Parents Not moving up to level 5

[wallinbl]

Its frustrating, because coach A also mentioned that its not just about having the skills (for instance her two back handsprings) but about doing them well. Isn't that what they would be working on from now until Jan when competitions start?! (fyi... my daughter is having the hardest times getting her legs straight! even though shes had this skill for over 2 years now.. I think shes so used to practicing it sloppy she doesnt know how to fix it)

I think this is your real answer right here. I don't think it's about scores, I think it's about the fact that these skills are building blocks towards bigger skills and there are certain aspects of the technique that are essential for future skills. Think of the compulsory levels as laying the foundation for the rest of gymnastics. Don't worry about getting out of it quickly, worry about building a solid and safe foundation for your DD to enjoy.

 

[Chocoholic]

I think I'm in the minority here, but I think you have reason to be frustrated. I'm not sure it is worth leaving a gym over, but I definitely think that I would expect my daughter to move up if she had all the skills for level 5 and such a successful level 4 season, especially with your competition season not starting until Jan. In an ideal world, move-up decisions should be made in the best interests of each child, but I'm skeptical that always happens. I think coaches also consider being competitive at meets as a team, the number of girls competing each level, which parents they can risk offending, and other issues as well.

 

[bookworm]

I think I'm in the minority here, but I think you have reason to be frustrated. I'm not sure it is worth leaving a gym over, but I definitely think that I would expect my daughter to move up if she had all the skills for level 5 and such a successful level 4 season, especially with your competition season not starting until Jan. In an ideal world, move-up decisions should be made in the best interests of each child, but I'm skeptical that always happens. I think coaches also consider being competitive at meets as a team, the number of girls competing each level, which parents they can risk offending, and other issues as well.

I'm in the same minority as you Chocoholic...there's no way I'd have my 9 yo compete another season of Level 4 if she'd done pretty well at Level 4 and had her kip...our old gym tried to do this with my younger daughter ..they said she was "young" (she was 6) and that even though she "had her level 5 skills, they planned to keep her at 4" (because they liked to have a ringer) ...to which i responded, "well she won't be repeating Level 4 in THIS gym; she either moves to 5 or she moves gyms" ...she ended up moving to 5 (did 1 meet) and then was moved to Level 6 for the season , so go figure...

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I also think as a nine year old with the skills she should be moved up. I also find it strange that the coaches did not present a united front in the meeting with you.

 

[skschlag]

I know boys are different, but my 9 year old did a 3rd year of level 5 this past season. He could have done 6. He had most of the skills as well as many of the boys who did level 6. It would not have been horrible. HOwever, his coaches decided that he needed to stay at 5 again. He had the skills, was scoring well.. (low 80's) all season. but, he didn't have them well. He needed another year to really get those basics down, consistently, and well. He could have moved up, done the skills, but he would never have been able to truly master the basics that he needs to keep moving forward. Now, he has most of the (darn p-bar handstands!) and is ready to move to 6, maybe 7.

I think that *most* coaches truly have the child's best interests at heart. I don't know your coaches, but I do believe that their hearts are in the right places. I know that repeating the year, even though many gyms would have moved him ahead, was good for him, and will be very beneficial in the years to come.

 

[beamer]

I'm with Chocoholic and Bookworm. You should calmly and politely insist she be moved. Level 4 skills don't need to be perfected beyond 36s. And did you say the next competition season does not begin until January? That's plenty of time to work on form for skills and get a cartwheel on beam.

 

[kimskids]

It seems like some gyms will move up a girl once they do well in the level they are currently competing in and some gyms will not move a girl up until they are very strong in the level they WILL BE competing in. I would be a little upset myself I'm sure but would probably let it go. At my current gym it is very common to repeat levels 4 and 5. My daughters coach wants the girls very ready when they compete but also does a lot of uptraining. They are working skills up at least 2 levels and are never bored.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

Okay, I'm coming from the perspective of our gym, where the preteam kids are prepared for Level 5, not for Level 4. They did start a Level 4 team to give Prep op girls the opportunity to move to the JO program who are showing the ability to do so. But those who go through the preteam program are not taught any of the Level 4 only skills (mill circle comes to mind). I would not want my daughter who is averaging 9s to remain at Level 4 for another year. I would rather see her train Level 5 and if she is not competition ready, then she could wait a year to compete. I don't see any value added to her practicing skills that she is never going to use again like handstand flatback vaults and mill circles. She'd be better off training for a year. if she must compete for the good of the team, then Level 4 practicing should be kept to a minimum. Sounds like she does the routines pretty well already. So maybe some practice the week before the meet? But she should be almost constantly uptraining, not training with new level 4s. I would have a big objection to that.

 

[GymBee97]

I think I would have insisted she be moved to L5 for at least the summer and see how she does with skills.

 

[Krystan]

I agree that it's tough to keep her back doing another year at a level she scored so well at when she has the skills to compete L5 and over 6 months to perfect them. I also think her age does matter in this situation. If she was 7 or even 8 I might feel differently. But at 9... my dd competed L4 as a 10 year old this year, and there weren't many of them. It was right FOR HER to do this, but if she had had her kip before the season started, she would have been a L5. Our gym tends to get them out of L4 as quickly as possible, however.

