Not ready yet for competition?

[RennaDanGym]

What are your thoughts on a gymnast competing that doesn't quite have all her skills consistent with good form? DD's first meet level 9 meet is coming up and she is not ready yet. The main problem is getting the .3 bonus. Her blind change front giant is not very healthy looking (HAH! ) and she cannot usually land her beam routine. She is worried that she is going to do "horrible" at her 1st meet. Do you let your gymnasts compete that don't have 10.00 SV on all events? Or if there skills still need to be cleaned up/landed?

 

[Granny Smith]

I think the #1 most important thing is... is she safe? If she is not making routines safely, then I'd have concern - not landing a series, but safely doing the series, I'm ok with.

After that a lot depends on the gym and the gymnast. Dd is competing a 2nd yr of 9 this yr because of elbow surgery in the off season. She does not have 10.0 SV on every event (last yr or this yr). She did go to Easterns last yr without 10.0 SV, but she does have good form on all events. She did have bonus on events, but not to take her to 10.0, with the exception of beam, but she still had no problems scoring over 9s on every event without the 10.0.

If you are saying she does not have a healthy looking skill, I'm sure the deduction for doing that skill will far exceed her getting credit for doing the skill. Clean form, in my opinion, will always beat out chucking skills. The bonus is only .3, deductions on skills usually are about the same if not more, then if it's a fall, well that's .5 in addition to the bad form deductions.

Hope this makes sense! Good luck... season's around the corner!

 

[gymmomtoo]

I agree with grannysmith--my DD is also repeating level 9 and didn't have a 10 SV last year on bars, yet still did well (she didn't go to westerns though!). If her routines are safe, just not a 10SV, then why not compete? She may not score huge, but the experience will be good. Having a 10.0 SV doesn't guarantee you higher scores. You have to do the skills you have well.

 

[JessLW]

I agree with the others, as long as it is safe, I think it is ok to compete without everything being perfect and polished. If she is struggling on required skills or performing skills that are still unsafe, that's another thing. Beam especially -- if she can perform the skill but it is just a matter of staying on the beam, she might just pull it off in competition.

First meets at a new level are always a bit rough and there's a lot of room for improvement as the season moves along. As long as she's not putting herself in danger -- and let's hope her coach wouldn't be letting her compete if that was the case -- the skills don't have to be amazing.

(it does depend on some things though -- age, personality, goals, prior history. But ideally the coach should know the gymnast well enough to make a good call on this).

 

[RennaDanGym]

She is safe, but the skills need to be cleaner. For example, her blind change is not in handstand and she bends her arms slightly on the front giants. Owner of the gym was yelling at DD last night b/c she couldn't land her bhs back pike. Said "she shouldn't be a level 9 if she couldn't do her beam series." DD got really upset and is super nervous about her first meet. (In five weeks.)

 

[gymmomtoo]

I would try not to let the coach's comments get to her. Some coaches think that words like that are motivating, when all they really do is make the girls more stressed and nervous! It sounds like she'll be ready for her first meet. I hope she can put her nerves behind her and focus on her skills. Can't wait to hear how it goes!