Women New Hours

[AlexsGymmyMom]

My kids gym is going to start new hours for the girls I think starting June 1. The level that Alex is in now will increase in hours. Currently she has been doing 12 hours and it will jump to 18! I am happy and worried at the same time.
Most of the kids in her level have also been in the "hot shots" program going an extra day and have been doing 15 hours so the jump won't be quite as big for them. Plus, Alex is 13 and is starting to realize that there is a world outside the gym. I have always told her that she doesn't have to give up her social life completely for gym. (that was easy when she was only going 12 hours!!)

Has anyone else had that big of a jump in hours and how did it work for your gymmie?

Honestly, I think she has progressed just as well as any of the girls at the gym even though she is there less.

 

[iwannacoach]

I hope you both decide to give it at least a one year 100% effort, and be pleasantly surprised, if not delighted, with the way things fall into place for her.

 

[HangingOn]

My dd11 went from 12 to 18 hrs due to a move. It was tough on her at first. She lacked the stamina the other girls had and of course, it involved new coaches, teammates (and new teachers, school, etc) so she was exhausted both mentally and physically for a month. But then everything clicked and the she quickly adjusted to the longer workouts and longer days. (Getting home at 8:30 instead of 7:30 was hard on all of us I remember.) Dd learned to do her homework on the way to practice so she had time to eat and shower after workout. But there was a lot of tears and Motrin at first!

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

When Little Monkey was 10, she went from 15 to 21 due to gym move. She adjusted well but she's that kind of kid who just thrives from "more". The number of days was the same but her hours increased 1.5 each day except one. DD1 at same age balked at the thought of more hours.

 

[gymgal]

Dd went from 9 hours to 16 in a year and the next year went to 20. We were worried each time, more so because she was also increasing a day each time, but she has handled it fine. If she moves to L8, she will increase to 25 in the fall, but that is less of an issue because it is not any additional days, just adding another hour, with a break. I will say that we are more apt to let her miss a day here or there if we see the fatigue (mental/physical) coming on. But that really hasn't been much of an issue. It seems to work out between holidays, practice cancellations due to competitions, etc, she is getting at least 1 night off a month, which is usually enough.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Thanks for the replies so far! I talked to Alex about it this afternoon and she is actually excited to get the extra hours! I guess maybe I just worry too much! lol!

 

[wallinbl]

DD (9) went from 10.5 hours to 17.5 hours recently. She's definitely more tired, though I think that's more a function of practice running until 9 PM than it is of the number of hours. It will probably work itself out soon, and school's almost out, so that should make it easier for a while.

 

[Gymmom495]

My daughter started pre-team when she was 5 years old. Pre-team was 12 hours a week (3 days, 4 hours each day) she did that for 6 weeks or so just to get her use to the training. After the 6 weeks they put her on a 16 hour schedule week. (4 days a week, 4 hours a day) she was still 5 years old almost 6. She stayed on this schedule until the spring.
In spring she was already on team and competing in a few spring meets so they bumped her hours up again to 20 hours a week (5 days a week, 4 hours each day) she was 6. She stayed on this schedule until we recently switched gyms.
Our new gym is a faster paced much more serious program. She's 7 years old and she trains 24 hours a week (5 days 5 hours a day for 4 days & 1 day is a 4 hour day)
She loves it, I thought she would be exhausted but she comes home, eats, takes a shower, puts a leotard on and is doing press handstands in the living room for another hour. I love her ambition but sometimes I just want to watch the voice or deadliest catch!!


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[Gymmom495]

Correction on my last.. I put 5 days at 5 hours. I meant to say 4 days a week at 5 hours then 1 day at 4 hours. Oops


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[mndl]

Good gracious, our pre-team goes 3 days a week for 2 hrs each! I'm worried about how my 5yr old DD is going to handle the move from 3hrs a week to 6hrs a week in June. I think we would both balk at 12 hrs

 

[GymBeeMom]

I bet she will do great with the hours, most kids see it as a privilege. Enjoy the milestone of more hours, it means she must be doing something right

 

[profmom]

We made this jump last summer when DD was uptraining for L7. She took it in stride. It went back down a bit over the school year (she's in the gym about 15 hours a week now if she doesn't do open gym). The adjustment in the fall took a little while but overall was not terribly traumatic. I suspect Alex will do just fine. My one caution is that for my DD, the uptick in hours meant that it was more important to carve off and preserve her unprogrammed "do nothing" time out of the gym. I firmly believe that young minds need some time to wander and daydream.

