Parents Very sad times

[Panda-girl's Mom]

Your daughter probally does not really want to quit, she is probally just frustrated but at her age she is only 7 I think that is alittle harsh for a 7 year old and their attitude in general seems harsh. I also agree with posters that some gyms just like to put new girls through an initation process and are real strict about moving them up when in reality they could probally be in the higher level, it maybe about getting her form down before learning the skills.( I have seen this in our gym) some gyms just have higher standards. I would let the negative comments or your daughters frustration discourage you from gymnastics in Texas go try another gym that is more positive and encouraging.

 

[Linsul]

I'm really sorry to hear whats going on here! I think TeamDad's approach is excellent. Your DD has had to cope with a lot of change, giving her a chance to settle into school and acclimate with some rec classes (I've NEVER heard of a gym restricting those hours!) may help take the edge off. Maybe a tumbling/cheer class and a gymnastics class? Just a place to have fun and not get 'rusty' until she asks for more? Plus, if she's sad about not feeling good enough suddenly a rec class will give her an unpressured chance to shine, make friends, and maybe even help a classmate out! I coach a lot of kids that are ex-competitve for various reasons, and they are a joy to work with due to their technical knowledge and their willingness to share their experience with their peers!

One of the good points of Texas gymnastics being SO competitive is there are TONS of coaches who are overqualified to teach the levels they teach. It's not just the gymmies that start slightly below what they are used to! It was odd at first personally, but now I love it. You never take the talent/enjoyment these kids bring to the table (at any level) for granted. If you can find equal joy in teaching a forward roll as a layout...then you know you're doing the right job! From a gymnasts perspective I would say that it probably helps to focus on what they love about the sport itself. Not the coach, or an event, or a team/classmates, but the intangibles that keep them coming back for more. Texas is hard at first from both perspectives, but not unforgiving. Once you figure out why you love what you teach or what you perform, people notice and things change for the better.

Take comfort in knowing that there are some seriously qualified coaches out here that do give individual care to their students without compromising fun or safety. I have a theory on why it's so competitive to find a team spot out here. Coming from California it's nuts! I think Texas being so severe weather-wise has kids cooped up a lot. Indoor sports are the logical answer for activity, and with so much available and no year round outdoor options we get a lot of kids who may otherwise be doing other things. Just a theory though, I've not researched it.

I hope everything works out for you and your DD, I know it's rough out there from experience. Keep your chin up, good things will happen in time!

 

[DbacksMom75]

Thanks to everyone who posted replies! It really has made us feel better. I think we just went to two of the most competitive gyms next to WOGA. At least WOGA was nice about it, when I called they said to come back at the beginning of the summer because they would be able to evaluate her better.
I think little gymmie isn't used to having such harsh critism said in front of her, it probably wouldn't have been as bad if the gyms had pulled me aside and talked to me.
The new gym we found is called Texas Tumblers, they are about 15 minutes away in Fort Worth. They have a very active Power Tumbling team and have started offering All round gymnastics. They dont look like they are extremely competitive and have a nice beginning cheer class. She has also shown an interest in trying rythymic gymnastics which was never available in Arizona.
DH wants to concentrate on getting her adjusted to school and the change of environment, and I have to agree but there is always that worry of as time goes by how much is she going to lose skill wise.
It's just hard (for both of us) for her to go from special little gymnast, doing well in house meets, getting special stickers for effort, to being told "your not good enough". Especially when she sees other kids her age doing the skills she was doing in AZ but isnt allowed to participate with them.

 

[catesmom]

We had the same thing happen to us when we moved to Missouri to Illinois. One of my first concerns after enrolling in school was to find a gym. In our area only one gym was close by. I called the gym and scheduled a try-out for my DD then 6. She went through the try-out and then the gym called me and said that they wanted to put her in a rec class one day a week. Since my DD had been on pre-team she was dissapointed. At that time the gym did not compete until level 5. So she started at the gym, one day a week for 45 minutes! I was very disappointed but it was really our only choice. They did tell me that I could sign her up for a second day, but since I knew she alreday had the skills I didn't do it.After 3 weeks I was called and she was invited to join pre-team. In many ways I think we were both being tested. Our gym has a very good reputation, not as being super high powered, but we have 4 level 10's and 5 level 9's competing right now. Coach is pretty low key and doesn't like drama. I think we were being tested on this as much as her skills, but who knows.End of story, we are still there and DD is training level 8 for next year. So sometimes a slow start at a new gym is just a momentary set back. They want to see if the child can concentrate I think, as much as they want to see her skills.Good luck, you WILL find a good fit.

