WAG Privates lessons, good idea or not?

[Kcanflip]

My DD is doing a private vault lesson on Friday. Have never done a private before but she just can't seem to quit piking and we have a meet in 2 weeks. Figured a little extra attention couldn't hurt. We are competing level 3 but not on a college bound or elite track...Doing it solely for her scores and her self esteem sake, as I hear they deduct heavily for her issues. Asked Coach if a private would help and she said it would. On an as needed basis for us.

 

[lhmom]

Honestly, we never did privates during compulsories. For the last 3 seasons, DD usually peaked around State with form and skills. Her coaches have always been fine with that and as long as they weren't concerned, I wasn't. As long as your DD seems prepared to start the season skill-wise, I personally wouldn't do privates.

 

[Flipflopz]

Dd is doing them now, lev 10. She also did them at lev 4. We always respect her coach's position on this.

 

[Erbmom]

Dd has been doing private lessons off and on for years, depending on the money situation. Now with her brothers also in expensive sports, she has not done one in a while. My reason was for fun though, not really to get any particular skills. She loves private lessons, used to ask for some every year for her birthday. Just likes the one on one time with the coach and being able to work on whatever she wants... within reason...

 

[Muddlethru]

If you have the money, you think she needs it, her coach recommends it, why not? My daughter did privates in L4 and L5 just because everyone around her was doing it. I was new to gymnastics and thought it was a necessary step to success and to be competitive. She may have done only 2 a year in those levels. Improvement was minimal at best. She did not need them. I have not given her a private since and she is now L9. Many girls still get them. It may improve form because of the one on one attention, improve relationship with coach and maybe a confidence builder. I think daily practices should provide everything a gymnast needs to succeed.

 

[cbifoja]

I disagree with the idea that regular practice should be enough for all gymnasts.

No one would dream of telling their kid who was having difficulty in school that they cannot have a tutor because the hours they spend during the day in their classroom should be enough to meet all of their academic needs. Some students need more instruction to have their needs met and to help them reach their academic goals because each children learns differently and at different rates.

Why is it any different in gymnastics?

If a child needs personalized instruction and the parent can afford them or can make arrangements to get their kid the privates, then go for it.

 

[Muddlethru]

I disagree with the idea that regular practice should be enough for all gymnasts.

No one would dream of telling their kid who was having difficulty in school that they cannot have a tutor because the hours they spend during the day in their classroom should be enough to meet all of their academic needs. Some students need more instruction to have their needs met and to help them reach their academic goals because each children learns differently and at different rates.

Why is it any different in gymnastics?

If a child needs personalized instruction and the parent can afford them or can make arrangements to get their kid the privates, then go for it.

I think school and gymnastics are different. I think school is a necessity. As such, we need to help our kids succeed as best we can. Gymnastics is not a necessity. True it is what our kids love to do but we'd want to help them succeed instead. In addition, as my post clearly indicates, "if you have money to burn, your daughter needs it and the coaches recommends it, then I don't see why not." So, I am not opposed to it, I just think many parents jump on the bandwagon and really their kids don't need it.

 

[cbifoja]

Gymnastics is not a necessity.

*gasp* I'm TELLIN' on you!

 

[Muddlethru]

Oops! Posted on wrong thread^^.

 

[shelovestoflip]

My daughter is training Level 9. She has done maybe one private a season, usually to refine a skill or get past a block (ie: flyaway in Level 5 or 6, whenever that was or back handspring beam connection)

Where we live, privates run $80/hour. No way I could/would pay that on a weekly basis on top of our $590 monthly tuition (city living).

She spends 23 hours/week in the gym. I think that is enough time to learn/practice skills.

Once a season private, perhaps in the midst of meet season, I will swing if she wants it or a coach suggests it.

Luckily her gym doesn't push them, especially to the optionals. I think they know we've been around long enough to know that if our daughter wants a private, we will ask!

I'd say save the money for when your daughter is older and the expenses are greater!

 

[vagymmomma]

We did some privates DD's first couple years on team (they were suggested by the coach originally). I think they can be very helpful depending upon what type of learner the gymnast is. However, we haven't done any in several year (enough time in the gym already). For younger gymmies - just be aware of burnout. I remember a couple young talented gymnasts who had parents pushing them in privates and they clearly did not want to be there. Both are now out of the sport.

 

[motigymnasticsmom]

My dds coach wants her to do some privates. We practice 11 hrs a week, and she still doesnt have enough time for robhs. In the summer, dd used to complain that coach wont let them do robhs

 

[roll123]

I talked to the coach and we are going to do one this weekend! I'm glad I asked him because he thought one or two would be helpful.

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

I like to compare progress in gymnastics to an RPG.

Bear with me on this one.

For those who don't play RPGs, a core part of most RPGs is that your avatar gradually becomes stronger and gets better gear and abilities as the game progresses. Sometimes, by tackling a particular boss or dungeon, you can level up, or obtain some great item that will make you stronger and propel you forward in the game. But sometimes, you just have to grind; that is, you have to fight easy foes over and over, simply because you need more battles under your belt. Sometimes you just need to level up and there are no secrets or shortcuts to that.

