Women Level 10 parents - need some happy stories

[Tigtimes]

Ok without typing 2 pages of backstory. Need some pick me up stories from level 10 parents about having literally a disaster first year but coming out on the other side in the end for another year. She is not a young gymnast so next year would be her last. Talent is there the pieces just don’t come together.

After yesterday’s meet I am not sure as a mom I can make it through anymore . My kid keeps getting back up and trying again but man it is so hard to be a part of. She gets a 10 for perseverance in my book but my heart is so heavy for her.

 

[bookworm]

Is she injured? or just had a lousy meet?

 

[Tigtimes]

Lousy season. No injury. Honestly don’t want to get into it all. Just wanted feedback from others who have seen kids struggle their first year Of level 10 being on the older side. She has been a top performing gymnast her whole career.

 

[bookworm]

I didn't mean to pry but both injury and lousy meets can bring a parent to the edge. Sorry...

 

[Tigtimes]

didn't mean to pry but both injury and lousy meets can bring a parent to the edge. Sorry...

Sorry for sounding snappy. Just an over tired parent on the edge today

 

[gymgal]

My dd was never a top performer in any level (though she was for bars in many levels) so I am not sure I have felt the same way you do now but I saw my dd struggle to get it to all come together for L10 and yes, it was very frustrating mainly because I knew she had it in her and it just wouldn't happen when it mattered at competitions. That, combined with injuries and then lack of confidence made for a couple of very frustrating years. She eventually found her groove and became more consistent and more confident. B/c she was never a top scorer, I think it was easier on me though, letting her battle through and focus on the little "wins" like making a skill that she fell on the last meet.

L10 can be so hard on gymnasts b/c one mistake can ding your score so much. The pressure is higher to hit every skill. And if they are looking into college gymnastics, it's even more pressure.

 

[rlm's mom]

I had a super young level 10 who had a lousy first level 10 season... can blame it on covid though so totally different situation but I can tell you this year its like she's a different gymnast! Theres hope!

 

[NutterButter]

Another perspective that you didn’t explicitly ask for but I’ll share in case it helps. My DD was an older gymnast and only made it to L9. She was a 3 year L9 and for her Sr year could have gone to L10 but she thought L9 gave her the most opportunity for a successful season. Well…she didn’t have a successful season and it was cut short because of covid. It’s all good because she’s on a D3 team now which was her main goal at the time but she looks back and wishes she had competed L10 even if she didn’t have 10.0 start values on all events.

Your DD made it! She’s a L10. Years from now when she is out of the sport, she will remember that she achieved the highest JO level. That’s a huge accomplishment no matter her success in meets.

Is there anything your DD can do to minimize the struggles? Scratch or even give up a problematic event entirely?

 

[Tigtimes]

It’s all good because she’s on a D3 team now which was her main goal at the time but she looks back and wishes she had competed L10 even if she didn’t have 10.0 start values on all events.

there anything your DD can do to minimize the struggles? Scratch or even give up a problematic event entirel

She chose to go to 10 rather than repeat 9, knew she would not have 10 start on vault and bars. Has scratched events to get rid of stress. she went into the season knowing there would be no podium but has actually placed well on vault at every meet.
Mostly it just seems like this tremendous struggle and she looks so defeated at meets.

There is no joy anymore right now that I can see but it is her world not mine. All her teammate friends are gone having graduated or quit. I can truly see the benefit of multiple years of level 10 now for kids like mine, talented but not super stars cause it just takes time. Guess my hope is she ends this journey with some joy before time runs out.

 

[duyetanh]

She still has one more year! I have heard that the first year level 10 can be a minefield. You can either tread carefully or get blown up, depending on where you walk. Well my kid has either got blown up or got through, depending on the meet. But every meet at least one event has come through to save the day, and I try to focus on that and also focus on how she needs to be proud of herself for going for it, no matter how badly the end result. I feel if your gymnast makes it to level 10 it truly is an accomplishment and something to be proud of. Not everyone can get there, and some who could have, like Nutter Butter said, choose not to for reasons that they feel are best for them at that time. I speak as someone whose child s*cked at compulsories, but has flourished in optionals in comparison…..does she end up on the podium? Rarely. Does she place? Sometimes. Is she consistent right now? Hahahaha- NO. Is she happy? Proud she has made it?
YES!
And that, in a nutshell, is all that matters to me.

