Anon Question for parents/coaches of extremely talented athletes, from parent of an average one

[Anonymous (f8b6)]

Asking on behalf of my daughter, who is a strong gymnast and is progressing steadily, but very average at a gym with elites and future elites:

What do the truly talented/prodigy gymnasts think of the “regular” gymnasts in their midst? I’m not looking for answers if you’re at a gym where elites/future elites/fast track athletes are in separate practices.

Until recently, all of our gymnasts trained at the same time, so elites were alongside level 3s, etc, for at least part of their workout. The regular, one level/year girls were constantly being compared to the fast tracked and elite path girls by coaches and told that they needed to work hard like them if they ever wanted to move up, stay in DP, etc. The entire gym halts practice to watch certain fast track girls’ new skills and routines. If meet sessions overlap and lower level girls don’t cheer enough for the fast track/elite path girls, they get scolded before awards for not having team spirit. But the expectation is that those girls shouldn’t use their energy for lower level girls because they need to focus on their routines. Basically all of the energy in the gym is channeled to the most talented girls.

My vent aside, my daughter definitely thinks about these girls a lot. It’s fair to say that all of the girls at the gym who are the same age as these girls but many levels younger notice them, are told to notice them by coaches, and have a certain degree of envy even though they’re proud of them.

My daughter said something yesterday like I wonder what it feels like to do level 3-8 in less time than will take me to do compulsories? And she has wondered what it would be like to get a new skill in one try or in a few days, compared to the months or years it takes her, or what it’s like to never get below 2nd AA for an entire competitive career.

I’m guessing the answer is that they don’t actually think of girls like my daughter at all, and they might even assume that girls who struggle or don’t progress quickly don’t work hard or aren’t trying. But I didn’t say that.

Coaches/parents, do you think your super talented prodigies have opinions or thoughts about their less successful teammates? Or is their bubble and personal progress so separate that they don’t even notice them?

It kind of sounds like there is a culture problem at your gym.....at my daughters gym it doesn't matter what level they are at - they all cheer for each other and they are all treated the same, with the same level of respect and care. When any of them get a new skill the whole gym stops, watches and cheers for them. I think the way your gym is creating a divide and this culture of one group being more important is really toxic. I'd be looking for a new gym if that were the situation we were in to be honest.

 

[Anonymous (be7e)]

I am so curious where this smallish gym is with that many elites! We don't have a single gym in our state with that many.

 

[Anonymous (3e92)]

Is this real? What small gym has that many girls as Elites?

 

[Ty’s Dad]

someone got caught in a lie

 

[Dahlialover]

For clarification: our gym is smaller and compulsories, optionals and elite combined were <100 last year, with ~15 who are senior elite, junior elite, and HOPES. Most of our elites can’t drive yet.

The fast track girls are ~10 young upper optionals girls who are 10/11 and many could qualify HOPES or Junior elite next season depending on their birth years if they choose to try.

Does this gym have a large XCEL program and a highly selective DP program? Otherwise I’m very confused about where there talent pool is coming from?

 

[DP gymnast mom]

It is possible that the bulk of the 15 are Hopes and not elites. She did say that the 15 were either senior, junior elite or Hopes.

 

[Anonymous (f436)]

You can see the list of gymnasts who have qualified Hopes, Junior and Senior in 2025. There does not appear to be a gym that has numbers like that. I did not do a careful analysis, but with a quick glance it looks like WOGA has 11….

 

[Ty’s Dad]

 

[Anonymous (2d8f)]

I think the 15 girls are training for Hopes/elite. These 15 girls are a separate traininggroup... like she wrote in the first comment, seperated and fast tracked girls...

 

[Anonymous (2d8f)]

Not everyone knows that in the Us you are only called elite, if you qualify with a certain score. I'm sure there are many girls in elite trainingsgroups, that train for some years go to qualifiers but don't hit the score. Some Parents will also talk about them as elite members. I'm from a country in Europe and it took me some time to realise the special wording. Here in my country everyone is an elite who competes at the championship... there is no qualifying score.

 

[Anonymous (9301)]

Ok, I’ll bite. I believe the OP on the 15 number but I think all but 2 are HOPES. I suspect the owners believe that having an ‘elite’ group of athletes to put on a pedestal is ‘good for business’ by giving the kids in the entire gym role models of what they can aspire to and then of course when one qualifies for jr elite they can use this for ‘marketing’ both within the gym and also the local community. Reading the OPs description, I immediately thought that the owners may be foreign born Eastern European background. FWIW - I did find a gym that fits what OP says. My added observation is that the gym’s website has none of the usual verbiage about being a welcoming, fun and safe gym for all.

OP - all gyms are not like yours. I personally would be very irritated by the culture (what you describe grates in my last nerve) but I also recognize that you may not have many other options in your area.