Parents Does your child have a 'fallback' sport?

[ascarter1]

I think it is especially difficult once you reach the higher levels. Dd is training lv 8, 5 days per week (20 hours). Leaves no time for fall back sports. But, if dd ever quit, I feel like she is athletic enough to pick up at least one high school sport (track, cross country, cheer...). Dd has NO intention of leaving gymnastics at this time!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Does your team "contract" restrict other sports/activities?

I don't think we would be at a gym that restricted other sports. She is not a professional athlete, a NCAA athlete or even Olympic bound.

Really they are little kids.

As far as the kids who leave our gym most go on to other sports and usually at least play at the varsity level. Track, diving, crew.......... Many also do Cross Fit as well.

 

[MAcastsalot]

Does your team "contract" restrict other sports/activities?

No, but the girls who regularly miss a practice for anther sport tend to fall behind, unless they do regular privates.

 

[MomIdidit!]

I am so thankful dd had the opportunity to experience soccer, baseball, softball, track, basketball and swimming. We were fortunate that her gym hours allowed that flexibility in the earlier levels. She still remembers playing the other sports and at 8 years old will tell you they were fun but gymnastics is the only sport I want to do.

She is training level 6 and really doesn't have any time for another sport although she is also a violinast However, at field day in June she was one of the only children to run with the ball in the lacross stick for the entire route. When questioned by the gym teacher about how long she's been playing lacrosee, she responded "I never even picked up a stick before today but my gymnastics coaches remind us daily that gymnasts can do anything!"

After that statement we realized gym is worth every minute of her commitment.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

No, but the girls who regularly miss a practice for anther sport tend to fall behind, unless they do regular privates.

This is not personal but I hate the "fall behind" thing.

They each are on their own journey and make different choices. My and I understand lower hours and different choices mean a slower gym curve. There is no behind. They are on their own path.

 

[MAcastsalot]

This is not personal but I hate the "fall behind" thing.

They each are on their own journey and make different choices. My and I understand lower hours and different choices mean a slower gym curve. There is no behind. They are on their own path.

How about "progress more slowly than their teammates who attend more practices?" For me, I would have no problem with my DD taking more time for another sport, and her gym allows that in JO to some extent, particularly at the compulsory levels. My DD would definitely feel like she is falling behind with regards to her personal goals, though.

 

[Iwannabemargo]

Pink saw this thread and asked why anyone would want another sport, "why don't they just do acro when they are old ? That's what I'm going to do !"

 

[lovemygymnast]

No fallback sports so far! I have tried to sign her up for soccer, tennis, softball and just anything else that I see but she's said no to each and every one. She did do some dance early on and then ballet to coincide with her L4 season but once meet season started, she didn't want to do ballet anymore, it was too boring. Lol. It's hard once they're bitten by the gymnastics bug!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

How about "progress more slowly than their teammates who attend more practices?" For me, I would have no problem with my DD taking more time for another sport, and her gym allows that in JO to some extent, particularly at the compulsory levels. My DD would definitely feel like she is falling behind with regards to her personal goals, though.

Yeah, no.

Each journey is unique..... And each gymnast progresses in their own time some of it is based on hours. Some of it just how the do mentally, some physically, some depends on staying healthy or not.

Daughters group mostly (past season) L4s going to Level 6
One girl in their group is L5 (past season) she is mostly a year ahead, but technically "behind" if you measure comparing to the girls I her old group going to L7.

Just looking at BHS on beam (which our gym requires for L6).

The L5 girl who has been training a year longer then the L4 girls still doesn't have it. I don't know why. Probably fear related.

Most of the rest of Level 4s have it.

Almost all our girls train 4 days a week, my daughter trains 3 (this past spring we added a 45 min weekly private, to offset the 3 hour Sat practice she can't be at during the school year)

Most of the girls also supplement their training with even more privates, we don't usually. I don't think the level 5 kid does either.

My daughter was 4th last to get her BHS, doing significantly less hours. Her bars skills tend to lag but she is doing OK. And she is a cautious gymmie, she is not usually the first to get skills even when they did the same hours. She is not in a rush.

Another kid was 2nd to last getting her BHS, but is is the youngest by far.
The L5 ahead a year will be the last but hopefully in time to go to 6 this season.

Another kid, she wouldn't do a squat on for L4 all year, she just got it last week yet has actually done Giants.

And three kids have moved on this summer. One was really starting to shine and they are onto other things.

These kids aren't ahead or behind. They are going at their own pace.
Can't speak for the rest of our group, but my daughter sets her own goals, what the other girls are doing just doesn't factor into her plan for herself.

Getting into these higher levels, I can see fear starting to be a factor. Injuries as well, we have had a few (my kid included). I can easily see a kid not moving up a level due to an injury. Or a kid who zoomed ahead getting stuck because if a block. And then the next thing you know that slow but steady kid, if they remain block and injury free. Or that kid with terrible form finally gets that straightened out. And then the pass the kids who were "ahead" .

The journeys are so unique and different. They get to where they are supposed be in their own time.

 

[MAcastsalot]

Yeah, no.

Each journey is unique..... And each gymnast progresses in their own time some of it is based on hours. Some of it just how the do mentally, some physically, some depends on staying healthy or not.

Daughters group mostly (past season) L4s going to Level 6
One girl in their group is L5 (past season) she is mostly a year ahead, but technically "behind" if you measure comparing to the girls I her old group going to L7.

Just looking at BHS on beam (which our gym requires for L6).

The L5 girl who has been training a year longer then the L4 girls still doesn't have it. I don't know why. Probably fear related.

Most of the rest of Level 4s have it.

Almost all our girls train 4 days a week, my daughter trains 3 (this past spring we added a 45 min weekly private, to offset the 3 hour Sat practice she can't be at during the school year)

Most of the girls also supplement their training with even more privates, we don't usually. I don't think the level 5 kid does either.

