Coach Bella; Min.hours for a L9? I echo several of the posters answers, that it would depend on the goals and situation at the club.
We have a smaller optional team. I have 3 girls training L9 and 5 girls training L8 and no L10's. Our L7's and L6's (9 girls )train around 12 hours/wk year around. The girls big season goals were to improve our gymnastics skills/execution, fitness and be event contenders at our State Championship and to be in a position to qualify and perform quality performances at regions. This years situation had us training 16 hours (including a 45 minute ballet class) all year. We met our goals. (BTW: The gymnast goals are in step with our club goals. One of them being to up the quality of our team program in steps. (As a contrast, another goal was to increase our Teams commitment to community giving/caring. Those hours were outside of practice. )
L9's will bump up to 18.5 hours (including 1 30 min. ballet classes) for the year. Our 8's will stay @ 16 hours. This coming years goals are to content for event placements at regions and for our L9's to move on to L9 Championships. The increase in hours is to commence work towards upgrade skills, increased skill fitness and during competitive season to have time to work routine/parts consistency.
What hours for this upcoming year? If it was only me this would be easy. Actually, for me the question and implementation are tough to work out in detail. As I worked to answer this question early winter, I wrote out 2014-15 Team Goals for the club, each level and each athlete (via spreadsheet). I worked with Team Staff to fines the goals. Then I wrote out proposed Workout Planners for a variety of the key weeks for the upcoming year. Using this years Workout Planners I added the drills/skills/fitness for the proposed routines and upgrades to the proposed planners. I counted impacts during those key weeks and worked out the time it would take to get it done. Fitness goals needed to be met before skills/drills. Meeting Fitness goals had me 60 days in advance (for most of the advanced skills). It worked out in my mind to be 18.5 hours. No need to pad the hours in the gym as the girls rotate with me. I tend to be swift, quick and precise in the gym. The girls and I get it done. I balanced the Team/Rec. schedules to see if it was a possibility in our gym -yes. Last month I reviewed the proposed plan/goals with an outside mentor (college coach and club coach) and a USAG Judge. Another - yes. They made some suggestions, mostly on timing not hours. Another - yes. Wrote and checked on the tentative competition schedule for L3-9's. Checked with staff and Booster Club for proofing. Another -yes. I confirmed staff hours for this coming year. Another - yes. Meet with key parents. Another - yes. Published summer and next year team schedule first week of May. So far have heard yes!
Club goals vary. At our club, we train our athletes to be their best. Our definition of best is helped by being in the backyard of one of the top JO and new elite teams in the US. Every competitive weekend their well trained athletes challenge our clubs definition of best. Their staff is superb, knowledgable and consistent. With the above schedule of hours, our girls can contend in their sport (in our competitive backyard) and still meet family and school goals.
I hope my details assist with your query. Next year I can visit how our goals were met.
Best wishes, SBG -