Coaches What should I do?

[Barney6]

My daughter is a level 5 at a gym that requires her top 3 scores to average to 35. This gym always has gymnast in the top 3 places on every event and always gets 1st place for the team award.
My daughter however is not getting the top scores. Her highest score so far is a 33.8. While she is obviously not a natural, she has been working really hard. After our last meet she was bawling because she didn't get a 35 so she feels she will have to repeat level 5. With two more meets to go her chances of moving up to the next level are getting slimmer and slimmer. I think she has already given up and does not see the point in trying at these next two meets.
As a parent I am not sure what to do? Should I look for a new gym that does not have such a high score requirement and will let her move up, knowing that she will not score really high in the next level? Or do I have her repeat and hope she gets better scores next year and gets more ribbons/metals? It is really hard to know what to do because right now I feel my daughter does not think she is good enough because she can't get over a 35. Is this a realistic expectation?

 

[Deleted member 14190]

well,,, thats a tough one, a 35 really isn't a high score, so if she is having difficulty then she probably should repeat the level, as opposed to moving up and getting even lower scores, which will result in even more bawling and certain retirement. (or getting injured because she is not capable yet). Why would you look at a new gym? How about doing what the gym asks, after all they are the experts... Next year she will be putting up high scores and feeling better about herself, but you have to encourage this, you have to get her excited about this, and then never talk about it again... There is an old saying that applies to gymnastics more than most sports, "be careful what you wish for"....

 

[iwannacoach]

I always look at the facts, try to figure out what they mean, and proceed from their. Here's my list of facts.......

L5 isn't that hard

It's not uncommon for kids to score 35AA's multiple times their first year at L5

Programs differ in the amount of time they provide, and the quality of coaches that time is spent with

Kids differ in their intrinsic abilities, physical, mental, and emotional

Parents differ in how much they'll support their child's dedication to any sport

My suggestion is to figure out which of the above facts apply, and come to a conclusion or suspicion as to what's really at play.
Follow through with a chat with dd, a chat with the coach, and then decide what to do.

There's one last self evident fact...... kids with the abilities needed to make gymnastics happen, when combined with a reasonable amount of training hours under a capable coach's supervision, will generally score 35AA and above. So my take on your dd's situation is something, somewhere, just isn't right.

 

[Brandon]

In my opinion she should repeat the level. You don't want her going out there competing the next level when she isn't ready. She'll do worse in competition and have a higher risk of injury.

She'll move up when she's ready, don't worry!

 

[GymCoachR2]

My personal philosophy is that I want to put kids out on the floor to succeed. That's not to say I want like 5th year level 5s. But I think that if a gymnast isn't going to be putting up competitive scores and they are going to be discouraged and possibly even defeated emotionally when they go to meets that they don't need to be competing that level. I want every child to feel confident in themselves and their skills when they step out on the floor. It doesn't seem (to me personally), that your daughter has reached that stage yet. There is no one pace that works for every child.

I personally would not push for move-up. Instead I would set goals of having a stellar next season, seeing your daughter happy and successful. And knowing that a second year at level 5 will probably mean laying a better foundation for a long successful gymnastics career.

 

[iwannacoach]

My personal philosophy is that I want to put kids out on the floor to succeed. That's not to say I want like 5th year level 5s....... if a gymnast isn't going to be putting up competitive scores and they are going to be discouraged and possibly even defeated emotionally........ I want every child to feel confident in themselves and their skills when they step out on the floor. It doesn't seem (to me personally), that your daughter has reached that stage yet. There is no one pace that works for every child.

I think we both share the same sentiments about these valid points. What I'm trying to say is that the USAG system is broken into, more or less, two required compulsory levels and four optional levels. Perhaps when next quad's system comes down the pike, we'll see an additional step included in the progression, from the first required level, to the light at the end of the tunnel. It may be presumptive, but I assume the majority of kids would like to spend a meaningful amount of time as a successful optional gymnast...... however their definition of that may be.