 

[Tigtimes]

have heard that the first year level 10 can be a minefield. You can either tread carefully or get blown up, depending on where you walk.

NO. Is she happy? Proud she has made it?
YES!

Lol minefield is the perfect analogy . Yup blown up describes last weekend.

I hope she is proud honestly that is all that matters to me but I’m just not sure and that’s what hurts my heart for her.

 

[MuggleMom]

Got nothing to offer but a virtual hug.

There is no greater heartbreak as a parent than seeing that your kid has no idea how *good* they are at something. My kiddo is only an 8 and a middle of the podium on a good day kind of kid and a lot of the time I think she has no clue that she is actually VERY talented.

When you look at the kids that are "better" than you its hard to see that you as an average Optional gymnast are still ridiculously talented as compared to so many that walk into a gym and all those that never even try the sport.

 

[doublestrike]

My dd was a young level 10 but definitely struggled her first year, she did better every year, so there is light at the end of the tunnel. It was almost embarrassing since she was very good through level 8 and some would say through level 9. You just have to roll with it because it's up to her, and a committed summer of practice can make next year more consistent. My dd didn't have a 10 start value vault until her 4th year of level 10 due to injuries but still made nationals without it. She ultimately had a 10.1 start value her last two years.

 

[LJL07]

My daughter has active juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and it has been very hard. She’s basically been “stuck” on level 9 for almost three years now due to medical issues. I know there are some parents with amazingly talented gymnasts on this board. My daughter isn’t elite or Olympic material, but she was/is definitely talented enough to make it to level 10. It’s really crummy luck and circumstances.

I’ll just echo @MuggleMom. Gymnastics is a unique and very hard sport. Anyone who makes it to level 10 is crushing it. It’s just hard to have that perspective when you are surrounded by other gymnasts.

 

[Lucia]

My daughter has active juvenile rheumatoid arthritis, and it has been very hard. She’s basically been “stuck” on level 9 for almost three years now due to medical issues. I know there are some parents with amazingly talented gymnasts on this board. My daughter isn’t elite or Olympic material, but she was/is definitely talented enough to make it to level 10. It’s really crummy luck and circumstances.

I’ll just echo @MuggleMom. Gymnastics is a unique and very hard sport. Anyone who makes it to level 10 is crushing it. It’s just hard to have that perspective when you are surrounded by other gymnasts.

I think your daughter is amazing! I work in peds, so some knowledge of JRA, though of course haven't lived it. She sounds very determined.

 

[LJL07]

I think your daughter is amazing! I work in peds, so some knowledge of JRA, though of course haven't lived it. She sounds very determined.

I don’t want to hijack the post, but yes, very determined or the most stubborn person on this earth. I would have quit twenty times over by now. I don’t think she realizes that very few people could keep going in her shoes.
As far as happy stories on level 10, I feel like virtually everyone has experienced adversity on some kind of sliding scale on the road to level 10. From the parent’s perspective, it’s hard not to compare our adversity to someone else’s and not feel resentful, but then there is also going to be someone else who has experienced worse than us, so we try to be mindful of that.

 

[twocurlygirlz]

I think a change of focus or expectation could really help. Having gotten closer to some seniors and their moms I think they would tell you that the travel together, breakfasts before meets and dinners after, are now just as important as they were in Level 4,5,6.I think that sometimes we loose that but honestly my daughter looks forward even more now to spending time with her teammates before during and after meets, maybe even more than she did at younger ages/levels and I think that helps. Those will be the core memories, those will be the things that lift her up. In the end there are quite frankly more athletes in your daughters shoes then the other way around. Level 10 is hard, really hard, and focusing on results or skills may be a never ending loosing battle, but focusing on the experience, the friends, the new places, the traditions with teammates may help her enjoy the sport again! Just my two cents.