My daughter was 4th last to get her BHS, doing significantly less hours. Her bars skills tend to lag but she is doing OK. And she is a cautious gymmie, she is not usually the first to get skills even when they did the same hours. She is not in a rush.

Another kid was 2nd to last getting her BHS, but is is the youngest by far.
The L5 ahead a year will be the last but hopefully in time to go to 6 this season.

Another kid, she wouldn't do a squat on for L4 all year, she just got it last week yet has actually done Giants.

And three kids have moved on this summer. One was really starting to shine and they are onto other things.

These kids aren't ahead or behind. They are going at their own pace.
Can't speak for the rest of our group, but my daughter sets her own goals, what the other girls are doing just doesn't factor into her plan for herself.

Getting into these higher levels, I can see fear starting to be a factor. Injuries as well, we have had a few (my kid included). I can easily see a kid not moving up a level due to an injury. Or a kid who zoomed ahead getting stuck because if a block. And then the next thing you know that slow but steady kid, if they remain block and injury free. Or that kid with terrible form finally gets that straightened out. And then the pass the kids who were "ahead" .

The journeys are so unique and different. They get to where they are supposed be in their own time.

I'm not going to spend time arguing semantics with you. No, not every kid who goes to every practice progresses as quickly as the next, and lots of things can happen to speed up or slow down progress as they continue with the sport. Yes, every kid progresses at their own rate. My kid is definitely on her own journey. BUT, the kids who miss regularly for other sports or activities TEND to progress at a slower rate than the MAJORITY of the girls who attend more practices. This certainly does not apply to every kid, as there are always exceptions, but is the way it tends to go. I don't think it's a coincidence that the girls who were struggling to get their ROBHS were the girls who regularly
missed 1/3 of the weekly practices (and didn't make up the time in privates). The girls struggling with L4 bars are the ones who would regularly miss the heavy conditioning day. Our gym does not do really high hours, but each practice is packed with work, and no time is wasted.

From previous posts, it seems that the way things go in your gym is the exception rather than the rule with regards to time for other sports, choosing your hours, etc. Clearly nothing wrong with that, and I would actually like a gym like that, but it is not typical of most competitive gyms.

 

[MAcastsalot]

Yeah, no.

Each journey is unique..... And each gymnast progresses in their own time some of it is based on hours. Some of it just how the do mentally, some physically, some depends on staying healthy or not.

Daughters group mostly (past season) L4s going to Level 6
One girl in their group is L5 (past season) she is mostly a year ahead, but technically "behind" if you measure comparing to the girls I her old group going to L7.

Just looking at BHS on beam (which our gym requires for L6).

The L5 girl who has been training a year longer then the L4 girls still doesn't have it. I don't know why. Probably fear related.

Most of the rest of Level 4s have it.

Almost all our girls train 4 days a week, my daughter trains 3 (this past spring we added a 45 min weekly private, to offset the 3 hour Sat practice she can't be at during the school year)

Most of the girls also supplement their training with even more privates, we don't usually. I don't think the level 5 kid does either.

My daughter was 4th last to get her BHS, doing significantly less hours. Her bars skills tend to lag but she is doing OK. And she is a cautious gymmie, she is not usually the first to get skills even when they did the same hours. She is not in a rush.

Another kid was 2nd to last getting her BHS, but is is the youngest by far.
The L5 ahead a year will be the last but hopefully in time to go to 6 this season.

Another kid, she wouldn't do a squat on for L4 all year, she just got it last week yet has actually done Giants.

And three kids have moved on this summer. One was really starting to shine and they are onto other things.

These kids aren't ahead or behind. They are going at their own pace.
Can't speak for the rest of our group, but my daughter sets her own goals, what the other girls are doing just doesn't factor into her plan for herself.

Getting into these higher levels, I can see fear starting to be a factor. Injuries as well, we have had a few (my kid included). I can easily see a kid not moving up a level due to an injury. Or a kid who zoomed ahead getting stuck because if a block. And then the next thing you know that slow but steady kid, if they remain block and injury free. Or that kid with terrible form finally gets that straightened out. And then the pass the kids who were "ahead" .

The journeys are so unique and different. They get to where they are supposed be in their own time.

Also, I don't think it's a bad thing for girls like my DD to set personal goals and realize the work/time/effort it takes to attain those goals, on her own timeline.

 

[GymDad9.9]

I'm not going to spend time arguing semantics with you. No, not every kid who goes to every practice progresses as quickly as the next, and lots of things can happen to speed up or slow down progress as they continue with the sport. Yes, every kid progresses at their own rate. My kid is definitely on her own journey. BUT, the kids who miss regularly for other sports or activities TEND to progress at a slower rate than the MAJORITY of the girls who attend more practices. This certainly does not apply to every kid, as there are always exceptions, but is the way it tends to go. I don't think it's a coincidence that the girls who were struggling to get their ROBHS were the girls who regularly
missed 1/3 of the weekly practices (and didn't make up the time in privates). The girls struggling with L4 bars are the ones who would regularly miss the heavy conditioning day. Our gym does not do really high hours, but each practice is packed with work, and no time is wasted.

From previous posts, it seems that the way things go in your gym is the exception rather than the rule with regards to time for other sports, choosing your hours, etc. Clearly nothing wrong with that, and I would actually like a gym like that, but it is not typical of most competitive gyms.

I heard a story yesterday of a boy in our gym who is struggling with gymnastics as a result of spending many hours in his primary sport, one he does very well in. By the time he arrives for his gymnastics practice he's wiped out.

 

[Smartiegirl]

How old is your daughter?

My DD is 14, just finished 8th grade. Heres a video of pole vault. Shes loving it