Women First Level 4 meet- mixed feelings!

[cbone]

My daughter had her first Level 4 meet today. Her goals were to not fall on beam, to podium on vault and to score a 34 all around. She met each goal, but I walked away with mixed feelings.

She started on beam and it wasn't pretty. No falls or anything, but plenty of bobbles. She got an 8.55 and was generally unsteady, but she got through it. We knew this would be her toughest event. She took 3rd. Beam scores were low for the entire session.

Next was floor. She was a little stiff and not quite in sync with the music, but she managed a 9.275. It certainly wasn't her best, but not bad either. Her RO-BHS looked pretty. She took 4th.

Next was vault. Her first vault was the worst one I've seen her do. She later said, "I missed my steps." Her second vault was MUCH better. She got a 9.375, good enough for 3rd. Vault is her best event, so it was decent, but not up to her usual standard.

Last was bars. This was a pleasant surprise. After struggling on bars most of last season, I've conditioned myself to expect it to be rough for her. She scored a 9.1 and took 2nd. Bars is really becoming a strength and a few parents said they though her score was too low.

Her AA was 36.3. Better than her goal, but unfortunately just shy of 3rd place which would have given our gym a medal sweep.

There were some real positives for her team. She told me that she would rather win as a team than get individual awards. She got her wish. They took first and all but one girl scored at least a 36 AA (that girl missed by 0.05-so close!) Every girl qualified for state in their first meet, so there won't be anyone worried about that hurdle anymore this year. Also, two teammates won their first ever AA gold, so it was nice.

All in all a really solid first meet, but there's plenty of room to improve. She gets seven days to fix some holes and then she's back in front of those judges! I'm crossing my fingers and hoping for improvement and continued smiles!

 

[wallinbl]

She made goals, achieved them and had fun doing it. That's everything you hope for.

 

[Galadriel]

that sounds like a great first meet!
well done and good luck for the rest!

 

[gymmomof1]

She had a great first meet and that is wonderful that she sets her own goals. I myself am nervous at the first meet because I don't know what to expect lol. Last year right before the first meet dd was struggling with getting over with the giant and I was so happy when she fought for it and her routine came out ok. It amazes me how a weak event one year can turn into a strenghth the next. This sport sure has a lot of twists and turns . Looking forward to hearing how the next meet goes

 

[Flossyduck]

Gosh - not really sure why your feelings are mixed?! She set targets and generously exceeded them and it's only her first competition of the season. I think you've got the right to feel over the moon - I know I would

 

[bogwoppit]

That ^^^^^^. Goals set and acheived, it would be crazy to be anything else but wild with joy.

 

[lhmom]

I agree! My daughter's first level 4 meet when she was 6 was not half as good. She fell off the beam on the mount and went off the wrong side. Then on bars, she fell out of her mill circle and landed on her tush on the dismount. Congrats to her, especially qualifying for state at her 1st meet. And the thing is, she will continue to improve with each meet. I would just caution when she sets goals for scores though. One thing I stressed to my daughter last season was that the only thing she controlled was her performance not how the judges scored, mainly because there were some "head-scratching" scores last year. As long as she could walk away from that meet knowing she had given it 100% in each event and was satisfied, I felt it was a good meet. Good luck to your daughter next week! DD has her 2nd meet this coming weekend as well and has already set goals for it.

 

[cbone]

Wow. I guess I can see how I didn't really communicate the part that would give the mixed feelings. LOL! Our HC made a comment that the entire team wasn't focused during the meet. I saw that in my little one. She didn't have her "competition look". Last season, regardless of how she performed, she always had a look on her face that made it obvious she was really engaged in the routines. That wasn't there with her yesterday.

But she was all smiles with teammates, though, so my feelings are mixed. Some good performances, some not do good. All goals met, but a lack of focus. Lots of smiles. A mixed bag, but positive overall.

I'm also trying to be very careful to acknowledge the good and the bad. I tend to get beat up if I only talk about the good things my daughter does...

 

[lhmom]

No problem! From your original post, I had the impression that you had mixed feelings about her placement. First meets seem to always be a bit overwhleming, especially for the ones competing a new level. Bet they will be ready next week.