 

[DbacksMom75]

I am kicking myself a bit for not just enrolling her in Rec classes at Texas Dreams. I guess I have been to concerned with her losing skills or not be challenged enough, probably should have let her be for awhile.
She is getting the bug though, last night she put on one of her leos and watched TV in it.
The cheerleading was short lived, she wants to try T&T or rythmic before we go down that road...maybe next season lol. To bad I already bought her the cutest little cheer shoes for $10 on sale.
Thank you to everyone who has posted it has really helped.

 

[mariposa]

I am glad she is getting the bug back! I truly think that when she gets in somewhere, she will be noticed, it just might not be as fast as here. Apparently, Texas grows amazing gymnasts on trees or something and they start at birth, LOL. Your DD is special. She will find somewhere that sees that and will start progressing as she was before!!

Good luck finding her a good gym!

 

[ValleyGymMom]

I am from TX myself, and where I lived (outside the Houston area in Clear Lake) there seems to be a gym on every corner. I don't know where you live, but with gymnastics being so popular in that state, there must be many you could choose from. Sorry to hear of all your troubles. Good luck finding the right one.
BTW I would LOVE to be back home in the Lone Star State! Enjoy the Blue Bell ice cream I so desperately miss!!!!!

 

[msl529]

BTW I would LOVE to be back home in the Lone Star State! Enjoy the Blue Bell ice cream I so desperately miss!!!!!

Sorry to hijack this thread for a moment, but, OH YEAH! We are lovin' the Blue Bell Ice cream, woo-hoo! I'll enjoy some in your honor, VGM!

 

[ValleyGymMom]

I'm really sorry to hear whats going on here! I think TeamDad's approach is excellent. Your DD has had to cope with a lot of change, giving her a chance to settle into school and acclimate with some rec classes (I've NEVER heard of a gym restricting those hours!) may help take the edge off. Maybe a tumbling/cheer class and a gymnastics class? Just a place to have fun and not get 'rusty' until she asks for more? Plus, if she's sad about not feeling good enough suddenly a rec class will give her an unpressured chance to shine, make friends, and maybe even help a classmate out! I coach a lot of kids that are ex-competitve for various reasons, and they are a joy to work with due to their technical knowledge and their willingness to share their experience with their peers!

One of the good points of Texas gymnastics being SO competitive is there are TONS of coaches who are overqualified to teach the levels they teach. It's not just the gymmies that start slightly below what they are used to! It was odd at first personally, but now I love it. You never take the talent/enjoyment these kids bring to the table (at any level) for granted. If you can find equal joy in teaching a forward roll as a layout...then you know you're doing the right job! From a gymnasts perspective I would say that it probably helps to focus on what they love about the sport itself. Not the coach, or an event, or a team/classmates, but the intangibles that keep them coming back for more. Texas is hard at first from both perspectives, but not unforgiving. Once you figure out why you love what you teach or what you perform, people notice and things change for the better.

Take comfort in knowing that there are some seriously qualified coaches out here that do give individual care to their students without compromising fun or safety. I have a theory on why it's so competitive to find a team spot out here. Coming from California it's nuts! I think Texas being so severe weather-wise has kids cooped up a lot. Indoor sports are the logical answer for activity, and with so much available and no year round outdoor options we get a lot of kids who may otherwise be doing other things. Just a theory though, I've not researched it.

I hope everything works out for you and your DD, I know it's rough out there from experience. Keep your chin up, good things will happen in time!

