Coaches Young pre team group

[nevertooold]

Just curious how old was too old for compulsories at your gym?

 

[Linsul]

Well, the age problem in Natalie's case was bad timing, she's 9 and a half now. Our current pre team possible level 4's are 6 and 7. Our other compulsory group had just finished up their level 5 season and are almost 8, 8, or a couple months away from 9. There's one 9yr old that just had a birthday I think. Natalie was too far behind the girls closest to her age group. The coaches deemed 9 and a half too old for a repeat season of level 4 which she would have had to do.

There's a gap between our compulsories due to getting the recruitment engine started and some restructuring mid season. So we'll have brand new 4's in september, level 6's and (so far as I know) no level 5's next season. The pre team started a few months back, and we'll have developmental come June.


So the ages would be:

Developmental 5(almost 6),6,7

Pre team 6, 7, (barely) 8

Level 4 - chosen from pre team

9 would be too old. The exception would probably be a gymnast that came through the door ready for level 6 I suppose.

 

[nevertooold]

9 would be too old. The exception would probably be a gymnast that came through the door ready for level 6 I suppose.

Sorry to be so blunt but in both my personal and professional opinions that is just a real damn shame.

For a 9 yr old to be too old for level 5 is just plain wacko.

 

[Linsul]

Sorry to be so blunt but in both my personal and professional opinions that is just a real damn shame.

For a 9 yr old to be too old for level 5 is just plain wacko.

She's not too old for it, as I said, bad timing. Also as I said, we have no Level 5 team next season. 4 and 6 only. She'd have to repeat 4, isn't ready for 6. Luckily she found a great program where that isn't an issue.

 

[gymdog]

I understand there's no L5 team (though that doesn't really happen where I am) but I didn't move to a competitive program until I was 11 I had L6 skills by that point but wasn't quite ready to compete it and did a year of 5. By the next year I had most beginning optional skills and it probably took another year or two to catch up to girls in my age group (by that point intermediate optional).

Before I started high school one of the seniors taught me her routine. She was picked from a rec program to L4 around age 11/12 and competed NCAA for NC State....good gymnast.

Personally I would put a 9 year in a group with 7 and 8 year olds with no problems although it sounds like repeating L4 would be a detriment at this point to a 9 year old who has straight arm kips on both bars and the physical ability to have a serious skill expansion. That would just be silly.

 

[Linsul]

I understand there's no L5 team (though that doesn't really happen where I am) but I didn't move to a competitive program until I was 11 I had L6 skills by that point but wasn't quite ready to compete it and did a year of 5. By the next year I had most beginning optional skills and it probably took another year or two to catch up to girls in my age group (by that point intermediate optional).

Before I started high school one of the seniors taught me her routine. She was picked from a rec program to L4 around age 11/12 and competed NCAA for NC State....good gymnast.

Personally I would put a 9 year in a group with 7 and 8 year olds with no problems although it sounds like repeating L4 would be a detriment at this point to a 9 year old who has straight arm kips on both bars and the physical ability to have a serious skill expansion. That would just be silly.

The no L5 team is purely situational wackyness. The coach who started them at level 4 didn't have a pre team or devo program set up, and left after 1 season. So the new coach got them through L5, and started a pre team after. With pre-team and developmental set up now there should be no more gaps.

Natalie found a program that wasn't going through that, though she says she wants to come back as an optional. She very well may! We've had 2 gymnasts who went that route, the door isn't closed on anyone it just wasn't meant to be in this case. She's enjoying herself now that she knows what she's capable of. Level 5 at a gym that trains up is perfect for her.

 

[gymnut1]

Ok a bit of an update. Turns out I do have a say on who is in the class. I did make my rounds and ask all the coaches of 5-7yr olds who stands out to them as being a good fit for this group, and now have a list of 12 kids.

