Twice a day summer schedule,a bit too much?

[Natalia]

Hi everyone,

My six year old is going to gym from 9:00 to 11:30 and 4:00 to 6:45 Mondays to Fridays and 3 hours Saturday mornings.She seems Ok but not thrilled about the morning sessions and I feel it's too much.She's doing 28 hours a week .In August there will be no more morning sessions.

I've actually made her skip a couple of mornings because taking time over breakfast and playing in the shower for an hour ,not freaking out because none of the leotards are dry,taking her sister to her riding camp without risking life and limb to make it to the gym on time is not a bad way to spend a summer day.

Is this type of schedule normal for summer?I'm the one getting burned out!

 

[maryRS]

Well others may think it's fine, but I think that is way too much training for a 6 year old! I don't see the point in the 2 a days for that age. What level is she?

Hi everyone,

My six year old is going to gym from 9:00 to 11:30 and 4:00 to 6:45 Mondays to Fridays and 3 hours Saturday mornings.She seems Ok but not thrilled about the morning sessions and I feel it's too much.She's doing 28 hours a week .In August there will be no more morning sessions.

I've actually made her skip a couple of mornings because taking time over breakfast and playing in the shower for an hour ,not freaking out because none of the leotards are dry,taking her sister to her riding camp without risking life and limb to make it to the gym on time is not a bad way to spend a summer day.

Is this type of schedule normal for summer?I'm the one getting burned out!

 

[bogwoppit]

NO this is not typical for a 6 year old, in fact two a day is not typical for any level. I would say it is too much and would choose to do one or the other. Fourteen hours a week is stilll a lot for a 6 year old, but way better than 28. MOst L10's do not train 28 hours a week.

Too much, too young can lead to all sorts of overuse injuries, let alone taking away a childs love for a sport when it is just work and not fun.

 

[lhmom]

Whoa! That's not a normal schedule where we're at. DD is 7 and a 2nd yr. level 4. For the summer, they added another session for 12 hours total for the 2nd year 4's. However, they are going back to the regular schedule (9 hours) in a few weeks. Your daughter has been doing this the whole summer? I have heard of other gyms doing a schedule like this as a camp for a week, but not for the summer.

 

[cher062]

I've never heard of going twice a day for a 6yo - what level is she doing?? 28 hours a week is alot i think especially for that age but it is only 3 days a week instead of 4 - 5 days a week which is what my DD's gym has for team members. (depending on the level)

 

[ginnymac]

I have to say that I am shocked. Absolutely unnecessary and inappropriate at six years old--no matter how much a six year old loves gymnastics and wants to be at the gym.

Overuse injuries and burn out are two definite considerations. I would definitely allow only 1 training--and not every day. I am a mom to a gymnast/diver and a pediatric physical therapist...

 

[gym law mom]

I have never seen that number of hours for any girls except those who are elite. My 14 yo training L9 did 26 hours/week and the girls were really sick of it by mid July.

NO way would I let my 6 yo do that many hours---it will lead nowhere except to girls quitting or seeing the orthopedic MD

 

[justanothergymmom]

I would have to agree with what other said...seems like WAY too much for that age...afterall she is only age elligible in USAG to do L4 at this point or maybe L5 if she will be 7 for next season. No need for that many hours at this age/level.

 

[MdGymMom01]

I agree with all the others that say 28 hours for a 6 year old is WAY too much even if it is just for the summer. There is no need for a child that young to be putting in that many hours at the gym even if she "loves it and can't get enough".

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

As everyone else has said... way too much for a 6 year old!!! Talk about burning them out and the possibility of injury!!! Yes... too much "even if they love it!"

 

[Natalia]

Thank you all for your replies.You have confirmed my doubts.I don't know whether to express my concerns to the coach or simply say that we won't be able to make it in the mornings because of my work schedule.

Questioning his training philosophy might not be the most diplomatic way of handling the situation,although I'm having some serious doubts now.

 

[bogwoppit]

I'd just say there is no way you can make mornings work anymore. That way you do not have to lie and the coach cannot really do much about it.

Hopefully the regualr training schedule is not so crazy. I seem to remeber she is going to competet L5 after she turns 7 this year. BUt that still shouldn't require anything like 20 hours a week.

Good luck.

 

[gymdog]

I'd definitely get out of the mornings. I don't even know what they're doing with 6 year olds for 28 hours anyway. That is way over the top for that age group in my opinion, and an unnecessary burden on the families.

 

[Aussie_coach]

As everyone else has said, twice a day and 6 days a week for a six year old is far too much.

Her body is not yet mature enough to cope with this kind of schedule. We might have 6 year olds in the gym for 8 hours a day though for our summer programs but its not all gymnastics. They watch DVD's and do arts and crafts and other non gymnastics activities and there is a lot of unstructured time too.

But to do this sort of structured training every day and she will wake up one day and decide she doesn't enjoy gymnastics anymore and a wonderful talent may be lost forever. It will be a big burden on your family too, the whoile family will find themselves living for your daughter's gymnastics.

I​ would be very concerned about even attending a gym that thinks this sort of schedule is safe and productive for a 6 year old.

 

[Tumblequeensmom]

I​ would be very concerned about even attending a gym that thinks this sort of schedule is safe and productive for a 6 year old.

Those were my exact thoughts as well . . .

 

[gymgal]

my first thought was that maybe the gym set it up so that the families could pick and choose which times/days to do- that maybe the coach isn't expecting her to be there all the time. Our gym set it up this way for a couple of summers. It ended up being a nightmare for the coaches because they never knew who was going to show on the days and they could have a group of 2-3 on one day and 15 the next.

I really can't imagine any gym having level 5s working out 20+ hours a week and definitely not 2x a day. just seems like overkill for a 6yr old - even for the elite gyms, which I am assuming you are not in...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

c'mon...2 a days for a 6 year old? shouldn't have drank the kool-aid...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Thank you all for your replies.You have confirmed my doubts.I don't know whether to express my concerns to the coach or simply say that we won't be able to make it in the mornings because of my work schedule.

Questioning his training philosophy might not be the most diplomatic way of handling the situation,although I'm having some serious doubts now.

yep, must be his own. a legend in his own mind. trying to reinvent the wheel they might say.

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

We have the option of two-a-days during the summer. Normal practice is 8 am-1 pm, and then the second practice is 2 pm-4pm. I guess parents can pick them up in-between, but most kids just stick around, eat lunch, play with their friends. During the second practice we do the TOPS tumbling and dance passes, drills and uptraining on bars, higher level combinations on beam, and lots and lots of flexibility. It's actually pretty fun.

We have a couple 8-year-olds at the second practice, but they are working L8 and 9 skills so they are used to intense training. Since your daughter is younger than they are and probably not in optionals, I don't see the point of training 5 hrs/day. We include this extra practice only because there is not enough time to do TOPS passes/conditioning and extra skills during regular practice.

 

[Trixiebelle]

I know that would be too much for my 11 yo dd! And for what it is worth, we went from training 7 hours a week last fall (L5) to 12 hours (L6) and it was a tough transition. She begged to be at the gym more and more and even asked for more practices, but in hindsight, I think that is what led us to where we are today - DD recovering from a back injury caused by over-use....