Team at 5 1/2?

[gym law mom]

IMO, 12 hours/week is a little on the high side for L4s. At our old gym and present one the L5s only practice 10.5-12 hours/week and L6s just a few more and the gyms are both successful(neither has L4). I worked at our home compulsory meet this weekend and was a scorer for both L4 sessions. With warm up and competition, the total time in the gym for the girls was about 3.5 hours. I could really see the younger ones wearing down mentally when they came to us in their last rotation.

One thing to consider about summer schedules. In many gyms they don't resemble the school schedule at all. Many gyms try and get their teams in for practices during the day rather than evening. Some run practices 3-4 days in a row which can be tough on the kids---usually it does give families a long weekend without a practice. Many gyms also increase practice hours during the summer since they don't have to worry about kids doing homework and having other school activities. It is a time they can devote to more strength work and especially getting routines down. Right now, no gym would be able to tell you what the summer schedule will be, but if number of hours is a concern this would be something to be aware of and ask about around April or so. Some gyms also charge more for the summer months if the girls are scheduled for more hours. My daughter did 20 hours/week during the summer and dropped back to 16 once school started.

It doesn't mean you can't take a vacation or she can't skip a practice/leave early to do something with friends etc. That move up to team or a new level can be a shock if the gym does do increased summer hours.

[Blackie6]

I think rbw brings up a lot of valid points. And, LOL, I guess coming to a board such as this you do get a ton of positive responses from those of us who are comfortable with our choices. But I do feel the need to reply in case you are thinking some of us moms are pushing our daughters too quickly. Anyone who has viewed my DD's video knows we are not on the gymnastics fast track, LOL, we may not even make it out of L4 due to some medical issues. Olympics is something we just plan on watching, not planning for. My daughter goes 10-11 hrs a week and loves it. But, she is still young and yes could eventually burn out. We make sure she has other activities & school does come first in our house too. Our gymnastics program is not strict, most of our Sat practices before the meet are light work-outs and often they play gymnastics games. My dd enjoys being on the team, going to meets and being in the gym. She especially loves being with the girls. Maybe because I have two older boys at home. The program has changed some of her physical limitations 100% If she quit today, we have had the time of our lives. There may be a time when physically she can't keep up, and may quit, and we knew that going into the comittment. That is why we never look beyond the next day's practice. There are many moms dreaming of college scholarships on our team and to be honest I don't see that as a route for my own daughter.

I guess what I am saying is that everyone has reasons for making the choices they make for their kids. And, you have to do what you think is best for your child. And yes, you have to understand exactly what your level of comittment is once you join a team. It does take a lot of money, time and family support. We are new to it and I can't even imagine what the families of older girls have gone thru year after year at this pace! I would never force my daughter to go if she didn't want to go, but have witnessed this even in my own gym. I even think I can predict which kids will burn-out quickly because of how their parents are acting. I don't think more hours makes a better gymnast, or better program. And there is no way I would allow my DD to go to a longer schedule (ex; L5 is I think about 15 hrs) until she is much older. But our coaches are fun, friendly and it is a non-stressful & safe environment. So you really have to know if the team is a good fit for your daughter before joining & know that gymnastics does come with a high list of injuries along the way. Every day I ask myself how I got suckered into this. I wish my daughter opted for the piano as well, the lessons would be much cheaper! But, physically the gymnastics program has been tremendus for my daughter since we started at age 3. And without it I doubt she would be doing as well as she is doing. If it ended tomorrow it was worth every penny.

[catesmom]

It's really interesting to hear that all of us as gym families seem to have the same concerns about our kids in this sport. My daughter is competing for her 4th year this season either as a 6 or 7. She has been in gymnastis since she was 2. Our gym just recently started competing level 4 so we didn't have that concern, but she has been practicing 4 days a week, 16 to 16 1/2 hours per week for the last 4 years. In the lower grades it was much easier to complete her school work and have her practices, now in 7th grade, it is getting tougher. When somthing comes up, she misses a practice, or the coaches let them leave early for heavy homework.

As a pre-teamer she practiced 3 days a week and 3 hours a day. It was a breeze looking back because she had so little homework. Also in middle school, there are the added pressures of school dances, etc., I can only imagine what it will be like when she discovers boys! As with the rest of you I am sure, I have grade standands that she has to meet. That has never been a problem for her, and I have a good relationship with her teachers, I can ask for help if we need it due to due dates etc, but so far we have done fine.

