Women What does it mean?

[lovemygymnast]

I have had 3 different coaches at different times and separately tell me that my dd (who just turned 7) will be a better optional than compulsory. The first time was last year and by a coach who has 30+ years of gymnastics coaching experience. At the time, I felt it was a compliment. Then the other 2 more recently. The more I think about it though, I'm thinking it's not as much of a compliment as I thought. My dd gets deductions for knees, they're straight but she's muscular and her knees are knobby, so they appear bent and if she's not really concentrating, appear very bent. She had her first L4 meet and medaled on everything but wasn't in the top spot. Her scores were mediocre in comparison to her L3 scores but still in the top on our team, which is huge since we have much older girls on our L4 team and she's the youngest. And I'm quite sure she'll improve each meet, but we'll see.

So, is it a compliment? Or are they saying her form deductions won't be as high in optionals? I'm just not quite sure how to take it since it keeps being said. Or am I being a CGM & over thinking it altogether?

 

[LJL07]

I have been told the same thing about one of my daughters. I think it means they might get tenthed to death in compulsories bc of the minutiae but will potentially shine when they can tailor routines to their individual strengths. Some of the kids who are very detail oriented and score high at level 4 for example might not be able to pull off more difficult optional level skills as well. At least that is how I have interpreted it.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Thank you! It's easy to take things as a compliment & then once I have time to reflect, think it's not really a compliment. I do remember a coach telling me once that they felt flexible gymnasts did better in compulsories but stronger gymnasts are better for optionals? I know that was completely their opinion though. I just get disappointed for her when she works so hard & looks really great imo and then the scores are inconsistent. Thank you so much for your reply!!

 

[pt coach]

Coaches say that to me about my daughter as well. I also say it to me...and I know that right now I could choreograph a level 6 floor routine that would score better than her level 5 routine. ( I am one of the level 6 coaches at her gym) I know this because I would take everything out. No more straddle jump, no more sissone, no back extension roll, no front handspring step out etc. I could use skill selection to her advantage. So I don't see it as a compliment, or something negative - I just see it as a benign comment - or maybe they say it to me to give me hope that some day her scores will be better. With all that said, I do think her years in compulsories (on year 4 now) have helped her improve her basics and her form even if she is never an all star level 5...or at least that is what I tell myself...

 

[gracyomalley]

lots of things can go into that comment - form issues that may smooth out in time, body type, uneven skill set, etc. I think it is true of a lot of kids coming up young that they "score better" at L6/7 than compulsories. From where we are sitting right now with DD, who scored great at L7, after being very middle of the pack for youngest age groups in old 5/6 - but with puberty is struggling with fear/vestibular/growth stuff in the move to "real" higher level optional skills...I think there is a whole different game with L8-10, especially 9/10....(8 can be done with rather basic skills and DD would have done great at her old gym in L8 this year - but new gym requires a much higher skill set). On the other hand, DD always had good form and power - but has never been a really quick learner or one to chuck things - so it was inevitable she'd slow down with this level of skills....something I never understood when old HC talked about what a great optional she'd be!

 

[Deleted member 14190]

well,,,,, to be honest, that means your kid is messy and probably can't dance compulsory, so when they get her into optionals they can optimize her strengths by creating her own routines. This isn't a bad thing at all, some of my best optionals were the exact same way. Level 3.4.5 are NOT indicators of the future folks!

 

[profmom]

Also there are some pieces in the compulsory routines that just don't work for some kids. My DD basically added .3-.5 to her floor when she got past the straddle jump, which always looked awful. Both she and her brother totally stink at back extension rolls too, and her brother MAY get to the point this season where he can reliably count on losing only a few tenths for his crappy back lever instead of the entire value of the element every time he does rings. DD was not a strong compulsory gymnast and DS is pretty good, but both of them just had these particular things that were kryptonite to them and have no reason to be in optional routines.

LOL, front handspring stepouts, pt coach? Bring 'em on, baby! They look great if your kid is built like a daddy longlegs!

