Parents Grips!!!!!!!!!!

[mom2kazkids]

Tonight was a "rite of passage" for my gymmie as she got her first pair of grips. There are about 6 - 7 level 4s that are getting pretty consistent on their kips so they received their first pair of grips. size 00 and they seem so huge on Bug. She cannot wait to get to use them on bars.


Barb

 

[TnTTaxi]

OH how cute is that. Congrats on the big girl grips.

 

[pixie flips]

yea for Bug! That is a big deal for them.
Your baby Bug is growing up fast

I remember when I got my first pair of grips, way back when. I thought I was hot stuff, haha!!

One day at gym, one of the older girls gave Pixie an old pair of grips and helped put them on her. They were huge on her and she could barely grip the bar with them on but she strutted around like a peacock! It was so funny. She hasn't worn them since because after class I asked the coach about them and she said to just hold off for now.

The girls at her gym get sized for them when they get moved up to level 5.

 

[gymnut1]

Funny how clubs differ isn't it. Our club puts all children in them doing 4 piece as soon as they are big enough for extra small palm guards. The nearest club to us does not have them at all ever and they have national level gymnasts.

 

[cathiann]

How cute is that! Our gym used to not use them until level 6, but now I've seen some 5s wearing them. Don't know why the change!

 

[bogwoppit]

That is so cute, she must be proud. DO they all wear the same brand?

I think it is nice when the gym has a clear time and reason as that way it eliminates the faffing with grips that I see in the gym. I actually brought my little ones grips home yesterday as her team mate keeps wearing them, ick, and they spend way too much time playing with them and not working!!!

AT our gym they can wear them if they want, but probably only 5 of the 40 team girls do.

 

[JessMom]

DD is BEGGING for grips. Most girls at her gym do not wear them . . all levels. I'll probably surprise her with them after nationals

 

[mom2kazkids]

DO they all wear the same brand?

For the most part yes. One of the level 5 did wear pixie grips, but now that she is working giants and flyaways, she is switching to the Braile grips that the coaches prefer. That is what they got for Bug.

Our coaches have a pretty clear cut plan for all the girls. To move from level to level we now have a move up list. For Bug to go from 4 to 5 she needs all of her level 5 skills and about 50-60% of the level 6 skills. There are also strength and conditioning requirements that must be met.

How move ups will now work are if you have your list by July 1 you will do the next level in the fall, if not you stay at your current level and the next opportunity to move will be in the winter season if you have your list by Nov 1.

I have mixed feeling about Bug moving levels for the fall. She will only be 8. Our gym did not do the compulsory season this last fall, so she would be able to go to state as a 8 year old level 4. I think that she would do well as she scored from 34.3 to 37.15 this winter season at level 4. We will see what happens.

 

[bogwoppit]

I love the fact that your gym has a clear plan and that you ALL know what it is. I think one of the major complaints parents have is a lack of clarity, your gym seems to have that well worked out.

Those pixie grips are soo cute. My oldest wore Baille grips first and now has moved to Reisport which are easier to get hold of here. I liked the Baille better, seemed to be less fiddling with them.

Yes Bug is young, but I seem to remeber that she got her kip last summer, so she must be well on the way to having all that she needs. They seem to want them well prepared for the next level, which I assume will guarantee success when competing.

 

[TnTTaxi]

How nice it must be to have a totally straight schedule and know exactly where your dd stands. I haven't heard of many gyms that are that straightfoward and even have it in writing.

It does sound like they have it worked out pretty well.

Congrats again on the grips.

 

[mariposa]

How cute! Congrats to her on that rite of passage. Abby wants grips now because all the L4s at her new gym have them, but they didn't get them until they had a pretty solid kip. Some new L4s will be starting in June, so then she won't be the only one.

That is great to have set requirements for move ups. I don't think that DDs gym has set ones, but you do need to have pretty much all the skills for that level before you move up. Her old gym had no set requirements and they moved up girls mostly based on coach opinion. Example being Abby getting moved to L5 after never getting more than a 33, while some girls that were getting 34-35s weren't moved up and Abby's best bud there, who also never got more than a 33 at L4 and was moved to train L7 (she is 7). Lots of upset parents after move ups. I am glad I am gone. Would have been hard to explain Abby being moved and other girls not and it creates lots of tension.

 

[NOG]

Woohoo! So excited for her. What a momentous night.

 

[gym mom]

How exciting for Bug! My dd has yet to ask for grips she will be competing L5 in the fall a couple of girls on her team have them but have not used them in a while ,the old L5 some wore them some did not.I have noticed most of the L5's I have watched on you tube wear.

 

[mom2kazkids]

Bug went to open gym yesterday and spent the majority of the time on the bars with her grips. She managed to make some kips with them on (she didn't make any the first time she used them). One of the level 5 girls told her she looked like such a big girl with them on. It did seem stange to see her with them on.

 

[bogwoppit]

That's great, it is a tough transition for the first little while.

 

[cher062]

Congrats!!

I have to admit it's always interesting to see what other gyms do with the Grips. Our gym Level 5 and up get grips. Level 4's never have them but boy do they love the chalk bucket LOL

 

[Megley]

Congrats to Bug! The girls all want grips, don't they? My dd is a level 5 this year and did not use grips. About half the L5 girls do have them, but my dd is only 7 and her hands are very small. I did finally, after much begging on her part, wind up getting her a pair of Hotshots in size 000 and she has started to wear them some after practice to get used to them. She is managing to kip in them okay, though her kips are not as nice as without. She won't wear them in practice though until after States when they start training L6 full time.

Meg