That being said - if this is the policy of your gym (skills must be perfect to move up), then I'm not sure I would argue it. Is there an option to move up at the end of the summer? Will she be able to uptrain L5 skills while training with L4? These would be important as she is clearly doing fine on her L4 skills.

 

[MaryA]

I suppose in your shoes I would weigh everything... amount of uptraining going on (if she is competing 4 but training 5 and 6 skills, she won't be bored), the amount of faith that you have that the coaches have your daughter's best interest at heart and that they have a plan for her, whether your daughter is happy and thriving at her current gym, etc. The answers to those questions may make you decide she's just fine where she is or it may make you decide you want to look and see what her other gym options are.

 

[LizzieLac]

I can see both sides, having a DD that essentially had this experience. She came from Prep Opt Novice where she won states and had to do level 4 anyway because while she "had her kip" it was the push up with one arm thing and not consistent. As a level 4 she scored over 9 for all events almost every meet. She has just now completed level 5 and I can tell you the judging is MUCH harder and to say you have a skill is totally different than being able to compete and have decent scores. One thing that coaches weigh is the what it might be like motivationally for a kid to go from scoring 9's at one level to scoring 7s at the next. Trust me, just having a kip does equal a good bar routine. The judges deduct for every bent arm, casts that are not high enough, small tap swings, etc.

I am not saying your DD is not ready for level 5, I am just saying that coaches often don't want to put a kid in a position where he/she may score lower enough than the previous year, that is demotivates or frustrates them.

That being said, I don't understand why the decision is being made now. They have all summer to uptrain and a lot can happen in that time. Heck, we had a girl who managed to pull the bar routine together right before the first meet of the season!! All summer - no kip! But she got it together in time to compete it. So, I would ask the coaches why this decision couldn't be revisited in September.

Good luck!! I think we all know where you are coming from!

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Thanks everyone! I can also see both sides of it.. she actually has her final level 4 meet this weekend, and then supposedly they will be uptraining level 5 stuff. Her bar coach already told me he doesn't plan on having her work on any level 4 skills at all the next year, except maybe the week before meets. Bars isn't what her coaches are worried about.

I snuck into practice early to pick her up and was watching her on floor, and I really think they are holding her back because her tumbling is so sloppy. Shes been out on the trampoline all weekend practicing her back and front handpsrings with good form. She is super determined to move to level 5, so hopefully her coaches see that too.

They did say they would re-evaluate at the end of August, so until then I'm not going to make too much of a fuss about it. I think I will check w/ her coaches that they will continue working level 5 stuff this summer, after the new level 4s get moved up in June (they usually split into 2-3 groups anyways so I'm assuming the 4-5 girls repeating 4 would be together). I might also setup a couple private lessons over the summer to help her along.

As far as switching gyms...her current gym is 15 miles away (25 min) and the next closest one is 28 miles away, and I don't even know much about it, except the one competition a year we have there. I reaaaally don't want to drive that far, but we will see.

 

[JessLW]

If they're holding her back for form issues with the competition season still a good 6-7 months away, I really think they should reconsider.

Her age needs to be taken into consideration, imo. While no one is going to say a 9 year old L4 gymnast is over the hill, it is also true that it isn't the same situation as a 6 year old or even a 7 year old L4, where a few years of being held back isn't going to hurt anything long term. At this rate she's looking at not starting L5 until January of 2014, when, I assume, she'll be 10 going on 11. If she is serious about gymnastics and wants to say, try for college, holding her back for a year and a half to work on straightening her legs on her back handsprings is probably a bad idea. The older girls get the more likely they are to move on to other things and if the coaches are interested in keeping your DD in gymnastics in the long term, perhaps they need to look a bit more at the big picture. I am sure the coaches have their reasons, but the age of the child and their overall goals need to be taken into consideration. It sounds like your DD was on the bubble to begin with if she caused such a stir among the coaches.

I'm not saying to move up kids who can't do the skills or who haven't mastered the proper progressions, but it shouldn't take a year and a half to fix a sloppy RH2BS either.

I hope your daughter improves her form and wows them when they re-evaluate. If not I'd seriously consider moving on ...

 

[bookworm]

Th

As far as switching gyms...her current gym is 15 miles away (25 min) and the next closest one is 28 miles away, and I don't even know much about it, except the one competition a year we have there. I reaaaally don't want to drive that far, but we will see.

I would LOVE to have this problem...our gym commute is 80 miles each way

 

[GymnastMomX2]

I would LOVE to have this problem...our gym commute is 80 miles each way

Oh wow!!! I guess I'll just stop complaining about that then

 

[GymBee97]

As far as switching gyms...her current gym is 15 miles away (25 min) and the next closest one is 28 miles away, and I don't even know much about it, except the one competition a year we have there. I reaaaally don't want to drive that far, but we will see.

LOL my current drive is 27 miles (one way)and it really isn't that far even in the winter with snow.

28 miles isn't that far at all once you start doing it. You might just want to go and do an info visit and a quick look to just see if it isn't worth the drive.

 

[gym law mom]

If the bar coach will be challenging her to get her L5/6 skills then thats a good plan. I can see them holding her back due to sloppy tumbling(you had mentioned bad leg position in the bhs) and if they push to move her up most likely the form won't get fixed. Sounds like you/she know what she needs to focus on over the summer and hopefully the coaches will see improvement and a very determined girl.
Best wishes.