Pulling DD out of TOPs program

[Mom2twingymnasts]

My husband wants to pull our DD out of the TOPs program. She is struggling with some fear issues and has lost some of her skills - will only do layout fly-away when coach is in view, does cartwheel backtuck off beam now instead of roundoff backtuck, afraid to do back walkover back handspring on highbeam. I think she is starting to work through some of these fears but don't really know. DD made the B team and attended the B camp. Our coach said she got noticed by national coaches because of her good form and body shaping but our coach mentioned that the B camp was easy - no hard skills required. Our coach has decided to not invite DD to the next TOPs camp but is inviting 2 others that made it to TOPs national testing but didn't make A or B team. They do have more skills then our DD but she is better at the TOPs physical abilities.

Our DD loves TOPs because she is very good at the physical abilities. My husband feels that she would benefit more from regular practice than from the TOPs conditioning. He feels that she is spending lots of time, missing school, and costing extra money for our DD to become a very good exerciser. If our coach won't let our daugther benefit from the camps, why let her work so hard to get to TOPs national testing this summer.

Not sure what to do? Feel that our daugther would be devistated to be pulled out of the TOPs program. But also feel that her feelings will be hurt when she learns that she is being excluded from the next TOPs camp. It feels like our coach has given up on our daugther. The coach definitely spends more time with the 2 other girls that are really progress with new skills while our daugther has gone backwards because of fear.

 

[bogwoppit]

I think before you do anything with your DD, you and your husband should call the coach and have a sit down discussion with her.

You say that your DD will be hurt by being left out of this TOPs camp, I assume that this is a regional camp and not one at the ranch? It would be good for the coach to clarify her reasoning and for you, her parents, to lay your cards on the table.

Once you have more information you will find it easier to make choices for her.

To some degree your husband is correct you are paying for her to do TOPs to condition her body in a way that will help her with gymnastics and future skills.

HAve you done some searches here on fears and explored any of the issues that might be in play with your DD?

 

[Mom2twingymnasts]

There is an invitational/development camp at the ranch. My DD coach has invited the other 2 girls to attend that camp. The coach had mentioned the camp to my daugther at the B camp but since then decided to not include her. The coach just didn't give us the invite letter. We only know about it because one of the parents assumed we would be invited too and asked if we were going to send our daughter.

I'm all for TOPs but my husband is not and with my daugther struggling with skills, he feels that her time would be better spent working on skills. But pulling her out of TOPs doesn't mean you have more time for skills it would just mean she doesn't go to the additional TOPs practices.

I have searched the web for conquering fears information and looked at some of Doc Ali's stuff. I have also spoken with a mental toughness coach. He suggested we work at building up her confidence. Make sure to reward her hard work and commitment to the sport. I bought a sports journal and we did the initial goal setting pages but we didn't start doing the daily journaling yet.

I do plan to meet with my daugther's coach but not sure what I want from her yet. I am disappointed in how she handled the TOPs camp and feel she is giving my daugther less attention. I really don't know that because I don't watch practices but my husband stayed and watched the beginning of one of the practices last week. While he was there, our daugther wasn't being coached; she was working on her own while the coach was working with the other 2 girls.

 

[gasrgoose]

Thanks for posting this and congrats on your daughter qualifying. Did your coach feel like the B camp wasn't worth attending? Or has the coach just become frustrated with your daughter? Set up a meeting as others have suggested. You sound perfectly reasonable and open to ideas maybe the coach has some suggestions.

The TOPS camps are a networking opportunity for the coaches to meet and talk with other coaches. Maybe the coach feels like taking your daughter with fear issues would reflect negatively on his coaching to other coaches at the camp. Or maybe the coach knows that a gymnast with fear issues will be left behind and uncomfortable at the TOPS camp. What ever the case, you need to know what the coach is thinking.

 

[BlairBob]

How many extra days/hours a week is your TOPS?

A sitdown with that coach is definitely needed. If they get dodgy, contact the Program coach or owner to get them to do so.

 

[Mom2twingymnasts]

The TOPs workouts are Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6:30 AM - 9:00 AM. Therefore my daughter is missing 30 minutes of school twice a week. My daughter does love it, always wants to go and never complains about getting up early. But it is a rather big commitment for a child - especially if the coach doesn't think she can get the skills.

My daughter was a level 5 last year and is a level 7 this year. The coach feels she needs to be a level 8 this season to have any chance of making elite. She has no chance of getting to level 8 this meet season as she is no longer working any upgrades. She will be testing as a 10 year old for TOPs this summer. My daughter didn’t start gymnastics until a few months before she turned 7 – so she is progressing fairly well. She did hit this fear bump but is starting to get past it. But I think fear may always slow her progress down.

I'm going to ask for a meeting with the coach. I want to understand her goals for my daughter and why she decided to not include her in the camp.

 

[fuzi]

I think another question to ask is- Is elite the goal? Can she and is she benefiting from TOPS training, even if she does not intend to go elite? Is it worth the early hours and missing school? There are things you, your husband, your daughter, and your coach need to consider.

 

[bribri514]

The TOPs workouts are Tuesday and Thursday mornings from 6:30 AM - 9:00 AM. Therefore my daughter is missing 30 minutes of school twice a week. My daughter does love it, always wants to go and never complains about getting up early. But it is a rather big commitment for a child - especially if the coach doesn't think she can get the skills.

My daughter was a level 5 last year and is a level 7 this year. The coach feels she needs to be a level 8 this season to have any chance of making elite. She has no chance of getting to level 8 this meet season as she is no longer working any upgrades. She will be testing as a 10 year old for TOPs this summer. My daughter didn’t start gymnastics until a few months before she turned 7 – so she is progressing fairly well. She did hit this fear bump but is starting to get past it. But I think fear may always slow her progress down.

I'm going to ask for a meeting with the coach. I want to understand her goals for my daughter and why she decided to not include her in the camp.

Whoa for a 10 year old? And I'm guessing that's on top of her regular classes. TOPs is not necessary or even connected to being an elite. If that's her goal I'd have her leave TOPs and work on getting really solid basics with a coach who has the experience to train her for the LONG term. And if she's a L 8 this year I'm guessing she's 9 or 10... then L 9 next year 10/11... then L 10 next year 11/12 and then train for elite? And since she's doing more than one level a season her coach will want her to progress through the upper levels that quickly. Why does he want her to qualify for elite so early? She could qualify for elite at 14 or 15 and still do very very well.