Parents hours for optionals

[bellsmom]

How many hours does your level 8, 9 and 10 train a week now verses before covid? What do you feel is the ideal amount of training hours?

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Our training hours haven’t changed because of covid. The 8-10s at our gym train around 25 hours a week.

When my older daughter was level 8/9 (4 years ago) she trained 20 hours a week during the school year and 27 in the summer.

 

[pt coach]

We are training fewer hours, but in much smaller groups. We have pretty strict health department guidelines to follow. We keep our groups at 3-4 kids in a group. I think they are coming in maybe 10 hours a week instead of 20 plus hours. We just had a virtual practice meet and they exceeded all expectations. Honestly as a coach I find that the smaller groups facilitate so much more one-on-one attention. The shorter practice times have not been an issue at all. It has made me really consider how to change our approach going forward, post pandemic.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Same number of hours for my level 9 daughter as before. 20 hours a week, 4 days x 5 hours per practice.

 

[skschlag]

My L10 usually does 20 hours a week. RIght now, he is doing 18 with the covid restrictions.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Same number of hours for my level 9 daughter as before. 20 hours a week, 4 days x 5 hours per practice.

I just realized I didn't answer your second question. I love her schedule and think it is perfect for her. She has weekends off along with Wednesdays so she still has time to do typical things 12 year olds like to do. Because of holiday schedules, etc she has had a few weeks recently where she went 3 days in a row and she hated it. I'm sure she would adjust, but physically she felt exhausted and sore and said that she just doesn't want to do that regularly. Even on only 4 days a week, she is successful and it just helps keep her happy and healthy I think. There is a local gym nearby that has amazing gymnasts that train 6 days a week (~30 hours) in the highest levels. My daughter said that that schedule wouldn't be worth it for her. She knows what she wants/needs to be happy and successful.

 

[novagymmom]

Typically, school year training is about 19 hours for L8/9 and 21 hours for L10. Due to COVID and reduced coaches/kids in the gym, L8/9 are training 15 hours and L10 is training 16.5

I strongly agree with what pt coach said. I think the reduced hours with better gymnast to coach ratios would be completely effective and better for the kids! So, I'm happy with 15 hours IF we have sufficient coaching. Unfortunately our gym is understaffed right now (had to let some coaches go with the pandemic so our existing coaches are working their tails off but are stretched way too thin). We often have 2 coaches working with 25-27 L8-10 gymnasts. :-(

 

[pt coach]

Yes we are very lucky to have a full coaching staff right now! Otherwise running multiple time slots per day and making sure that each level has sufficient practice time would not be possible. Even with sufficient coaches it has been an effort to fill all of the time slots with the right coaches for the right levels. I am so glad that I do not have to create the schedule! It makes my brain hurt!

 

[GymParent]

Levels 6-10 are 20 hours per week during school (5 days x 4 hours). They have the option of adding 2 hours 2 times per week (total 4 hours additional) when out of school (summer and breaks). They use these "extra" hours to work on whatever they feel they need to including uptraining. This has not changed compared to pre-covid.

So far it's still been working well for my gymnast. Knock on wood, we haven't had any cases at the gym so far that I know of.

 

[M2Abi]

Currently at 13 hours/week. Last year was 17 hours/week.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Same as pre covid. 12 hours during the school year.

Summers can do more with camps.

 

[raenndrops]

L3 - L8 and Xcel Gold & Platinum pre-pandemic = 7.5 hours / week
currently = 4.5 hours / week
Of course, most of our higher level girls are also on the high school team and THEY have high school practice 4.5 - 6 hours a week depending on if they have a meet or not. OUR practice time is set up so they can do both HS practice and our team practice.