I feel it also important to follow her other interests. She has always been in girl scouts, shes a cadet now, and is an aide to the younger troops at school. Again her Scout Leader is aware of her time commitment and works with us very well. She takes dance one night a week, our gym also has a dance program, and is starting pointe this year. She needs the break from the gym, and it really helps her artistry.

We are not on the track to go elite, her coaches say that she has the talent to make it to level 10 some day, and her goal is to compete at the college level. But as one of her first coaches said to me 10 years ago, if you are in this for a scholorship, take her out of gymnastics and put your money in the bank!

The most important thing that I could say to someone just starting down this road is the TIME commitment to the family is something that you must really consider. It's not the trips to the gym(believe me you won't be staying at the gym for long), it's the booster club, and the meets you host, not to mention that in our case we get our competition schedule in september and you get to plan your life around the two meets per month Dec to March or April. Then theres the money, $160 competition leo, $75 warm-up, $650 competition fee, $245 a month for practice. I don't add it all up too often it's too depressing!

All that said we go through the months and months of practicing new skills, and then she gets to compete. She lives for the competition. We are about a month away, and thats all I hear about. As long as her drive for this sport is so strong, she has my complete backing.

We are a smaller gym, about 50 gymnasts from level 4 through level 10. And we live out in the country so not much traffic to worry about, it's 5 minutes from home or school to the gym. Every year we lose a few girls, usually they just lose the fire, or meet a boy, or don't want to try the new skills for the next level. How well they score in competitions also makes a difference. The number of girls who get medals at level 6 really drops, and there are no more ribbons. It's not fun going if all your friends get awards and you don't. But as they said, sometimes it's just the time commitment. My daughters pre-team group was 22, her level 5 group was 16, last year her level 6 group was 6, now it's 4. Of the 50 girls on our team we have 10 in levels 8 through 10. Hope my experiences help a little.

[Ingymmom]

"I guess coming to a board such as this you do get a ton of positive responses from those of us who are comfortable with our choices."

One of the big lessons I have learned (& preach to myself all of the time) in gymnastics Blackie is that we as parents can & should offer opinions when asked, however we have no right to judge or assume there are ulterior motives to a choice a parent ultimately makes for their child... Being positive is a perspective & happens to be the perspective I choose to take in life. These were all thought out difficult decisions for us as parents to make - we are all parents of gymnasts, we SHOULD be here to support - again not to judge or assume. Just because our children started "team" young by no way means they are going to be elite gymnasts, or even going to want that for themselves. & college is so many years away... Those are even bigger decisions for parents/children to make at a much later time. We can only focus on what they can happily commit to now. Joining team is not a lifetime commitment, if our children say one day they would like to stop, then they stop - and move on to something else. There is absolutely nothing wrong with that. We know our children best, are they whiny? Tired? unhappy? Cry when it is time for gym? At that point we may need to adjust our decision for our children.

I, personally, am happy my dd chose gymnastics as her beginning sport - she loves it & seems to be ok at it, moving to the competitive level was just the next step for her. We view our gymnastics program as an education and we value it just as much as scholastics AT THIS POINT! I like gymnastics, gymnastics is for anybody that wants to try it. There is no benching that kid because they are weaker, everyone gets the same amount of "game time". Gymnasts are part of a team, however they also have the ability to shine as an individual. Gymnastics teaches children to set short term/long term goals, which can benefit long into the future. It gives children a chance to learn and appreciate everyones abilities. In the right program with the right coaches they learn the value of organization, respect. The right coaches can be positive role models/mentors which I feel is very important to have outside as well as inside the immediate family. It helps children to learn to face their fears & overcome them. Gymnastics helps develop flexibility, coordination, strength, speed, balance, power and discipline. With pediatric obesity at an epidemic level for children and adolescents getting children away from computers and TV & into the gym is a great step toward creating a positive perspective of a healthy lifestyle. There are plenty of studies to show that there is a relationship between physical activity and children's self esteem. The more time children spend being active the higher their self-efficacy and self esteem were reported to be. Long range, these active and therefore healthier adults are more likely to be more productive at work, take less sick days, and have fewer "on the job" accidents. There are even more studies that show physical activity is instrumental in preventing certain cancers, a decrease in substance abuse, smoking & alcohol use, better school attendance, lower anxiety and depression. Statistics show that children actively engaged in organized "positive choice" extra-curricular activities are less likely to be involved in self-destructive and anti-social behavior and juvenile crime. The benefits go on. This is my position on the subject.

