Optional Gym with Weak Compulsories?

[standsonherhands]

Our gym defines itself as an optional level gym. We have a large optional team for our area and our optional girls do well with some going on to college gymnastics. Here is my question - our first comp year is Level 4 and our girls don't compare well with other gyms. I don't think this bothers our coaches at all as long as the girls are improving. I hear they don't want to burn the kids out or spend inordinate amounts of time perfecting routines. Is this uncommon? Do different gyms have different goals for themselves? All I can say as parent of a L4 is our team is young, they look very physically strong, and they don't usually repeat levels. What do you think about this training strategy? Will it demoralize the girls?

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Our gym defines itself as an optional level gym. We have a large optional team for our area and our optional girls do well with some going on to college gymnastics. Here is my question - our first comp year is Level 4 and our girls don't compare well with other gyms. I don't think this bothers our coaches at all as long as the girls are improving. I hear they don't want to burn the kids out or spend inordinate amounts of time perfecting routines. Is this uncommon? Do different gyms have different goals for themselves? All I can say as parent of a L4 is our team is young, they look very physically strong, and they don't usually repeat levels. What do you think about this training strategy? Will it demoralize the girls?[/QUOTE]


no & no.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

Our gym is the same way however, they do have girls that repeat levels if they do not have the skills to compete the next level. They have not spent a huge amount of time on routines either. They really did not start working them alot until about 2 weeks before our first comp.
I think you are lucky to be at a gym that does not hold back for team scores at meets. Your DD will have plenty of time in the spotlight once she reaches the optionals! Plus optional routines are waaayyy more fun to watch at meets than the compulsaries.

 

[IJustWriteChecks]

The gym we go to is the same way as you described. They keep the training hours at a minimum for compulsory (much lower than other area gyms.) The goal seems to be more about having fun in the compulsory levels. This also allows the girls time to do other activities besides gymnastics to see if it's really the sport for them. The ones that stick with it and make it to optionals do quite well.

 

[LizzieLac]

Our gym isn't quite the same. We do seem to require less hours at the compulsory levels than other gyms. I do think, however, that they have a nice balance of working on routines, conditioning, and uptraining next level skills. Although we didn't really start "focusing" on routines until we got close to our first meet.

 

[standsonherhands]

We also have slightly fewer hours at L4 than most other gyms. I didn't ask, but I am glad to hear that we aren't the only ones who didn't work on routines until the meet season was nearly upon us. Thanks for your feedback. I am glad to hear that at least some other gyms have a strategy similar to ours. I forgot to mention something that I like about our gym. We only have one set of coaching staff for all the team girls, so all levels get access to the best coaches.

 

[LizzieLac]

We only have one set of coaching staff for all the team girls, so all levels get access to the best coaches.

So do we!! It is a small staff, but agreed I like that all of the gymnasts get to work with all of the coaches!

 

[Aussie_coach]

It sounds to me like its working, if they keep girls in the gym well into their optional levels and have a lot of college gymnasts then they have come across a strategy that works.

Here in Australia it is the opposite. Level 4-6 is taken very seriously, they train a lot of hours and are expected to absolutely perfect routines and our numbers at the optional level are quite low.

Winning at level 4 does not equate to successful gymnasts, kids who win at level 4 are not always the ones that do well later on. Its better to make sure they are having fun and enjoying learning new skills early on without excessive hours to ensure they stay in the gym longer and have the chance to become truly successful.

Not winning is only demoralizing if the coaches allow it to be. If the coaches focus on scoring and placing so will the kids. Again here in Australia winning is a lot less common. Competitions will only go out 3-6 places and may have divisions of up to 200 kids. So many clubs never place but those kids are often happiest, you can see they enjoy competing for the sake of competing not for the sake of winning things, and its all based on coaches attitudes.

 

[gymcoach34]

The practice of not a lot of hours at the compulsory level is totally acceptable. The athletes should not look "weak" however, they should be well conditioned, flexible and have great form and basics. Even gyms that dont do tons of compulsory routines due to uptraining should score quite well at the routines (high 8 and low 9) because of the skills being done well- if the kids are trained correctly.