Parents Timeline

[Flicfliclay]

Just curious... When should a gymnast be "ready" for their competition season? Example: Optionals season begins in January. When should a gymnast have all of her routines meet ready by? I hear coaches say we need to be at this stage by October..etc... I am just curious! Thanks all!

 

[profmom]

The general rule of thumb at our gym is girls = about two months out from the first meet, boys = during warmups at the meet. Or at states. Whichever comes first.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Our first meet is early December and any kids that are "bubble kids" have until Oct 30 to get all their skills for the higher level. (Like if they are a bubble kid for L5, they would compete L4 in December if they don't have all the skills for L5 by Oct 30)

 

[MILgymFAM]

At ODDs gym all skills had to be passable as competition ready by last week, and their first comp is the end of December (not a "real" meet though) and the first regular meet is mid-January.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

At our gym the expectation is they are ready about 4-5 weeks before first official meets. Skills and routines are peaking at states.

 

[skschlag]

The general rule of thumb at our gym is girls = about two months out from the first meet, boys = during warmups at the meet. Or at states. Whichever comes first.

ROFL! this is exactly what I was going to say. Or...you cross your fingers and hope they make it during the meet.....

 

[gymmomx2]

At our gym the expectation is they are ready about 4-5 weeks before first official meets. Skills and routines are peaking at states.

This makes the most sense!

 

[Committed]

Skills -- a few months out.
Routines-- a few weeks? Maybe?

 

[sce]

boys = during warmups at the meet. Or at states. Whichever comes first.

Too funny and too true!

 

[Natasha]

Skills -- a few months out.
Routines-- a few weeks? Maybe?

Yep. Meet registrations for the bigger meets are taking place in the next month, so they have to have their skills to sign up for their level, however actually putting everything together into polished routines is a different story, they will build endurance so that they will hopefully peak for regionals. One year the coach registered the optionals for a couple of early meets (November) and it messed up his whole training plan trying to have routines ready with endurance in November and then peaking in April, he decided after that never again...

 

[gymbeam]

By October for January season.

 

[raenndrops]

Our season will begin in early November. Levels were set last night ... But since we do small meets, HC can bump someone down up to 2 weeks before or can bump up 1 week before.
The Jr. High team is still only doing "run-thrus" and their meet season is this month into early October. The girls on that team that also compete Optionals for us will be routine ready sooner than the rest of the Optionals.

 

[LizzieLac]

We get the registration list in for our November/December meets when they are required which is generally September or October, but since many girls are "cuspers" for a new level, we might use the "level change/scratch deadline" given by those meet hosts to give the girls as much time to be ready.

That being said, we NEVER compete a girl in a level where we have to cross our fingers that she will make the skills. When I say they are "cuspers" a level 7 example would be a girl who already has a solid giant on the pit bar or single rail bar but still needs to put the routine together on uneven bars VS a girl who still needs to get a giant.

 

[Pea'sMom]

Old gym...night before the first meet (literally watched a kid do her flyaway for the first time solo the night before one)

New gym...levels aren't firmed up until about a month and a half before the first meet.

 

[raenndrops]

Our season will begin in early November. Levels were set last night ... But since we do small meets, HC can bump someone down up to 2 weeks before or can bump up 1 week before.
The Jr. High team is still only doing "run-thrus" and their meet season is this month into early October. The girls on that team that also compete Optionals for us will be routine ready sooner than the rest of the Optionals.

HC pulled the L4/L5 girls aside last practice and told them she will bump them back down if they don't have the skills in the next 5 weeks.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

For us, October is pretty much the cutoff for competing whatever level in January.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Just curious... When should a gymnast be "ready" for their competition season? Example: Optionals season begins in January. When should a gymnast have all of her routines meet ready by? I hear coaches say we need to be at this stage by October..etc... I am just curious! Thanks all!

they're ready when they're ready.

 

[Flicfliclay]

they're ready when they're ready.

Oh yes I realize that for sure! That's wasn't my intent to say anyone was being rushed to do a skill. Obviously a child can't do a certain level if they aren't doing specific skills. I was merely curious as to when/what other gyms do or use as a guideline to judge if a gymnast is ready to compete whatever level they are in