possible "preteam"..dunno

[Deanna]

okay folksy wolksys...here i go again..with another of my highly skilled posts.

my daughter has been doing gymnastics since she was about 2 1/2..she turned 4 in Aug...well sadly we have moved twice in that time...so she has been in three different gyms in her 1 1/2 yrs...(first 1/2 yr was mommy and me kinda thing)...well she started at the gym she is in now in Sept...after them only seeing her for that one hour class..they were already talking about wanting her on their comp. team...well she has been in a class with three other girls..ages 4 to 5...with two coaches...so its a 2/1 ratio (45 min..1X wk) ..so these girls can be concentrated on a little more...and worked with at a little higher level than the others at their age....weeeeellllll...tonight the team manager...came over to me after her practice and wants her to start going to a different class...(1 hr...2 Xwk)..

she will be in it with 2 other girls that are around 4 and 5....now when i asked her if this was to prep for team she said "no...we would like for her to be on team now..but since we were already prepping for the winter comp season when she came...she will need to wait until late spring to get in on the summer comp. team)...okay...so i ask..."why ya changing her outta the class she is with now..cause she loves the coaches...the coaches love her...theres a perfect student/coach ratio...and they work her harder than they do the others in that class."...

(they have her where she stands on the ground..and on a low bar..pulls herself up and flips her legs over the bar..flips her body over it..and pauses in a straight arm position (like in my avatar), then flips over forward on the bar...she can do a straight leg cartwheel..most the time...she can do handstands...but cant hold it....on the beam she can stand on one leg..with the other foot tucked up by her knee(much like a long legged bird)...she can kick her leg out straight...she can jump..you know where they bring their knees up...she does a front roll over on the beam...she can do a front flip off the tramp into the pit..she can do more..


but im not trying to brag..just give an idea for you all as to where she is at on her skills..one thing she needs to work on alot is pointing her toes..but they say thats really common for kids her age..i dunno) these girls (her coaches) have really really worked with her in a fun positive way...and it SHOWS....okay back on track...they want her to leave the class she is in..to go to a coach that is with the "team"...but the said she isnt going on team yet...so would this be "preteam" that i hear others talking about?.

im trying really hard to get myself as informed as i can on this sport..i have always loved it...loved to watch it as a kid (still do)..and always wanted to do it myself..but when i was growing up we didnt have a gymnastics gym ANYWHERE near the podunk town i was born and raised in.

i know i sound really stupid and so ill informed in my posts..i try to explain things the best way i know how..hopefully one day ill be like the rest of you and just rattling off the "Real" names of moves..and not "that front over the bar flippy thing"..lol

anywho..anyone who may have a clue as to why they are moving her now to a higher level class (still not "team"..she wont go there to till March or April)...it would be much appreciated..thanks

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Hi Deanna

I don't think it's an issue that your daughter has been to a few gyms already - so long as she is having fun. Change is part of life and children seen to be very adaptive to change at a young age.

A 2:1 ratio is fantastic; this is a very uncommon ratio probably due to the cost for gym owners. I think a larger ratio has some benefits, less chance of fatigue during longer sessions and time to practice skills independently. I think the class your daughter has been attending sounds fantastic, mostly because you she is having fun!

I would try her in the new class, if you think she would still enjoy gymnastics while being on the team. At her age does she really understand what 'team' gymnastics is?
If you think being on team is right for her, then the new class will be a good transition. She will experience more time in the gym, which if she was moved to team would probably be a significant jump from her current hours. She will possibly experience a stricter coaching style. Which is all fine so long as she is enjoying it and 'owns' her gymnastics. If not you can always shift her back to a recreation class.

I personally feel there should be no rush to join the team, she is only four after all, I believe gymnasts cant compete level four till they are six. The lower levels in my opinion have little benefit when you factor in time spent learning routines as opposed to leaning skills. I guess the upside to them is competitive experience.
At the end of the day, the coaches at your daughter’s gym will be able to decide what will best meet her needs.

