WAG Something new at gym and IT WORKS!!!

[cbone]

I have responded to many threads about people's children not moving up with comments about how that may be an opportunity for their gymnast to take a leadership role. It's great in theory, but I'd never seen it in practice. Two days ago, our gym was working on putting together the floor routines for the new Level 3 and 4 gymnasts. They had the old Level 3 gymnasts doing the routine right next to a new Level 3 to help them remember and show how it should be done. The repeating Level 4 gymnasts did the same thing with the new Level 4s. IT WAS A HIT!!!

The repeating gymnasts really felt good about themselves (everyone like teaching people things they know, right?) and the entire team bonded. I was also so proud watching my little one do the Level 4 routine to music for the first time! Some of the higher level girls watched my daughter's routine and clapped for her afterward. She was so proud. I don't know if your gyms do this, but I walked out thinking how happy I am to be at our gym. What a great way to make the team (and parents) happy!!!

 

[Danica76]

That's great that it was such a good experience for the girls on the team So glad that your DD felt good about the recognition from her teammates!

All of our L4's from last year are repeating and while they are not formally asked to teach the routines to the new L4's, I often see them doing it during the rotation. The coach will mix up the group with old and new kiddos so that the ones who know it help out the ones that don't or who get stuck. I posted in one of the groups the other day how my DD was helping out a new L4 on bars when I came in to practice. She was telling her, "If you move your hands further apart when you start your pullover, you won't have to move them when you get to the top of the bar for your front hip." It was so cute and really made me smile. My DD and the other girls have definitely been encouraged to take a leadership role this summer and into the season, as they have competed before (we don't compete till L4). There's a lot to be learned in repeating a level that is not related to skills!

Glad that your DD and you, as a parent, are happy at her gym!

 

[wallinbl]

The coaches largely don't teach the compulsory routines - the girls teach each other until they have it mostly down. The coaches will polish and fine tune, but it is handed down from one group of girls to the next. They seem to really like it and it seems to work well. Every girl has her own way of teaching and it is interesting to watch. Some go through it over and over. DD tends to focus on every little detail and can barely cover the level 4 beam mount in 30 minutes. I have had to coach her a bit on layering in the details over time, but I never knew how much she knew about every little fine piece of the mechanics until watching her teach it.

 

[sglemon]

Our 4s are required to repeat no matter how well they scored. Our gym does something similar. When my daughter was a 2nd yr last year, she helped with all the routines. They also use the 2nd years as demostrators, for skills and such. They would walk along the beam or floor while a first year is doing a beam or floor routine, and critique the routine as they go along. They would get called out of their group, to help with the 1st years on a particular skill. The 1st years really look up to the 2nd years, and the moms continuously praised her and me, about how good she was. It was a nice little change in the whole gym attitude. It really made us both feel good. Meets were far less stressful, because you know she had the scores to qualify and place well in states. Overall it was an extremely positive experience, so much my dd hopes to repeat Level 5. LOL!