WAG Getting out of team for awhile?

[Committed]

DD is in the middle of her first year as a L3 artistic gymnast. She's a very competitive girl and likes meets/games/competitions, etc. But I've found that training for a team really does take a lot of time away from learning skills, especially at her level where it takes much longer to learn & perfect skills.

I've already committed (in my mind) to changing gyms March/April and instead of trying out for the new L3 team, to just put her into a pre-team or developmental class ..... if they have one. Perhaps going back to the team thing next year after she turns 7 - new L4 or maybe even wait until L5.

Has anyone done this? Are there usually programs for those girls who choose not to compete until they are a little higher in level? The new gym does expect more technical ability than the gym DD goes to now, so there will definitely be a learning curve.

What do you think? Is this smart? Or do they learn much more in the "team" atmosphere and training?

 

[aerialriver]

In a perfect world I would have kids compete starting at level 4 for experience sake and then really start at level 5. I don't see the point in competing lower levels. I really think they should be used as a developement period. To keep young gymnasts going maybe have shows or "friendly" meets to showcase their skills a couple times a year.

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[krisnkids]

Your reasoning is most likely why many gyms do not compete until level 4 if not 5. Level 3 skills are most gyms rec class skills, i actually watched a level 3 session recently because we were early for dd's session. I realize that it is fun for the girls to compete but the time it takes to learn and perfect the routines just seems to eat away at true training time.

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[JBS]

What do you think? Is this smart? Or do they learn much more in the "team" atmosphere and training?

If you are looking for "team"...then keep her in "team".

Clubs have different philosophies...some clubs do more routines...some do more future training.

Our Level 3 gymnasts do far less than they do in our rec. classes. Basic skills are re-tooled and perfected. Strength and flexibility are improved.

EDIT: The longer they are in our rec. program...the longer it normally takes to re-tool the basics. Our rec. program is not a "team" development track...it is gymnastics for "FUN". Our team program is fun...but it is not fun for everyone...only to certain individuals.

 

[GymSurvivor]

Around here, it is hard to find a class that will work skills above level 4.
Once you get to that skill level you are either invited to team, rec team or both and there isn't really a place for you if you don't want team.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

instead of trying out for the new L3 team, to just put her into a pre-team or developmental class ..... if they have one. Perhaps going back to the team thing next year after she turns 7 - new L4 or maybe even wait until L5.

Has anyone done this? Are there usually programs for those girls who choose not to compete until they are a little higher in level? The new gym does expect more technical ability than the gym DD goes to now, so there will definitely be a learning curve.

What do you think? Is this smart? Or do they learn much more in the "team" atmosphere and training?

If you walked into my gym and told me this, I would immediately have more respect for you as a gym parent. Most (inexperienced) parents seem more concerned with moving up than moving along at the right pace and getting it right. Just mention that you are happy for your DD to be placed in pre-team/development if the gym feels she would get the most benefit long term by taking a step back.

 

[JBS]

If you walked into my gym and told me this, I would immediately have more respect for you as a gym parent. Most (inexperienced) parents seem more concerned with moving up than moving along at the right pace and getting it right. Just mention that you are happy for your DD to be placed in pre-team/development if the gym feels she would get the most benefit long term by taking a step back.

Totally...if your daughter is not having fun...take a step back. Just make sure you are not taking a step back because you think she will move forward quicker in the short run.

 

[Committed]

Totally...if your daughter is not having fun...take a step back. Just make sure you are not taking a step back because you think she will move forward quicker in the short run.

It's kind of the opposite, she loves gym right now. She just wants to do more skill building than routine learning. Don't get me wrong, she has improved technically, but it wouldn't hurt to strengthen some skills. She would be going from a rec gym to a more competitive gym. I wouldn't consider a pre/developmental team a step back unless it was basic. She is 5yo and in kindergarten. She can throw a ROBHS, but it needs some help. She has all the L4 skills except the front hip circle.

 

[JBS]

It's kind of the opposite, she loves gym right now. She just wants to do more skill building than routine learning. Don't get me wrong, she has improved technically, but it wouldn't hurt to strengthen some skills. She would be going from a rec gym to a more competitive gym. I wouldn't consider a pre/developmental team a step back unless it was basic. She is 5yo and in kindergarten. She can throw a ROBHS, but it needs some help. She has all the L4 skills except the front hip circle.

That makes more sense. Just go to the new gym and let them take over. Let them know where your daughter is at and what she is interested in.

In our program...pre-team would be a step back as our pre-team is before L3. If the new club has a pre-team that runs up towards L5...that would be awesome.

