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Parent Forum A place for parents of gymnasts of any level to talk. Please do not post in this forum unless you are a parent or asking the parents a question.


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  #11  
Old 06-22-2007, 09:23 AM
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Hi Megley... So... the "other" gym pushes the kids into homeschooling at such a young age? Amazing. I just can't believe parents go along with that... but then again, when they've got olympic dreams for their children, I guess it's understandable.
Tumblequeensmom, yes they try to get them into homeschooling as early as age 6 in their Level 4 year. I heard this from a friend whose daughter switched to our gym after getting the high pressure tactics. I know they employ a lot of coaches from other countries where that type of training is common.

Meg
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Old 06-22-2007, 10:33 AM
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I know plenty of elites and elite coaches that absolutely HATE the idea of taking a gymnast out of school at an early age and doing 2 a days w/ home schooling. My one elite didn't finally make the decision to do that until her freshman year and there was no pressure from us to make her do it. And we eventually made her go back to school because we could see the signs of her becoming burnt out. If you're bringing a girl in that much when she's 6/7/8 sure she'll progress fast but you won't keep her in the program for long because she'll just be burnt out and go do diving or cheer.

Look at some of the best girls in the country...Shawn Johnson, she's attends school everyday. Nastia....school. Alicia Sacramone.....school. Children need a life outside the gym. If you train properly you can get alot done in 25-28 hours a week and still keep up the elite level.
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  #13  
Old 06-22-2007, 11:11 AM
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Originally Posted by Megley View Post
they try to get them into homeschooling as early as age 6 in their Level 4 year. Meg
WOW!! Level 4??? I thought most gymnasts don't home school for training purposes until they were much higher levels????

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Originally Posted by Megley View Post
I know they employ a lot of coaches from other countries where that type of training is common. Meg
Our coaches are from Russia, and none of their kids homeschool, except one family, but their kids were always home schooled, did not change because of gymnastics.

Have you guys seen the Parkettes CNN special on you tube? Here is the link to Part 1. A very high pressure gym, it was heart breaking to me, (although possibly dramatized for TV).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvMpy6kEOZM
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  #14  
Old 06-22-2007, 11:30 AM
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I also sat and watched the whole Parkettes documentary. I DO think it's really sad and as much as my DD wants to "go to the Olympics" (I do try to get some common sense into her head over this, and know that's NOT going to happen) I don't think I could EVER endorse that type of training. I did find it enlightening that there were a set or two of parents that you could tell, it was THEIR dream they were pursuing and NOT necessarily their daughter's... (or maybe the daughter "adopted" the dream from their parents?!?) At any rate. . .

I just can't believe that these gyms are pushing the gymnastics so hard at such young ages. AND forcing them to choose between school OR gym! That's just insane.
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Old 06-22-2007, 11:48 AM
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WOW! I just watched that documentary...those parents are just plain cruel!
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Old 06-22-2007, 01:12 PM
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Angry
Have you guys seen the Parkettes CNN special on you tube? Here is the link to Part 1. A very high pressure gym, it was heart breaking to me, (although possibly dramatized for TV).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AvMpy6kEOZM[/quote]


Wow I just watched it. The parents are mixed up, but that coach is not right at all, all I can say is ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! I don't know much about being a coach for elite gymnasts, but I do know you can't get the best results from that kind of intimidation and fear. If those girls are that good with a coach like that I bet they could be amazing with a coach that encourages and doesn't insult them. It's one thing to tell someone what they need to do to be better, it is another intirely to yell and degrade them when they are doing something and not getting it. The team coach at the gym where I used to take my dd must be a clone of this woman, or at least took coaching lessons from her. I am less inclined to judge the parents as harshly because if the coach is that indimidating to the gymnasts I can only imagin what she is like to the parents. Most parents don't seem like they have a clue what goes on in that gym, probably because they aren't allowed in ( a red flag for me), and aren't given the final say about how thier child is to deal with injuries, the coach is.(another red flag to me).

