Great news = sadness in moving up.....

[DND]

My DD found out today where she will be grouped next season! Her first reaction was super excitement and a bit of shock. She currently trains in the Pre-Novice 1 program, but was too young to compete this year.

Today they told her she will not move up to the Pre-Novice 2 level, but rather train with the National girls and the head coaches of our club.

When it was time to go to sleep she became sad. She felt sad that she will miss her coach and some of the girls from the group she has been with this year - to the point of tears. I reminded her that they still all train the same days and she will still see them and that her "old" coach would be still be there to support her.

I was just wondering if this was a common reaction as now that she has had time to think about it she may just be a little nervous? If so what would be my best approach in the situation?

I offered her to see if she could move up to Pre Novice 2 and she could train with her same coach, but she says she does not want that. She wants to move up and she is going with one of her good friends pre-novice 2 group she trains with now (only she does less hours in pre-novice 1).

I know they will still only compete her at pre-novice, but moved her and one other girl up to keep the numbers even and because they were the most advanced or near ready to compete from that group.

She is now and will be the youngest in the group so I don;t think it is an age issue and she already knows many girls (older) in the new group. I am thinking she may be worried that the expectations may be higher and she will be expected to do what the others are doing right away.

I have to admit I would have thought they may have talked to us (parents) if that was what they were thinking so we could have been prepared for the reactions both good and bad. But then again I know nothing about the normal process as we joined the group in the middle of a season and just carried through to this year so it is new to us and I have no gymnastics background to go from.

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[lilgymmie7]

I'm confused. It sounds like she is moved to a more advanced group if she is working with the HC. Isn't that good?

 

[DND]

Yes I think it is very good and so did she at first...was super excited. Then by bed time was crying ????

 

[marie83]

Firstly congratulations to your dd.
I think it is probably more common than people think. It happened at our gym not long ago. A little gymnast was moved up to my group, which is seen as the 'top' group for 9-12 yr olds. This particular gymnast only just turned 8 - 4 yrs younger than the oldest gymnast in the group! She was very pleased when we told her, but the next session she came on very nervous. Her mum told me she had been crying and getting worked up at home before the session. I had to explain to her that she wouldn't be expected to suddenly start doing harder skills, but that we would continue doing what she had done before, and improve form etc. I also tactfully had to tell her that she was a very good gymnast who had potential to de really well (basically tell her she was the best in her group, without saying those words!). I finally told her that if she didn't like it in my group after 1 month, she could go back to the other group she was in before.
Thankfully she loves it!
I'd tell your dd that the coaches think a lot of her and they want get to be the best she can be. Tell her how special it is to be picked for this group. I'd also tell her coach about her concerns, just so they are aware and might break her in gently!
I'm sure she'll love it!

 

[mumoftwogymnasts]

Happened with DD when she was moved up last year. Super excited to begin with, then I think she realised that she would be leaving some of her friends. Also she thought that she would suddenly be required to have the same skills as the girls currently in the group.
The first couple of weeks she was a bit tentative, but now she has new friends, still chats to her friends from the old group before training and has settled well. I would say it is a very common reaction, change is hard for kids, whether at home, school or gym.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

Sounds like it may be nerves combined with sadness she is not going to be with some of the girls she has gotten to know.

Congrats to her- I think that after a few weeks in her new group she'll feel much better about it all.

Keep us posted.