WAG What intangibles could hold a child back?

[wallflower]

So wait, they told you she is training level 6, after finishing her level 5 season and that she could potentially compete level 7. Yet they have not told you what skills she is training. What else do you want? A crystal ball? To be told she is skipping levels? I'm not sure what the problem is.

That's what I just read and based on that I think you have lost your mind!!!! I mean seriously. Get a grip. Guess what? I've NEVER been told what skills my child is going to be working on. Coaches don't have to tell you that ever and you will be constantly frustrated if you are expecting that. When we finish meet season we are told nothing. My kids keep coming to the gym and doing gymnastics and I assume if they finish one level they are working towards the next. Count yourself lucky that you were told anything.

I don't even see what more a coach could tell you.

You seem very obsessed with your daughter NOT competing level 6. What's wrong with level 6? You said she was scoring 35's in level 5 if I remember correctly. That's not exactly knocking it out of the park. It indicates there is probably still work to be done on basic things.

 

[Bess]

May I ask what may be a stupid question...keep in mind this is coming from someone with a 5yr old getting ready to compete level 3...once she turns 6 that is...

I know level 6 is not "required" but don't you kind of have to have those skills in order to move onto 7? Isn't it possible to be training 6, begin to really rock out those skills and then the plan change to move onto more challenging skills and go to 7?

 

[GYM0M]

May I ask what may be a stupid question...keep in mind this is coming from someone with a 5yr old getting ready to compete level 3...once she turns 6 that is...

I know level 6 is not "required" but don't you kind of have to have those skills in order to move onto 7? Isn't it possible to be training 6, begin to really rock out those skills and then the plan change to move onto more challenging skills and go to 7?

Yes, but the minimum requirements for 6 are pretty much the same as L5 so therein lies some controversy.

 

[wgymmom]

So wait, they told you she is training level 6, after finishing her level 5 season and that she could potentially compete level 7. Yet they have not told you what skills she is training. What else do you want? A crystal ball? To be told she is skipping levels? I'm not sure what the problem is.

That's what I just read and based on that I think you have lost your mind!!!! I mean seriously. Get a grip. Guess what? I've NEVER been told what skills my child is going to be working on. Coaches don't have to tell you that ever and you will be constantly frustrated if you are expecting that. When we finish meet season we are told nothing. My kids keep coming to the gym and doing gymnastics and I assume if they finish one level they are working towards the next. Count yourself lucky that you were told anything.

I don't even see what more a coach could tell you.

You seem very obsessed with your daughter NOT competing level 6. What's wrong with level 6? You said she was scoring 35's in level 5 if I remember correctly. That's not exactly knocking it out of the park. It indicates there is probably still work to be done on basic things.

Wow.

What GYMOM said, minimum requirements for 6 aren't that much more than L5. That is where my problem lies.

I get that she wasn't knocking it out of the park, but compared to her teammates, she was. But hey, I was also told that scores, placements, and skill level don't count for compulsories. So which is it?

 

[profmom]

I'm still not clear on why you are presuming that she will only learn the bare minimum required to compete L6 rather than learning progressive skills leading into optionals, especially since they've indicated that they want to advance at least some gymnasts to 7 without a full year at 6. I would think that most programs would be training their L5s looking ahead to optionals in pretty much the same ways, whether they intended to compete them at L6 or L7. You are inferring a lot of negative information from the simple statement that she's to start training L6 and they are keeping the door open to move her quickly to 7. Again -- you clearly have no trust in the gym. What can you do to address that problem?

 

[Midwestmommy]

It would be a little bit odd here, because most gyms seem to be competing 5 or 6 not both. (The ones doing 6 are scoring their kids out of 5 if they are ready or having them repeat 4)...

Just schedule a meeting with the coaches and plan on asking a couple questions and doing mostly listening.. It's OK to ask. And it's easy for parents of kids whose kids are skipping 6 to throw darts at the parent paying the same money who wants to make sure their daughter isn't "getting the shuffle" or getting limited because of space availability etc.

Seems like the transition to optionals is one of those times when parents sometimes need to make sure their kids are in the right gym for them, and these types of questions come up. It's also the time in our state when a bunch of kids switch gyms (lots switch Levs 6-8).... Yes, once they are in the right place you just have the trust the coaches on moveups. But there seem to be a few spots in many gymnast's career where kids and parents tend to need to take a step back, figure out what the likely plan is if all goes well, and look at where they are and make sure it's the best fit. When they are getting the runaround about getting on competitive/preteam track from rec, when they are in Level 4, when they are transitioning to optionals, and maybe as Level 8s when they want "more." These seem like some of these moments for various reasons.

