WAG how old is the youngest female L10 gymnast?

[kimute]

Here was my daughters path:
age 8 level 3
age 9 level 4
age 10 level 5/7 (she skipped level 6)
age 11 level 8
age 12 level 9/10 (only did 1 level 9 meet)
Now age 12 (will turn 13 next month) and she is finishing up her second year of level 10 while also doing a second year of HOPES
She goes to school from 8 am to 12:30 pm and trains from 1:30-2:30 for elite and 2:45-7:00 pm for JO

That is such an awesome schedule!! My DD goes to school from 8:20-3:15 and gym from 3:45-8:45 most days. 12 YO level 8. I miss her. I am so jealous!

 

[sce]

I don't get it. It seems like such a conflict of interest for school to be at the gym. I wonder what takes priority? I really feel for these broken beat up girls who leave gymnastics and then realize that they haven't gotten a proper education for years.

Well, it is on their parents to ensure wherever they go to school, that they are getting an adequate education.

 

[Seeker]

I agree but trust me when I say that our gym is on the low end when it comes to training hours. Almost all gyms in the south do 2 a day practices with school at the gym. Our girls are doing level 10 and elite and are still able to have a life outside of the gym.

That is patently false. Some gyms do that - yes, but certainly not “almost all”. Ours doesn’t.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

That is patently false. Some gyms do that - yes, but certainly not “almost all”. Ours doesn’t.

Let me rephrase...almost all girls that are training hopes and elite seem to do 2 a days and homeschool at the gym, at least that is what I'm told from all the parents I meet at qualifiers.

 

[reluctant]

Homeschooled does not mean a less than proper education.

I agree 1000%. I am talking about gyms that are managing the education of the athlete rather than the parents.

 

[Seeker]

I agree 1000%. I am talking about gyms that are managing the education of the athlete rather than the parents.

Are their gyms “managing the education” of their athletes though? That would be extremely odd for a coach to be picking classes and teaching math, no? I have heard of gyms hiring trained and licensed teachers to oversee a group of gymnasts doing a variety of different non-tradionial school options. But those programs should be created and executed by the student-parent -teacher trifecta, not the gym or coach. Even if they provide a space for them to work, I’d be shocked if they were influencing the actual education. If they were, that would be a huge red flag.

The bulk of the girls we know in this situation do virtual classes or a combo of brick-and-mortar school plus some online classes. Some of the girls do some of their schoolwork while physically in the gym, but the gym has absolutely nothing to do with it other than letting them use the space.

 

[sce]

I agree 1000%. I am talking about gyms that are managing the education of the athlete rather than the parents.

While the gyms have a homeschool program, what that means varies gym to gym. Either they do their homeschool curriculum at the gym or there is a teacher working with them, or some combo. We are talking girls with dreams of college gymnastics, so their education must be college prep level. Many of these girls have gone on to college, so I imagine their education was not sub par. You were pretty quick to judge assume it would be a poor education.

 

[reluctant]

While the gyms have a homeschool program, what that means varies gym to gym. Either they do their homeschool curriculum at the gym or there is a teacher working with them, or some combo. We are talking girls with dreams of college gymnastics, so their education must be college prep level. Many of these girls have gone on to college, so I imagine their education was not sub par. You were pretty quick to judge assume it would be a poor education.

Sce I don't actually think I was quick to judge. Obviously I am not talking about every single program but rather one that I have seen with my own eyes where girls training elite are practicing 35+ hours a week and putting their education on the backburner. And yes, this gym does have college commits. I hope it works out for them. We all know of cases where athletes show up for college unprepared for the academics. We all know that there are colleges that are admitting students who have grades and scores lower than their peers because they are bringing something else to the table.

 

[LJL07]

Sce I don't actually think I was quick to judge. Obviously I am not talking about every single program but rather one that I have seen with my own eyes where girls training elite are practicing 35+ hours a week and putting their education on the backburner. And yes, this gym does have college commits. I hope it works out for them. We all know of cases where athletes show up for college unprepared for the academics. We all know that there are colleges that are admitting students who have grades and scores lower than their peers because they are bringing something else to the table.

You’re right. I also saw a program firsthand where academics were certainly on the back burner to the gymnastics. That’s where the parents have to step in, but they get sucked in too. There are some homeschool programs offered through some gyms that do offer a good and valid homeschooling program.

 

[gymgal]

We are former a homeschooler/current online-school family and I am just saying from the start that we did not homeschool because of gymnastics (though it did make things easier). My daughter was never anywhere near the elite track so I have not bias there.