[catesmom]

Oh- and by the way, up until this year, when Saturday practices changed to 8 am, she asked every friday night to do open gym for another two hours! As was said by many....These girls live and breathe gymnastics!!!!!!!

[mariposamama]

great posts catesmom and ingymmom!! thanks!

[Ltlewonder]

I just wanted to say that I'm so glad to be a part of a board where honest, heartfelt opinions and responses are respected and used as learning tools and incite.
My dd started "dancing" (ballet/tap/acro combo class) at 3 years old. Along the way, she has played t-ball, basketball, soccer, she loves to swim, read, skate, play with her friends and adores her family! She also spent this last spring competing in 5 different dance components in our region for/with her dance studio.
In Aug. 2006, at age 5 1/2, SHE decided that she liked the tumbling part of all of that the best, so we set out looking for a gym.
Before her 6th birthday, after only 5 months in the gym, she was invited to the team, Level 3, and she has been having a BLAST! Just when they started getting bored with learning the "routines", competition season started (for us, that was Sept.). Now, we are looking at only 2 more competitions and she is VERY ready to start learning the level 4 skills. Mackenzie is not a "superstar" and she certainly is a little girl. A little girl who has been on the podium, 3rd place or better, for every event and all-around all this season, and still her biggest joy is "Mom, the TEAM took 1st place"! How much more proud can you be than of that kind of attitude.
Sometimes, it's hard to remember how young they are, just because of their maturity and ability to do things that would make my head spin, literally! LOL! Sometimes, you watch them in the gym, not really paying attention and "half" doing their skills, and think, WHAT IS SHE DOING!? Then you go to competition, and they walk in like perfect little soldiers, with their pretty little "walk" and utmost respect for their teammates, judges and coaches alike, and you think "Where did that BIG girl come from"! (And the tears flow freely)! LOL!
As Blackie said, if it ended tomorrow, it would be worth every minute of time I've set in that gym, all the trips, and money and sacrifice, and truthfully, we are having a GREAT TIME!
You have to look at it like you would any other thing your child is interested in. I was a Piano child, and spent many frustrating hours at the piano, but I loved it and I still use it. Though Kenzie may not be tumbling in 10 more years, or even 5 more, that does not say that her experience was not well worthwhile and someday, she may be a fantastic "winning" coach, such as Suzanne Yoculan. (Go GYMDOGS)!! OR, she may be a well-adjusted, hard working adult who happened to have gymnastics as her foundation!
Sorry for the rambling, but I would like to say one thing as far as safety and potential for injury. It is well known that gymnastics is a potentially dangerous sport. That is why it is our responsibility as a parent to find a SAFE, FUN gym that fits our child. Make sure that all coaches have their safety certifications, watch how they interact with the girls. All the stuff you would do ANYWHERE you let your child spend time.
There is potential for injury in ANY sport. Ever seen a 14 or 15 yr. old blow out a knee and end his football career FOREVER! We've all heard about the kids that have been killed in a baseball game, when they were hit with a ball and their heart stopped. You can not, short of sitting on them and keeping them in a rubber room, keep your kids safe all the time.
Follow your heart and let that little one experience everything she can, while she is young enough to soak it up, and if gymnastics is her passion, Go for it and we'll "See ya at the gym"!! Have fun!!

[mariposamama]

another great post! thanks leslie.

i would love to keep my kid in a bubble, safe from the world, injury, etc, etc, but if i did, she would be miserable. as you and others have said, this is our right now. she is happy right now and learning many things that have nothing to do with gymnastics. thanks everyone!

[rbw]

I confess I'm intrigued by how parents reach the decision to commit their children to long hours of practice at a young age. It's clear that gymnastics does reward those long hours, but that expertise must come at some cost: you can't do everything. (Every time you choose to spend a dollar of your disposable income, you're acting on a decision that “I want this more than I want that.” At some level, perhaps, you may even be acting on a decision that “I need this more than a child in Somalia needs food.” You can't do everything.) Every hour that you choose to spend on an activity is an hour that cannot be used for some other purpose, even some other important purpose.

