Parents Help and advise

[CAAnd]

Our daughter does gymnastics (not at gymnastics club) and currently is on badge 3.
She expressed to me and her dad that she would like to do competitive gymnastics.
We were advised via a friend to ring a couple of local clubs for a trial. I wasn't quite sure what they meant but went ahead and contacted two clubs.
Perhaps I didn't phrase it right but mentioned badge 3, listed a few skills and explained she started 12 months ago and is nearly 8 so was advised to contact some clubs.
They have both advised she would need to go in a beginners recreational class.
Is this correct?
If we move to a club do you start the process again?
I do know she doesn't have bars or high beam skills; only floor, vault and low beam skills, could this be the reason for beginners and if she goes into beginners at nearly 8 is there still a chance for competing and will she forget how to do skills that I assume wont be covered in a beginner session based on that when she started beginners 12 months ago she could do a basic handstand and cartwheel but couldnt do these on the beam and didn't have a clue what walkovers were.

Thanks

 

[Taxidriver]

Are you from the UK?

 

[Aussie_coach]

Not sure what constitutes badge 3, but what constitutes beginners will vary from club to club. We often have kids come to our gym who have done things before, perhaps even a few years of training and might be on a step 3 or pre squad or so,etching like that but in our gym would be in the beginner level.

Expectations to move on from the beginner level would be an excellent cartwheel, handstand, forward roll, backward roll, pullover on bars, straight juMPs on high beam and so on. It's not enough just to be able to cartwheel and handstand, there is a lot more to gymnastics than that.

 

[CAAnd]

Hi, yes uk.
Sorry my post isn't very clear Aussie Coach.
Badge 3 is BG proficiency award 3.
Apologies I didn't mean she can only do cartwheels and handstands I meant when she started gymnastics she could only do a basic handstand and cartwheel.
Using your list she can do all the floor skills referenced and a few more ie round off and walkovers and is learning some sort of flip thing with the coaches help.
Low beam (no exposure to high) can walk, jump, think roll and do handstands, cartwheel and piroutte that I'm aware of.
No exposure to bars.
Vault, jump On, squat On, roll.
If she is serious about competing then we are happy if she goes in beginners recreational with a view to hopefully doing more at a later date but the friend who suggested ringing up for a trial seemed to indicate that its some sort of trial for competing we want not for a beginner rec class??
Also if we put her in a beginner class will she be too old to compete when she's passed beginners and whatever class is next?
Will she loose skills she's got now if in beginners?
Thanks

 

[kiwi2406]

Most gyms require you to start in some type of rec class before you start competing. Sometimes they're grouped by age, by level/ skillset, by how long they've been at the gym or sometimes it's just random. This is so they can evaluate where the child is at skill and form wise, their work ethic, natural talent, ability to make corrections and if the gym is competitive/ picky their age, height, muscle twitch and perfectionism.
I don't know about the UK but here in NZ kids will start in a rec class, and may or may not get streamed into pre-comp, depending on the things I listed. Often there are limited spaces in pre-comp to ensure a good gymnast-coach ratio, and what one gym wants may not be what another is looking for. If the child does get streamed into pre-comp, they will usually spend about 6-18 months there where the focus isn't on skills but instead conditioning, shaping and basics (handstands on floor- developing a tight body, things like pullover and cast on bars etc.). Hours per week for rec is usually 1 and hours per week for pre-comp is often between 3 and 6.
If the gymnasts makes it through pre-comp, and the gym deems them ready, they will usually be invited onto the step 1 team, and go from there. Invites are done once a year, right after the season finishes (August), and team spots are usually limited between 5 and 15.
So to answer your question, no you don't have to start the process again. You just have to adapt to a new process, and its not at all unusual to be asked to join a rec class, even if the kid has done gymnastics before.

