High School gymnastics

[Sarah'sMom]

Just wondering....do girls on private teams typically also compete for their high school teams?

 

[All Chalked Up]

I wouldn't say they typically compete for the high school, but some do and some don't.

 

[gympanda]

I think it depends on the state.

 

[AGM78910]

Some high schools in Texas do gymnastics but the girls typically only work out only 10 hours a week. If they also do club gymnastics, they are doing between 20 to 30 hours a week if they are optional in addition to that. Most of them find that the hours are too much. Lots of the high school gymnasts stopped competing USAG and just do high school and the rest of them have never done gymnastics. Also the high school girls compete both compulsory and optional at meets. Usually level 6 one day and level 8 the next.

 

[Optionals United]

it really depends on the state. in some states yes others no. in my state usally high school is really only compulsaries in other states they have some high level optionals.

 

[gym law mom]

Varies alor as others have said. Around here most of the girls compete skills from L7 and up. Some clubs don't let their team girls do high school gymnastics.

 

[Gymdad2]

As gym law mom says, some gyms allow it and some don't. DD's gym 'discourages' it.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

To agree with everyone else.... "it all depends!" Where I live, some gyms allow their club girls to compete for HS, some don't. Not only that, but some HS coaches require their girls to practice with the HS team every single day, while others don't!! So... it all depends!

My DD has done HS gymnastics the last two years while remaining active w/her club team. Don't get me wrong, it is really tough on her, but at least her HS coach doesn't mind and she only goes to HS practice one day per week. However, then I wonder if she's really getting that whole HS team spirit experience. I also have to add that it was really tough on her body this past year. (The year before, she was doing Prep Op so she had far fewer training hours that year.) She was practicing w/her club 16 hours per week, plus attending HS meets at least once per week. She had some back injuries as a result that have just now finally started to heal. I honestly don't know if she's going to do her HS team next year. Time will tell.

 

[Sarah'sMom]

Thanks all. I was just wondering because our local high school is cutting its girls gymnastics program out of the budget due to budget issues. From experience with other cut programs, it means that the program will probably never return. I don't know what my daughter will do with gymnastics but in observing this team, it appeared to me that there was room for different abilities and it wasn't all level 8,9, and 10 girls. So, I was hoping it would be something my daughter might enjoy later on, if she's still in gymnastics and regardless of her level. The situation got me wondering to what extent the private team girls compete on these high school teams.

It bothers me a great deal to see this go, regardless of what my daughter might want to do someday or not though......

 

[Bella's Mom]

I didn't even know high schools competed gymnastics until I got here. and I teach high school!!!!

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Is the budget a "done deal?" I know that it seems gymnastics is always on the chopping block when the school budget is tight. But so far, every year, they've managed to keep it (so far). Oh... and anyone can do gymnastics here as well. On my DD's team this past year we've had L9's, 8's 7's and girls who only did compulsory team when they were younger all the way down to girls who have only done cheerleading!! We've seen girls get 3's all the way up to the ones getting the mid to high 9's. It all depends each year on who tries out for the teams!

 

[CamSeawind]

My friend quit private club gymnastics to compete on her high school team, my other friend did them at the same time last year and this year she quit her high school team. I think it's up to the gymnast (plus most schools don't have teams)

 

[Sarah'sMom]

There are currently only 3 high schools in our region with a gymnastics team. I think our high school team routinely comes in 3rd, and our school district is one that tends to cut sports where the school does not excel (just my impression). They won't admit it, of course, but I've seen it for other things in the past. Boys gymnastics was cut years ago, although I do not know the story there. State aid was cut significantly this year and there are layoffs reportedly all over the place, so I have little doubt that gymnastics will be cut. On top of it, at the first board meeting, they present the budget and at the second board meeting, they vote on it, and then about a month later the school district residents vote. So, I don't know how much room there is for making any change now - other than private fundraising.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

Our county's boys' gymnastics program was cut years ago too. There are always LOTS of girls on the vaious schools teams tho, and lots of participation, but still, each year it seems that gymnastics is always no. 1 when it comes to the possiblity of cutting any sports teams. It's just a shame to cut out these programs when it gives kids something to do other than just "hang out."

 

[flipper's fan]

When that happened here recently, the whole gymnastics community came together to save the high school program- the state usag chairman, all the club owners, and especially the gymnasts. They started a Facebook page, and from that organized a rally at the school board and a letter writing campaign. Former HS gymnasts came back from colleges and coaching jobs to attend the rally or wrote letters. Club owners helped to recruit a coach for a school that needed one. It was beautiful.

 

[GymSurvivor]

It also depends on the state, the state I live in doesn't have any highschool gymnastics. (Which I'm kind of upset about haha) But they just don't.

 

[cathiann]

Here in MN the high school league rules are that you cannot train and compete with a club during gymnastics season. Since the HS season is from mid-Nov until end of February, that means you'd be missing the majority of the season for Optionals (Jan-April here) and the State meet if you were a Compulsory (in December). Most girls don't want to do that and most clubs won't just let someone compete the last few meets of the year if they haven't trained that girl for several months. There are a few exceptions though.

 

[coachmolly]

Thanks all. I was just wondering because our local high school is cutting its girls gymnastics program out of the budget due to budget issues. From experience with other cut programs, it means that the program will probably never return. I don't know what my daughter will do with gymnastics but in observing this team, it appeared to me that there was room for different abilities and it wasn't all level 8,9, and 10 girls. So, I was hoping it would be something my daughter might enjoy later on, if she's still in gymnastics and regardless of her level. The situation got me wondering to what extent the private team girls compete on these high school teams.

It bothers me a great deal to see this go, regardless of what my daughter might want to do someday or not though......

The high school I went to did not have a traditionally supported team, but we were considered a "club" and allowed to participate at meets with other schools. We all just worked out at our respective gyms, had a parent plan meets, bought our own leos, and showed up where we needed to be when we needed to be there. With this format we did not usually have a full team, so we joined up with another local team and just tagged along to their dual meets and competed individually. There were some other girls who joined us who were the lone representatives from their school.

 

[ryantroop]

It is sad... it's a trickle down from the universities dropping their programs. It's a high liability sport - which is just insanely unfounded, since there are a LOT more injuries in soccer and football than in gymnastics (from the last time I saw stats on it... not to mention cheerleading! Ugh!!). What it comes down to is money coming in vs money spent.

Basically, 600 people will pay to see football. 40 people won't pay to see their kid do gymnastics unless it's an "important meet." It's culutural, economics, and general ignorance by athletic directors...

But hey.. that's just my take on it, and my 2c.