In gymnastics, you gradually become more proficient, both at specific skills (the kip, the full, the yurchenko) and at more general skills (tightness, aerial awareness, flexibility). Sometimes, with a particular drill, correction, or equipment set-up, you can cross some threshold -- say, a new skill, or a dramatic improvement on an old one -- that will propel you dramatically forward in the sport. But sometimes, you just have to grind; that is, you have to do hundreds or even thousands of reps of skills you can already do.

What does all this have to do with private lessons?

Well, going back to our RPG comparison, you can think of a private lesson like a power-up. Something that gives you a little boost.

Any RPG player will tell you that having the right power-ups for some bosses and dungeons is extremely helpful. But sometimes you just need to grind, and when you're in a grinding phase, power-ups tend not to make much difference.

Sometimes a private lesson can be that little boost that gets a gymnast over the next threshold. But sometimes they just need to grind out a couple thousand more tap swings, or handstands, or (insert skill of your choice here). During such a grinding phase, the bang-to-buck ratio of private lessons is pretty low.

By the way, when I say thousands, I really do mean thousands. My quick back-of-the-napkin calculations lead me to estimate (rather conservatively, I think) that the average level 4/5 girl in my program has done somewhere in the neighborhood of six to eight thousand tap swings before doing her first flyaway, and they'll double that number by the time they get to giants on a competition rail.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

Great analogy.... One that DH can totally relate to!

 

[LizzieLac]

I would not at this level. I think 13 hours a week is plenty for that level and the training that goes with it. I see privates as a way to focus on something that is giving the gymmie trouble, or let her focus on an even that for some reason is lagging behind the other three.

 

[Midwestmommy]

If they are available, why not do a few? It can help a gymnast who struggles with a particular area. It can also help build the athlete/coach relationship with a coach.

I will also give this example. Earlier this month when school started, our gym got a new compulsory gymnast who is really strong and bouncy. The coaches were just visibly gaga over her and her parents. Here were their teams who had worked their tails off through the hot muggy summer, meet season is fast approaching. One of the coaches the first week was just gushing in the lobby with the mom and dad after practice about how wonderful their daughter is as the other girls filed past.

That practice one of the coaches did an hour of almost one-on-one time with that new gymnast while just turning on and off music for girls who were practicing the new floor routines. She just kept a very small eye out on the girls on the floor (let's say 10% attention) and tried to give them one pointer after they ran through the routines. I almost felt bad for the coach (and certainly for one of the gymnasts) at one point, because she had been teaching and spotting the new gymnast on some skills at the edge of the floor for the other girl's entire run-though, and had her back turned to her the whole time. The girl stood up and looked at her for feedback after she was done and the poor coach just stood there looking confused and trying so hard think of something to say. She had entirely "lost the moment" and forgot to peek over at all at the gymnast on the floor. She was having a very ackward moment trying to remember something, anything to say and probably didn't realize she had not seen one second of the kid's floor routine.

Come on here. Not fair to other teammates. In that situation, the new girl's parents should be paying for a private to learn whatever skills they are trying to teach her, not doing it entirely at the expense of her new teammates. The other gymnasts' parents are all paying a lot of money for training, and they ummm weren't getting their money's worth that night for sure! Thankfully, my friend who watches more than I am able to said it didn't become a pattern. That would be a good way to lose some team kids to another gym. There are a couple of girls on the team who usually get about 30-40% more individual attention than the rest of the girls routinely during regular practice time, so I guess that happens (and it will probably happen for the new girl), but that night was off the charts. I think that definitely should have been done in a private lesson. Along with the "talent gush" in the lobby about a girls who wasn't with them all summer working their butts off, as their tired gymnasts filed by (I never heard any of those kids get a big gush, even the top dogs before this new kid came along). To me, that is unprofessional. Hint to coach, you are not helping this girl fit into the new team by doing that. My daughter mentioned/complained about it, but I told her she should be kind to this kid and happy to have a new strong teammate in the lineup. And gave her the old Chalkbucket quote that this sport is a marathon not a sprint, and the new girl will have days that she strugges in gym or life or with an injury like anyone else, and to just stay focused and be a good kid. We have a strict rule that "mean girl" behavior in our house is not tolerated. Ever. Period. And would be met with consequences by mean old mom and dad if we find out about it.

 

[JBS]

Privates are great at the right time...for the right reasons...with the right coach. Let's face it...some kids really excel with more personal attention from a coach. GT's analogy is awesome!

My thoughts have changed on how "workout hours" relate to privates...

• If you are doing privates because you do not get enough workout hours...time to move to a gym that suites you better. You are not going to get what you want out of the privates.
• If you are doing privates because you want to...more power to you. It doesn't matter if your L4 goes 7 hours or 16 hours...you and your gymnast may just want to do them.

We now have minimum workout hours for each level...as well as extra hours. For example...our L4's are on a 13 hour schedule...for about $50 extra per month they have all opted into the extra hours. This puts them at 16 hours per week. For the price of a one hour private...they get 12 extra hours per month. This has greatly cut down on our privates...it has improved our team also.

 

[Quadqueen]

My DD takes weekly privates during competition season until she has the routines down. I don't know why but it takes her for-freakin'-EVER to remember what comes after what. I wonder if there is some kind of gymnastics-dyslexia I could have her tested for????

It is always so nice when she is released from her privates.

DD had a girl on her team like that too. I don't think she ever took privates...just often got very confused in the middle of her routines. ??