 

[Danica76]

Congrats to your daughter, cbone! She had a fantastic first L4 meet. We don't see scores like that around here - a 36 AA would win or take top 3 at states in your DD's age group. She should be very proud to have scored that at her first L4 meet! From what I have seen, beam and bars are usually the lowest scoring events in L4, especially in the beginning of the season. I remember my DD winning 2nd at a meet last year with an 8.5 on beam and thinking, "huh?" But, boy did we celebrate it! I know you are trying to be careful about only posting about the good things your DD does. And I love hearing about the accomplishments of all the gymmies on CB! I think the trepidation comes from parents who have been around longer and have truly internalized that it has to be the child's sport and that the scores are just numbers and at the end of the day it is just gymnastics. I find it a constant balancing act in this sport as a parent. I am constantly readjusting what I do and say as my DD grows and stays in the sport. I know you have posted about your personal growth as a gym dad since last season and it is a process for all of us. I struggle with my CGM moments all the time. Your DD might not always be focused, but that's ok. She's 7 (correct?) and that will inevitably happen. She is doing a bang up job and is learning so much. If I have learned one thing from this site, it's to not take things too personally here. None of us can exactly interpret other's tone and intention over the internet. Hope she has continued success and has another great meet next weekend She also sounds like an excellent teammate, which is a quality I adore seeing in children, especially in this sport!

 

[sglemon]

She did great! She met all of her goals. I wouldn't be discourage at all by something you can not control, like scores and especially placement. Set goals on something she can control. This is how I did things with my DD, we set minor goals for each meet, on each apparatus. A PR score was icing on the cake.. For example, my dd got in a bad habit of piking her casts in her bar routine. So our goal for a meet would be "no piked casts" When she met that goal, she felt great. We would set a goal on floor, don't forget to "T Out" when she did, goal met, positive meet. Sometimes, we might set 2 goal on a apparatus, like "T out" and "straight tight arms on pivit turns" etc... In the end it all comes together. We never really focused on scores, but with her mini goals, she did accomplish scoring over 9.6 on all the apparatus in level 4. Placement is something you will never have any power to control, teach your dd to control what she can and do her best for her team. When she knows she did her best, she will have a positive attitude!

 

[gymgal]

Congrats to your dd. sounds like it was a great first meet. I wouldn't worry about the focus aspect. It will come. 1st meets can be a bit daunting for everyone. After a couple meets, this usually settles in. This is one reason why dd's gym does a preseason meet so that the girls can get that 1st meet out of the way and have a sense of their scores, strengths, weaknesses before the season starts.

BTW, those are great first meet scores. Sounds like the coaches have made sure all the girls are well prepared. Now it's all about tweaking the routines for the extra .10's.

 

[cbone]

She did great! She met all of her goals. I wouldn't be discourage at all by something you can not control, like scores and especially placement. Set goals on something she can control. This is how I did things with my DD, we set minor goals for each meet, on each apparatus. A PR score was icing on the cake.. For example, my dd got in a bad habit of piking her casts in her bar routine. So our goal for a meet would be "no piked casts" When she met that goal, she felt great. We would set a goal on floor, don't forget to "T Out" when she did, goal met, positive meet. Sometimes, we might set 2 goal on a apparatus, like "T out" and "straight tight arms on pivit turns" etc... In the end it all comes together. We never really focused on scores, but with her mini goals, she did accomplish scoring over 9.6 on all the apparatus in level 4. Placement is something you will never have any power to control, teach your dd to control what she can and do her best for her team. When she knows she did her best, she will have a positive attitude!

She wanted the 34 AA because it was the score to qualify for state. I don't expect to see that type of goal any more. As far as hitting the podium in vault- she will not get off of that goal. Even after our first talk about setting goals that aren't placement-related, she hangs onto it. That's okay, I guess. As long as she isn't crushed when she falls short (she hasn't been thus far), I guess any realistic goal is okay.

 

[gymmiemomx2]

We are big on setting our own goals and I love that your dd set hers. Congrats on a great first meet!