WAG Training times and break times - a survey

[Ausi_poppet]

My daughter trains five nights a week 3.30 to 7.30pm, two mornings 6-8am and Saturday 8 to 12. These are the longest training sessions in our gym and nobody stops for a break. Although, everyone has to have a water bottle on them and they stop regularly for drinks throughout the afternoon and Saturday training. Sometimes the girls doing 4 hour blocks who have been unwell will bring a Gatorade drink to sip on, but that's pretty rare and only during the hotter months.

During holiday training my daughter does 4.5 to 5 hour blocks. They will have a banana break during the 5 hour block, but they don't really stop for longer than it takes to eat a piece of fruit.

To tell the truth, the biggest issue for our kids isn't food it's the heat. From now until March they are often training hot conditions (35 degrees plus) and so it's more fluids that they need to replenish. They probably need to be drinking twice what they are to make up for what they are losing...

 

[Mish]

Level 4, 4pm-8pm 3 or 4 times per week. No formal breaks. A water break (2 min) after each event at which time they pop some quick snacks into their mouth. No formal eating breaks.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

Level 6. 4 1/2 hour practices for my 9 year old 4-8:30. 15 minute snack. Must have water bottle. Must take water breaks. Practice goes over dinner time and it is too late to eat dinner at 8:45 or 9:00 at night for a child this age. Trying to fathom how it would be healthy or wise to have growing children go without dinner. She eats 1/2 of dinner in car on the way to gym in 10 minutes after school pickup at 3:40, rushes in gym to get dressed, and finishes dinner at break at 6:00. She eats a small snack in the car on the way home, and in bed by 9. I can't fathom how any of this would be workable or healthy without that break. Gym encourages healthy food, but treats are allowed for birthdays etc.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Most practice 2.5-3 (occasionally 4) hours. No official break, lots of water breaks.
Gymnasts are expected to be "fueled up" before practice.

Full day camp runs 6 hours, with a lunch break. Again they are not going more then 3 hours without food.

We have no vending machines, kitchen, fridge, toaster or microwave. Just an old fashioned water fountain, if you forget your water bottle or need a refill.

No eating except in the waiting room which has tables and chairs for camps.
No nuts allowed.

If someone had a medical need to eat I'm sure it would be accommodated as long as it was nut free.

 

[JMACAZ]

ODD \4hrs 3x per week. No break. Can take quick bites between rotations. No fridge or micro. Water in cubbies.
YDD 2.5 hours 3x per week. No breaks. No bites. Fridge and micro. Water on tables by exit.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

My kid practices during the dinner hours, she eats before and after, usually has a big breakfast.

When she had a later end time, she had something on the ride home.

So she has essentially 2 light meals instead of one large one.

But she is getting what she needs, gaining and growing.

 

[Aero]

1. How long is your gymnast's training and what time of day?
My beginner training group goes twice a week, from 4:30 - 8:30 PM. The advanced training group goes three times a week, also from 4:30 - 8:30 PM. The entire team also comes in on Sunday for two hours (usually 2:00 - 4:00 PM) to work on leaps, jumps, acro, tumbling, and floor routines.

2. How long is the break?
Usually 10 minutes, sometimes 15.

3. When during training do they get the break?
They condition for about an hour and 15 minutes right in the beginning of practice, and I let them take their break as soon as the last girl finishes her list. This usually means their break starts between 5:45/6:00 PM.

4. Do they have a microwave/kettle/toaster/anything else available to use?
We have a microwave for general use, although the kids almost never need to use it.

5. Do they have a fridge to store food in?
We have a refrigerator with a freezer, also for general use.

6. Are there any restrictions on what they can or can't bring?
The only restriction I have is that they can only bring water to drink. I don't typically allow any other types of beverages.

 

[raenndrops]

Practice is 3 evenings a week 5:30-8pm. a 5-10 minute break at around 7pm. Nut free.

IF there is a birthday, the girl can bring in something... sometimes it is cupcakes or cookies. Other times the parents treat it like a kip celebration.

On kip celebration nights, the girls get to choose a popsicle or an ice cream sandwich (coach supplies them... along with an individual thing of ice cream for the kipper- in the flavor of her choice).

 

[dmbgymnast]

Practice is 5-8, 3 days a week. There is a freezer, for water and occasional ice pops brought in by coaches for a treat or a girl with a summer birthday. On birthdays, the girl can bring in a treat if she like, usually cookies or mini cupcakes. There isnt a microwave availible, not that we have a set break anyways, and we can bring snacks, but cannot eat them while training, only on the occasional 10 minute break.

 

[lovemygymnast]

5-9 3 nights a week & 9-1 on Saturdays. No breaks and no food allowed. We feed her a good snack right before & have a snack to munch on in the car until we are able to get her home & feed her dinner.

