Repeating Levels - Best for Gymnast or Selfish Gym

[gymgal]

One meet season per year seems like a bummer. I've always thought of competition as the payoff for hard work.

I really don't think I could handle more meets than the 6-8 we do each year. But, we tend to go to the bigger meets and travel far distances. The time, stress, and expense is more than enough for me... And as they get to the upper levels, the girls really need the extra months to prepare the skills and routines for competition.

 

[wallinbl]

I agree! My gymnast just the other night asked why her competition season was short. Her brother plays baseball from january to August and her sister shows horses year round. She only gets 6,7 or 8 meets and wants to compete more.....

We'll go to four meets plus state. All are within an hour's drive (well, state will be about 75 minutes). There is no shortage of meets to go to around here, but the HC largely sees the other meets as warm-up for state. He also thinks that meets make gymnastics more expensive, and he seems constantly concerned about the cost of gymnastics.

 

[JBS]

"Our goal is to take all of our gymnasts, including your daughter, as far as they can go, ideally to success at level 10."

Sorry I phrased it wrong for you. That is what we do.

 

[mommyof1]

Sorry I phrased it wrong for you. That is what we do.

Sorry I misunderstood!

 

[iwannacoach]

Sorry I phrased it wrong for you. That is what we do.

I got it the first time, just as you meant it with your re-statement. Please, can we stop being so suspicious and parnoid of each others camps that we start assigning intentions that aren't even there, because the reality is that there are no "camps", just fear, insecurity, and suspicion on all sides. Sooner or later somebody will have to step up and solve this problem.

I read JBS's Mission statement and took from it that no matter your dd final destination in this sport, her dreams will be supported by a staff that is enthusiatic and capable of training kids from day one beginners to level 10 athletes able to compete comfortably with their peers. That they will conduct a training program that will allow a child to continue their development thru and beyond the compulsory levels, and make all of the sacrifices that are neccesary to train them as far as level 10.

How I read it and how someone else reads it to conjure a negative that would have kids being ejected from the team for not being good enough simply validates the expression that "beauty is in the eye of the beholder". The beauty that I saw was that JBS would remove a child, who was...let's say a bully who would not alter her behavior, cease to benifit from her team fees, and move on with fewer kids for the rest of the training cycle.

So what do you think. Which way do you read it, and can you admit if you read it first in the negative context, that it just as well could have been written in the positive context. I hope I'm not missing the point of the comments that have led me to this post, but it just seems especially in this instance that JBS being mis-understood and penalized for not having majored in english composition with a minor in psychology. Really, finding someone with those qualifications and the ability to anticipate every possible reaction, and coach....well it may nearly be a biblical event.

 

[mommyof1]

Iwannacoach, I readily admit that I misread JBS's mission statement, responded too hastily, and probably should have held my tongue to avoid taking this thread off track. My apologies to JBS, to you, and to anyone else I may have offended.

 

[iwannacoach]

Thank you for understanding my "side" of our balanced conversation. I hope I made it clear for everyone to read that my comments were directed at a "condition" rather than any singular of the many adults who coach, mentor, and parent the children in our sport. I feel you and I have both done our part in reversing the growth of this sport wide condition.

 

[wallinbl]

So what do you think. Which way do you read it, and can you admit if you read it first in the negative context, that it just as well could have been written in the positive context. I hope I'm not missing the point of the comments that have led me to this post, but it just seems especially in this instance that JBS being mis-understood and penalized for not having majored in english composition with a minor in psychology. Really, finding someone with those qualifications and the ability to anticipate every possible reaction, and coach....well it may nearly be a biblical event.

I got it the first time, but I've only experienced two gyms, both of which I'm happy with. I think what may be happening is that people have had some bad gym experiences and are sensitive to things that resemble their bad experiences. It's normal pattern recognition for the brain - "I've seen that before and that's X". It's not nefarious, it's just nature. Same thing if you've ever had a rescue/abused dog as a pet. Many of them will flinch when you reach out to pet them. It's just the pattern their brain sees when a hand is coming at them because the fear and self protection instincts are often stronger than other instincts.