 

[gymisforeveryone]

A little culture shock here. Gymmom495 said her little daughter practiced 16 hours a week as a 5 year old. That's the amount of time that our 10-14 year old youth national team members spend in gym a week! I couldn't imagine any parent here allow a child that young practice that much. A little off topic, but I can't understand how any 5 year old can handle that long hours that many times a week. How can that young children pay attention that well four hours at time? Wow.

 

[Gymmom495]

Not every child is alike. I do not believe in forcing my child. She has more passion in her pinky finger than most people have in their entire bodies. If she said no more tomorrow we would be done. This is a child who trains for hours then comes home showers and changes into another leotard and stretches and practices press handstands for another hour, I end up having to force her to stop because she will just keep going.
Anyone who personally knows my daughter and her personality does not think her training schedule is too much. Maybe for some kids I agree, would never last, but my daughter can do it without breaking a sweat. It also helps that she's homeschooled.
Everyone on here is responsible for making the best decisions for their children. I don't judge other people and their choices or how they parent so unless you know me or my daughter then you really cannot make an informed opinion. She also is not the only child who is training on that schedule, she is at a National Team Training Facility and has an entire team who trains the same hours as she does.


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[Flossyduck]

My dd went from 6 hours to 15 age 7. The first couple of weeks were fine, I was more tired than she was! Then she hit a couple of weeks where it started catching up with her and then after than she was fine again. Watch her diet and fluid intake, it makes a big difference when they start with the serious hours. But they wont work exhausted kids, it'll be paced and hopefully she will have a ball

 

[Iwannabemargo]

I think gymisforeveryone was surprised as homeschooling is very rare here in Europe. Mostly our children are in school from 8.45 to 3.30 and then to fit in another 15 hours plus travel time is hard with a small child and still get them to bed in time. Obviously it they can fit those hours in in the daytime, it makes scheduling easier. Also there is a less intense hours culture over here, very few children train those kinds of hours.

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[alsmom]

I know this is not near as many hours, but we experienced a similar jump. Last fall my daughter, who is 5, went from two hours/week pre-team to 7.5 hours/week level 3 at a new gym. It was a huge jump for her, especially with the combination of starting kindergarten. I was very worried, but she handled it very well. There was one period of time about 2 months ago that she just became worn out. I found that I just needed to LISTEN to her. When she says she needs a break I give her a break. She will be 6 in the summer and compete new 3 next season. As of July 1 her hours will increase to 10.5 a week. I am sure she will handle it fine as long as she eats properly, gets enough sleep and gets a break on that rare occasion that she asks for it.

 

[Gymmom495]

iwannabemargo- thank you for your explanation. I was not aware that there was a culture difference let alone a continent separating us. You will have to excuse me if I came off a bit harsh but as soon as my daughter showed a bit of talent and pulled away from the group with her training parents became unfriendly and downright mean. I could not control how fast my daughter picked up skills or moved through levels so I did not understand why parents from her original group were treating me or more importantly her so poorly. We never took private lessons or took coaching time away from other gymnasts. I would think her teammates would have been happy for her but it was quite the opposite. I ended up becoming her advocate which is very sad. We finally ended up switching gyms with support of the coaching staff to a faster paced gym better suited for her. The parents and girls are wonderful. So bottom line, I apologize for being snippy. Just my nature after what we have been through.


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[gymisforeveryone]

Gymmom495: Oh I didin't understands she's homeschooled. That makes it a bit different. I don't criticize you. I understand that you are not the only ones with that kind of schedule there. I just generally wonder if five, six or seven year olds really need 16 hours gym a week. If they also go to school when do they have time for free play? Doesn't that many hours have a big risk of burn out as a young child?

In here homeschooling is extremely rare. I have never heard of anyone who homeschools his/her children. All of our national team members here in Finland go to public elementary school and high school. Most of them are in sports high schools so they can fit 1-2 hour morning practices into their schedules. But absolutely no-one is homeschooled and they are required to do all the school work everyone else does.

 

[iwannacoach]

I think the vast majority of chalkbucket regulars have it pretty well figured out. This forum is a 24/365 "come as you are" party, and there's a few memories of those who didn't "get it" suddenly vanishing from the board. Hmm, conspiracy...... international conflict and intrigue. Possibly they were taken away to be "reprogrammed" and can now be found walking aimlessly about with a slack jaw, and drooling on themselves.

495...... if I may be so familiar, believe me my dear, you'll know when somebody has a burr up their knickers and wants to assuage their frustration at your expense. Other than that....... it's all about observation and personal preferences.