 

[Mish]

Level 6. 4 1/2 hour practices for my 9 year old 4-8:30. 15 minute snack. Must have water bottle. Must take water breaks. Practice goes over dinner time and it is too late to eat dinner at 8:45 or 9:00 at night for a child this age. Trying to fathom how it would be healthy or wise to have growing children go without dinner. She eats 1/2 of dinner in car on the way to gym in 10 minutes after school pickup at 3:40, rushes in gym to get dressed, and finishes dinner at break at 6:00. She eats a small snack in the car on the way home, and in bed by 9. I can't fathom how any of this would be workable or healthy without that break. Gym encourages healthy food, but treats are allowed for birthdays etc.

We eat a bigger type snack (small PB sandwich, hummus and veg, small meal) on way to gym then she eats dinner when we get home at 8:30 while doing HW. Just turned 8, has not been a problem yet.

 

[gymbeam]

no snack breaks, only water between rotations (which works out to be 4 times during their 4-hour practices).

 

[pamred4]

Training is 3:45-7:45 and we get a 15 min break at around 5ish. Fridge and microwave available. There is no junk food allowed but it is not heavily policed

 

[vbdb]

My older DD trains 17 hours, 2 x 4.5 hours two nights a week and two lunchtime 4 hour practices. Our gym's policy is snack breaks only on practice longer than 4 hours. They can have water whenever they want it.
I only send fruit for snack. She eats in the car on the way to gym when she gets out of school and has another dinner when she gets home around 9.
There's no microwave or fridge available to the girls and no vending machines or snack bars. The gym keeps freezies in the freezer for an occasional treat after practice.
Our only restriction is no nuts in the gym. Our comp package that comes out each year with new enrollment does have suggestions for proper fueling when it comes to food but there are no hard and fast rules. They prefer fruit while training for easy to access sugars to give the kids a boost, a big heavy meal will just slow them down.

 

[angelina]

I'm a L6 gymnast and train four days a week 4:00-8:00

 

[shelovestoflip]

I stink at coming up with titles, lol.

I wanted to start this new thread off of the nutrition thread below.

It seems like all our gymnasts have different lengths of trying and the break times vary also. This is kind of a survey for my own curiosity and to see what differences are out there.

1. How long is your gymnast's training and what time of day?

2. How long is the break?

3. When during training do they get the break? (If they train 5-9, break is at 6:30 for example)

4. Do they have a microwave/kettle/toaster/anything else available to use?

5. Do they have a fridge to store food in?

6. Are there any restrictions on what they can or can't bring?

-M-F 4:30-8:30 Sat 9-1
-They have a short (10 min??) break not sure when...I'm guessing at least midway thru.
-Nothing avail for heating and honestly, I'm fine with that. Don't need a fire due to something burning in a toaster over!
-Yes, there's a fridge but none of the girls actually use it!
-Nut free facility

 

[aerials]

Trains 4 days a week 4:30-8:30 levle 6. No breaks other than water breaks.

 

[Deleted member 17723]

Our gym has practice from 5-8. We don't have an "official" break. However, we can get drinks as we need and we can eat too. We have a microwave, but usually we just bring things like goldfish, cut up fruit, etc.

 

[Splash123]

1. How long is your gymnast's training and what time of day?

4-7:30 pm Monday (3.5 hours)
4-8 pm Tuesday (4 hours)
4-8 pm Thursday (4 hours)
4:30-8 pm Friday (3.5 hours)
And a conditioning/stretching session 2-4 Saturday (2 hours)

2. How long is the break?

10 mins and no snack break on Saturdays just drink break.

3. When during training do they get the break?

4-7:30 session: break at 5:50 until 6
4-8 session: break at 6 until 6:10

4. Do they have a microwave/kettle/toaster/anything else available to use?

There is a microwave in the kitchen and a kettle not sure about toaster. But only coaches and older gymnasts/parents are allowed in the kitchen (health and safety)
5. Do they have a fridge to store food in?

There is a fridge but it's usually quite full (coaches food because the gym is open 8am till 9:30 pm some nights) and the gymnasts hardly use it haha

6. Are there any restrictions on what they can or can't bring?

Basically anything as long as it isn't too heavy on the stomach or extremely sugary (sweets etc) and if we want to bring chocolate as a small boost it has to be dark chocolate to make it healthier. No peanuts (allergies) and for drinks no energy drinks unless the coaches know of a specific reason. But we are allowed to bring stuff like lucozade sport lite.

 

[flippinam]

1. How long is your gymnast's training and what time of day?
Monday-Thursday 5-8 pm (3 hrs)

2. How long is the break?
There is none.

3. When during training do they get the break? (If they train 5-9, break is at 6:30 for example)
N/A. Can get water when needed. No official breaks.

4. Do they have a microwave/kettle/toaster/anything else available to use?
No

5. Do they have a fridge to store food in?
No

6. Are there any restrictions on what they can or can't bring?
Food really isn't allowed in general. Although that's not a specifically written rule, there is no time to really eat any. There are only 4 in our training group, so we are all constantly moving. There are no set water breaks. You can just go get it when you need to (within reason) between turns. If you wanted to shove something in your mouth you could, but I personally dislike doing any skills with food remnants in my mouth.