 

[Committed]

That makes more sense. Just go to the new gym and let them take over. Let them know where your daughter is at and what she is interested in.

In our program...pre-team would be a step back as our pre-team is before L3. If the new club has a pre-team that runs up towards L5...that would be awesome.

I'm pretty sure they start their preteam at 6yo with exceptions of advanced 5yo. Their lowest level is 4 (New L3 in July)

 

[JessLW]

Echoing what the others said, make sure that the new gym is clear that you're on a developmental track and not a recreational track and then leave it up to them as to whether you compete L3 or L4. I do think if you tell the coaches that you, at this stage, are more focused on her learning new skills and improving than doing low level meets and earning medals, the coaches will be happy to hear it. I've heard coaches on CB say, on more than one occasion, that they wished they could just focus on skills early on and only start competitions much later on. You're not alone there.

That said, the answer to that is not more rec gym, it is a developmental program that focuses on development and not competition at ages 5 and 6. Rec gym and pre-team/team have vastly different goals.

 

[Gymmommy71]

I strongly support not competing until the current L5...I think competing in the lower levels takes away from time that is better spent working towards the key fundamental skills in gymnastics (I.e. those in the L5 routines like the kip, the real vault, etc.).

That said, sometimes it is hard to find a gym that will support that strategy - many want you on team starting from L3, and they aren't going to even run a serious class that's doing L4+ skills that isn't "team"....when I say serious class, I mean one that meets more than once a week, really focuses on good technique, and does real conditioning. There actually are a couple gyms in my area that don't start competing until L5...but I don't think that's common.

I guess you could always call around to gyms in your area and ask when they start competing and how they'd feel about your DD waiting?

 

[emorymom]

As an aside I think they'll have to start at new L4 because they'll have to compete it or score out.
I think it's wonderful when they don't have to compete the very lower compulsories, myself. But all the gyms in my immediate area do it and there's no training allowed without competing.

 

[JBS]

One thing to remember is the "Toddlers & Tiaras" effect. Holding off until L5 can sometimes mean losing clients. Especially if you are right next to other clubs that are competing these lower levels.

How you compete them is key...are we trying for 38's at L3/4? Also...having inexperienced coaches teaching the routine portion of beam and floor is a drag. An experienced dance style coach will kick those routines into their heads in a very short amount of time.

 

[cbone]

We approached my daughter's coaches (one a former Olympian and the other a former national team member) about this issue. They strongly encouraged competing. They feel it is a necessary part of development and have found, in their experience as coaches, that the kids that don't compete fall behind. Obviously, that observation applies to a gym that competes the early levels. A gym that doesn't do that as a general rule might produce different results.

 

[B&M's mom]

I have to agree that there is a benefit to competition, even at the low levels. First, you identify the kids who want to compete. Not all kids do. So, figuring it out early saves stress and money down the road. Secondly, I've seen my daughter's skills improve as the season goes on. Skills that she could do got better through the season as they came to understand what the judges were looking for. So competition is not necessarily a waste of time.

 

[emorymom]

I would say one of the down sides of competing the early levels is that it puts pressure on the more "competitive" gym programs to drop slower developing kids from their teams.

 

[cbone]

I would say one of the down sides of competing the early levels is that it puts pressure on the more "competitive" gym programs to drop slower developing kids from their teams.

It doesn't seem like that pressure would be very serious unless there was a limited number of kids you could have on a team, right?

 

[wallflower]

I think the major drawback to competing levels like 2 and 3 and even 4 to some extent is that those kids that can progress really quickly will be slowed down by "competing level 2" at most gyms. They will spend time perfecting routines and even if they don't that will leave a child in that particular level for the duration of that season. I'm sure there are some gyms that will allow them to move up mid-season, but most won't.

I just know for my DD she moved so fast, not saying that is necessarily good either . She started gym at age 4 and did leveled classes. She did levels 1,2 and 3 within a matter of months. Had she been competing I don't think that would have been allowed. She's probably not better off being level 7 at age 7 because there are definitely drawbacks, but it's unlikely she would be where she is if she had spent a year competing level 2, a year competing level 3, etc.

 

[Gymmommy71]

I also think competing those lower levels will sometimes set up unrealistic expectations of success, and this hurts girls once they get to the higher levels. I say this cause I've seen a couple girls who were used to winning everything at L3/L4 get so disillusioned by only getting 5th and 6th type of placings in L5 that they quit before even making it to L6 (and these were girls who had definite talent and shouldn't have quit IMO).

I just think L5 is the better introduction to what it's really like out there competing.