- Jul 7, 2025
- 1
- 0
Hi!! This is my first posting, and I am a 'new' gym mom without any gym mom friends who have been in a similar boat, so I am looking for thoughts...
My daughter is 11 (entering 6th grade). She competed level 3 the last two seasons. The first season was her first time doing gymnastics. This last season she had a lot of growth, and made it to state, metaled, all the good stuff. She has all the skills for level 4 EXCEPT she is very inconsistent with her kip. Long-hang kip works, but glide-kip doesn't always. She is 115 lbs and around 5'2'', and she is solid muscle. She's dense... mentally as well... hahaha.
I watch the practices and the team is quite large for the amount of coaches (we have 1 technical coach and 3-4 assistants, some who haven't done gymnastics). The coaches tend to shuttle girls through drills and the girls have a try and then move on. I know all the drills are designed to help regardless if they're actually putting it together or not.
The gym let me know that they are switching my daughter to Xcel Gold. When I asked why, they said they thought it was the best path for her and it would cater to her strengths a lot more. I think they are likely right, but it is making me nervous to pull her off compulsory because of the not-really-happening-every-time-kip. I read through the forum and it sounds like a lot of gyms are more intense and maybe would have pulled her from compulsory way earlier because of the non-consistent kip. I also keep having that thought of 'are they really doing everything to help her *get* the kip'?
So, as a parent, what's the best thought process here? Would it be your opinion to do what the gym says and trust that when she figures out the kip she can potentially switch back over? It seems pointless to argue with the gym for more help for her to get her kip, so maybe I'm just feeling frustrated or confused about the process.
Xcel seems like a great route to keep gymnastics in the gym, but if my daughter had a rough season she wouldn't quit (again, she's stubborn, she will stick with gym no matter what), so I don't believe the switch is because of a worry of her being happy or anything like that.
Any thoughts or opinions are more than welcome!! In summary, I am trying to figure out how to think about this, so really, anything helps. Thank you!!
My daughter is 11 (entering 6th grade). She competed level 3 the last two seasons. The first season was her first time doing gymnastics. This last season she had a lot of growth, and made it to state, metaled, all the good stuff. She has all the skills for level 4 EXCEPT she is very inconsistent with her kip. Long-hang kip works, but glide-kip doesn't always. She is 115 lbs and around 5'2'', and she is solid muscle. She's dense... mentally as well... hahaha.
I watch the practices and the team is quite large for the amount of coaches (we have 1 technical coach and 3-4 assistants, some who haven't done gymnastics). The coaches tend to shuttle girls through drills and the girls have a try and then move on. I know all the drills are designed to help regardless if they're actually putting it together or not.
The gym let me know that they are switching my daughter to Xcel Gold. When I asked why, they said they thought it was the best path for her and it would cater to her strengths a lot more. I think they are likely right, but it is making me nervous to pull her off compulsory because of the not-really-happening-every-time-kip. I read through the forum and it sounds like a lot of gyms are more intense and maybe would have pulled her from compulsory way earlier because of the non-consistent kip. I also keep having that thought of 'are they really doing everything to help her *get* the kip'?
So, as a parent, what's the best thought process here? Would it be your opinion to do what the gym says and trust that when she figures out the kip she can potentially switch back over? It seems pointless to argue with the gym for more help for her to get her kip, so maybe I'm just feeling frustrated or confused about the process.
Xcel seems like a great route to keep gymnastics in the gym, but if my daughter had a rough season she wouldn't quit (again, she's stubborn, she will stick with gym no matter what), so I don't believe the switch is because of a worry of her being happy or anything like that.
Any thoughts or opinions are more than welcome!! In summary, I am trying to figure out how to think about this, so really, anything helps. Thank you!!