Parents DP to XCEL

[ChasingSunsets]

Hi, everyone. My daughter started gymnastics in October of 2024 at age 6, learned very quickly in her rec class, and was asked to join the level 2 developmental team in March 2025. I was concerned with the long hours of practice (6 hrs a week) but she said she wanted to do it so I let her. She has learned so much in a short period of time considering she's so new to the sport and is doing well at competitions
.

The trouble is that she's already having a hard time balancing schoolwork and practice. She struggles after school trying to complete homework and eat before practice. Required daily reading is usually never done. She hates feeling rushed and I feel like we're always behind. She doesn't like going to practice and doesn't try half the time she's there but will give her all at competitions.

The XCEL bronze team only meets one weeknight a week plus one weekend day. It's still the same number of hours. My husband wants to stop everything all together after this season is over and I'm torn on what to do. If I were to ask my daughter she'd tell me she'd want to do level 3 even though she's in tears every week trying to do it all. I feel like I have to make the decision for her own mental health. Has anyone successfully made the transition and is your child happier with the move? Any advice would be appreciated for this new gymnastics mom. I'd really love for her to just do rec once a week like before but I don't think she'd accept that drastic a change.

 

[raenndrops]

All 3 of mine transferred to Xcel at some point, and it was the best for their physical AND mental health!

 

[BusyMomof2]

It only goes up from here. Even is she moves to bronze, silver will have more hours and so on. My 12-year old optional daughter struggles with the balance (we had tears yesterday over this very subject!) and there is no great answer that works for everyone. She does homework on the way to the gym from school, in the extra 30 minutes she has between when I drop her off and when practice starts, and she tries to get as much as she can done on the weekends. Sometimes she has to stay up late, which is less than ideal...but she loves gymnastics so here we are.

I will say the my daughter goes to a rigorous school and the balance didn't become difficult until this year (she's in 6th grade, middle school). She started competing in 2nd grade.

I would definitely think through the time and committment this sport requires before getting in too deep.

 

[glitterrays]

What about asking to go once a week, or switching to a gym with less hours? Some teams have optional practices, like 1/2/3 a wk. Or maybe switch to XCEL which is sometimes less rigorous sounds like a good idea

 

[glitterrays]

also just wanted to mention, I have no idea if this would work for you, but there is a lot of great online schools nowadays. My friend's daughter who is 8 loves it, and gets a good education 3 hrs a day. It makes the balance a lot easier, so much more flexible

 

[Lurker]

I would be more concerned about the amount of homework a 7 year old is getting vs 6 hours of practice a week. But if she doesn't enjoy going to practice , I don't know how switching to xcel would automatically fix that.

 

[Dahlialover]

7-year-olds have significant homework where you live? That’s bizarre. Is it actually required? Have you discussed the impact it is having on your child with the teacher? 6 hours is not a lot of time for an extra curricular activity. I think the homework is out of wack not The gymnastics.

 

[raenndrops]

also just wanted to mention, I have no idea if this would work for you, but there is a lot of great online schools nowadays. My friend's daughter who is 8 loves it, and gets a good education 3 hrs a day. It makes the balance a lot easier, so much more flexible

Lol, in my state, that 8-year-old would have to do 303 days at 3 hours a day.
The state requires 910 hours a year for K-6 and 1001 for 7-12.
Several years back, they shut down an online school because they didn't have proof of students getting all of their hours in, so all the other online schools had to change how they track hours so they could show how many hours each student was doing their schoolwork.
It included parents having to learn how to submit time for school stuff done offline (like reading actual books, practicing flashcards, writing, etc).

 

[NutterButter]

Ah yes, the nightly reading list. What a scam. So many battles with my kids when they were young. By the time they were in middle school I would sign off on whatever list they provided to me of books they 'read'. One is now in a Top 20 business program and the other is at an Ivy. Just within in the last year my Ivy leaguer has started to read for fun.

As far as gymnastics - I would start looking for other activities for her. Summer is a great time to try things out. The 6 hour commitment she has now will increase sooner than you think and that doesn't take into consideration her not liking the practices.

 

[ChasingSunsets]

I would be more concerned about the amount of homework a 7 year old is getting vs 6 hours of practice a week. But if she doesn't enjoy going to practice , I don't know how switching to xcel would automatically fix that.

That is a really good point. This is supposed to be fun, not a chore. She has told me a couple of times that she prefers practicing with bronze because it's fun but who knows how she'd feel if she went every week.

 

[ChasingSunsets]

7-year-olds have significant homework where you live? That’s bizarre. Is it actually required? Have you discussed the impact it is having on your child with the teacher? 6 hours is not a lot of time for an extra curricular activity. I think the homework is out of wack not The gymnastics.

We have the teacher who demands the most work out of her grade. Homework is due daily, not weekly, as they move on to the next math module daily. It is likely not going to get better as our school district is ranked pretty highly. Yes, it's a lot for a second grader.

 

[ChasingSunsets]

Ah yes, the nightly reading list. What a scam. So many battles with my kids when they were young. By the time they were in middle school I would sign off on whatever list they provided to me of books they 'read'. One is now in a Top 20 business program and the other is at an Ivy. Just within in the last year my Ivy leaguer has started to read for fun.

As far as gymnastics - I would start looking for other activities for her. Summer is a great time to try things out. The 6 hour commitment she has now will increase sooner than you think and that doesn't take into consideration her not liking the practices.

Ha, the reading scam. We're excited for summer. She wants to try golf and I might throw in fencing just because I think she'd be good at it. She's given up piano, jiu jitsu, and girl scouts for gymnastics and I hate that she had to go all in on one thing so soon

 

[Dahlialover]

We have the teacher who demands the most work out of her grade. Homework is due daily, not weekly, as they move on to the next math module daily. It is likely not going to get better as our school district is ranked pretty highly. Yes, it's a lot for a second grader.

You don’t have to do it. For real. Just don’t.