I get that there is concern about ensuring a "good" education but that can take many forms and alternate routes are not necessarily inferior, even when they may appear that way. So a family puts schooling on the "backburner" for a few years and the child falls a little behind while pursuing his/her dreams. That doesn't mean they have now ruined their child's life. If/when the child wants to go to college, they may have to spend extra time catching up but in the grand scheme of life, so what? Our traditional schooling has us programmed to believe that we must follow that PreK-12 and immediately onto college path and that students need 6+ hours of schooling a day, but that simply isn't true. Until you get to high school, the only subjects that really matter are reading, writing, and math. On average, that takes no more than 3 hours a day and add an hour of independent reading/learning for history/science through middle school.

If a gymnast is looking to compete in college and is on the elite path, they are in contact with the coaches and admins by 6-8th to make sure they are taking the steps to be academically eligible. Yes, there are girls who fall through the cracks and find themselves missing credits but it doesn't happen often and most are able to correct this.

 

[suds]

Regarding balancing school and sport, I humbly suggest that this challenges parents of most gymnasts.

Answers to the questions of “Why?” (motivation) and “How?” (quality reference) really help interpret What is occurring.
As long as a child’s long-term, overall interests are held at the forefront, the “Best” solution for each child can be,
and ideally should be, quite unique.

Attentive parents can help their child athlete successfully navigate many hours of practice while concurrently supporting
rigorous academics and a happy, healthy child.

I caution against equating failure to conform (i.e. to the Usual and Customary process) with a sub-optimal path through life.
I do agree that watchful eyes of others help identify red flags flying in areas of questionable motives and / or dubious methodology.
At the same time, let’s be careful to not insist on pounding round pegs into square holes.

 

[bookworm]

We are former a homeschooler/current online-school family and I am just saying from the start that we did not homeschool because of gymnastics (though it did make things easier). My daughter was never anywhere near the elite track so I have not bias there.

I get that there is concern about ensuring a "good" education but that can take many forms and alternate routes are not necessarily inferior, even when they may appear that way. So a family puts schooling on the "backburner" for a few years and the child falls a little behind while pursuing his/her dreams. That doesn't mean they have now ruined their child's life. If/when the child wants to go to college, they may have to spend extra time catching up but in the grand scheme of life, so what? Our traditional schooling has us programmed to believe that we must follow that PreK-12 and immediately onto college path and that students need 6+ hours of schooling a day, but that simply isn't true. Until you get to high school, the only subjects that really matter are reading, writing, and math. On average, that takes no more than 3 hours a day and add an hour of independent reading/learning for history/science through middle school.

If a gymnast is looking to compete in college and is on the elite path, they are in contact with the coaches and admins by 6-8th to make sure they are taking the steps to be academically eligible. Yes, there are girls who fall through the cracks and find themselves missing credits but it doesn't happen often and most are able to correct this.

I agree with this ....quality over quantity , in the number of hours one "needs" to spend in school. When my girls were in elementary school and we're going to gymnastics 5 days a week, they were dismissed early every day ..... I met with the teachers in the summer and they would plan their schedules so that the "core subjects" ( the reading, writing and math gymgal cites) were done by lunchtime and their specials were in the afternoon. The teachers actually said the same thing....that they needed 3-4 hours for the major subjects and the rest could be planned around...so my girls didn't miss the major stuff.

I experienced a similar situation growing up as our town ,at the time, had a space crunch , so we did double sessions as they were called....the first group of students had classes from 7:30 am to 12 pm (morning session) and then they went home and then the second group of students came into the building from 12:30 pm until 5 pm (afternoon session) and then went home ....so we went to school for 4.5 hours every day and just did academics...no recess, no lunch or study periods, just academics and then we left....and the town did this for 5 years while a new school was built ...and we did fine, we went to college, we weren't doomed because we had less time in the actual buildings...it was quality over quantity. I think experiencing this made me a big believer in this.

 

[CLgym]

For me, one of the disconnects with the homeschool (online school) discussion here is that different people look at school in different ways. I think that most would agree the core academics are very important -- and can be met in a variety of ways in far less than 6-7 hours/day. It is the "other stuff" that different people view and value differently. Where one parent might see wasted time, another parent sees benefit. School and academics are not entirely the same thing, at least from my perspective.

 

[SMH]

For me, one of the disconnects with the homeschool (online school) discussion here is that different people look at school in different ways. I think that most would agree the core academics are very important -- and can be met in a variety of ways in far less than 6-7 hours/day. It is the "other stuff" that different people view and value differently. Where one parent might see wasted time, another parent sees benefit. School and academics are not entirely the same thing, at least from my perspective.

I see a lot of parents post (on different pages) about how ‘clever’ they are for getting their elementary aged kids out of gym class in school- so they don’t get hurt for their ‘real’ sport. I don’t get it. My kid loves gym and gets exposure to other sports, learns a kind of cooperation she won’t in gymnastics, and gets to interact with her peers in a way she doesn’t in the classroom. I think it’s valuable. I can understand high school aged kids opting out of gym, but for elementary, I think it’s important.

