Parents Meeting with coaches to talk elite route with our DD

[FlippinLilysMom]

We have a meeting to talk with the owners/coaches regarding our DD, 10 years old, and 2 of her teammates, 1 is 10 also and the other is 11, regarding moving them in the direction of the elite route, starting with HOPES. My husband and I have no idea what to expect, we are excited and a bit nervous. One year ago our DD was a level 5 and freaking out about getting her flyaway dismount from bars and now she is training level 8/9 and just stuck her double back dismount from bars, so it has been a crazy year for us and her to say the least! Any advice from any of you that have gone the elite/HOPES route would be great!!! Thank you!

 

[bogwoppit]

Plant the money tree, and fast.

 

[2gymmies]

I would definitely ask a lot of questions... are you at an elite gym or would your dd be the first for your gym?

 

[3gymgirlsmom]

wow , how exciting.

 

[penelope20_1999]

no advice! just congrats!!!!

 

[1canadiangymmom]

congrats, that is very exciting.
100x this...

I would definitely ask a lot of questions... are you at an elite gym or would your dd be the first for your gym?

 

[txgymfan]

That is exciting. Simone and Shawn ( I think) were both the first elites for their coaches.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Plant the money tree, and fast.

Yeah, that's what I was worried about! We are at a gym with some very well off families but unfortunately we are not one of them. I've started coaching at the gym (the little preschoolers) just to make some extra money and get a small discount on our daughter's monthly tuition. Might have to look for a 3rd and 4th job if this ends up being for real!

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I would definitely ask a lot of questions... are you at an elite gym or would your dd be the first for your gym?

Well, not sure what you mean about an elite gym. We are in the same area as Twin City Twisters (they have had quite a few elite girls, most recently Maggie Nichols) and we are probably the #2 gym in the area after them. Our level 6-10s are coached by the husband and wife that own the gym and I believe that they used to train elite girls quite a few years back but it got to be too much for them at the time (they had a new baby at the time) and the husband swore he would never train elite again, but I guess he has seen something in these 3 young girls and has changed his mind. His wife's sister is the head coach at Oklahoma (K.J. Kindler) so I know that there is a lot of gymnastics knowledge there. My husband and I are already compiling a list of questions to ask at the meeting.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

That is exciting. Simone and Shawn ( I think) were both the first elites for their coaches.

We were actually contacted by Coach Chow about having our DD try out for him but that would mean moving to Iowa and that just isn't in the cards for us right now.

 

[bogwoppit]

We were actually contacted by Coach Chow about having our DD try out for him but that would mean moving to Iowa and that just isn't in the cards for us right now.

Wow that is very strange, basically considered poaching, and very much a not done thing. I am actually shocked.

 

[Faith]

Wow that is very strange, basically considered poaching, and very much a not done thing. I am actually shocked.

I was thinking the same thing.

 

[flipster]

It is not usually done, yes, hard to believe.

 

[gasrgoose]

It sounds like you are with people who know what they are doing and are connected enough to know what is needed. I think it's great that you are having a meeting to discuss the path. There are way more girls with the physical ability to be elite gymnasts than there are with the mental ability. Ultimately the mental toughness of your daughter and the coaches will determine her path. But don't consider an incomplete journey down the elite path a failure. There are so many valuable lessons learned along the way.

 

[CMA25]

Honestly I would be very carefully not to get caught up in the coaches hype. It is a big jump from just competing level 7 this past spring to being ready to competing Hopes in 2017 (or are the looking forward to competing in 2018?) The skills get very difficult very quick, and not all girls can handle the pressure. I think I have a good idea of who your daughter is based on your posts, and I would just wait and see how her level 8 season progresses.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

I would be really careful about what you write on this forum. It took me less than a minute to figure out who your daughter is.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

That post above sounds harsher than I meant. Your daughter obviously very talented. But the elite world, I am sure, is pretty small, especially when talking about a coach as well known as the coach mentioned.

 

[2gymmies]

Knowing that you're not really the guinea pig for your coaches, I would be cautiously optimistic. I would ask about hours, costs, timelines, school, goals... I would ask what about your daughter makes her a potential elite (physically and mentally). I would talk to your daughter about what this means for her and if she really wants this. I've seen girls attack this only to see them end up quitting altogether because they lose the love or can't handle the pressure or get burnt out and/or injured. I don't mean to be a negative nelly but only you know your kid - be smart, communicate, and hold on for a wild ride!

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

We were actually contacted by Coach Chow about having our DD try out for him but that would mean moving to Iowa and that just isn't in the cards for us right now.

I should clarify that this was a couple of years ago and I had sent coach Chow a video of my DD, this was before she had made the team at our current gym. Sorry for the confusion!!!

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

I would be really careful about what you write on this forum. It took me less than a minute to figure out who your daughter is.

Thank you for that, I hadn't even thought about the info I was putting out here. I tried to edit some of my earlier posts but can't figure out how to. I have removed her picture as my avatar. I need to remember to be more aware of what I put out here on social media, it's a smaller world then I realize!!