Parents Weekend practice

[Aussie_coach]

In Australia basically ALL gyms have teams train on Saturday. Once the kids are going 3 days a week one of them is usually a Saturday. And by the time the kids do 4 days a week or more it pretty much always includes a Saturday.

This allows more evenings free during the week. Here homework is usually given during the week and not usually on the weekend. Almost all schools set homework for the week on Monday and its due to be handed in on friday, so it gives them an evening for that.

 

[cathiann]

I like saturday morning practices because it means one less practice on a school night.

 

[NotAMom]

Our main prob is that our gym is so small and we just can't have rec gymnasts training alongside comp gymnasts so all our comp sessions have to be when the gym is free and that means saturday and sunday to make up for lost time during the week!

That is a good point. I didn't think about that.

 

[gym law mom]

Dd has gym on Mon,Tues,Wed,Fri,Sat and off on Thurs.I like that she has a da off during the week so she can catch up with homework,etc.
We decided to sent her back to Public school after being homeschooled for 1 year for the social aspect of it.

My gymmie has exactly the same schedule! After 3 days of school-gym-homework, she is definitely ready for a break. Seems to help her get that 2nd wind for the Fri/Sat. practices which are 9 hours total.

 

[Smile :)]

Last year the gym my sister was at did have Saturday team practice (usually from 9-12). Sunday was always conditioning only unless there was a meet (and owner has requested Sunday meets be avoided whenever possible). They are a small gym so their Rec programs are mostly during the day or Saturday or Sunday afternoons. Apparently the owner did not like Sunday afternoon rec classes so they have moved to Saturday mornings and Saturday team workouts are now on an as needed basis (with some expectation of conditioning on their own Saturday). I think this will be a better system. (Basically we drop from six formal days/ week to five formal days/ week.)

 

[Blackie6]

My DD has had a Sat practice since joining the team at age 6. 2 years on L4 at old gym sometimes it was a 9-1 or 12:30-4:30pm and recently we changed gym and our Fall schedule for L5 is M, T, W, and Fri for 3 hrs and a Sat practice another 3 hrs but time not confirmed yet. This weekend we have a nice break because of Labor Day so she's off until Tuesday.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

My daughter has weekend practice both Friday and Saturday( Friday for 3 1//2 hours after school and Saturday from 1-5, she also stays for open gym on Fridays after practice). I see pros and cons with this schedule. Like the other posters said it means less weeknights of practice so she can concentrate on school work(she practices 2 weeknights and does dance 1 so this leaves her 1 schoolnight when she has nothing). It also keeps her busy since she can not sit still so I can get things done(normally she needs constant entertainment or activity or I hear she is bored! They also can still have sleepovers (usually her and her gymmates sleepover Friday to Saturday since Saturday practice starts later. We also have Sunday free to go to church.

The cons she misses alot of birthday parties.
You can not go away for the weekend during meets season.
I think I am used to her schedule so I prefer it.
Gymnastics is a big comittment and I am sure weekend practices does deter alot of parents from letting their kids join the team ecspecailly when the practices are mandatory. I am also sure that alot of teenagers do not like weekend practice but it probally keeps alot of them out of trouble.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

ok..I am growing more concerned we have joined a crazy gym. I like Sat practices because it frees up a school nighT..I work weekend nights so I dont miss too much time with her that way. However...the fri night sat am practice is a bit rough.

That being said I was reading everyones answers and might I add, not only does my DD as a level 4 practice 12 hours a week but the level fives practice 20 hours a week. So as near as I can tell this is not the norm.

 

[gym law mom]

ok..I am growing more concerned we have joined a crazy gym. I like Sat practices because it frees up a school nighT..I work weekend nights so I dont miss too much time with her that way. However...the fri night sat am practice is a bit rough.

That being said I was reading everyones answers and might I add, not only does my DD as a level 4 practice 12 hours a week but the level fives practice 20 hours a week. So as near as I can tell this is not the norm.

12 hours/week is toward the high end for L4 and 20 hours/week is ridiculous for L5. Where do they go from there for L6 and up? My gymmie trained at a rather intense gym for L5 and 6 and she only practiced 10 hours/week as a L5 and I think it went up to 14 as a L6.
Now at her current gym which is also competitive and trains up through L10, she is doing 20 hours/week, but is 13 and training L9. We had a long talk about doing those hours and if she wanted to commit to it before the fall schedule started and she said absolutely because she feels she needs that time to get the tougher skills. I'll honor that at this time since she is older, has more experience in the sport and seems to have set very specific goals for the season. If we see her too tired or heading for burn out then we'll have to look at the schedule again.

 

[bklyngymom]

I prefer Saturday practices. My DD has a long school day (7:30am-4pm Mon-thurs) so to have practice on the weekend is great. This frees up evenings for home work time. Her Saturday practices are late enough in the morning so we get a little extra sleep and end early enough for us to take care of errands and have some free time.

 

[littlegirlsdream]

to answer the question of where they go from there, I know our upper levels practice 30-40 hours a week. They are all doing only half days at school and most are at least partially homeschooled at that point. These are 11-13 year old girls and they have VERY specific goals. I am sure at this rate DD will be injured or burnt out by the time she is 7 or so. We may eventually look at other options but it is just the begining of her experience and the season so time will tell.

 

[Gymmonkeymomma]

We have practice Sat 10-1pm, and Thurs nites off (used to be Fri, preferred by older girls). We used to practice 9-12 which I liked but have now learned that the extra hour in the morning makes a world of difference.

 

[nettyinpa]

I know this is a late post but I thought I'd chime in. My dd has always had Saturday practices. I actually kind of like it that way. I'd rather a Saturday morning than another week night out. DD's practices this year are M-T-Th, 3:45-7:45, Saturday 8-12, with dance from 12:15-1. It works well with my ds, who doesn't need to be in the gym. He and I can spend time together then, too.

 

[Megley]

to answer the question of where they go from there, I know our upper levels practice 30-40 hours a week. They are all doing only half days at school and most are at least partially homeschooled at that point. These are 11-13 year old girls and they have VERY specific goals. I am sure at this rate DD will be injured or burnt out by the time she is 7 or so. We may eventually look at other options but it is just the begining of her experience and the season so time will tell.

My dd did 12 hrs at Level 4 as a 6 yo, but they did not jump to 20 hours at L5. She did 16 hrs at L5. I think 20 hrs is too much for L5. We have been asked to do 20 hrs this year at L6 and I'm resisting. Optionals is soon enough for that many hours in the gym. At 20 hours, she would be going five days a week. We did that over the summer and it worked okay, but that was without the addition of school. I can see how it becomes necessary to home school once you get beyond a certain number of hours.

 

[Gymnasticsgirl521]

we have 4 hours on Sat, during the summer we have our Sat's off but during the school year we are there almost every Sat.