It sounds like you are a mother who really cares about her daughter, and it makes sense for you to be asking these questions. As far as skills go, ask your daughter what she calls them.
Best of luck

 

[Deleted member D3987]

lol. i guess there is nothing to say? ^^^

 

[gymdog]

Somehow the text got whited out. You can read it if you highlight it. Copied and pasted:

Hi Deanna

I don't think it's an issue that your daughter has been to a few gyms already - so long as she is having fun. Change is part of life and children seen to be very adaptive to change at a young age.

A 2:1 ratio is fantastic; this is a very uncommon ratio probably due to the cost for gym owners. I think a larger ratio has some benefits, less chance of fatigue during longer sessions and time to practice skills independently. I think the class your daughter has been attending sounds fantastic, mostly because you she is having fun!

I would try her in the new class, if you think she would still enjoy gymnastics while being on the team. At her age does she really understand what 'team' gymnastics is?
If you think being on team is right for her, then the new class will be a good transition. She will experience more time in the gym, which if she was moved to team would probably be a significant jump from her current hours. She will possibly experience a stricter coaching style. Which is all fine so long as she is enjoying it and 'owns' her gymnastics. If not you can always shift her back to a recreation class.

I personally feel there should be no rush to join the team, she is only four after all, I believe gymnasts cant compete level four till they are six. The lower levels in my opinion have little benefit when you factor in time spent learning routines as opposed to leaning skills. I guess the upside to them is competitive experience.
At the end of the day, the coaches at your daughter’s gym will be able to decide what will best meet her needs.

It sounds like you are a mother who really cares about her daughter, and it makes sense for you to be asking these questions. As far as skills go, ask your daughter what she calls them.
Best of luck

Anyway, I mostly agree, and there is a difference in most bigger gyms between advanced/accelerated rec and another team track. They may regularly move girls up from session to session if they continue to show progress. It sounds like direction of the other class is under a team coach which in most gyms implies team track/preteam.

My personal opinion is that twice a week is a lot for a 4 year old, but at 1 hour not necessarily excessive. I would meet again with the owner though, and ask what the timeline they are thinking about is. Perhaps suggest this change could be delayed until she is school age/kindergarten. If they compete the lower USAG levels (i.e. 2, 3 - this is relatively unusual but varies regionally) then they can start competing earlier, but the most common entry level currently is level 4, which they must have reached their 6th birthday to compete. In my mind they should not move to training for this level until 5 or so, also when more skills become physically appropriate. But perhaps they plan to maintain a slower acceleration to level 4 at age 6 and would just like her in the team track program and doing more conditioning, etc. Since it sounds like she'll be 5 or close in the spring, this may be what they basically mean, and if they compete L3, she could start competing level 3 then.

 

[bogwoppit]

Fixed. For Pineapple Lump

Deanna,nothing to add, but in future could you use paragraphs and sentences with capitals and periods. I t is so hard to read when it all runs together.

Sounds like she is quite talented though.

To help you learn the names of the gymnastics skills in L1- L6 check out this website Link Removed you can see each skill and read about it too. Great for every new parent to gym.

 

[Deanna]

Thank you all for your replies. I will try my best to type properly, so as not to confusse anyone with run on paragraphs. I have a minute learning disability and have a problem with things getting jumbled in my head, and often it comes out that way when i type or speak. Thats why i type like i do. Im sorry.

Now, moving on. As for what she calls things. They vary on the day i ask her...lol. And with her going to 3 different gyms so far, the names they use vary. For instance, when they are on the tramp and they land on their rears, the bounce right up to their feet, they call it a seat drop-pop tart, the last gym called it a seat drop, and the one before that called it a seat bounce to feet. Also (and i know age played a role in what they called it) her first gym called a front roll over, a meat ball. So at this point the kid is kinda confused on what it is actually called herself.