For me, the question isn't whether Barney6's darling is ready to move up, but is she being given a training experience that ensures her a reasonable chance to become what she may want to be, provided she has the aggregate ability and heart to do so, and the support of parents that "get it." I become concerned when I hear about programs that require "x" before moving a child up, that habitually train kids lagging behind the "x" requirement. My concern becomes more resolved when these same programs field "powerhouse" teams, as they are often stacked with enthusiastic "repeaters" who collect the best of the medals at every competition, but have no clue that their future prospects lack the same promise.

Don't misunderstand. I love seeing happy kids, even if it takes a medal to make them happy, and I'll work my tail off to help them get what they want. What I don't care so much for is a program sitting on it's "arse" and simply telling kids and their parents that their child isn't ready. Sure, I get that every kid isn't "big time" material and expect, as anyone else would, that the occasional kid won't be able to move up for reasons that are the product of themselves or their parents. So here's what I'll do. I'll just put it out there as bluntly as I can..........

If a child is in a program at a certain level, she should have available to her a similar amount of gym hours allowed the average kid at the average gym. She should have reasonably capable coaches, who's abilities are measured what they produce instead of what reqirements they invoke for moving up. If this child is a healthy, fit, and active child, with the same physical, emotional, and mental gifts as other kids at other gyms who move up, then she should be able to measure up just as well.

Unfortunately, I've seen a few too many programs where these capable kids frequently fall short of the qualification established by their coaches. I simply don't think it's fair, nor ethical, to knowingly operate a gym that provides a little less than average, unless there exists a mission statement along the lines of......

We vow to safely provide in a caring environment a gymnastics experience that emphasizes community values, citizenship, respect for all, and inclusive participation in gymnastics competitions.

I can live with, tolerate, and even support that approach, and there are many clubs that proudly make similar claims who have kids repeat on a consistent basis. I'm fine with that..... as long as there's no effort to cloud a child or parents vision by waving L4 and L5 championship banners about to obscure the truth that the club pretty much stinks it up for any 9 year old L4 who has a dream so impractical as making it to L8 prior to getting their drivers license.

That's all I was really getting at, but to get there you had to read between the lines.....

 

[GymCoachR2]

I completely understand what you're saying/where you are coming from. But since I have no knowledge to this child's coaches/training schedule/gym and how they move children up, I was solely basing my response on scores. While you're right that early success in the compulsory levels is not necessarily indicative of optional success. Early hardship does often indicate that there is some crack in the foundation. That's all I'm saying. Foundation first.

 

[ABCTechnique]

I do agree that she may just need to repeat Level 5. You yourself said it, "She's obviously not a natural" with that being said maybe she needs more time to grasp what she is doing. Also I hear parents say this all the time," I don't care about score, as long as she's happy" or things close to that. Her bawling is coming from somewhere. It could be being compared to other girls, feeling like if I don't come in 1st something is wrong with me,or it could be the pressure to qualify to sec or states. Parents can do damage without knowing what they do. I bet the coaches are aware that she may not be the strongest kid on the block, I know they already know it's possible she may need to repeat, your daughter is probably doing the BEST she can. I'm not saying you are putting pressure on her but the focus needs to get off her "Qualifying and getting a 35" to "Wow, you did great! don't focus on the other girls ... as long as you did your absolute best! Because bottom line she can't pull a 35 out of her butt is she's not capable. She can hit all 4 events and still score 33, she may just need more time. If you want her to feel accomplished and if you want her to stay in the sport, help build up her confidence and be honest ... tell you," Honey your doing great, but you may just need more time, more work. It's okay to repeat because next year you will be stronger! Everything is not a error on the coaches ... if you suspect something is not right then yes move your child. But don't think like a "Parent" Take time and breathe and go over her progressions throughout the year. Where she started to where she is now, her training, hours, etc. Parent's get emotional to quick ... afraid their baby isn't treated fairly. Sometimes baby just needs more time where she is.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well, in a couple of regions that i can think of, those kids would then rot at that level.