Lament of the B-streamer

[tomtnt]

I was typing my last post when this one came in.

I am now sitting here knowing exactly why ChalkBucket was created. This post is absolutely brilliant!

I have nothing more to say...

Thank you emorymom!

EDIT: So many people told me why I was wrong...emorymom gave me a solution. BRAVO! Logic at its finest.

I don't get it... what if all your "B" gymnasts (or their parents) want to do the extra hours too? Wouldn't that diminish the time and effort you are able to concentrate on your "A" gymnasts? You'd be right back at having to manage different skills, sizes, etc during your practice?

Our optional coach tried this - he offered extra weekend hours to his unofficial A-team girls... when the unofficial B team parents found out, they wanted to send their kids too.. eventually, it just became a regular practice - too big to manage, too little time/coaches available to uptrain his "A" girls..

 

[gymnut1]

If you want to maintain the A teamers' interest and find out who in your B teams will ultimately be a great optional gymnast, you need to scrap your old system and have this system:

The minimum number of hours for Level X are Y. Gymnasts may choose to practice up to Z hours. After each competitive season, gymnasts will be considered for re-leveling.

If you PUSH the extremely TALENTED so hard by giving them a huge number of required hours at a young age, you are likely to lose them. Also, the point of being extremely talented is that they don't NEED as many hours to progress as the less apt and since this is a marathon not a sprint, you might see that they ultimately acheive more if you are not pushing them through the levels so fast, but letting them enjoy their talent and other things, and choose major commitment when they are older.

On the other side, if you continue to force the kids who don't show early talent, but have extremely high commitment, into extremely low-hours programs, you are going to see them not reach their potential. If you have a girl who is a 10yo first year L4 and you only let her practice 7 hours a week, is it going to be a shock for you that she takes 3 years at L4 since she's also going to be growing 5 inches a year during that period? Heck, she probably needs the 7 hours a week just to maintain skills during a growth spurt.

Gymnastics needs to pay more attention to swimming.

This post is so brilliant I am going to cut and paste and keep it. You explain it so well. This is exactly what I see and believe. I don't like the idea of lower expectations from any child. You will get what you expect 90% of the time.

 

[JBS]

I don't get it... what if all your "B" gymnasts (or their parents) want to do the extra hours too? Wouldn't that diminish the time and effort you are able to concentrate on your "A" gymnasts? You'd be right back at having to manage different skills, sizes, etc during your practice?

Our optional coach tried this - he offered extra weekend hours to his unofficial A-team girls... when the unofficial B team parents found out, they wanted to send their kids too.. eventually, it just became a regular practice - too big to manage, too little time/coaches available to uptrain his "A" girls..

Could happen. I am only considering this for the compulsory levels. When I offer extra practices on Sunday nights I offer them to L3-L7. I get about 1/3 of the L3-L6 teams. I will always get 7 of the 8 L7's if they are in town. The optional girls are committed.

I believe this system will help me find the true "A" gymnasts...not the ones that I label "A". I am wrong a lot.

If they all want more...then I am wrong. My entire team would have just been "upped"...I'm good with that. I would have to manage different skills & sizes during practice...but I would have more time to do it.

As far as "too big to manage"...I have no problem charging people more. If it takes extra coaches...then it takes extra money. If I (or parents) am looking for a 5 to 1 ratio and 12 kids want to come...they will have to pay for 3 coaches.

We operate our team on a "for profit" basis. We are not looking to "break even" or be sustained by rec. In other words...we are a small business that doesn't want to go out of business.

 

[gymgal]

Gymnastics needs to pay more attention to swimming.

So true! ds is a young swimmer and their practices are set up so that there are a total of 3 a week you have to attend 2 but if the swimmer wants/needs more, he can go to the third. The dedicated ones and the ones who make the most progress on their times are almost always there for that third practice. The ones who are there more for social and fun cruise with just the 2.

 

[gymjourneymom]

I love your take on this beamer! Your DD is very lucky to have such support from you!!! I wish her much joy & happiness in this sport she loves!!!

 

[Coach.Simon]

I don't think the goal of any program, even the great ones, should be to lose kids no matter what stream.

I have detected a mind reader lol

 

[gymmomtoo]

So true! ds is a young swimmer and their practices are set up so that there are a total of 3 a week you have to attend 2 but if the swimmer wants/needs more, he can go to the third. The dedicated ones and the ones who make the most progress on their times are almost always there for that third practice. The ones who are there more for social and fun cruise with just the 2.

Yeah, my youngest DD's swim team has practices 6 days a week--you attend the days you want--as many as you want. The ones that do better are going more frequently, but they also have kids that love the sport going a lot. I love that nothing is required and no one is slotted into a stream.