I am a little concerned for her moving into this other class. For one, because she likes the class she is in. She loves her coaches, and they spoil her rotten. She basically already goes to two gymnastics classes there a week. One is her weekly 45 min class, with the 2/1 ratio on thursday evenings. But also during the week, during preschool (they gym has a preschool in it too), she does a basic 45 min gymnastics class with her whole preschool class. So IF she moves up to this other class that is 1hr 2Xwk then she will has 3 classes a week.

The team handbook they gave me when she first started there, that explains everything, says L1-L3 are developmental levels. L4-L6 are competitive compulsory levels, and L7-L10 are competitive optional levels. Which is something else that baffles me. If they dont "compete until Level 4, which it says they have to have reached their 6th birthday for, why in the dickens are they wanting to put her on the comp. team for this coming summer (when she will just turn 5 in Aug)?

My two main fears are, she will no longer like a sport she used to LOVE, because now it will be all work and no play. The class she is in now, they work them, hard. But they also open and close each class with them sitting in a circle doing stretches while singing silly songs and such. And im afraid that when it becomes "work" it will no longer be fun to her. And really thats what its about, esp right now, is her having fun. (Since it looks to me like she cant really compete anyway at her age or level) My other fear is just the loss the defeat (if she does happen to compete). How is a child her age going to truely understand and not get discouraged if she isnt always the best you know? Especialy since her coaches are always telling her how good she is. She is a very determined gymnast and will repeat a skill till she gets it right, long after the coaches are pleased with the level she is doing it at. I dont know its just, i know its a good life lesson learned that you just simply dont always win. Thats that, and nothing is going to change that. But at 4 do they truely understand that. I mean if she is doing all she can do. To the best of her ability, and its just never good enough, will that discourage her from the sport? How do you instill in a 4 yr old that just because you didnt win doesnt mean your not good. Their minds just dont work the same as older kids.

I dont know, im so lost on what to do here. I guess i will do what you all said and try her in this new class and just see how she takes to it. Ill talk to the team manager and ask at exactly what age they plan on her actually competeting? When i talked to her last night she made it sound like the 2010 summer season. But it says in their own handbook that L1-L3 is a developmental level. And you have to have reached your 6th birthday to be a L4 which is where their own handbook says the competitive compulsory levels start. So i just dont know what this class is they are putting her in. All i know is its with a coach that coaches team, and the coaches she is with now, dont.

Anyway, thank you all for your advice. I hope i typed this to where its easier for you all to read. Sorry i was causing problems with the way i typed.

 

[bogwoppit]

It is lovely, just the way we like it. It means more people will read and help you.

 

[UnoMas]

Hello!

I have a young gymmie, too. She is now 5 but started "team" when she was 4. Our gym calls all levels 1-10 "team". We don't have a "preteam" but the Levels 1-3 only compete within our gym. So really, 1-3 is our "preteam". Sort of.

Anyway...my DD started out in Level 2 as a 4 yr old. She was going only once a week for 45 minutes in a rec class and jumped to 3.5 hours/week when she started level 2. I was really worried about her and wondered if she would still like it and have fun but here we are 9 months later and she is still happy. A lot of it comes from being with her friends, they keep our young L2s together and they really are the best of friends. We have little in-house meets for them every few months and they get medals and ribbons! My DD struggles somewhat, especially on bars, and she usually finishes last in all the events! But...I can tell you that at age 5, she doesnt care what color the ribbon is. It is all about getting A ribbon, ANY ribbon! Now things may change as she gets older and I think at the next meet some of her little friends are going to move past her to L3, so we will have to see how that goes. I ask her every couple weeks if she still likes gym and wants to stay in. And she does! It has done wonders for her coordination and self-confidence (even finishing last!). But if it gets where she is not having fun, we will go back to rec classes.

I REALLY wasn't sure about putting her on team, but I decided just to give her the opportunity and see how she did. I think this is the best thing to do...let her try it and see how it works out! You will know if it is a good thing for her once you try it. If it doesn't work out, at least you will know that you gave it a shot!

Good luck to you and to her. She sounds very talented!