Parents Just Cant Pull it together at meets

[balancedmom]

HI all-- Posting again (middle of road gymnast mom here)... DD just turned 9 (like days ago), is L5, and cannot seem to have a good clean meet in her first year at USAG. AA scores range from 31.5-33.5 and most interesting to me is that she seems to falter at meets but do well in one or 2 events per meet-- but different events. She has scored a high 8 (8.75-9) (for her that is great) in almost every event but at different meets, and then has faltered on the other 2 events so her overalls are low. If you took her best scores for each event at the past few meets and rolled them up, she would have an AA closer to 36 (35.8)....so the potential is there and I think she has the ability but she somehow cannot pull it altogether at one meet. Anyone else had this happen? Could this just be maturity/age, getting over nerves?

thanks

 

[MeetDirector]

JFB -

One word of advice - relax!

You say this is her first season competing USAG; it will come. Not only do these amazing athletes of ours have to learn the skills, they also have to learn how to compete in a meet setting. As you now know, a USAG meet is way different than practice. A typical session lasts what, 3.5 - 4 hours? Are you aware of how much actual competition time a gymnast is involved in? About 4 minutes. They have to be able to take all of that pent up energy and focus it into the 4 minutes that count. It will come with time.

Good Luck.

 

[Natasha]

My dd is L8 and 13, is in her 6th year of competing, and does not consistently hit all 4 events in every meet, or even most meets. The hope each year is that as the season progresses it gets better so that by the end of the season the consistency is there, and it usually is.

 

[Aussie_coach]

A lot of it is just experience. The. Ore she competes the better she will be at competing. Sign her up for as many meets as they offer at your gym.

 

[Quadqueen]

My DD has had the same thing happen in the past - got 9s on every event at one meet or another, but was still several tenths away from that elusive 36 AA. The one good thing is that your DD and her coaches know she IS capable of pulling off those scores. It will all come in time.

 

[cbifoja]

Mine is 9 too and I've noticed a big difference in work ethic and maturity this season compared to others. This is the first year that she's really cared about her score or placement. I think that makes a big difference in her effort at a meet.

My DD's goal is to have a meet where she gets a 9 on all 4 events in the same meet. Hasn't happened in 2 and a half years but I love that she's trying.


I know you described her as middle of the road but I think it's pretty impressive to be able to get that close to a 36.

 

[bookworm]

My daughter competes on a D1 team in college and never scored higher than a 32.4 in compulsory so don't sweat those levels...

 

[juststartingout]

My daughter has done this too. Her first meet this season I expected her to be amazing on floor and bars and just ok on beam and vault. Well it went completely opposite. She bombed on bars, normally her best event. I think her best event at every meet has been something different than the last.

 

[iwannacoach]

Here's the good new's.........

She's a nine year old.

She's a nine year old L5.

She's a nine year old L5 in her first year of USAG competition.

She's shown potential to score 9's across the board with time left in the season to polish up a little more. A 36.00 to 36.5 between now and the end of the season (April?) seems like a realistic hope for you. For her..... she gets too do gymnastics and remain oblivious to your worries.

Geez..... if I ran into the gymnastics store looking for some new gymnasts, I wouldn't mind seeing an aisle full of kids just like her. Well there goes the budget......

 

[pt coach]

My dd is exactly the same. She is 10 and competed old L4, old L5 and now new L5. She has never gone 4 for 4...has scored high 8s to low 9s on every event but not at the same meet. So, I have no words of wisdom except keep your sense of humor. My philosophy is that kids/parents last in this sport if they have a sense of humor and can keep things in perspective. I will admit, it is easier to express this philosophy to kids I coach than to live it with my own child....but it helps that I can look around the gym and see that not all of our level 9 and 10 gymnasts were awesome at compulsories. They stuck with it and things came together for them eventually. And, frankly, for the kids who did not stick with it, they are succeeding at other sports and activities and gymnastics was a great foundation for them, so really it is a win win situation. (This is the pep talk I gave myself after my dd's last meet...)

 

[ollieblueeyes]

My daughter had to learn how to compete too. She had a really rough start and almost quit due to having to complete. She was terribly scared and didn't like to be judged. And then she got a 7.0 on a vault and the world did not end and she got over it.

She competed old 4 last year and new 4 this year. The more comps she is in the more confident/less nervous she was. In the past she has held back and played it safe. At her state meet and the first meets this year she really went for it and I am so proud of her. She actually fell for the first time on beam at her State meet but it wasn't even close to her lowest score. I think she learned that holding back was not necessarily giving her higher scores. This is a huge and important lesson for her. Maybe you DD is working through something similar.

 

[cbifoja]

My daughter had to learn how to compete too. She had a really rough start and almost quit due to having to complete. She was terribly scared and didn't like to be judged. And then she got a 7.0 on a vault and the world did not end and she got over it.

Mine stresses about falling during her beam series. I can always call on the meet where she fell off beam TWICE and scored a 6.6 and like your DD's vault....the world didn't end! I didn't even stop loving her.

 

[balancedmom]

Thanks all... She has not gotten the 35 aa at a meet yet but she is capable of high 8's on each event. Hopefully for her she will get there, but appreciate hearing from you all!

 

[mariposa]

My daughter is that kind of kid. She usually can and will score 9s on all events, but only happens a few times where she really hits all events at the same meet. She's had those meets where she was in the top 3 and even a few 1st AAs, but most of the time she is a middle of the pack kid. She still loves gymnastics and loves competition, so I keep driving her.

She is 11 and a level 7 and has been competing since she was a 6 year old level 4, so I think it is just the way she is. Not all kids are the superstars and she is OK with that! So am I. Her dad is getting there, lol.