One of them I know very well, she's 6. She's driven, strong, and fearless qualities I love about her. However, in my history with her there's 2 things that put me off. I'm not sure if it's just me, so I'm going to put it out here and see what you guys think. She often says she understands things when she doesn't, which results in a few heart attacks for me when spotting her. I tell her to ask questions, ask her what she needs help understanding, and she brushes it off and just wants to try again. Very demanding about not wanting a spot even when she clearly needs one. When I explain this to her she reluctantly agrees, then goes slack and I end up spotting her entirely through the skill.

The communication part could just be her age. I'm sure that will improve. Her attitude about spotting worries me though. There's so little change in her skills because she doesn't understand verbal correction, and gives up with a spot. Plus she's progressed so far in the rec program that I'm worried she will actually resent going back to conditioning, shapes, and handstands. I'm not sure how she will feel about the dance part of it.

I lean towards no, then remind myself she's 6. Then remember I'm looking at articulate 5yr olds with a great attitude who are equally fearless and don't detest spotting. If I take her, and she doesn't adapt, that attitude will not fly with her compulsory coach should she move up. I don't want to get her and her parents hopes up just to end up spinning everyones wheels. I don't know if it's wise to accept her banking on such huge changes, but there's definitely things about her that show potential.

Your first issue is easy to resolve - we have that all the time at school. Ask her if she understands what you told her. She says yes. Ask her to explain it back to you. You (and she) will find out what she really understands. Have a giggle about it and explain again with her help until she gets it.

The spotting issue I have come across with several children. With older children I kind of respect it to a point. Some children just dislike being handled - often there are ways round it with abit of thought. I think it does hold them back to an extent but if that is their personality try and work with it.

With younger children aged 6-8 that keep asking I usually say they can do it without a spot when they are doing it right. I have a couple of children wanting to try BWO by themselves when I am still shaping and placing them throughout the move rather than 'spotting'. They can't tell the difference. I usually tell them they will fall on their head and then let them do it with 1 hand in on a soft mat so they fall on their head without harm. That seems to cure them for a bit lol. I love that they want to move on and are brave enough to try skills. I try and set up stations where they can try at least part of the skill by themselves. It is just getting them learning to trust you as a coach. I find this attitude usually goes away within a month or two of coaching them. They soon learn to trust that you know best.

As she is so young I would not let the spotting thing affect your judgement. However the not really listening and understanding and her impatience could be. You need a bit of time to find that out. Good luck.

 

[nevertooold]

She's not too old for it, as I said, bad timing. Also as I said, we have no Level 5 team next season. 4 and 6 only. She'd have to repeat 4, isn't ready for 6. Luckily she found a great program where that isn't an issue.

My apologies, I misunderstood. I thought you were implying that your program felt a 9 yr old was too old for compulsories unless she came in ready for level 6.

I was seeing all 9 yr old level 7's and everyone else is too old kind of mindset.

 

[Linsul]

My apologies, I misunderstood. I thought you were implying that your program felt a 9 yr old was too old for compulsories unless she came in ready for level 6.

I was seeing all 9 yr old level 7's and everyone else is too old kind of mindset.

No worries it's a weird situation to explain, plus the nyquil I'd taken didn't help. Medicated posting fog yay!

 

[Linsul]

Got done with the official meeting today. Went great! I'm getting my kid height ballet barre, some light/medium therabands, and a rack in the space I wanted. Sweet.

40 minutes is going to spent on conditioning (20 minute blocks at the beginning/end), 15 on active flexibility, 20 minutes on dance, the remaining time will be on skills/drills.

For the conditioning, they are going to have 5 stations, say leg lifts for example. They'll spend 4 minutes at that station, doing sets of 10. At the end, they'll tell me how many sets they did, I'll write it down, then they switch stations. After a week or so, I'm going to average those numbers and come up with a 'challenge' number. I'll mark if they made it or not, but there's no penalty for not. It's purely to see who's driven without having to demand or cajole. Going to use the 'hardest worker' star necklace reward for every workout.

The parents are not supposed to stay and watch, but there will be transparency. At the end of the month they'll get a copy of the sheet I'm keeping of their child's progress.