And there are some gyms with space issues or whatever.... And there are some coaches who have favorites and aren't shy to show it (but yet the favs who get all the attention don't pay extra for it--therein the rub with the cash strapped parents, it can grate....really grate when you see or hear about blatent favoritism).... Try not to let it. Just ask the questions you need to to make sure she thinks she is at the right place, then trust the coaches to make the best decisions for her.

 

[wgymmom]

I'm still not clear on why you are presuming that she will only learn the bare minimum required to compete L6 rather than learning progressive skills leading into optionals, especially since they've indicated that they want to advance at least some gymnasts to 7 without a full year at 6. I would think that most programs would be training their L5s looking ahead to optionals in pretty much the same ways, whether they intended to compete them at L6 or L7. You are inferring a lot of negative information from the simple statement that she's to start training L6 and they are keeping the door open to move her quickly to 7. Again -- you clearly have no trust in the gym. What can you do to address that problem?

There has never been much of anything in the way of uptraining at this gym. (Or sequential training, or whatever you want to call it) Old 4, did not learn a single scrap of anything related to new 4 until January, after December states. New 4, did not learn a single scrap of anything related to 5 until January, after December states. And in January it was always, you will learn the next level skills and not a bit more. They did not train the new 4's for anything but a full season at 5. They have never done drills for anything higher than the very next level - nothing a level above, certainly not 2 years above.

There were some select 3's who basically just trained 5. This year, they have already made the decision to move some select 3's to 5 - basically solely training 5 and not spending any time on 4. If they can decide the 3's will be competing 5 in 9 months, why is it 6 after 12+ months for us? I should note that the girls who skipped out of 4 "last" year were less successful than the girls who did a full year of new 4. They are not phenoms. Yet the gym will be doing the same thing this year.

 

[wgymmom]

Also, everything I have read on this forum indicates that L6 is viewed largely as a lateral move, and now I'm being told that this actually is advancing a level and I should be completely pleased with that. I have read that 6 is absolutely not necessary, and now I am being told that it really is, and it's a logical progression for nearly every gymnast who has finished 5.

 

[Bess]

Yes, but the minimum requirements for 6 are pretty much the same as L5 so therein lies some controversy.

. Gotcha..like I said, still very early in the journey so I don't know the ins and outs. I'm just in the "Awww, don't worry you'll get that cast out of front hip circle" stage ;-)

 

[GYM0M]

. Gotcha..like I said, still very early in the journey so I don't know the ins and outs. I'm just in the "Awww, don't worry you'll get that cast out of front hip circle" stage ;-)

Oh! Enjoy it! It passes so quickly! My DD is almost 9 and those early days seem like centuries ago!!!

 

[z2akids]

You aren't being "told" anything. You are being given loud of hypotheticals and example of experience from parents and coaches who have been through this already.

You say that her gym does not do any training of higher level skills, but I would have to disagree. Given that your DD converted a BHS which, while option, would be a higher level skill in most gyms that compete around here, I would say that they are working on skills above level.

You are looking at an entire year in the future. I honestly think it is smart for the gym to call the girls L6 at this point. They may have an inkling of who will make the jump to L7 within that year, but give them a chance to work the skills and progressions. It isn't like she has choreographed L6 routines already with no chance to upgrade them.

 

[Quadqueen]

I'm going to agree with those who said you ARE being told what the plan is. Working toward 7 without making any promises seems like a reasonable answer from the gym. I'm also a bit confused about how she got her BHS on beam if there is zero "uptraining."

 

[wgymmom]

I'm going to agree with those who said you ARE being told what the plan is. Working toward 7 without making any promises seems like a reasonable answer from the gym. I'm also a bit confused about how she got her BHS on beam if there is zero "uptraining."

She had a BWO on beam nailed a couple of weeks after starting work on it in January. She was allowed to start working the BHS after demonstrating her mastery of the BWO. How this happened, I have no idea, since that was the first time any uptraining had been done. A couple of other girls just happened to "have" the switch leap on floor, and they competed that as well. But they weren't all systematically trained for that. I firmly believe that the only reason she was allowed to compete the BHS was because one of the coaches left. She had a BT for years but wasn't allowed to work them in practice, ever. She spent a year dying to "get" her FT - they almost never let her try in practice. They also haven't touched any sort of drill for layouts, they are all completely still on strap bar for giants.

