Parents Philosophies of different gyms

[Natasha]

I think with most gyms as soon as they are done with competition season they start training new skills. So the girls that compete fall do not compete spring? It would seem strange that they would not immediately start working new skills if they are done competing.

 

[Becauseisaid]

The different gym philosophies issue has been so frustrating for us. <snip> Our gym likes to win, and I think she would pretty much need perfect 10s to skip.

This kind of thing in frustrating to gymnasts from OTHER gyms too. How do you compete? We have a couple of gyms in our area that holds gymnasts back until they are basically perfect on their events. So my L3 child will be competing against someone who was an L4 or L5 last year with a state AA score in the 38s.

Our gym moves girls up based on whether they have or are getting specific skills. No one is held back. So I always wonder how frustrated the gymnast and her parents must be to be told they aren't good enough to move to the next level.

 

[Becauseisaid]

That is somewhat strange/unique...why would they compete different seasons? Are the Fall girls a bit ahead skill-wise? Our State only has 1 season and 1 State meet (in the Spring). Can't imagine having 2!

I can say, Seeker, that TN has 2 seasons this year because of the new routines and levels. You can choose to run the Fall season (state meet at beginning of December) or the Spring Season (state meet in March). I'm guessing we're not the only state to do this.

I agree though that it seems odd they would split the girls rather than running the whole team at the same time.

 

[skschlag]

This kind of thing in frustrating to gymnasts from OTHER gyms too. How do you compete? We have a couple of gyms in our area that holds gymnasts back until they are basically perfect on their events. So my L3 child will be competing against someone who was an L4 or L5 last year with a state AA score in the 38s.

Our gym moves girls up based on whether they have or are getting specific skills. No one is held back. So I always wonder how frustrated the gymnast and her parents must be to be told they aren't good enough to move to the next level.

Actually, there can be good reasons for girls or boys competing a 2nd year (or 3rd for my son) at a level. I know there are teams out there that do this to win, but there are other, legitmate reasons. One girl at our gym stayed at her level (I hate the term"held back") because she was young and wanted to stay with her friend. She moved up this year without her friend, but if she had done that last year, it would have been really hard on her. My son repeated literally for 1 event! He was really great on , but taht one event had to be fixed or he couldn't keep going. One boy this year is repeating because he can't get to practice much yet. Another because he needs to have a chance to be the leader of his group rather than always playing catch up.

Sounds like it is different iwth this one gym, but lots of people thought we were sandbagging when my son repeated level 5. But it was the best thing we could have done for him moving forward. I wasn't frustrated about it, and neither was he. It just was what it was. But, I do not like it when it is a blanket, one-size-fits-all policy that you ahve to be at XX score to move up (not the required but much higher). It should always be individual!

 

[2G1B]

That is somewhat strange/unique...why would they compete different seasons? Are the Fall girls a bit ahead skill-wise? Our State only has 1 season and 1 State meet (in the Spring). Can't imagine having 2!

Yeah, especially with the new routines, they decided to give girls the chance to train a little longer if they weren't quite ready for fall, so those that need a little more work are competing spring.

 

[Becauseisaid]

Actually, there can be good reasons for girls or boys competing a 2nd year (or 3rd for my son) at a level.

Oh, I get that completely. And I realize that I may not always (or hardly ever, for that matter) know what the reason is for keeping a gymnast at their current level. It just gets a bit suspicious when it's 20 girls.

 

[mouey77]

This kind of thing in frustrating to gymnasts from OTHER gyms too. How do you compete? We have a couple of gyms in our area that holds gymnasts back until they are basically perfect on their events. So my L3 child will be competing against someone who was an L4 or L5 last year with a state AA score in the 38s.

I actually saw some girls from one gym in particular (not our gym) competing level 2 who were repeating (were old level 3 last year). They swept all of the events. I'm not very familiar with the gym the girls were from, but the girls did look pretty young, so maybe they chose to repeat? I know they were above the 6 year old minimum age for new level 3, but they weren't much older. As others have said, I think my child will be bored doing this same routine for a whole year when she has the skills, and it explains at least a little why she looks so deliberately sloppy at times during practice. But whatever.

 

[kandkfunk]

Our state has 2 seasons for compulsories - Fall and Spring. Each has their own state meet which you have to qualify to separately (i.e. even if you qualify to state in the fall you have to qualify again in the Spring). Sometimes girls will move up between the fall and spring seasons, but often the girls compete the same level for both seasons.

My DD was one who had to compete two full years at all levels, except for level 6. She just doesn't learn skills quickly and the extra time was needed. Even though my DD needed the extra time to actually perfect the skills, she would get bored with working on the same routines for so long. By her second season at a level, she would often add extra movements to the routines. She didn't realize she was doing it, but it was her way of subconciously dealing with the boredom. I think her coach knew it was time to move her up when she started adding extra hand movements. LOL.

However, I think my DD is the exception and not the rule. Most kids don't need so much time at each level to learn the skills, but if they do then that's ok too. She was never one earn 37s during her second seasons, so it wasn't about keeping her down to win. I really appreciate the gyms that work with the kids to determine levels and do what is best for the individual.

 

[wgymmom]

My DD was moved up as part of a unit with every single other old L4 girl from last year. This includes younger girls, less mature girls, girls who still don't have consistent kips, and girls who barely make it over the table. Any "uptraining" that was done over the summer was done with every single girl, regardless of their age, maturity, or skill level. There is NO uptraining during the season. It only starts after states. I've heard different things from coaches regarding the importance of scores. I was told that they don't matter so much and that they DO matter as they are a competitive team and that's the whole idea - to win. I've been told that the goal is to score well at states and earlier meets are not as important, and I've been told that states scores don't matter so much because it's only L4.

 

[LizzieLac]

At the end of the day, whatever the gym's philosophy it has to match the parent's and gymmie's. Otherwise even if there is success, there is a cost.

That being said, I believe that there are compromises along they way. I believe our gym is a good fit for my DD (and her parents), but at times I disagree with things or DD gets frustrated with her coaches. Heck, they get frustrated with her too. But generally I think you need to believe in the approach to coaching for there to be long-term success.

 

[CoachTodd]

Gyms that base move ups on scores are more worried about their image as a gym or the HC's image as a coach than they are the kids. If the kids have the skills and have qualified out of the lower level and wish to move on, let them.
I once heard a coach say "I don't get 24's on beam"
I felt like telling her "you didn't compete beam. The kids did"

 

[GymBee97]

if there are other gym options I wouldn't have an issue this early in the season considering changing gyms.