WAG Last Minute Level Downgrade

[rjb123]

Not being snarky, but first off, no one does “everything” right according to scores. A score of 40 doesn’t happen in JO. Yes perfect 10s get handed out more liberally in college, but if you watch the videos, there are even some errors in those routines. Even Simone “the GOAT” Biles isn’t perfect. BUT, this said, it is possible to get a 35 or below if everything is right. Because doing everything right isn’t necessarily about the scores. But it is not something you would understand (and I am not saying this rudely), so I am not going to take the time to write the novel. Everyone has different perspectives. This is mine.

PSSSTT- even "the GOAT" got plenty of scores in the 36 range. (check out my meet scores) I think I even saw a 35 in there as a level 10. So there ya go- can you imagine if SHE was pushed to XCEL? LOL!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

One gym I used to work at dropped girls down a level a week before the first meet on several occasions over several years. On every single occasion, I think it was the wrong decision; they either should have done it far earlier or not done it at all.

Do what you feel is best for your DD, but if a gym is approaching you about this a week out from the first meet, I would count that as a red flag for this gym.

 

[doublestrike]

I think your child is in some kind of elite program. A 36 is pretty solid in certain parts of the country on levels 4&5. I've seen some pretty talented young gymnasts get high 35s in levels 8 and 9 without falls. Agreed that maybe form or technique might not be the cleanest but it gets VERY hard. Moving a kid to xcel over a 36 is extremely crazy to me.

The perspective that's missing here is that's his gymnast is a level 7 and paying $850 a month plus privates, and they haven't been at that gym very long. We're not talking level 10, we're not talking elite. They have a long road ahead of them.I certainly wouldn't pay that much for that level unless she was getting results either and it doesn't sound like many other people are paying that amount except the Bay Area (frankly, I don't know if I would've paid that amount at level 7 period). I'm familiar with that gym and they do produce results, but they also have gymnasts scoring under 36 and they aren't one of the CA gyms that have produced Olympians. We've been at gyms that require about a 36 to move up, it's a minimum threshold to achieve what's necessary at certain levels and it helps represent the gym well, they are in the business to make $$ and good results help. I also believe that practicing full routines a number of times is required to get a certain consistency. My daughter did Hopes and in retrospect given the cost of elite, etc. don't have any regrets she didn't make it since it's clear now the Olympics weren't in her future (didn't know it then though). It's so expensive, the entire sport is so costly-- I can't wait to write my last check! I think if I had a kid that good, I'd eventually look to move to the middle of the country in TX or Gage where it's almost half the cost. I think Malubayo started out there and moved to TX Dreams for that reason and I don't think she was scoring 38s at the time she left.

 

[LJL07]

The perspective that's missing here is that's his gymnast is a level 7 and paying $850 a month plus privates, and they haven't been at that gym very long. We're not talking level 10, we're not talking elite. They have a long road ahead of them.I certainly wouldn't pay that much for that level unless she was getting results either and it doesn't sound like many other people are paying that amount except the Bay Area (frankly, I don't know if I would've paid that amount at level 7 period). I'm familiar with that gym and they do produce results, but they also have gymnasts scoring under 36 and they aren't one of the CA gyms that have produced Olympians. We've been at gyms that require about a 36 to move up, it's a minimum threshold to achieve what's necessary at certain levels and it helps represent the gym well, they are in the business to make $$ and good results help. I also believe that practicing full routines a number of times is required to get a certain consistency. My daughter did Hopes and in retrospect given the cost of elite, etc. don't have any regrets she didn't make it since it's clear now the Olympics weren't in her future (didn't know it then though). It's so expensive, the entire sport is so costly-- I can't wait to write my last check! I think if I had a kid that good, I'd eventually look to move to the middle of the country in TX or Gage where it's almost half the cost. I think Malubayo started out there and moved to TX Dreams for that reason and I don't think she was scoring 38s at the time she left.