 

[lovegymnastics22]

It's so nice to read this thread. I hear this all the time about my 7YO too. She's also a super strong and graceful, but less flexible and knobby kneed type. She has been identified as one of the girls they think can be long-term very successful, yet it is hard for me to digest that when she didn't score super high at lvl3 and is slower to get new skills than other girls. But I've heard from 3 HCs that they'd take a strong young kid over a flexible, perfect-toe-point kid any day. It's hard to convince *her* of this when she see's herself as not as successful as other kids day to day on the things she thinks are important. So I just try to take the marathon not a race approach and trust that the coaches know what they are doing and that it is nice that they think she will be successful later on, without over thinking it too much.

 

[gracyomalley]

I think for every kid (growing into an adult) there is a time where they realize all their shortcomings as well as all their own strengths. Often they focus on the shortcomings and miss the strengths for a while in adolescence, but its the ones that really love whatever they are doing (gym or math or whatever) that can move through that to being able to use their strengths to overcome/bypass their weaknesses. Each kid has some of both, although the degree varies from the "potential to make it to level 10 in a small region" kid to the "potential to go to the Olympics" kid...but as I tell my kids, if you can do a descent BHS you are already more athletic than many kids these days....gymnastics gives them a very skewed point of view - especially the girls where it gets intense very young.

Coaches that work on the weaknesses but point out the strengths from the get go set those kids up to have something to fall back on when they hit those terrible tween/teen years. I'm sure that experienced coaches do sometimes look at a kid and see potential beyond what they are producing at the time, as well as the times they know that maybe a kid will improve with time, or maybe the weaknesses will make on ward progress much harder later - but will still find a way for the kid to feel good about the little things they can do well....gentle and positive honesty. And honestly, I would assume its very hard to know how a kid will weather adolescence....when they are level 3/4....I do still believe the coaches were being honest when they all felt DD had potential - she was short, strong, reasonably flexible, hard working, could dance, and coachable. Beyond that, the rest is/will be up to her and life circumstances.

Take it as a complement but a very open ended one....worst case scenario, the coach doesn't want your DD to quit over lack of compulsory success - which means they are an asset to the team and the coach has hopes optionals will be more successful for your DD...which is a complement to your DD, even if not a huge statement regarding her Olympic dreams!!!

 

[B.Gold]

I think it means your daughter is more of an athlete than a dancer- not to say dancing isn't athletic. An athlete gets to shine in optionals.

 

[LJL07]

I think it means your daughter is more of an athlete than a dancer- not to say dancing isn't athletic. An athlete gets to shine in optionals.

^^this makes a lot of sense, op. My daughter is a powerful tumbler, leaper and strong on bars, but those dance moves are not her strong suit. Kinda messy if she's not completely focused as someone up above pointed out. My dd will not be a ballerina.

 

[lovemygymnast]

^^this makes a lot of sense, op. My daughter is a powerful tumbler, leaper and strong on bars, but those dance moves are not her strong suit. Kinda messy if she's not completely focused as someone up above pointed out. My dd will not be a ballerina.

Yep, that's mine too. She's super strong, great tumbler & great on bars & vault but the dancing, not so much. Although, this year's compulsory dancing has really been good! Maybe, she's growing up!

 

[gymgymgymnast08]

I was a hot mess in compulsaries but once I got to optionals I could play up my strengths a lot more. my teammate would do ballet for her dance on floor and I would do round off layout step outs and aerials for my dance on floor.
No one ever told me that I would be a better optional gymnast but I figured it out when I went from placing super low at compulsaries to being on the podium in optionals.

 

[pt coach]

I forgot to add my other bit of advice...when in doubt, always take something as a compliment! It makes for a happier life.

 

[lovemygymnast]

I forgot to add my other bit of advice...when in doubt, always take something as a compliment! It makes for a happier life.

I generally do! And I really did after the first time, and even after the 2nd coach but then when the 3rd said it...I began to wonder. Lol.

I talked to the 2nd coach last night and she mentioned if my dd ended up going elite which gym to take her to, so I do think she was complimenting her. And from now on, I'll take it that way.

Thank you all for the comments!