 

[Taxidriver]

I thought you were talking about BG awards, you’ve probably confused most people on here talking about badge 3.
There’s not a simple answer to your question, it really depends on the gym.
Some gyms putting in beginner rec might have already ruled her out from competing due to current ability and age other gyms might just put everyone in beginner rec to assess, so without knowing the gyms in question it’s hard for me to even guess.
Does your friend who recommended you phone for a trial have knowledge of gymnastics?
If so do they have any knowledge of the gyms you called?
Some gyms are very competitive and want the very best girls and train very high hours, some gyms have multiple level squads and some just have lower level squads so it really depends on what type of clubs you have approached.
Am I reading right that you asked for a trial but haven’t actually had a trial?

 

[CAAnd]

Hi Taxi,
Sorry I didnt realised there were people from all over the world. I stumbled across the forum looking for answers to what I'd said wrong when enquiring about a trial with them both saying beginners rec despite me telling them which award doing and referencing a number of skills.
Friends daughter used to do competive gymnastics so assumed she knew what she was talking about however maybe things have changed since her daughter was little?
They don't have knowledge of the two gyms.
Yes asked for a trial or thought I had but was advised by both would need to start in beginner rec.
Where you say some gyms might have already ruled her out from competing due to current ability and age are you saying what we both wonder re being too old and so if we do move it will be only to be in beginner rec?
Thanks

 

[Annikins]

Hi, yes, with those skills and at that age, it matters hugely which gym you contacted. At some gyms, they would be well into their high training hours by then, but at others they would just be picking their development squad. I think when calling gyms, be specific, say that she would like to compete, and can she trial 'for their squad'. I wouldn't mention the badges as that would automatically make them think 'rec', but if they ask, you can talk about her skills fine. Good luck!

 

[Flippin'A]

I don't know anything about the system in the UK, but keep in mind that not having any exposure to bars yet is significant. If she doesn't have any bar skills she may have to start in a beginner class until she gets caught up on that event. Bars can be the great divide with gymnastics-- it comes very easily to some kids and plagues others their whole career-- so it's important that a gym is able to see how quickly she can pick up bar skills before they put her on a team.

 

[CAAnd]

Thanks Annikins,
Friend didnt say what type of gym to contact, I didn't even know there are different types?
Will ring a couple more local gyms but not mention badges and will make more of a reference to how do we go about getting our daugter assessed for pre team/team.
What extra skills should an 8 year old have? She hasn't been taught much else other than maybe one or two things that I don't know what they are called.
Flippin yes I suppose the lack of bars is going to hinder her.
It's only something shes expressed an interest in lately so if no joy she can always continue where she is.

 

[Taxidriver]

Yes there are people from lots of different countries, I’m becoming fluent in both the English terms for gymnastics and the American eg upstart (English) and Kip (American) being the same move.
Yes at some gyms she would be ruled out of squad and would only be rec, my dd started squad at 6 doing I think it was about 10 hours a week and gradually increased and by the time she was 8 I think she was doing about 14 hours, I can’t remember exactly but roughly.
As has been said I wouldn’t mention badge 3 when phoning for a trial as in my experience when it comes to competive gymnastics it doesn’t really mean much, my dd had completed 8-1 before she was 6 where and there are other girls on squad who didn’t do them or had only done the first couple, and at my dd gym once on squad no one does BG awards. I’m not dismissing the BG awards as my kids loved working towards them and were very proud when they achieved them I just know some parents think once they complete badge 1 they will compete where as in reality very few make into squad at my dd gym as they are very picky.
Phone around a few more asking about trials, maybe have a look for a gym with a county squad?

 

[CAAnd]

Hi Taxi, thanks again.
Wow 10 hours when your DD was 6.
The two I've contacted don't seem to start with so many hours from what I can gather from their websites hence trying these first.
Gym 1 - Development 2 hours, floor and vault squad 6 hours and 12 hours for main squad.
Gym 2 - Development 2hours, then it mentions squad 3, 6, 9 or 12 hours.
Based on your DD I think we left it too late for DD to do anything more than rec?
We didn't assume badge 1 meant going on to compete, we hadn't thought that far ahead. I only mentioned badge 3 because I think this is the one where they have to do a cartwheel and headstand etc?
Confused more re county squad?
I'll try a few more and see how we get on.

