Parents Rough Meet

[COGYMMOMMY]

DD had her 2nd level 4 meet this weekend. It was a rough to say the least. She feel doing after landing her ROBHS. Yet she still earned a higher score on floor than last week's meet. Than during vault she not sure what happened but it was more of a roll on her head than a HFB. Her 2nd vault was even worse. Now she is so upset and nervous for this upcoming meet. I don't know what to do to make things better. I've told her that she is going to fall and that everyone does, everyone has a rough meet at times. Of course explaining this to a 7 year old is hard. She also had not been able to do bars, she still needs a spot on most of it and still has a hard time with the pull up kick over. She just does not have the arm strength at all. Coaches say we are not going to worry about it this season, most of the team is going to repeat level 4 so we can work on it later. I think it really bothers her that the rest of the team can do it but her, no chance for state this year at all since she can't compete bars. Not making state is no big deal for us, but I know it bothers her that half of her team will go but her. Any suggestions on ways to get that upper body strength, in order to just get the pull up and pull over?

 

[ek2]

DD had her 2nd level 4 meet this weekend. It was a rough to say the least. She feel doing after landing her ROBHS. Yet she still earned a higher score on floor than last week's meet. Than during vault she not sure what happened but it was more of a roll on her head than a HFB. Her 2nd vault was even worse. Now she is so upset and nervous for this upcoming meet. I don't know what to do to make things better. I've told her that she is going to fall and that everyone does, everyone has a rough meet at times. Of course explaining this to a 7 year old is hard. She also had not been able to do bars, she still needs a spot on most of it and still has a hard time with the pull up kick over. She just does not have the arm strength at all. Coaches say we are not going to worry about it this season, most of the team is going to repeat level 4 so we can work on it later. I think it really bothers her that the rest of the team can do it but her, no chance for state this year at all since she can't compete bars. Not making state is no big deal for us, but I know it bothers her that half of her team will go but her. Any suggestions on ways to get that upper body strength, in order to just get the pull up and pull over?

It looks like she still needs to work on the basics for level 4. Bars are huge and if she cannot compete them (due to missing skills) I am curious why her coaches would have her compete this season. She is young and being prepared(i.e. strong skills) for all 4 events should be the minimum for competition. It is very discouraging for gymnasts to compete knowing that they will not do well because they are not prepared. Does her gym routinely have girls compete who do not have all their skills? Meets are nerve-racking for the most prepared gymnasts.

 

[LizzieLac]

We always have a few "first year" level 4s that don't compete and just train that first year. I think this is a great way for them to get moved up out of our pre-team, get uptraining and really prepare so they can start the following season strong. So, I might suggest she not compete this year, or perhaps wait until mid-season, and just train. This will give her time to put this shaky meet behind her, work on the strength she needs, and hopeful improve her confidence.

 

[gym law mom]

I would be more concerned about the coaching than about your dd getting stronger. She is missing quite a few basics for L4 and you mentioned that many other girls will probably do a 2nd year of L4, so even though some are competing AA, sounds like they're struggling also.

Honestly it sounds like she was put on a competitive L4 team before she was ready. I don't know that continuing to compete lacking so many skills is all that beneficial. I think its time you sat down with her coaches and ask for a specific plan for her after meet season and could she simply just train the rest of meet season without competing.

You might also want to look at other gyms with L4 teams near you and see if there is a better program for your dd somewhere else.

 

[UnoMas]

Hi there,

First, I am sorry that your daughter was upset about her meet. I know how hard that can be.

I also have a young first year L4. She is 6 years old. She is also lacking her bars skills at the moment. She has been training since April. She can do the pullover and the dismount, and can do the other 3 skills with a one-finger spot...just that security of the coach standing there seems to be what she needs to do the skills. She cannot do them (falls) if the coach is not there. She will compete starting in late January, she is missing the first half of our season. She will compete whether she is missing those 3 bars skills or not though. My daughter always learns her bars skills last, it was the same way in L2. Our gym also has some L4 repeaters, because our gym requires a 36AA to move up. Very rarely does a 6 year old score that in her first year! Our 6 and 7 yr old L4's traditionally struggle with bars as compared to the other events.

Is your daughter one of the younger ones on her L4 team? If so, it may be that she is not catching on as fast because of her age. Or, she may just develop new skills more slowly. I think that is ok. It can be frustrating, but this is how my 6 year old is for sure and we are just trying to hang in there.

It took my daughter a good 9 months to learn her pullover in L2. She worked on rope climbing at home (which she also does at gym) which seemed to help with the arm strength. She also does TOPs conditioning which also helped.

