WAG Getting out of team for awhile?

[gymmommy123]

I think it just depends how a coach trains for competition at the lower levels. My dd is doing her first L3 meet (first meet ever!) in a couple weeks. They just showed her the routines a week or so ago. She currently practices both the level 3 and 4 bar routines, L3 and 4 skills on floor and beam, and the L3 and 4 vaults. They even throw in some L5 stuff, and of course drills for L5 skills. There is a lot of emphasis on technique, that will help at any level, as well as conditioning and flexibility. Honestly, I had no desire for her to compete current L3, but it's only a couple meets, and once the coaches learn the new L3 routines, she is supposed to move up to NEW L3 in Fall since she basically has all her skills already. I feel she finally has enough hours in the gym to learn routines, and train higher level skills. I trust her coaches, this is the path they feel is best for her, and so I simply nod my head and write the check, lol. Had I kept her from this program, simply because she was going to compete L3, and kept her in a dev. program, it would have been a big step back. If you can find a great dev. program that pushes her though, and your dd doesn't really care about competition, I'd think that would be great!

 

[cbone]

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.

We're dealing with that now. My daughter has struggled with her placements at meets this season. I personally like it. My daughter loved her Level 3 success. Her "struggles" in Level 4 have her working harder than ever. It is certainly mentally taxing, but it can also be motivating.

 

[nameless]

We're dealing with that now. My daughter has struggled with her placements at meets this season. I personally like it. My daughter loved her Level 3 success. Her "struggles" in Level 4 have her working harder than ever. It is certainly mentally taxing, but it can also be motivating.

this is what i am scared of.. i asked why they would even set them up like that.. even i have an "i expect her to place" attitude.. guess we'll learn as dd moves up..
i really did not want to compete her this year, really just wanted her to up train all season, but she is not hearing that, and the gym doesn't call it a competition team for nothing.. so off we go on sunday..

 

[emorymom]

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?

Isn't there always a limited number of kids you could have on a team? My daughter is back at a team that does take a wide variety of aptitudes but even they cannot take everyone who wants to be on it because of capacity.

 

[cbone]

At our gym, anyone with the skills and the willingness to commit financially is allowed on the team. I may be naive, but I've never heard of someone being dropped from a team to make room for better gymnasts.

 

[wallinbl]

At our gym, anyone with the skills and the willingness to commit financially is allowed on the team. I may be naive, but I've never heard of someone being dropped from a team to make room for better gymnasts.

Our gym has a wide variety of talent levels (compulsory through optionals, there are girls that range from 32's to 38's). We checked out another gym in the area that has only the top level of talent levels (36's to 38's). That gym moves girls over into PO if they're not going to excel in JO. On the one hand, I get it, as it's probably easier to run a highly effective practice when your only students are exceptional.

 

[gymmomtoo]

To the original question, I agree with those who said rec programs aren't going to work as much on form etc. as a team or development program will. She WILL get to work on skills not just routines at any gym--but it might wait for the off-season.

As to whether gyms turn away kids that they don't consider "team worthy", it happens all the time. Many larger teams simply don't have the space on team to accept anyone. Our own gym isn't the biggest, but we have tryouts for team too--and some are turned away. I haven't seen anyone kicked off team, but they do have the meeting about level, whether to move to XCel, etc.