Help!! Moving from us system to uk

[Jill01]

We are moving to the UK this August and have no idea what level / grade my DD will be going into. She is in the US system as a 11 year old level 7.
Any ideas on the correct questions to ask when looking for a club to join?? She is a highly determined little girl and loves to compete. Does she have to do compulsories as well as optionals?
Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thanks

 

[Faith]

Where are you moving too? Theres enough of us here can recommend gums.

Best approach is to get your gym to contact gyms here.

The uk system is very complicated. She wont do compulsories unless she's elite track. She'll likely be club wag, which means invitationals and voluntaries. Gymnastics is very different here though! We work on modified f.i.g, so 180 split leaps etc are expected...

 

[coach1234]

It depends where you are moving to, telling us might help as every region/ county has a variation of rules also depends on the gym you are at to what they compete at their gym. Happy to help you if you need any other information

 

[Learning Parent GB]

Welcome to the Uk
Our system can seem crazy to get your head around, but the good news is that I think it gets clearer as they move up levels. Or maybe we've all just had more time to try and understand it!

 

[Jill01]

Thank you for getting back to me!! We are moving to Bounemouth /Poole area. I have hunted out one gym but they seem to have much more trampolining!! We are from a tiny island in the Caribbean and the one gym here and her coach doesnt have a clue about the UK. The girls have been lucky enough to travel about 5 times a year to invitationals either in the US or other islands. My DD is so excited to move to somewhere where they might even have pits!! Her dream is to take the bull by the horns and go as far as she can with this sport. What is club wag and the difference between elite and club wag - she fancies herself going and elite track but will she be able to do the compulsories? Thank you again for all you help!

 

[Frase]

I am no expert but I believe she is too old to follow the elite route 'in age' as you need to pass compulsory 3 before moving on to 2 etc and compulsory 3 in age is taken in the year in which they turn 10 (so they may be 9).

Doesn't mean it can't be done but you would have to find a gym that does compulsory grades out of age (not many my way do) or you can work down the national route.

My dd turns 12 this year so may be the same age as your daughter depending on when her birthday is and she was working the national route after falling off the compulsory ladder so to speak. Below is quite a good link to the skills that are needed for each different level of national or regional grade. Complusory Level skills are not listed on here but obviously they are harder. If she turns 12 this year the hardest National Grade she can do is 2 if she turns 11 this year it is National 3. Dont get confused by the regional grades - they are something different again!

Hope this helps.

Link Removed

 

[Jill01]

Thank you so much! It is beginning to come a bit clearer now maybe!!?? My DD is turning 12 at the end of September and is indeed the same age as yours. So to clarify she is too old to do any compulsory and many gyms won't touch you if you are out of age?

Do the girls then compete both regionally and nationally ? Can they make up time so to speake and become back in age? Can you do both out of age compulsory and optionals?

Sorry for all the questions- have done quite a bit of looking up but it just hasn't clicked yet!!

Thank you for the link - it has helped. When I contact a club do I ask if the do national grading or levels? My DD seems to be somewhere around the 2/3 - is an upstart a giant? And also I am guessing a flick is a handspring?? She is a typical level seven in the us which is giants on bars and layout flayaway, layout and front front etc on floor and flight series on beam - she just competes a front handspring on vault but is working on other bits - no idea what they are called!! I am still learning!!!

All you help is greatly appreciated as I just don't want to arrive in August and start from scratch. Also I have heard of the Rushmore camp - have any of your DD attended - do you think it might be a good intro into uk gymnastics?

Thanks for all the feedback

 

[coach1234]

A upstart is a kip and a flick is a backhandspring also about to pm you about clubs as I live in the south west!

 

[endileigh]

try Gymstars they are in the poole area, they have a website you can take a look at

 

[Splash123]

Gymstars is really good in that region. They're really well known as a competitive, successful club. Another reasonably well known club in Poole is Olga.

 

[Faith]

Thank you so much! It is beginning to come a bit clearer now maybe!!?? My DD is turning 12 at the end of September and is indeed the same age as yours. So to clarify she is too old to do any compulsory and many gyms won't touch you if you are out of age?

pretty much. Elite track 11/12 year olds will have flipping vaults, giants, double backs, at least. Most have been on 25+ hours since they were 7, and she just won't be able to catch up. Clubs don't even try, as it's too demanding on coach time and facilities.

Do the girls then compete both regionally and nationally ? Can they make up time so to speake and become back in age? Can you do both out of age compulsory and optionals?

Yes they can still compete regionally and nationally. Most clubs do their region's "official" voluntaries, and lots of invitationals. Then there's grades, which is compulsories for the non-elite.

At 12 there's no point bothering with compulsories, she would be better to compete in the "challenge cup"- If you get the qualifying score- and it's very high- you qualify for the elite British the following year.

What I'd do in your shoes is check the British Gymnastics website and find clubs in commuting distance, they have a "club finder" tool where you can enter your postcode. Find a club which enters and is successful in the Challenge Cup. At this point all singing all dancing is not necessarily the best option, you could well be better in a smaller club where she'll get attention and not be sidelined in favour of already-elites.

 

[Jill01]

Thank you. I will contact Gymstars and have a chat with them. DD just really wants a gym that will challenge her. I have been on the 'club finder' and there seems to be only 3 gyms a reasonable distance from home in the area, they are Olgas, Littledown and Gymstars.

Thank you for the pointer on only doing optionals - it makes it sound that much easier. ( I didnt think you could just do this ) I just dont want her to miss something she should have done because I didnt do my research!! How many hours do you think she should be doing realistically?

I will look up this 'challenge cup' and remember to ask when looking at the clubs.

Thank you for all you help - I feel like I understand slightly more now!!!

 

[Gymbee06]

Rushmoor is a brilliant camp my dd has been a few times they work hard but have a lot of fun also plenty of gymnasts from around the world the last time dd was there girls from France, Spain, Germany, Latvia, and a girl from UAE my dd would be going again in the summer except we already have a planned holiday she's sad to be missing out she's been going since she was 7

 

[Gymbee06]

Also good luck to you and your dd hoping you have a smooth transition can't helping with explaining the system I still don't understand notice help in finding a gym as we are 200 miles away