I would be frustrated with the coach saying "we can work on it later" (the bars). How much is she practicing at L4? If she is spending a lot of time iin the gym, she should definitely be working hard on those bars while she is there!! Do you watch practice? Do they seem to address bars a lot? Sometimes, my daughter will go days without doing bars (not lately because that first meet is coming up sooner and sooner).

Anyway, I just wanted to tell you that your daughter is not alone in struggling and wanted to give you a few things to think about. Hope those bars skills come soon. Sometimes, they just seem to all come at once!

 

[gymmutti]

Our club doesn't compete until L5 so I have at least 1 more year. In pre-team (sort of L3/L4) they have been spending half of each practice on conditioning - so she does 3 hours of conditioning and 3 hours practicing skills. That has really helped with the upper body strength which my daughter has also been lacking. At home you could practice handstands against the wall, pushups, wheelbarrow walks where you hold her legs and she walks around on her hands, and handstand walks. They do a lot of pullups, rope climbs, pushups, and handstand drills at her gym. She can now climb the rope with her hands only - all the conditioning really has helped even though it means the skills haven't come as quickly. Good luck!!!!

 

[Jennemmy]

A few bad meets doesn't mean she won't get there. My gymmie didn't start competing until Feb and her teammates had started in Dec. They all qualified for states at the same meet. You never know when things will click.

I also tell my friends who are worried for their dd after a bad meet. Her first L5 meet she had a 26, (she just stood on floor and did the tumbling passes at the right point during the music ) then a 30, qualified for states by the 3rd. To be honest, I don't remember how she did at Fall states but she got there and it was fun. Same for Spring.

Also, we try to think of states as just another meet. That word "qualify" looms large when you are a 4. Now, she just tries to do better at each meet than the last one. When she worries about an upcoming meet, I tell her just try to focus on one thing to improve upon.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I understand what you are going through because my daughter went through the same thing as a 7 year level 4. She only competed 1-2 events her 1st few meets. She did not compete bars until the end never made it to States. I was really frustrated but she decided to stick it out that year repeated level4 then last year was a 5 now a 6. Quess what bars is now her best event. Alot of the conditioning paid off but it takes time. If she is happy and you are happy with the gym just stick it out and see how things go. My daughter would also compare herself to other teammates who got bars before her but they are no longer there. A few went to another gym and their bars are terrible now when they were the first ones to get the skills. Most of them just quit the sport. So I do not think how your daughter does as a level 4 at her age is any indicator how she will be later on. When I did talk to the head coach she tried to explain it is about getting her used to meets and performing. At the time I really did not understand but in hindsight she was so right my daughter looks back fondly of her first year on the team and does not bring it up at all as being a horrible experience. It did teach her that you sometimes have to work hard, and things are not always handed to you. I think it really just takes preseverance and every kid is different. Just be supportive of her and do not dwell on the meet. Good Luck.

 

[thawley64]

It gets better. My DD went a whole year falling off the beam. She still scored 7's which was hard because she knew that if she could get it together she could do better. I'm glad she had the first year's experience so that this year she can get the jitters out and work on fine tuning. It's all good mom. I would talk to the coach just to get on the same page with about what her goals are. Also, big hugs always do the trick with Hannah!

 

[COGYMMOMMY]

Last year our level 4's had three kids, this year 2 repeated and all the rest are new. The gym does not make a habit of holding kids back but we have a very young team, some of our girls just turned six this month so doing a repeat season is no big deal. Our coaches said that they wanted the girls to have the experience of competing so that's what they are doing. I don't think dd is ill prepared, or lacks most skills. Just had a bad day all around. and that happens. Bars are hard and I know they will come, and I really do trust what her coaches are doing. We have no intentions on going anywhere else, we are at one of the best gyms around. We are just trying to get some ideas on how to help her along. Thanks for all the responses!

 

[NotAMom]

At this age, try not focusing so much on others. Don't worry about how anyone else is doing. Every gymnast progresses at her own rate, especially at this early in the game. Have her repeat L4 (or however long it takes) -- yes, I also agree with those who question her readiness at present. You'll be thankful for it later.

 

[Sunobo]

My dd used to love to do handstand push ups at home while I held her feet.

Some kids get those bars skills quickly and some kids, like mine, stuggle. My younger dd took 3 years to get her front hip circle (and yes she competed bars without it all that time). While most of you cringe and speculation that her coaches and gym were crazy to send her out there "so unprepared", it was the best choice for my daughter.

 

[NotAMom]

Yup, my younger one took her close to 3 years to get that FHC too (through preteam and L4). It was very long anticipated. The first time she got it, she got it at a meet (not that that is relevant).

And, yes, she was competing without it for almost a year before that. But, I think it's important to point out that it was the only thing she was missing for that level. Generally speaking, short of one or two elements on one event is not the same as missing (or being sloppy due to lack of mileage) a bunch -- let alone on multiple events.