New with questions

[hut]

Hey everyone, I'm a mom of a level 5 gymnast who is 13 years old. She didn't start gymnastics until she was 11 and now she is totally addicted and wants nothing more than gymnastics everyday.
We are at at gym that competes with AAU and not USAG.. .and I'm beginning to wonder if we need to change that. She really wants to compete at the college level someday and feels that her gym is currently not allowing or encouraging her to progress. Her coach is a really good coach, with a laid back fun style most of the time. I've liked that so far, but it seems that when ever she tries to mention how serious she wants to be about gymnastics, he just wants to turn it into a joke and not really get into anything serious.
I am going to talk with him today, at her request, but I'm not sure how to really approach him.

She really wants to attempt to "score out" of level 6 and compete level 7 next year... she has almost all of the level 6 abilities now, but hasn't been allowed to do them at her gym. (she does them at home on our beam and on our bar in the back yard!) I think I will start with asking her coach to allow her to at least train up on her skills instead of 100% focus on her level 5 skills.

Anyway.. I was wondering if any of you are in the north east part of florida (near jacksonville) and if you had an advice! (or gym recommendations if things don't go well at this gym in the future)

~Deni

 

[bogwoppit]

Welcome to the Chalkbucket. I am also the mom to a 13 and a 10 year old gymnast.

It is often very difficult for the late starter as many gyms do not open the doors very wide for them. Is this gym your only option? If it is then all you can do is tell them that your gymmie wants to work hard and progress through the levels quickly, if she is able.

If you have other gym options then I would suggest shopping around as there may be a gym that fits her better.

Some gyms do not train up at all and that gym would probably not be the best fit for your gymmie, of course to allow one child to uptrain and no one else to would be a coaching challenge to say the least.

Let us know how this goes, I totally hear where you are coming from and we all want our kids to reach their full potential, but not every gym is equipped for that.

 

[MamaofEnS]

Welcome.

I too think you should maybe spend some time looking at other gyms that would be a better match for your dd. My dd is 13 too.

Good luck.

 

[Aussie_coach]

Some gym are not focused on serious competition. Their goal is to offer a gymnastics program where kids can have fun and learn skills and compete. While still maintaining a normal life in a pressure free environment. This could explain why your coach makes a joke of it if you ask about more serious gymnastics. These gyms are great for those gymnasts who want this kind of training. But if your daughter has her sights set on higher level gymnastics and college scholarships then this would not be the gym for her.

She is at a disadvantage that she is already 13 and only a level 5, most kids aimed at college would be at least a level 7 by age 13. This could mean a serious gym would not take her seriously. Some serious gyms won't even take a level 5 who is over 9 or 10 years old. The best thing you can do is look around for a gym and go in and speak to the head coach and explain what you want and ask if it is something they will consider. Let them know your daughter is a hard worker and would be willing to do what it takes.

As a level 5 in a more serious gym she should be expecting to train at least 4 days a week for 3 1/2 to 4 hours a day (14-16 hours). This is just to compete level 5. If she wants to skip level 6 and go straight to 7 expect to bring her an extra day with another group for further skill and strength development. So just be aware the kind of commitment you are talking about. It would be hard to take your gymnast to this level and then realize that it won't work for your family and have to pull her out.

As an optional gymnast (level 7-10) expect to train at least 5 days a week for 4-5 hours a day. You will be looking at a minimum of 20 hours a week. This is a big commitment for your daughter it will mean limited time for homework and study when she is in high school, no time to join extra curricular activities and clubs, no time for boys, often having to say no to going out with friends, no part time job and so on. For a gymnast who truly loves her gymnastics this is rarely an issue at all anyway, because they would rather be in the gym than anywhere else.

It will also be a big commitment for you are a parent with driving too and from practice everyday, organizing family meals and activities around a hectic schedule, traveling on a regular basis to meets, often out of state. It will not be cheap either and a big part of the family budget will go into training and competing.

I don't mean to put you off by this, just make sure you know what you are getting into before you agree.

 

[hut]

Aussie-Coach- thank-you so much for your answer..
we have a lot to think about!
I think that her coach's answer was right in line with what you said. He only coaches up to level 7 and his goal is more fun and skill based rather than hard core competitive.