 

[wallinbl]

Thank you for understanding my "side" of our balanced conversation. I hope I made it clear for everyone to read that my comments were directed at a "condition" rather than any singular of the many adults who coach, mentor, and parent the children in our sport. I feel you and I have both done our part in reversing the growth of this sport wide condition.

This thread has had its chances to go off the rails and turn south, and it's largely pulled back to a good conversation every time. It's really a credit to everyone on here how well it went.

 

[Muddlethru]

The quote below was taken from the USAG 2012--2013 Rules and Policies:

1. For athletes to repeat a level with the intent to gain an advantage over other competitors or teams IS NOT in the
   spirit of the Jr. Olympic Program or youth sports in general.
   
   
   

I don't if this was the intention of the OP's daughter's coach. But for the USAG to explicitly state this in their handbook, it must happen quite a bit.

 

[iwannacoach]

It sure does. Usually the repeaters come from a gym where entire groups are in their second and third year. It sad, but to listen to their H/C or gym owner, it's being done to reinforce their basics and to prepare them for the optional levels. The problem I have in these cases is the kids move up to level 7 and stay there for 2-3 years as well. I don't think it's fair to the kids that would like to be recognized for their efforts to be the best they can be, to have to go to meets and compete against entire squads of 2-3 year "veterans" (also being treated unfairly) who are being purposely under coached to keep them at the lower levels.

 

[thefellowsmom]

I have also seen a club that stacks the older age group brackets. They will take the top two age brackets one two three at every meet. I have no way of knowing what the circumstances are of these particular girls, but it seemed too much to not be purposeful.

They compete well at other ages but not like that. They are the gym that is always throwing their multitude of level 4 state championships around. And although they are decent, they definitely don't have that presence come optional states and beyond.

It is disappointing for parents at our gym when they see our girls winning the lower age groups with several of our girls in the top three spots in the 7 8 and 9 groups and then wondering why this gym keeps beating us. They just seem to have many really high scoring 11 and 12 year olds. Our gym just doesn't spend enough time on level 4 routine polishing to get those high 38s although our girls regularly score in the 37 range. Level 4 is about competitive experience at our gym.

Our coach has to address this with parents all the time with reiterating our gym philosophy and reminding people that he is trying to produce top tier optional gymnasts and that winning level 4 meets is great, but just gravy.

 

[cbone]

I have also seen a club that stacks the older age group brackets. They will take the top two age brackets one two three at every meet. I have no way of knowing what the circumstances are of these particular girls, but it seemed too much to not be purposeful.

They compete well at other ages but not like that. They are the gym that is always throwing their multitude of level 4 state championships around. And although they are decent, they definitely don't have that presence come optional states and beyond.

It is disappointing for parents at our gym when they see our girls winning the lower age groups with several of our girls in the top three spots in the 7 8 and 9 groups and then wondering why this gym keeps beating us. They just seem to have many really high scoring 11 and 12 year olds. Our gym just doesn't spend enough time on level 4 routine polishing to get those high 38s although our girls regularly score in the 37 range. Level 4 is about competitive experience at our gym.

Our coach has to address this with parents all the time with reiterating our gym philosophy and reminding people that he is trying to produce top tier optional gymnasts and that winning level 4 meets is great, but just gravy.

My daughter's gym (another region, so it's not the same gym) seems to always win Level 4 at states. I think that has a lot to do with the gym's philosophy that you must have all of your Level 5 skills before moving up. Since the kip keeps so many gymnasts back, you see a lot of repeating. That may contribute to our gym's "success" at that level, but there is certainly no stacking of the team. In fact, this year, they have fewer repeating Level 4 gymnasts than usual. Our HC's philosophy is that, through hard work, it is possible to move up 2 or even 3 levels in a year. The gymnasts and their dedication to improving determine their mobility, not a set schedule or the calendar.

 

[helengirl]

Since your daughter is 10 there is no rush BUT she should not be held back for the group or gym, and she should be working on perfecting old skills and learning new. I would be more concerned with what she is training than competing, but consider both!