need advice

[Allaroundfan]

My daughter had the same situation - when she first started. I think every situation is different and you should definitely meet with the head coach. In our situation, we had moved to the area within 4 months and the coach essentially told us that it was a numbers game. When we asked whether she could handle a team program, he said absolutely, but he was restricted by the numbers. We decided to try another gym and she was placed on team at that gym.

[flippymonkeysmom]

I've read this post a few times before replying and it really just breaks my heart. I don't know if there is anything harder as a parent to try and explain to or console a child who is disappointed about something they try so hard at. This sport sure does have a way of doing that doesn't it. It really would be nice if the coaches could offer explanations as to why some kids don't make it so they know what they need to work on. When my dd was in the intermediate class at the first gym she competed at, her coach let her work out with the pre-team girls over the summer. All the girls on pre-team had already been there for a while and after the summer she was still pretty far behind most of them. When summer was over he moved her back to intermediate thinking it was a better fit. She was devastated, but more resigned than ever to work her butt off. Anyway after about 2 weeks the coach called me and her over and explained that she was past all the int. girls, but at the bottom of pre-team. He gave her the choice of where she wanted to go. Needless to say she picked pre-team. By the time they were all level 4's she ended up scoring the highest on her team. What he saw in her was her determination and love for the sport. If your daughter has that, and this gym isn't going to give her a chance, you might want to seriously consider finding someplace that will. Too many girls get discouraged and quit because they are at gyms that make it too hard to get on team. We had a girl at our current gym that came from another gym in the area - they didn't put her on team for some reason or another. At our gym she did just fine on team (AA state champion and all). I hope you get some answers from the coaches or find a gym that gives her the opportunity she is looking for.

[Shawn]

My DD had the same experience with the first gym went went to. She started in the usual classes when she was 4 and then moved into their rec program just after she turned 5. She did one session (about 3 months) as a level 1 before moving up to level 2. She did two sessions as a level 2 but desperately wanted to move to team. We asked the rec coach about it and she said DD was nowhere near ready for team. But she couldn't give us anything that DD needed to work on. She was not helpful at all. So, we had DD evaluated at two other gyms, both of which wanted her for their teams. We then went back to the rec coach and explained the situation to her. DD wanted to stay at that gym but the rec coach would not do anything to help her get to team. So, we left. DD started on the team at our current gym last August and went on to win two state titles for the team this past April. Obviously the rec coach did not see DD's potential whereas her current coach did. Maybe your current gym is the same way. Have you considered having her evaluated elsewhere? Even just to get an unbiased opinion?

[Blackie6]

I just had to say I agree with what Flippymonkey said about gyms not taking girls (or making it hard to get onto the team) but girls finding their spot elsewhere. Our gym over the past year has grown, almost doubled. We take girls from other teams. The highest AA girls on our L4 team and then into L5 came from other gyms. 2 girls who were older had been at another gym since they were about 4 (they are 10) or 5 and sitting on a team that didn't really compete and never ever saw their potential. Even the parents were kept in the dark. I love that they see "something" in everyone. You just never know what someone's potential is unless they are given the opportunity.