Parents Strong compulsory vs. strong optionals

[mom2newgymnast]

My daughter has competed 1,2,3,4 and 5. She'll finally go to 7 next year.

I don't think gyms compete level 1 around here, but level 2 is absolutely done by many of the top gyms in our state. My dd also competed levels 2, 3, 4 and 5 and will go to 7 next year. Her gym very rarely repeats levels. They sometimes skip levels, but not that frequently. They do well at both compulsories and optionals and they consider themselves a college prep gym. They have no interest in training elite, but they have produced quite a few D1 gymnasts.

 

[profmom]

I just can't imagine. My daughter started under the old compulsory system and the first level she competed was L5 (now equivalent to L4). At that point I think she was training around 9 hours a week. Her friends from preteam who are still in gymnastics range from Xcel Diamond (like her) to L9 and L10. No elite program, but thus far three of our seven seniors (including one boy) have commitments to do NCAA gym, and two are in discussions with programs.

 

[mommyof1]

We left my daughters first gym because they require day training starting at JO1! IMO, you’d have to be crazy to pull a kindergartener or 1st grader out of school at noon three days a week.

Any gym that tried that in these parts would be out of business unless it could also convince the parents to homeschool. Around here, pulling a kid out of school more than a handful of times in a year will get the kid held back a grade and/or land the parents in court.

 

[wgagym]

Here is my take on it.

I don’t by any means think L10/college/elite is the best goal or best way to run every program. Focus on stron rec and Xcel is generally more healthy in almost every way (including the financial health of the gym), but if the question is about being best in JO, and you are a bit crazy like most of us, I think the bottom line is usually to do everything with the end in mind.

I think the best gyms (defined as producing the highest percentage of successful L10/college/elite gymnasts) raise their own gymnasts up from the beginning with the right form, basics, conditioning, work ethic, team spirit, character. They also create a balance of pushing/holding back so the gymnasts don’t burn out.

These things, when done right usually produce good compulsory teams, but not the kind that sweep the podium. The time that has to be wasted on detail to text error, and hand position at the young compulsory age is just that, wasted. The effort for a 7 yr old to have 38 AA is generally not benefitting them in the long run in terms of great skill basics, just a short-term 1st places.

Fantastic skill basics get you into the 37 range, but there is always a team out there willing to drill their L3 team (or, God forbid L2) into the 38’s. I think it isn’t worth fighting that. A good program (meaning one with a long-range view) will hold out and get solid basics and proper uptraining in place to win at the optional level. I think the good ones are willing to sacrifice scores a bit at L7, L8, and L9 to make sure the girls are uptraining appropriately as individuals and competing the skills they need to prepare them best for the next level.

Instead of competing bare minimum to win L8, and then panicking b/c they can’t pull L9 together over a summer, they will let the girls compete whatever skills they have ready (truly ready, and individualized for each girl) so they get the maximum competition experience to benefit them in the long run...again assuming the long run is L10, college or Elite.

Agree 100%. This is how my team program runs. It makes parents crazy sometimes when they are not hitting the top 3 places
On the podium consistently but our kids are good and moving forward with the goal of college or for most kids getting prepared and ready for high school gymnastics. Well said!! Disclaimer: we only do Xcel and move kids to Optionals if they hit the platinum level by a young age. If they are close to high school age and that’s the goal of the gymnast we stick with Xcel.

 

[reluctant]

11

I just can't imagine. My daughter started under the old compulsory system and the first level she competed was L5 (now equivalent to L4). At that point I think she was training around 9 hours a week. Her friends from preteam who are still in gymnastics range from Xcel Diamond (like her) to L9 and L10. No elite program, but thus far three of our seven seniors (including one boy) have commitments to do NCAA gym, and two are in discussions with programs.

My older daughter started in old level 2 and is now a 13 year old level 9. despite the fact that my younger one is competing every compulsory level, I'm pretty sure the two will end up in the same place.

 

[profmom]

My point is simply that it's not necessary to compete the beginning compulsory levels to have a successful program. Norms differ regionally, and gyms have different philosophies.

 

[ProvB]

Any gym that tried that in these parts would be out of business unless it could also convince the parents to homeschool. Around here, pulling a kid out of school more than a handful of times in a year will get the kid held back a grade and/or land the parents in court.

I am in Canada, so it’s different here in terms of rules around absences. There are no truancy officers or anything and a parent can excuse any absences for pretty much any reason. The gym that does the day training at L1 has a pretty solid group of level 10s, and some elites who are on the national team. That being said, even if they could offer a guarantee of my child making elite, I still wouldn’t do it if it meant day training at 5/6/7/8 years old. Their reason behind the scheduling is that they need the gym space after school for the Rec programs. Which is ridiculous considering their gym is the biggest facility in our area.

 

[LJL07]

My point is simply that it's not necessary to compete the beginning compulsory levels to have a successful program. Norms differ regionally, and gyms have different philosophies.

You’re right. And I’ve seen firsthand over the years that many of the 38 scoring level 1/2/3s do not make good optional gymnasts. But the gyms polish those lower level routines to death around here and barely do upgrades. The polishing is what gets the girls scoring high. And guess how many level 10s the gyms around here have? Virtually zero.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

To the op. That's all coaching and part of coaching is moving kids into optionals at the correct time. Some gyms use compulsory as a marketing tool, Some gyms purposely feed off other gyms for the upper levels.... but there are plenty of gyms that do well at both compulsory and optional.