WAG Superb JO Gyms

[Deedee]

It seems the prevailing ideology of USAG is that if you are not level 10/elite by the time you're 12, well, your ship has sailed. It's complete rubbish, but in light of the Larry Nassar mess, I'm inclined to believe this was done intentionally as little girls are 1) taught to not advocate for themselves as that's is a masculine trait, 2) are more malleable and less likely to complain, and 3) are taught not to question authority. Also, I can't help but wonder if the decisions being made are so arbitrary as to be based on age more than talent/ability/work ethic/drive/determination/etc, that families were targeted because they had the biggest stars in their eyes and, thus, were easily manipulated into blindly trusting coaches, gym owners, and the governing organization itself. (Before anyone jumps all over me for that statement, I certainly hope I am wrong--I WANT to be wrong--but in light of the evidence we have, it's difficult to not accept that I may not be far off the mark).

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It is a bit of a negative way to view gymnasts selection. Clubs for years have many of reasons why they select the gymnast they do. And like I’ve been saying the majority select younger gymnasts as they are able to train their bodies for the discipline of the sport before puberty sets in and their bodies become harder to train the muscle memory flexibility and strength. All this bad happening in USAG is giving so many families a negative view and bulking their ideas of gymnasts into one negative outcome. Clubs were choosing younger gymnasts to train for elite years before any of these scandals happened. Yes it is unfortunate what has happened due to individuals taking advantage of these gymnasts who due to club selections processes most of them are young. But in no way would I think that the Nassar scandal intentially chose younger gymnasts for him to abuse rather a sickening opportunity that he saw due to the clubs selection processses.

 

[kayjaybe]

I think it boils down to this: there really is a gym for every kid that wants to do this sport. But not every gym is for every child.

My dd is at a gym that produces high-level athletes (college scholarships but not elite), but thankfully, they don’t only focus on those girls. They are happy to work with and make accommodations for my constantly fear-ridden 16 yo L8. We had a girl graduate a few years ago at L7. The coaches loved her because she truly loved the sport.

I’ve had an experience where a coach was clearly only interested in a favorite gymnast, to the extent that he would be coaching her from across the floor when he was working with a completely different group. It was not good for the girls and it was frustrating to the parents. I would have been fine if this coach was only assigned to the top girls and thus my dd never had him. But when he is supposed to be coaching a group, he should be focused on that group at that time. That is the kind of frustration I’m sensing from the OP.

 

[profmom]

I am still not clear on what the OP is seeking. Having around eight in a group works fine with our L10s. If the idea is for the OP's daughter to be a successful L10, the salient question for me is whether her gym has a track record of producing successful L10s. Then the question is, if the elite training program is new, is the OP's problem that it seems to be disrupting the training for other girls in the L10 track group. If that's the case, there are plenty of gyms all over that successfully take girls to L10 with skills that are D1 scholarship worthy.

If the question is "where can I find a gym that will put my DD on the path to elite?", that's a different question, and from what I've seen around here over the years, would depend more on the DD's current skill level and trajectory. And it would seem to be more a matter of trajectory than age; unlike boys, it seems far less likely that a girl will really change and come into her own and start picking up skills and execution much faster after puberty. So the ones who are going to make it to successful elite status are on a trajectory that naturally leads them to L10 skills earlier than those who are unlikely to get there, if you catch what I mean.

I would guess that to be on a path to test junior or senior elite, a child probably has to be pretty close to L10 by around age 12 or 13, and there are probably only a few outliers who were L8 at around age 14 but nonetheless tested successfully for elite. But others with more knowledge can certainly correct me if I'm wrong.

 

[gasrgoose]

Having said that, none of the girls our gym is testing this season will come close to being competitive at the elite level (if they even attain the qualifying score, that is). So what is the point? Is it to say you have elites in your gym? Is it not better to say you have COMPETITIVE elites? .'

To answer the quoted portion in bold. The point for many is a D-1 scholarship. Qualifying elite is almost a guarantee to multiple D-1 scholarship offers. There are girls verbally committed to successful programs who qualified elite and never competed, have dropped back to level 10 and still never competed all-around at level 10 because of injuries. Sure competitive elites are better than qualified elites, but generally speaking a qualified elite is better than an equivalent age level 10, at least in the eyes of college coaches (and many others). You might disagree but that doesn't change the opinions of others.