Wow. Well I’ve been pretty vocal about the gym we were at. Very similar situation. We paid roughly the same for level 7. My 9 year old scored some 38s, and her teammate scored 39s and was nominated for gymnast of the year. Her teammate never made it past level 8. Matter of fact the entire homeschool quit. It was a miserable racket and a recipe for burn out. That coach changed the name of her gym and now has a huge group of level 3s and 4s who train 24 hours a week and pay over $600 for this. They all have permission to check out of school at noon. None of those kids will make it past level 7 at that gym. It’s a cycle. She has no level 10s or elites. That’s a joke. I agree with you about hopes too. My 38 scoring level 7 is at a small gym now getting nowhere near the conditioning and routine drilling she got at the crazy gym. She got scores that this poster would consider loser scores of 35s on level 8. It’s a hard level without the abuse. She can do the skills and is able to move up to 9 but won’t be super polished. I noticed at regionals dozens and dozens of 10 year olds doing the type of program this poster has his child in. They are all young and extremely well conditioned and I’ll bet most burn out. And my youngest daughter is very talented but would have quit if we left her at the crazy gym. I’ve been tied up with this sport for years now between my girls, and I guarantee none of these 7 and 8 year old hotshots are begging to devote every second of their lives to gymnastics. It’s the parents.

 

[Ginger]

It truly took on a life of its own! I think I even closed the OP with a reminder to be kind...

I'm really sorry it derailed so far off topic...
@AquaticSoul I believe it's your daughter's first comp weekend, so what was the final verdict if you don't mind to share? L4 or L5?

 

[LJL07]

I'm really sorry it derailed so far off topic...
@AquaticSoul I believe it's your daughter's first comp weekend, so what was the final verdict if you don't mind to share? L4 or L5?

I’m so sorry. I think I forgot the initial question. So sorry, OP. Yes, what happened?

 

[AquaticSoul]

I’m so sorry. I think I forgot the initial question. So sorry, OP. Yes, what happened?

Thank you for asking! We had taken that weekend to evaluate everything and realized that the problem was neither with the gym nor my daughter. The two were just not a right fit for each other. I sought out advice from my daughters past coaches and they all concluded that she needed to stay on Level 5, but at a gym that takes a more individualized and nurturing approach. My daughter’s gym was only exacerbating mental blocks and struggles with her confidence so we chose to pull her out. Again, not their issue, it’s just their tried and true method that just wasn’t right for DD. It felt like a crazy decision with all the gym switching, but we really thought it out and felt it was right for her to be in an environment where she can thrive emotionally, first and foremost. She had been home sick for her old gym for awhile, but said she had pushed those feelings aside because she thought she was getting the best training. So...we moved her back to her old gym (Gym A).

Our reasons for moving her in the first place (Gym A to Gym B) was because of coaching changes. As a level 4 she competed well at a 35 average AA while training independently much of the time because her coach was spread so thin. We imagined she would have been at 37AA or above had she been given more attention. So when her coach left, we had enough of the coaching inconsistencies.

She has since been training at her old gym and still has a way to go. There is a lot of catching up to do and work to be done. She regressed on a lot of skills, but her confidence is coming back and she is so much happier. She still has a lot of mental blocks, but her coaches (both who have coached her in the past) said they are just concentrating on rewiring her brain. It’s almost like she’s coming back from an injury. They are getting her safely caught up in training level 5 and they said she will be ready to compete soon.

When her old team saw she was back, they ran to her with hugs, as did the Optional girls, parents, and other coaches. She was just a number at the other gym. Hindsight is definitely 20/20, but her team has received great training with two fantastic coaches. I recently read an article about switching gyms which said “the grass isn’t always greener on the other side, but where you water it.” I know this phrase is used in many examples, but it rings true for this particular situation. My daughter had been the best on her team when she left and now she’s all the way at the bottom, but that doesn’t bother her. She knows that she’s getting great training and she trusts the coaches and ultimately, herself. She is happy again. Right now, this is good enough for us.