Parents Level 3???

[ollieblueeyes]

Dd 1 just finished her first lvl4 season scoring in the mid to high 36 range. I just learned she has been placed in the lvl 3 group for the summer. She has had all of her lvl 5 skills at the end of last summer. Her bhs still tends to be with bent legs and she is working through a fear of cartwheel on high beam. She contributed to the team score at all but the first meet. Quite frankly i am confused. She was bored last summer working lvl4 skills for the 2nd year, she will not make it thru a third.

Tjoughts?

 

[bogwoppit]

No thoughts really. I would schedule a meeting with the coach and discuss why they think a further season would be beneficial to your dd and what skills it would take for her to move to the L4 group. Also ask if she would be re-evaluated at the end of summer training.

 

[MeetDirector]

Ollie -

How old is she? Regardless, a face-to-face meeting is in order. Not right before or right after practice; call and schedule one during the day. And (you know you will get this advice), start looking for another gym. As I have said before, there is no real reason to keep a gymnast in old Lvl 4 (new Lvl 3) for more than 1 season unless they just don't have the skills. Padding a team score (sand bagging) or milking the money tree are the only reasons I can see. Get the skills and move on! I would not wait on this; the longer you wait, the more training of the proper level she misses.

Good Luck.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

I had a similar post this time last year, similar scores. Similar worries. My daughter is just finishing up her repeat year of 4. Her scores have been an average of around 38. She's gotten 1st or 2nd AA at every meet. It's been great for her confidence. Her coaches also have her working out 2x a week with the 4s and 2x a week with the 5/6 group. She almost has all her (new)5 skills. I would just talk to the coach, I'm sure they would be up training the repeaters. And I know everyone always talks about the kip, but my daughter had her kip and they still kept her back, saying she needed work on her form on floor and power on vault.

 

[ollieblueeyes]

She's 11. She competed 1 yr dev squad lvl 4 and 1 comp team. We talked a bit in the fall abt bumping her up so that's why the surprise. She stayed at level 4 because stage fright the previous year and the five team was huge. Her bhs could use work but she still scored upper 8s low 9s on floor and beam, and low to mid 9s on vault and bars. The cartwheel is an issue but i am concerned they will not be working it because the new girls aren't close yet. She can do it on low and middle beams, just not high. She kips with and without grips, both kinds. She can vault over the table.

Thanks for the confirmation that I am not crazy! Will call tomorrow after I settle down....

 

[gymmomtotwo]

Maybe the bent legs on the backhandsprings are an issue? In Level 5, you have to connect two of them. Maybe they still want to work on her technique and don't feel like she is ready to do two in a row? In our gym, the kids don't get credit for a skill until it is done well, so they wouldn't be competing Level 5 (new 4) with bent leg backhandsprings. They would still be biding their time in preteam until they got it right. Does she have her kip yet?Again, maybe they just want to see more mastery of the skills before she moves up. I could be way off, because her all around score in Level 4 is very good, and shows good competence in the level. I'd definitely have a meeting as you concerns are certainly legitimate.

 

[MeetDirector]

She's 11 and they want her to repeat again? Crazy in my opinion; you can only do that stupid mill circle and tick-tock so many times. Have the meeting but at the same time open your eyes a bit to other options; it might not hurt to have done a little homework prior to your meeting. This assumes of course that this crazy sport is her passion.

Good Luck!!

 

[bogwoppit]

At 11 I really would not be happy with this. She is older and should be helped to move along. Get the meeting, but do look at other gyms that will move her. 36AA is nothing to scoff at, if she can kip and she should be good to go. You are not crazy.

 

[emorymom]

I'm not saying this is what is going on. But I think some gyms have kids repeat as a way of encouraging them to leave, rather than firing them outright. They may want to make room for a new L4 that they think is "their type" of gymnast. Even if that's not the case, if they insist on leaving her in her current level, perhaps she will benefit from a different coaching skillset.

 

[happychaos]

I feel your pain! My DD just moved from a gym that did this. None of the girls from my DD's training group were going to move up. Of the 8 girls in her group, 4 didn't have consistent kips so gym was justified in repeating them (how little they actually trained kips is another issue entirely....) but DD and 3 of her teammates all had good kips, perfect tumbling, decent vault, and solid CW,BWO,FWO on beam. Oh, and all 4 had scored well above 37, and placed 2nd,3rd,5th and 5th at state. Over the course of a few months I asked coach several times how my DD would benefit from repeating, and never received a real answer. I asked specifically what skill she was missing to move up, and again, no answer. When another mom spoke with the coaches about potential up training, she was told that they don't do much up training during meet season (which we already knew). I finally took her to another gym to be evaluated, and they said she was a really strong 4, and no way she should compete 3 next year. So, we switched gyms. Now I don't expect she'll score 37's in level 4, but 36's should be within her reach. And we're fine with that If it weren't for chalkbucket, I probably would never have even thought to take her to another gym. The new gym has a really large, strong, optionals program too. And with your DD being 11, I can see why it's even more urgent to get her in the right program. But, no matter the age, my DD sacrifices so much to do team, I feel that I have to do my part to see that her effort isn't squandered by coaches or a program that isn't a good fit.

 

[ollieblueeyes]

Well I spoke with her coach and DD is being held back due to her BHS. Since its such a fundamental skill she feels she cannot advance her until it is fixed. She thinks DD will advance at some point this summer. It's totally up to DD. The cartwheel is a concern, but not the real issue. I think this will be news for DD and she will clean it up quickly. Sometimes i think DD settles for making something and moves on mentally before her coaches would like her too.

Coach said she was looking really good in most of the other areas she evaluated and is ready otherwise. We discussed privates, which she discouraged a bit. So, I am really glad I was able to speak with her so quickly and will be able to let DD know what she needs to advance.

Thanks for your advice.

 

[txgymfan]

Communication is key!

 

[bogwoppit]

Good news. Glad you were able to communicate effectively with the coach. The BHS is fixable and a great goal to focus on with your kid. Definitely worth one on one time for this skill, and I am not usually big on privates. BUt hands on coaching with BHS, shaping the skill, can make a big difference. Also glad to see that she will be able to move up if she masters the BHS.