and 8 girls go from either 6 or prep-op and I'd hate to leave them. However I know they (there's about 3 at our gym) are getting older and looking at retiring at gymnastics. I also finally graduated college and have started teaching full time high school, a PE/health teacher at the school for the Deaf. This kind of cuts into our travel ability for gyms further outside the city, be it NoVa or SoMD.

When I was my niece's age I had just moved up to L 10. Our gym was small too, but occasionally would g L 9 and 10 girls and could coach up to that level. After going to Nationals I desperately wanted to train elite, but the closest gym was in the city, gyms near Denver, hours from where I lived. At the time I was devastated my mom wouldn't move or let me board with another family. I understand her reasoning today but it's never stopped me from thinking what if... I would just hate to crush my niece's dreams that way.

Vagymmom I'll reply to your PM, thank you so so so much for all the great info. Since we live in DC proper, there's always MD gyms too, although I'd prefer to stick to NoVa, I don't want to eliminate any options for my niece.

 

[bribri514]

Yes...PM in the old software is a "conversation" in this software.

Speaking of tech talk, is there any way for me to add Southern MD to the title?? I don't want to make a new topic and clutter up the board. THANKS!

 

[Granny Smith]

Bri – I am not in your area, but my dd is in the same region and has competed in that area and I do know that there are some really good gyms around you where your niece could excel and possibly reach that goal of hers. Your post caught my eye because my dd just changed gyms as well. It has actually gone over real smooth for her, smoother than I expected considering her level. My dd is a L10. I was telling her about your story and how you were a L10 as well and you are deaf. She thought it was truly amazing!! She wanted me to ask you if you have any videos of you doing gymnastics? She would love to see you doing your thing. Can you post links or PM me and let me know, that would be awesome.

 

[MaryA]

I guess one of my questions when looking into other gyms might be, "do you have girls who travel from DC whose parents may be willing to carpool? It's a shame that in all of DC there aren't any "real" gym programs. I guess a gym requires lots of space and space doesn't come cheap in DC. I think I told you before that my girls were born in DC and we lived there till they were about 2 1/2. I really loved living there, but when I sometimes regret leaving I think, "but then DD would probably have never been a gymnast!"

 

[gymmomtoo]

I was coming to see ask if Bri had an update on her decision process and see "banned" written across her name. Um, can I ask what's up with that??

 

[Quadqueen]

I was coming to see ask if Bri had an update on her decision process and see "banned" written across her name. Um, can I ask what's up with that??

yikes!!!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

The short version: evidence has come to our attention that Bri may not be who she says she is.

The staff are still discussing exactly how we want to handle this. We may give more details later or we may not. For now, I ask that you refrain from speculation.

I'm locking the thread for the time being.