 

[RTT2]

I see a lot of parents post (on different pages) about how ‘clever’ they are for getting their elementary aged kids out of gym class in school- so they don’t get hurt for their ‘real’ sport. I don’t get it. My kid loves gym and gets exposure to other sports, learns a kind of cooperation she won’t in gymnastics, and gets to interact with her peers in a way she doesn’t in the classroom. I think it’s valuable. I can understand high school aged kids opting out of gym, but for elementary, I think it’s important.

I think it depends on the gym teacher. I haven't gotten my kids out of gym, but it doesn't thrill me that most of the classes involve some variation of whipping balls at each other.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I see a lot of parents post (on different pages) about how ‘clever’ they are for getting their elementary aged kids out of gym class in school- so they don’t get hurt for their ‘real’ sport. I don’t get it. My kid loves gym and gets exposure to other sports, learns a kind of cooperation she won’t in gymnastics, and gets to interact with her peers in a way she doesn’t in the classroom. I think it’s valuable. I can understand high school aged kids opting out of gym, but for elementary, I think it’s important.

I don't know how old your kid is so that might have an impact on how much they love school gym.

My kid tolerated school gym in elementary school. Now that she is in middle school. She hates it. We can't opt out in NYS, simply not allowed. But if I could I would opt out in a NY minute.

By the time they change, get attendance taken, mill around while they get organized it leaves them about 20 mins of "gym" time. Where they are forced to do things they don't really like.

She was injured this fall, doc actually wrote the note for her to be out of school gym longer then gymnastics. Because the risk of reinjury was way higher in school gym then in gymnastics.

I pay far too much money for gymnastics, she is quite fit. One of the top female athletes in our district. I don't need her getting injured in what essential amounts to pick up basketball, kickball, (insert sport of your choice) on the "play ground".

Again she rocks every physical fitness test they take, beats many of the boys. And I tell her gym time, you do just enough to participate. Don't risk a fall or wrenched wrists and fingers over middle school gym basketball...........

Now if she wants to play a school sport and do gymnastics I have not one problem with that.

But if we could opt out of gym we would.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I agree with this ....quality over quantity , in the number of hours one "needs" to spend in school.

The same could be said for how much time they "need" to be in gym.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

My daughter only takes her required "core" courses, so she hasn't taken any electives since 5th grade (meaning she doesn't take health, music, gym, home ec or whatever they call it these days, foreign language, etc..). She gets her required courses done in the morning and then is dismissed before lunch. I will say that our school district has been extremely flexible and accommodating with us regarding making her school day work for her practice schedule. It has worked very, very well up until this year. She started 7th grade this year and we have definitely noticed a change, she has had a lot more homework this year than in years past and she has also missed a lot more school (she attends devo camp once a week once per month, not to mention the days she misses for meets). So we are going to be looking into online school for next year.

 

[bookworm]

The same could be said for how much time they "need" to be in gym.

That is also true... my oldest was a level 10 in our original gym and she went 18-20 hours because that was their philosophy as well ...they felt that making effective use of your time was valid and she didn't need to be in the gym 6 days a week, 6 hours a day. That said, their coach to gymnast ratio was pretty low so that scenario worked.

In terms of time "needed" to be in the gym , I think it depends on the level, and the skill level of the gymnast (kids who get skills easier vs those who don't) . I really don't think you can train the upper level optionals (and do well) with less than 4 days a week, so that's probably why you see most 9s &10s at 5 days (or 6) ...as you get to those upper levels I think it's pretty unrealistic to think of it as a once or twice a week thing.

 

[MILgymFAM]

One thing I don’t get about the arguments about hours vs school vs high level gym is.. why? Just why would you ever want your young child training so many hours a week?

I’ve personally seen a six year old who trained over twenty hours a week. She was an outlier, but 7? 8? It was almost normal to train 20+. We homeschool because we want to- academically it became a better fit for my kids, so I’m not bashing homeschooling, and we spend NOwhere near a full 7 hours a day on school, so I’m not saying you can’t get it done more quickly at home. Homeschool has not been a hindrance to my kids education in any way.

But, I worry when school is at the gym. It’s way too much of a kids life wrapped around one place that isn’t their home... a place they may want to/be forced to leave- and the people there with it. Burnout, injuries, no time for free play, school at gym... what is the benefit? Some people say they’d have to slow their kids down on purpose to avoid all that. Ok. Why not? I can’t imagine the damage to the body with 5-10 years of L9+ skills on it 5-7 days a week. It just doesn’t seem worth the rush. Not to me, in my opinion.