I am just the opposite, having come from TX to CA. My older daughter did gymnastics in TX years ago (early 90's) but only recreational, and now my younger daughter tumbles competitively. I know TX can be really tough, so in your opinion, how does CA compare as far as training and coaching and what is expected of athletes?

 

[msl529]

I am just the opposite, having come from TX to CA. My older daughter did gymnastics in TX years ago (early 90's) but only recreational, and now my younger daughter tumbles competitively. I know TX can be really tough, so in your opinion, how does CA compare as far as training and coaching and what is expected of athletes?

Having moved from NorCal to Texas (w/ a one-year stint in FL, lol) I can offer my opinion. My dd competed for 2 very different gyms in NorCal. One very lax & not so great, the other, a high-powered team that always did well.

The one big difference I see is this: the girls start much younger here in TX, and there are more gyms w/ elite/fast rack/Olympic options. Back in NorCal, very few gyms had elites and most were not looking toward the Olympics. But the good gyms from NorCal do very well at the Regional & Nat'ls at @ L9& L10. But you RARELY saw Optionals (L7 & up) under the age of about 12 or 13 there. Here, it seems like there are a lot of little bitty girls doing L7 & up. And here in the Dallas/Ft Worth area, I can think of 2 gyms that have current Nat'l Team Members/Olympians, and plenty of Elites. The only gym in NorCal that comes close, I think, is Byers Gym. They had a gal at the VISA champs in '07, but not on the Nat'l team or anything.

Linsul is from SoCal, I beleive, which has more of the younger, Olympic hopeful types, so I am sure she will have a different perspective.

But for folks like me, w/ 'normal', older-ish types of gymnasts, I don't really see a big difference between the states, it's more a matter of which gym you go to. Yes, some here are much more competitive, but those are the ones w/ a major focus on elite/olympics. I think there are plenty of gyms here w/ good coaching that still compete well and that don't focus on elite. I think what probably happens to a lot of poeple who come here, is that they immediately focus on the 'biggie' gyms and may find themselves put-off or turned away (these gyms are pretty full-up w/ very committed, competitive gymnasts). Whereas, if you just want to enjoy the sport at a more 'normal' pace, there are plenty of good gyms w/ good coaches to choose from.

I could be way off, but that's my humble 2 cents...

 

[Linsul]

I am just the opposite, having come from TX to CA. My older daughter did gymnastics in TX years ago (early 90's) but only recreational, and now my younger daughter tumbles competitively. I know TX can be really tough, so in your opinion, how does CA compare as far as training and coaching and what is expected of athletes?

CA has some hurdles that we don't. We get TONS and TONS of kids that get 'poached' by other sports. I use that term because that's what we called it in this very specific situation that happens very often: Gymnast is in gym, loves it. Discovers High School sports, or plays at a friends sport practice for fun. Goes to a tryout (or plays for fun), not to join maybe but see what its about, maybe fit it in with gym. Of course she does well, coach wants her badly, but schedules don't mesh. HS coach handles the gymnastics 'hurdle' and convinces gymnast to do their sport instead. They lay it on thick and pursue aggressively, we heard about it from parents who 'just thought their daughter was going to tryout I swear!' This is not a BAD thing, it's just unexpected. Nor is it something unique to California, but the weather plays into it I'm sure. Lots of outdoor sports go year-round there that do not in Texas.

In CA we had a HUGE level 4 team to compensate for the 'other sports' factor. It's beautiful outside, if there's not a true love of gymnastics then there's a soccer, diving, swimming, water polo team that will eventually win out for that childs time and attention. It's a big culling factor for teams there in my experience. Kids here in Texas don't want to fall over in 110 degree summer heat or freeze in the winter playing soccer or softball, there is a measure of retention in that.

Training is the same, expectations are too for the most part. I remember having to restructure more than a few workouts out of necessity due to dual or triple sport injury. Nothing you can do about it. I won't go into specifics, but you can imagine the drama I'm sure between parents who had dedicated gymnasts and the ones who were demanding new workout times to allow for another sports competition. It was a very different dynamic in that respect politically speaking and trying to keep everyone happy.