 

[Taxidriver]

Hi Taxi, thanks again.
Wow 10 hours when your DD was 6.
The two I've contacted don't seem to start with so many hours from what I can gather from their websites hence trying these first.
Gym 1 - Development 2 hours, floor and vault squad 6 hours and 12 hours for main squad.
Gym 2 - Development 2hours, then it mentions squad 3, 6, 9 or 12 hours.
Based on your DD I think we left it too late for DD to do anything more than rec?
We didn't assume badge 1 meant going on to compete, we hadn't thought that far ahead. I only mentioned badge 3 because I think this is the one where they have to do a cartwheel and headstand etc?
Confused more re county squad?
I'll try a few more and see how we get on.

When you spoke to those gyms did you ask what age girls typically were when they joined squad and how those girls were selected?
I wouldn’t say you’ve left it too late and the only option for your dd is rec, my dd gym considers them self an elite gym and some of the girls at my dd gym are in the BG development squad (my dd won’t compete for BG but other at her gym do and will) so they are very selective and girls start young, sometimes I wish my dd wasn’t at such a competitive gym and was on lower hours but she loves her gym where she is and I wouldn’t change it. Other gyms don’t focus on the high level competive side so give opportunity for girls who wouldn’t be selected at high level gyms to compete.
Sorry I didn’t mean you thought badge 1 meant you compete.
Some gyms refer to the lower hour squads as county squads.

 

[Annikins]

Further to taxi driver's response - the 'county squad's' near us are often called 'elite rec' squads, and compete the 'county grades', which is still a good level and not so much commitment hours-wise. But honestly, at 8, your dd can still do almost anything. I'd say probably not the compulsory grades (the future gb team route), but anything else is open to her still - don't write her off yet! It is simply a case of finding the right gym, that pick their squad a bit later. What the American's call pre team, we tend to call development squad. Their team is our main squad. I hope you find somewhere for her!

 

[CAAnd]

Hi all,
Thanks for the further replies.
Taxi I've not tried any more yet (I was talking to a mum at gymnastics this week who said her DD was offered a place at a club and it would have been 5pm three nights a week, I anticipated a couple of evenings a week and a Saturday and Sunday and the two clubs I did contact were 530/6 in the week which was just about doable so need to review whether if she wanted more gymnastics can we as a family fit into a gymnastics timetable)
I've also found out that there are 7 year olds doing 6 hours at one of the clubs so this makes me thing DD wont stand a chance because she will be too far behind.
Although reading your reply Annikins maybe it's a case of the wrong gyms so far.
I'm going to look into cheerleading, tumbling etc aswell.

 

[Taxidriver]

Hi all,
Thanks for the further replies.
Taxi I've not tried any more yet (I was talking to a mum at gymnastics this week who said her DD was offered a place at a club and it would have been 5pm three nights a week, I anticipated a couple of evenings a week and a Saturday and Sunday and the two clubs I did contact were 530/6 in the week which was just about doable so need to review whether if she wanted more gymnastics can we as a family fit into a gymnastics timetable)
I've also found out that there are 7 year olds doing 6 hours at one of the clubs so this makes me thing DD wont stand a chance because she will be too far behind.
Although reading your reply Annikins maybe it's a case of the wrong gyms so far.
I'm going to look into cheerleading, tumbling etc aswell.

Yes it very much depends what gym you are at and what level the squads compete at as to how young they start and how many hours.
At a very competitive gym the hours are high and the expectation is you are committed to the team with minimal time off, our family life fits around gym, everything from the hours I work to family holidays and days out all fit round my dd gymnastics, the commitment is not to be underestimated.
When my dd was first asked to join the squad we were told her starting hours and the sort of hours we could expect in the future we made the decision we would make it work but I know other people have turned it down as it wasn’t workable for them and their family.