To the OP, decide what makes a good gym for you other than just a different gym and then try to find it. Contrary to what many people think there are a large number of very successful programs who treat their gymnasts respectfully and still win at the highest levels.

 

[momnipotent]

If I referred to someone else's child as a wannabe gymnast it wouldn't go over well. Lol. You know it . Just like if I referred to you as a wannabe mom . (I am sure you are a great mom). It's disrespectful in these parts and most everywhere I know.

I understand the point you are making-I didn’t read the OP with that perception, but I could be off base. I also think there is a difference between referring to someone who is currently in a group as a wannabe vs. referring to someone who is not yet in that group as a wannabe. For example, I feel referring to someone who is currently a gymnast (or a mom-although I took no offense!) as a wannabe gymnast or wannabe mom is disrespectful and rude and goes with the faker/poser description as it is denigrating the person. But referring to someone who is not yet a member of a group as a wannabe can simply mean they aspire to be a member of the group. I find that distinction important, but again, I can see how the descriptor was taken as being rude or dismissive of the other gymnasts.

 

[Gymmamabear]

To answer the quoted portion in bold. The point for many is a D-1 scholarship. Qualifying elite is almost a guarantee to multiple D-1 scholarship offers. There are girls verbally committed to successful programs who qualified elite and never competed, have dropped back to level 10 and still never competed all-around at level 10 because of injuries. Sure competitive elites are better than qualified elites, but generally speaking a qualified elite is better than an equivalent age level 10, at least in the eyes of college coaches (and many others). You might disagree but that doesn't change the opinions of others.

Thank you for this! This is my daughter. She is one of those "wanna be elites" and I have NO expectations that she is going to the Olympics. None, however this will help her with college. Not to mention how much she enjoys her elite training, and that is what it is all about right?

 

[Aussie_coach]

The age thing does seem to be a big deal in the US, the coaches do know that kids can still learn skills after puberty. We have all seen those kids who just fly after puberty, but they are far less common. It's also really hard to tell before puberty which kids will will continue to progress and which ones won't.

Gymnastics clubs are usually business's and many of the desicions to be made have to be about the business and not just about the kids. Gyms generally make money from rec gymnastics, not competitive programs. If you lose kids at a higher level it is hard to replace them until the season ends (and even then it can be hard). Losing just one or two kids from the program can affect the financial viability of the program dramatically.

Drop out rates are highest in pre teens and teens. Gyms fill their higher level program with younger kids, who also have the most years ahead of them. The higher the level they are when they start high school, the more likely they are to feel that there is a possible scholarship for them and the more likely they are to stick it through.

Some decisions have nothing to do with anything personal, sometimes it's just business.

 

[gasrgoose]

Thank you for this! This is my daughter. She is one of those "wanna be elites" and I have NO expectations that she is going to the Olympics. None, however this will help her with college. Not to mention how much she enjoys her elite training, and that is what it is all about right?

Yes, it should be fun. And many people can't understand how something so hard can also be fun. But that's ok, you don't have to explain to anyone what you and your family chose to do and why. Enjoy the journey, not the expected destination.

 

[GymCoach]

As a coach at one of the top gyms in North Carolina, I will tell you that we have had almost 20 girls come “try out” at our gym since the end of JO Nationals (which we were at) and have only taken 5. We were level 10 club of the year and we do not train elite. We have around 40 optional kids and about 16 are Level 9 and 10’s. When kids try out, we take several things into consideration...1. What are her current skills 2. How does she interact with our coaches and our kids. 3. How she performed last year. 4. Her age 5. What caused her to leave the gym that she currently trains.

As you can see age does play a factor, but age really only matters depending on the skill level attained. Meaning if she is 15 but has level 9/10 skills then it really isn’t an issue. If she is 14 and a level 6 then that would definitely weigh a lot more into the decision.

What are some of your daughters top skills on each event? What are some upgrades she is working? What level and how did she compete last season? Knowing this information will really help identity where she needs to be and what gyms can provide that.

 

[Aero]

@hearts_and_stars, just bring her to my gym.