Yes they win, but so do other gyms. Do all elite gyms resort to these tactics????
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Old 06-22-2007, 01:22 PM
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Wow, I just watched the whole thing. Thanks for posting that LGCM. That documentary really puts things in perspective. Man, I wanted to strangle that female coach by the end of the documentary!! That poor kid Annie just seemed like she did not really want to be there.

This really points up the injury thing too. I winced every time I watched one of those girls fall on her knees or head or face. No wonder they are having heel or back problems. It definitely gives one pause about continuing in the sport.

Interestingly, that last meet was in VB - where we live - and some of those girls in the purple and black are from the gym I just mentioned.
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Old 06-22-2007, 05:53 PM
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well the Parkettes docu drama as I said broke my heart too, it was probably more of a made for TV story though... I do think the elite level can not be easy or it would be for everyone, and I am sure we saw a very tinny part of it. but, the little one Ashley Barry, the little 7 yr old w/the broken ankle could not be taken out of context - I can't imagine why parents would LET that little girl compete in TOPS knowing she had a broken ankleno matter how long/hard she had worked for it, that was child abuse. She was no where near elite and they were trying to fit her into that category somehow. She did eventually make TOPS, I think when she was 10 yrs old.

Kayla stark said her comments and others comments were taken out of context.. She is no longer @ parkettes because she moved.

Nicole Harris qualified for the 2004 Olympic Trials, but then got injured. She now competes for ASU.

Annie Fogerty quit gym I think, and is diving in college.

Christina "sharky" coccia got injured and demoted back to lvl 10, but she got a college scholarship I believe. There are great montages on her, Kristal Uzelak , Annie Fogerty & nicole Harris.
Last edited by littlegymchampsmom; 06-22-2007 at 05:56 PM.
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  #19  
Old 06-22-2007, 07:03 PM
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Big or small isn't the most important question. Small gyms can be run by screaming coaches as likely as big gyms. It's the philosophy of the gym, rather than size, that will determine fit.

Here are things I'd look at if selecting a gym:

High on the list should be, what fits the personality of your child? There are huggy gyms, with coaches who influence by handing out hugs and platitudes. There are professional gyms, with business-like coaches who focus on technique. There are screamer gyms, run by tyrants who intimidate the athletes into shape. There are hands-on gyms that do a lot of spotting, and others that provide the means for the child to learn without a lot of hands-on spotting. And there's everything in between. Any can be effective if it's a good match for your child.

Look at the track record. Have they historically developed the type of gymnast and young woman you hope your daughter will become? What they've done in the past is as good an indicator as you'll have on how they might do in the future.

Reputation. How are they thought of throughout the state? How long have they been around? Do kids stay there for many years or leave after a few? How many stay through HS graduation?

Experience counts for a lot. I don't want inexperienced coaches learning via my child. It's not fair to her. If they don't teach things properly, your child will pay a heavy price though limited accomplishment, and through a painful process of re-learning proper technique if she ever moves to another gym.

Gymnastics is a sport that builds off of strong fundamentals. If good technique is not learned at the early levels, the child will find it difficult or impossible to learn higher level skills properly. It's always sad to see a promising child whose accomplishments were limited by ineffective coaching.

Quote:
the coaches are maybe not too experienced
We all want to believe that our coaches are as capable as any. But the simple truth is that some are better than others. And the gap can be wide, and can be seen through the performances of the children. The kids don't learn what they learn by accident. Where have the coaches studied? Do they continue their education through yearly seminars and conferences? Are they able to teach and spot the high-level skills? Do they know the progressions that lead from the early skills to the advanced ones?

Find role models for your child within the sport--local girls who developed into fine young women and gymnasts. Whoever trained them is worth a look.
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  #20  
Old 06-23-2007, 01:48 AM
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Mac - your comments are very helpful. I defininately want DD to be where she's being taught her fundamental skills correctly, and then can progress to her full potential. I do know the owners of our gym have been there for years, but DD's coach is brand new. Time will tell, but in the meantime I may go watch some practices at the other gym in town to see for myself. Firsthand information is always best.

Competitive gymnastics is just that, competitive. There's nothing wrong with that or with desiring to do well both individually and as a team as long as both the kids and coaches treat eachother respectfully. It's a balancing act, like many things.
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