beamer
Proud Parent
I've been meaning to ask this question for a long time and the JBS thread of yesterday and today was the necessary impetus...
When my B-stream L5 daughter moved to a new gym last spring, it was evident from the first day that this club had de facto A streams and B streams for its gymnasts.
Being pretty familiar with the world of youth sports, this fact did not make me feel bitter or frustrated. This is the way of the sports world, from the lowliest of youth soccer leagues to the elitest of gyms. I am happy -- as is my daughter -- to be a member of the team of a quality gym whose coaches I respect and trust.
All made sense with JBS's thread right up until post #20, in which JBS states (about higher and lower streams), "If the program is done correctly...it should lose more B-track kids as the levels increase. If the A kids are leaving...it is not working."
If the goal is to keep young people involved in and committed to a really excellent whole body/mind sport like gymnastics, wouldn't the correct program lose (or retain) kids from each track equally?
Should I worry, now, that my daughter's coaches are just biding their time with my daughter until the inevitable culling happens when the skills and commitment of the higher-level JO program become too difficult? Are they looking forward to the day (aside from the loss of the B "revenue" stream) when she (and her other modestly talented teammates) quit and they can spend more time with their Division I-bound college athletes?
The Chalk Bucket is awash in threads like the one today from Donut Lover, who is feeling "hopeless" because she is struggling to acheive the skills she needs to compete USAG JO. In almost every instance, the lovely posters who respond to questions like this encourage the discouraged to "keep on keeping on" with their gymnastics.
So, which is it? Is there, or is there not, a place for the not-very to moderately/modestly talented gymnast -- who loves the sport -- in the higher levels of the USAG-JO program? Or should these kids be referred to Prep Op (Xcel) once the B-level status becomes obvious?
I would love to hear from parents/gymnasts/coaches representing both streams.
And now, after this epic post, maybe I should change my forum name from beamer (in honor of my DD's smiling, happy face on the balance beam --her favorite event) to b"str"eamer.
When my B-stream L5 daughter moved to a new gym last spring, it was evident from the first day that this club had de facto A streams and B streams for its gymnasts.
Being pretty familiar with the world of youth sports, this fact did not make me feel bitter or frustrated. This is the way of the sports world, from the lowliest of youth soccer leagues to the elitest of gyms. I am happy -- as is my daughter -- to be a member of the team of a quality gym whose coaches I respect and trust.
All made sense with JBS's thread right up until post #20, in which JBS states (about higher and lower streams), "If the program is done correctly...it should lose more B-track kids as the levels increase. If the A kids are leaving...it is not working."
If the goal is to keep young people involved in and committed to a really excellent whole body/mind sport like gymnastics, wouldn't the correct program lose (or retain) kids from each track equally?
Should I worry, now, that my daughter's coaches are just biding their time with my daughter until the inevitable culling happens when the skills and commitment of the higher-level JO program become too difficult? Are they looking forward to the day (aside from the loss of the B "revenue" stream) when she (and her other modestly talented teammates) quit and they can spend more time with their Division I-bound college athletes?
The Chalk Bucket is awash in threads like the one today from Donut Lover, who is feeling "hopeless" because she is struggling to acheive the skills she needs to compete USAG JO. In almost every instance, the lovely posters who respond to questions like this encourage the discouraged to "keep on keeping on" with their gymnastics.
So, which is it? Is there, or is there not, a place for the not-very to moderately/modestly talented gymnast -- who loves the sport -- in the higher levels of the USAG-JO program? Or should these kids be referred to Prep Op (Xcel) once the B-level status becomes obvious?
I would love to hear from parents/gymnasts/coaches representing both streams.
And now, after this epic post, maybe I should change my forum name from beamer (in honor of my DD's smiling, happy face on the balance beam --her favorite event) to b"str"eamer.