Parents Questioning a gym

[BTom12]

5 yo DD in Level 2, practices 4 hours long 3x a week and is supposed to do 8 comps this season. Isn't that a bit much ?

Also, there are never consistent coaches who coach the team and the coaches are late for practice the majority of the time.

Is this the norm?

 

[profmom]

I am a little confused -- she's doing 12 hours a week? That seems like a lot for L2 unless there is some sort of fast track. It's hard to remember back, but when my daughter was on preteam (they didn't compete until old L5), I think she was doing maybe four hours a week? When DS was a L4, they were still not doing more than four or six hours a week. She will compete L8 this year and he will compete L6, so clearly they're doing something right!

Consistency can sometimes be an issue with compulsory coaches -- some gyms will reserve their full-time coaches for optionals. One of the things I like about DD's gym is that their best and most experienced coaches work with the teeny tinies.

Late coaches is irritating but it depends a bit on context. For little ones, I'd draw a harder line than for experienced team gymnasts. Last year, the boys' coach for my son's group was consistently 5-10 minutes late a few times a week, but they all had a set of specific tasks to accomplish in warmups. Whether he was there or not, they were to go right into the gym and get to work. But you can't expect that of a five year old!

 

[my4buffaloes]

I think that is too much time - but what is the norm in your area? That will make a difference. But no, coaches being late and no one consistent coach is a problem. Do you have other options?

 

[2G1B]

12 hours per week for a 5 year old level 2 is, IMO, too much. I guess I could see a little extra time if she were doing TOPS or something; but if she is just doing level 2 practices, that seems a bit crazy.

For perspective, my level 4 DD is doing 12 hours, my level 3 DD is doing 9 and my level 5 DS is doing 9.

 

[Faith]

Personally, I think 12 hours a week is way to much for a 5 year old, whatever level.

 

[lhmom]

Whoa! My DD didn't practice 12 hours a week until she was (old) level 5 and she was 8. That seems to be a bit much for a level that's not even required for USAG. Makes you wonder what the hours are for the upper levels?

 

[MaryA]

No, HC would never stand for a coach to be late on a regular basis. Let me guess... They are also texting and gabbing half the time? And yes, 4 hour practices are too long for a 5-year-old, and to have 3 of them a week? I think our level 2's do 4 hours in a WEEK. Maybe it's 4.5 (3 x 1.5). I think our level 4's might go 12. Your mommy-gut is telling you this isn't a gym focused on the health and well-being of the children. Listen to your mommy-gut. ALWAYS listen to your mommy-gut.

 

[wnl256]

12 hours a week for level 2? Too much. 5 or 6 hours seems more appropriate. But if they're sending the team to 8 comps in one season, then maybe that gym takes things a bit more seriously than most. Most we ever did in compulsories was 6 and that included state.

[8 meets in one season? For level 2? Really?]

Consistent coaches? Don't know what you mean by that. Some gyms will have different coaches for different apparatus. I could understand a schedule with one coach on one day to focus on (for example) floor and beam, then a different coach on the next day for bars and vault. Or coaches swapping out mid-practice. But week to week I would expect some consistency. And no more than two coaches.

Coaches routinely late? No way. Usually our coaches are complaining that the gymnasts are always late.

 

[AV24]

5 yo DD in Level 2, practices 4 hours long 3x a week and is supposed to do 8 comps this season. Isn't that a bit much ?

Also, there are never consistent coaches who coach the team and the coaches are late for practice the majority of the time.

Is this the norm?

No, I don't think that is the norm from what I have read on CB. We are at a very competitive gym in Texas, and our lv 2's go 6 hours with 5 or 6 competitions max. I know that 12 hours would burn my DD out right now for sure, because I really don't think she could handle a 4 hour practice - especially multiple nights of the week! And my DD is 7. If we had pushed that on her at age 5 she would have quit very quickly. The late/inconsistent coaching is not typical at our gym, either, but I can't speak for any others.

If the littles are going that many hours at age 5, how many hours will they go as optionals??

 

[Deleted member D3987]

5 yo DD in Level 2, practices 4 hours long 3x a week and is supposed to do 8 comps this season. Isn't that a bit much ? YES

Also, there are never consistent coaches who coach the team and the coaches are late for practice the majority of the time. YIKES!

Is this the norm?

NO!

 

[Natasha]

Can someone please explain to me why gyms continue to think that 4 hr practices for 5 year olds is a good idea? I don't even think it is a question of having enough energy as I know many 5 year olds that could do an all-day fun gym and never wear out, but I do not think that 5 year olds (even an advanced or gifted 5 yr old) can benefit from 4 straight hours of the level of concentration it takes to apply corrections, do skills with good form, concentrate on routines… My guess is that a lot of time is wasted in that 4 hours, either with lots of breaks to play around or with trying to get kids to pay attention and apply corrections because they just can't maintain focus for 4 hours.

 

[Quadqueen]

That's insane, as far as I'm concerned. My DD did L2 (really old L3) with a whopping three hours a week, total. She had a successful year, and wasn't behind when moving up a level the following season.

It does make me wonder what the heck the optional girls are doing at your gym!

 

[lovemygymnast]

Our level 2's do 6 hours per week, level 3 is 9 hours and 4 is 12 hours. I think 12 hours is too long for a 5 year old, personally no matter what level but definitely for level 2.

The late coaches? No way! That isn't allowed at our gym. No way, no how!

 

[LJL07]

Way, waaay too much for that age. Most of them will burn out by age 6 at that rate. Our kids go to 8 meets and do 6 hours per week for level 2 as a point of reference. We have no 5 yr olds on our L2 team. We have a preteam group with 4 & 5 yr olds and they practice twice per week for 1.5 hrs.

 

[LJL07]

We are doing 8 level 2 meets too. Don't even get me started. I don't want to pay for that many meets at level 2. Aghhhhh!!!!!

 

[juststartingout]

My daughter does 12 hours at level 4 so I think that is high for level 2. I think those hours could lead to gym feeling more like work than fun and that's never good.

 

[saddlupasb]

My gym does 7-8 meets as Level 2s and they practice 7 1/2 hours a week. It works for us and our babies do well and stick around.

 

[cbifoja]

When my DD was an equivalent L2, she was 7...so a couple of years older than your DD. And only going half the time at 6 hours! She did a couple more meets than yours but they were all in-state....no travel meets. At that stage, she always wanted more more more gymnastics but since our gym didn't offer open gym to her level, she wasn't able to get it.

She still hasn't burned out at age 10 going 20 hours a week so I guess it was a good strategy to always leave her wanting more.

Her coaching was more consistent than what you are describing. She had a team coach that was always there for practices and competitions. Coach K was "her" coach and it was unusual for DD not to have Coach K there every practice and definitely on time. Tardiness like you are describing wouldn't fit with Coach K's professionalism.