Gym is holding my daughter

[zhang]

Our gym is holding my youngest 8 yrs old at level four. They say for maturity reasons. I believe they are doing this to elevate their score. She actually scored all 9.45 and above at state and made all state. Several other girls didn't score as high and are being moved up. She is devistated and I can't send two kids to the gym at two times of the day morning and evening. What should I do? The gym won't budge. Anybody been here before?

 

[gymgal]

Has maturity been an issue in the past in the gym or in school? While is sounds reasonable that she should be moved up because other girls with lower scores moved up, it really doesn't work that way. So many other factors go into when/why to move girls up. The coaches may feel that your dd gets too frustrated learning new skills or doesn't pay attention in class well enough to learn the bigger skills. Does the gym uptrain? Is she already learning her L5 skills? If so, how is she doing with them?

I'm assuming you have had several conversations with the coaches and asked for specifics as to why she's not ready. I'f so, I'm not sure you can do anything, unless you are willing to walk to another gym. I would talk with the coaches about whether she can train L5 skills while remaining in L4.

 

[LizzieLac]

Very often, the move to the next level has little to do with scores from the previous season. It is usally about what skills they have for the new level, overall coachability, focus, and maturity.

You mention that the gym says it is for "maturity" reasons. I would ask if they can elaborate on that. Does that mean she fools around? Doesn't understand the corrections being given? Doesn't try to implement the changes? Isn't focused? Etc...

Yes, a lot of us have been in the "not moving up" to the next level situation. It is a tough one, but if you trust the coaches then you have to believe they have the gymmies' best interets in mind. Nevertheless, probing for more specifics is reasonable in my opinion. Good luck!

 

[wallflower]

I personally think it's ridiculous to hold back an 8 year old who has scored 9.45 or above on all events in level 4. If the season is starting shortly and they don't have the level 5 skills that's understandable, but if she has time it doesn't make sense. I say that because level 4 is kind of a silly level as far as many of the skills go. They would be better off repeating level 5 several times than repeating level 4 if they have already scored that high.

Some kids are more immature than others, but it would have to be pretty severe in my opinion to cause them to be held back if they have the skills.

 

[zhang]

Thank you so much for the answers. I was feeling a bit at sea yesterday with our return to the home gym. We had been out doing no less than 4 weeks of various other gym camps. Even though my daughter has learned a lot and actually started on meds that have helped her concentration it seemed that the gym still would not let her give the next level a try. She can do the next level skills but needs practice before the season starts for us at the end of october. She tends to be afraid of vault but can do it. She has a walk over and a cart wheel on the beam, a good solid back hand spring series and is working on front and back tuck on the floor. She can do a decent front hand spring on the floor. She is almost there with the kip although she passively resists some. She is generally enthuastic about gym and definately wants to move up. They have now agreed to let her work out with level 5 to help my transportation situation and I am hoping that they will continue to see that she is more than capable of better perfecting level five skills. I am quite frustrated though with my perception that this gym and most others in our area do not move kids up in the middle of the year and tend to hold at least one or two back a year to stack the deck score wise. I could be completely wrong but I'm just sayin...

 

[gymgal]

I am quite frustrated though with my perception that this gym and most others in our area do not move kids up in the middle of the year and tend to hold at least one or two back a year to stack the deck score wise. I could be completely wrong but I'm just sayin...

Given all the skills she has, is sounds more reasonable that she train with the 5s if the group is at the same level. But some gyms won't move girls up until they have all the skills for the next level. Unfortunately, she is having trouble with the two major level 5 skills. Vault and kip. And it sounds like she is giving the coaches some heartache with those two skills. That alone could be why they held her back.

As for moving girls in he middle of the year, most gyms move girls only once a year, unless they compete 2 seasons, then they may move a few girls up who are competition ready.

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[Gymmonkeymomma]

Your mention of daughter starting "meds" could be part of gym's reasoning for citing "maturity" reasons. Being out of practice for 4 weeks might lead to questioning of your family's commitment to the team? Just guessing..... As far as skills, some coaches are stricter about having or not having...and the kip is a struggle for many, but an important skill to get correctly and consistently for all future bars.

I hope you can get more specifics from the coaches, good luck!

 

[gasrgoose]

Being out of practice for 4 weeks might lead to questioning of your family's commitment to the team?

This is what I thought also

 

[cbone]

I have a two-step system to moving up and learning skills. 1. Find great coaches. 2. Trust them and their opinions.

This also could be an opportunity for your daughter to take on a leadership roll with the L4s coming up. Coaches generally want what's best for their athletes. You may find hidden wisdom in their decision down the road.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Our gym has a test to move to Level 5. Without the kip on low and high bar, you do not move up. There is a girl that has every other level 5 and most of the level 6 skills but has yet to master the kip...it has been over a year and a half. Still she trains and competes level 4.

 

[zhang]

You all are so insightful! Thank you for the words of wisdom! All of this sounds like what the coaches have said to me. Its hard for me to swallow so must be my mommy instincts getting in the way! I appreciate all the kind and wise words here too!

 

[wallinbl]

The biggest thing that stands out to me is that you're 3 months away from competition season and no kip. The kip is a gating skill at most gyms, and it can take time to get it down. I see a lot of girls that say they have it, but are actually doing it on such a way that they'll take a lot of deductions because they're not able to move into the next skill without a pause, which is a large deduction each time.

 

[2020vision]

Maturity and coachability are such a big part of gymnastics. In compulsories, my daughter competed level 3 for one season. Her coach was considering moving her to level 5 without competing level 4 because she had all her gateways (kips, squat on, handspring vault, flic flic, cartwheel, vertical handstand). No other 3 could do those skills and it seemed like a no brainer to move her up to 5, right?

Wrong.

My daughter would sulk when corrected and wouldn't make the changes necessary to fix her errors. So she competed a year at 4 and then had a great year at 5 rather than what I'm sure would have been a mediocre one.

Her coach knows our long term goals. We sit down a couple times of year and make plans that support her goals while taking into account her current strengths and weaknesses. So while it was HARD to console my kid when she didn't get to skip 4, ultimately the coach made the right call and I'm glad that I didn't "take my ball and go home."

 

[Moxiegrl83]

At our gym, and my nieces gym, you must have your kip to move up to L5. I know it can be a hard skill to master, but that along with some of the other things you've said it makes sense. We all have that strong "Mommy" instinct, that force in us that rises when we perceive (whether real or not), someone hurting our kid. That's why it's nice to have sounding boards. I can take quite a bit, reason it, and let it go, unless you mess with my baby. Then it's a lot harder to hang on to that logic and sense.

 

[gymstaryaya]

I was told that about my 8 year old when she was a level 5, that she's not that mature, but they moved her to level 7 because she had the skill to do so! I truly believe it depends on the coaches and if they have the patience to coach an immature 8 year old!

 

[gymgal]

I was told that about my 8 year old when she was a level 5, that she's not that mature, but they moved her to level 7 because she had the skill to do so! I truly believe it depends on the coaches and if they have the patience to coach an immature 8 year old!

it really comes down to what is meant by immaturity. The fact that you 8yr old has the skills to compete L7 shows that even though she may be immature, it is not affecting her training. This doesn't appear to be the case of the OP's dd, given her description of the situation. And yes, some coaches can just handle/motivate some kids better than others