Even a parent’s seemingly creditable choices can have repercussions. For example, cellist Yo-Yo Ma's older sister apparently was once the virtuoso of a family that included her famous brother and two parents who studied at the Sorbonne. Although years after a childhood devoted to long hours of intense violin practice she can still play and she directs a youth orchestra in the hours away from her medical practice, it seems that she's a bit bitter about her experience: She's said that she gave up her childhood for her left hand, and that “It took a whole slice out of my life.” I wonder what she would have said had she devoted those hours not to music but to an activity that cannot be continued as an adult.

Could some of you help me to understand this: What is to be gained from training those long hours (long hours for a child of six or seven, anyway) that makes you willing to do it? Honestly, I don’t understand: Among the gym families that I happen to know, the most committed is that of a former NCAA gymnast who is a JO gymnastics judge (she’s willing to drive her daughters 150 miles round trip—and bypass several gyms—to take her kids to the best gym within (un)reasonable driving distance), but neither of her daughters started training team hours at the young ages mentioned for some of your daughters; while I don’t know any families of elite athletes, perhaps the second most gymnastics-centric family I do know is considering homeschooling so that their child can move to an elite track, but I think that that girl didn’t join a team until she was eight. I don't know any families that can help me understand this: Why would a parent make this choice among the huge range of possible choices?

I can see the attraction. When my ten-year old stuck some front aerials on the low beam last week, I really could see how with quite a bit of luck, inspired coaching, and years of very hard work, my ten year-old might really do something in gymnastics. I don’t know why, but when she does equally well in fifth-grade social studies or algebra I don’t envision her teaching constitutional law at Harvard or winning the Fields Medal. Some dreams are more accessible, I suppose, both to little kids and to their parents. Do you think that might be part of it?

[catesmom]

RBW- I can tell that you really are sincere in your question, so heres my reply. The many lessons that my daughter has learned in gymnastics.....well to many to mention them all but here goes.

She is comfortable with her body and takes pride in her athletic abilities. Any pre-teen girl who can go out on a gym floor and perform in what amounts to being a tight fitting bathing suit, has little fear about being in front of a crowd. She's the one who gives the verbal part of group presentations. She's the one who has no problem going before the congregation in church and doing the readings, the confidence that this young girl has is priceless.

She is in excellent physical shape, and always performs at the highest levels of all physical fitness tests at school. As she says "she can do more chin-ups than any of the boys". It's not just the gymnastics kids, it's the traveling soccer kids, and the traveling volleyball kids. They are all in excellent condition, and believe me, I have see more injuries in those kids, than in the gymnastics kids.

At the age of 12, she has learned to budget her time, and complete all her school work, get great grades, and still enjoy her sport. I don't know of any familes at our gym that don't have grade requirements. I know that this is a skill that will be a big plus in college. And as for college gymnastics, unlike most other sports, you will find virtually all of the team girls are Academic All-Americans, I don't think this is an accident. We are blessed to have a College team in our town, I have to say, each year at least 90% of the girls are recognized for their grades.

The one part of your post I do take exception to, is the starving people in Somalia thing, do you really imply that if our children were not involved in this sport we would do more to halt world hunger???? My donations to groups that I support are neither hurt or helped by my childrens activities. That is a personal choice that we all make. If you ever attend a "meet" you will see that gymnast families come from every walk of life, some probably have no issues with the costs, others have to fund-raise to pay their fees. The one thing that they all have in common is a commitment to the support of their childrens activities.

Lastly, the injuries. In the past 6 months we have had 4 girls treated for injuries. The first broke her foot playing soccer in the front yard with her little brother when she fell into a hole. The second broke a wrist at a friends birthday party while they were playing tag. The third hurt her knee while on a family vacation in Florida, and the fourth did hyperextend her elbow while practicing on bars. Injuries happen to our children everywhere and anytime, no matter how carefull we are. The coaches at my daughters gym do everything they can to prevent injuries, at least 3 hours a week are spent on strength alone.

I hope this clears up the question as to why we support our daughters in this sport, and helps you to understand that it's not all the "Olympic Dream" that you think it is, these girls just LOVE this sport.