If the gym doesn't want to make ANY promises, that's fine. But the gym IS making promises to other groups. That are not phenoms. That have less time to train. That have a larger leap in skills. Why?

I feel like I am being jumped on for the tiniest details here. Maybe that's why I'm feeling defensive.

 

[Muddlethru]

Also, everything I have read on this forum indicates that L6 is viewed largely as a lateral move, and now I'm being told that this actually is advancing a level and I should be completely pleased with that. I have read that 6 is absolutely not necessary, and now I am being told that it really is, and it's a logical progression for nearly every gymnast who has finished 5.

Level 6 can be a lateral move for some gymnasts. It also can be advancing a level for others, unnecessary for some and a logical progression for yet another group. There are so many intangibles as your posts clearly acknowledges. It may sound like we are all contradicting each other by that is because there is not one clear answer to your question(s).

I know you are not getting answers from the coaches, but they are the only ones that can truly answer your concerns. Call and set up (insist on) an appointment to speak with the coach(es). Try not to be on the offense as this may not produce the results you are hoping.

 

[z2akids]

So, they are training giants.

And they are working skills individually with girls rather than requiring everyone to wait for the entire level to be ready to work on a skill. I think it is excellent that they are individualistic within the group.

I know it is hard not to look at what other groups are doing. But, no other group or other gymnast is your DD.

Honestly, other than having someone put in writing that she will compete at L7, I don't understand what the problem is. And, a year away, I don't know that any coach has a crystal ball that would guarantee that.

 

[wgymmom]

Honestly, other than having someone put in writing that she will compete at L7, I don't understand what the problem is. And, a year away, I don't know that any coach has a crystal ball that would guarantee that.

If the gym doesn't want to make ANY promises, that's fine. But the gym IS making promises to other groups. That are not phenoms. That have less time to train. That have a larger leap in skills. Why?

 

[sevenatenine2]

Is there some anxiety that your daughter is stronger than her other Level 5 teammates, but she might be held back because they don't want to have just one or two at Level 7?

 

[bogwoppit]

To the OP, if you cannot move gyms there is nothing you can do. If your kid is ha

If the gym doesn't want to make ANY promises, that's fine. But the gym IS making promises to other groups. That are not phenoms. That have less time to train. That have a larger leap in skills. Why?

There is only one place this question can be asked and answered. Sadly that is not here.

 

[lovemygymnast]

Also, everything I have read on this forum indicates that L6 is viewed largely as a lateral move, and now I'm being told that this actually is advancing a level and I should be completely pleased with that. I have read that 6 is absolutely not necessary, and now I am being told that it really is, and it's a logical progression for nearly every gymnast who has finished 5.

Ok, let me add my 2 cents. Some gyms do compete 6. They don't allow for the whole skipping 6 and they don't see it as optional to skip, although, I have read every where that it's not a necessary level unless the gymnasts doesn't have giants for 7. Our gym is one of those. They really don't do score outs on any levels either except in a rare case. I really do think this is per gym.

Also, our HC said to the optional parents that he refuses to tell a gymnast what level they'll be competing until 3 months prior to competing. He allows them to train and obtain as many skills as they can and then he can better determine where they should be placed. I'm not sure that's normal but that's what I overheard him saying.

Now, the fact that they're telling you she's 6 possibly competing 7 is perfectly reasonable. That's coming from someone who is completely and utterly frustrated with gym communication (ours stinks). Truly, they can't tell you she'll not only have her giants but have them well enough to compete them. My DD has been working them on strap bar for a while and the form is good at times but by no means is she ready to compete 7 (she's a 4). So, give it some time and try to relax. I'm completely on your side when it comes to lack of communication or telling you something will happen that doesn't but this one is a biggie. Apparently, that's the norm in the gym world. Nobody will know if she's ready yet until she is. Kudos to her on her BHS on beam though and hey, that's and she can concentrate more effort on her giants!!

Good luck to her (and you because it's tough being a gym mom)!

 

[gymdog]

I'm very curious as to your motivation here. Clearly either your coaches are insane or they have some reasoning behind their decisions for the level placement. There's really no way for us to say which it is.