WAG Training times and break times - a survey

[Paint A Melody]

Monday, Wednesday, and Friday 6-9 at night. Saturday 8-11.

No breaks for us except water breaks.

No kettle, microwave, toaster, oven or anything even for the groups that do get breaks. We were told not to bring candy or sugary things if we did get a break.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Ok, I've finally had half a second to quiz Puma Jr for you. Practices are 3&1/2 to 4 hours, 4 times a week (for L4/5, optionals go 5 days). She says they have like 3 small breaks (less than 5 min) in between events. There is a fridge, but the microwave is only for the coaches. They do have a very strict no nut policy. Hope that helps!

 

[z2akids]

Ok, I've finally had half a second to quiz Puma Jr for you. Practices are 3&1/2 to 4 hours, 4 times a week (for L4/5, optionals go 5 days). She says they have like 3 small breaks (less than 5 min) in between events. There is a fridge, but the microwave is only for the coaches. They do have a very strict no nut policy. Hope that helps!

Don't mean to hijack - but does this mean good news for Puma Jr? Are they moving her to co.Pete 4 or 5 this season?

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Don't mean to hijack - but does this mean good news for Puma Jr? Are they moving her to co.Pete 4 or 5 this season?

YES!!! She had until Oct 30 to make it, but I got a text Sept 28 inviting her to officially be a L4! First meet is 12/5. I'm so proud! Thanks for asking

 

[Mom2Chickadee]

DD trains 4 X4 hours (Mon 4-8, Wed 4-8, Thur 1-5 & Sun 2-6). The girls get about 10 to 15 minutes for break about half way through the practice and the gym requests "healthy" snacks that are not too heavy, no sports drinks and no nuts (allergies). Of course, they understand that these kids are still young and no one frowns if the odd treat is included in the snacks.
The gym does have a microwave and fridge as well.

 

[GymMomXcel]

DD trains 4:30-7:30 in the evening and she doesn't get a break. They get water breaks real quick, that's all. I make sure she has a snack between school and the gym and she has dinner afterwards on those days.

 

[wh/gh]

In compulsories we had practice 4pm-8pm and had a 15 minute break somewhere in the middle.

In optionals we practiced 4pm-9pm with no break. We were always free to go drink water from the fountain inside the gym, and at the end of a rotation we could go out to use the restroom or water (and check phones!). We were encouraged to grab a snack in the middle of practice if we needed to, though - particularly specific girls who the coaches could see were getting fatigued.

Over the summer practice was 8am-4pm with a break from 1:00-1:30. For one summer it was 1:00-2:00 but we goofed off too much so our break was shortened.

Coaches really don't want the young'uns eating dinner at practice. It just doesn't feel good for the stomach and you don't have enough time to digest. We never had restrictions on what we could eat- that was up to the parents.

 

[teksquad]

1. Training is Mon to Fri from 5:30-8:30.

2. Break is 10 minutes long.

3. Break is at about 7pm
4. No official access to microwave, no kettle, or freezer

5. No fridge

6.Goal s to have a healthy snack, and coach prefers water to be the liquid of choice. About half of them bring a snack, and about half of these are "healthy", the others are chips, etc, or junky foods from the vending machine.

 

[TheGMom]

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?

I would say its all the same for each level, minus question one. Everyone's break is after every other event, for water only. Sometimes coach will pull out a girl for a break if they see she really needs one. Break is only a minute or so + the time the coaches talk. They have fridge/ microwave for coaches only. During summer camp, kids can store snack in fridge. (DD says," And Donuts! I want one) LOL I don't know. Candy? Peanuts? I would think.

 

[CoachRita]

Such an interesting topic! Really liked reading all the answers.

I wanted to ask something anyways so thought I would just reply here.

Many of you said the kids do not get any break during practice. (At my gym there is no break also, only during summer when practice is 3 hours in the morning and 3 1/2 in the afternoon there is a 1 hour break. We have a microwave but no fridge)

So my actual question is how much % of the practice is actual spent physically training?

Like water breaks, break between rotations, waiting in line,..

At our gym, when practice is 3 1/2 hours long, kids have no break and I would say about 2 1/2 hours is actually working, the other hour is spent waiting in line (although we do have side stations of course), moving equipment, water and toilet breaks, coaches explaining things etc.

 

[Deleted member 17723]

So my actual question is how much % of the practice is actual spent physically training?

I would say about 2 hours and 15 minutes out of a 3 hour practice.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

At our gym probably 90-95% of their time is spent training. Water breaks are just that grab some sips of water and back to work. If they are not physically working with a coach they are doing something. So if they are doing bars, there 3 or other independent training stations besides the actual work with the coach. Press handstands, gut busters, low bar work independently. Our kids have very little wait time.

 

[duyetanh]

At our gym probably 90-95% of their time is spent training. Water breaks are just that grab some sips of water and back to work. If they are not physically working with a coach they are doing something. So if they are doing bars, there 3 or other independent training stations besides the actual work with the coach. Press handstands, gut busters, low bar work independently. Our kids have very little wait time.

So what do the coaches do if some of the girls slack off at the stations?

 

[CoachRita]

Our girls do some pirouettes on floor rail, handstand holds or some straddle ups while waiting on bars, while on vault they do blocking drills etc. But I do think it is not good - especially at lower levels - to wear them completely out with leg lifts before training kip cast hands...

 

[Deleted member 18037]

At our gym probably 90-95% of their time is spent training. Water breaks are just that grab some sips of water and back to work. If they are not physically working with a coach they are doing something. So if they are doing bars, there 3 or other independent training stations besides the actual work with the coach. Press handstands, gut busters, low bar work independently. Our kids have very little wait time.

So what do the coaches do if some of the girls slack off at the stations?

They'll call them out for goofing off. The coaches are parents as well, they have eyes in the back of their heads. No big punishment or anything. They will lose tumble track time for up training stuff (which they all love), that's the closest to slacking they get. As the kids complete conditioning or a move they are working on as a group. It might be a FHS, clean landing 5x, as they kids get through the filter to the tumble track, this is usually end of practice. Some goofing off getting out of the pit might happen or goofiness on line.

The reality is the girls not willing to do the work are not sticking around. Especially past L4 (from my experience).

The coaches will also have that discussion discretely with the parent. As in your kid needs to work harder or they might be staying back.