Parents Is Competitive Gymnastics different at each club?

[GymParent0]

I’m not an expert by any means either but my daughter did level 6 at age 10 (age 11 for competition purposes) and she was still on the younger side. There were some super strong girls doing 6 at age 12 and up too. I don’t think they need to rush to 6 at all. Ideally the girls are learning skills that are a higher level than what they’re competing. The only other real benefit I can think of is fear - they develop more fears as they get older.!

Our gym does 5. It’s true that many girls skip it but ours doesn’t. They believe that the skills in level 5 contribute to a stronger foundation. It was frustrating at times seeing lots of girls my daughter competed against in level 4, skip to 6 while she had to do 5, but doing 5 made her a very strong 6.

It's a shame that gymnastics in Canada is centralized by provincial organizations that have zero financial support but issue all credentials because this blanket approach doesn't yield returns like some of the Soviet, Romanian, Chinese models have. USA does so well because they imported all of those coaches, and have financial incentive to succeed. More high level athletes, more sponsorships, more credibility, more notoriety. Canada doesn't seem to care in most sports and it's truly a shame. This whole "FUNdamentals" is more like "DUMdamentals" because the kids spend 9,12,15 hours at a gym with what is honestly, limited ROI.

Gymnastics has so many girls quit for other sports because it doesn't provide a proper roadmap or path for success. Little boys can dream of NHL, go to camps, be coached by NHL coaches and be rated young as 7 years old for AAA. Gymnastics hides all of this and doesn't really support it's athletes to encourage University and Olympic participation.

 

[Dahlialover]

Okay, so at what age/level should a kid who is advancing levels with ease, be finding a gym to suit their goal of being 12 years old, level 9+?

My concern is that my kids gym doesn't turn out anyone at decent level, so if my kid does have that potential, she will be restricted to whatever it is her gym is capable of providing.

I find they don't inform me of a roadmap because of this "fun" element, but ultimately serious clubs will discuss those things and explain the roadmap IMO.

If your goal is for your child to reach level 9 or 10 by age 12, you should switch to a gym that has a proven record of doing that as soon as possible, ideally by age 6 or 7. Lower levels are coached differently when the long-term goal is to produce successful level 10s.

 

[alexpor08]

If your goal is for your child to reach level 9 or 10 by age 12, you should switch to a gym that has a proven record of doing that as soon as possible, ideally by age 6 or 7. Lower levels are coached differently when the long-term goal is to produce successful level 10s.

If you're aiming for your child to reach level 9 or 10 by age 12, it's best to switch to a gym with a strong track record for that early on, ideally by age 6 or 7. Lower levels are coached differently when long-term goals include high-level success.

 

[Gregory356]

Hey, I totally get your frustrations.If the gym really doesn’t offer a path to higher levels (7+), it’s definitely worth considering a change, Younger years, coaches might not matter as much, but as they progress, experience becomes key, Your kid deserves the best possible growth, I know parents who went through something similar and saw huge improvements after switching gyms.Experienced coaches do make a difference!Sometimes it's worth the extra drive to ensure your child gets solid support and development

 

[GymParent0]

If your goal is for your child to reach level 9 or 10 by age 12, you should switch to a gym that has a proven record of doing that as soon as possible, ideally by age 6 or 7. Lower levels are coached differently when the long-term goal is to produce successful level 10s.

How many levels per year is considered normal or good progress at a gym with many level 10s? It seems non-sensical for 12-14 year olds to be level 7 or 8 because they inevitably phase out and could be using those years to transition into a sport where they'll actually continue and be fruitful for them beyond 16 years of age.

I'm not speaking of the kids who simply want to coach other tots, but the ones who want D1 schools or aspirations to compete at something they're passionate about, against the best.

If kids have 4 meets lets say in a season, shouldn't they be focusing 2 meets at one level, and 2 meets at their next level? Just logically speaking, that's how you prep yourself for a new season (I'm no gymnastics expert, which is why I'm curious)

 

[NutterButter]

It's typical for gyms to progress one level/year. A typical progression in the US would be for a kid to start competing L3 or L4 then move up one level per year. It's common to skip either L5 or L6. It's also not unusual to repeat L8 or L9. Reasons for repeating a level often have to do with readiness on an event (often bars) but sometimes a kid has a poorly timed injury causing them to miss a season. Puberty can also slow progression as they work through growth spurts but often kids just need more time to get their skills competition ready. (There's a big difference between having skills and having them be ready to compete).

I don't understand your comments about 12-14 year olds being 'pushed out of the sport'. Gymanstics is a tough sport with a high attrition rate but most kids who leave the sport are able to find success in other sports because they are so coordinated and in great physical shape. My daughter's entry L4 cohort had 15 kids. Only 4 remained in the sport through high school graduation.

Your question on meets and competing 2 levels in a year just doesn't happen much. Sometimes a kid will score out of a level at the first meet of the season or during a private in-house meet but this is generally an exception. The US has state competitions for each level. Additionally for higher levels state leads to regionals and/or nationals. There's a ton of incentive for kids to compete at the highest competition offered at their level - especially for levels 9 & 10.

Prep for the next level happens in earnest once the season ends but ideally kids are working on bits and pieces throughout the year. A lot of L10 skills take years to learn with a build up through strength, conditioning, drills, timers, etc. You don't just one day chuck new skills. Gymanstics is hard on the body too so ideally the gym is able to progress kids while also being mindful of wear n tear and burnout.

 

[Dahlialover]

How many levels per year is considered normal or good progress at a gym with many level 10s? It seems non-sensical for 12-14 year olds to be level 7 or 8 because they inevitably phase out and could be using those years to transition into a sport where they'll actually continue and be fruitful for them beyond 16 years of age.

I'm not speaking of the kids who simply want to coach other tots, but the ones who want D1 schools or aspirations to compete at something they're passionate about, against the best.

If kids have 4 meets lets say in a season, shouldn't they be focusing 2 meets at one level, and 2 meets at their next level? Just logically speaking, that's how you prep yourself for a new season (I'm no gymnastics expert, which is why I'm curious)

Kids who reach level 10 at age 12 get there by reaching level 7 by age 9 and then progressing one level per year from there.

There are a couple different paths though the lower levels but a common one is to skip levels 1-3, compete level 4 at age 7 , skip 5, compete level 6 at age 8, and there you are at level 7 at age 9.

You can’t rush the upper levels, so all the level skipping happens when kids are 6-8 years old. If you want your kid to be on this track then you gotta get on it when they are young by going to a gym that offers this kind of program.