Level 3 or Level 4 debate update - Page 2

Shawn · #11 03-18-2008, 01:39 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by bogwoppit Well it sounds as though it has all come together at the right time for your DD. Being in a club where the programme is more individualised is a good thing.

That is a big problem with her current gym. When I approached the coach about DD's change of heart, the coach told me that she "has to consider the whole team; I can't think about just one girl". I understand that she's got a lot of gymnasts to place/ consider but, as much as the team is important, gymnastics is a very individualized sport. She may have to think about the team, but I have to think about my daughter.

**bogwoppit** · #12 03-18-2008, 02:14 PM

Another thought to ponder for all gym parents is, we are not talking about public school here. We are actually paying consumers, we are "buying" a product that we feel will have the most benefit for our child. Think of it like a private school, if a parent was unhappy with the curriculum would they put up with it, no, not unless there were absolutely no other choices.

As long as parents are prepared to pay for a "one size fits all" programme they will continue to run it. I imagine your gym does not have many young gymnasts in the optional levels, there is just no way to get there.

Considering levels 1-4 in USAG are voluntary, as in you do not have to compete them before you compete level five, it does not make much sense to have the girls do each level in order for multiple years.

Children are individuals and they will not progress as the same rates, the reason that levels are divided up into age groups at competitions is not because some kids started later (though I am sure this is true to a degree) it is because some kids just pick things up quicker, or slower!

I did have one thought before you posted your final decision. That was if your daughter did not want to move up to level four this year, that you no longer allow her to practice level4/5 skills at home, and only practice her level 3 skills, I think she would've very quickly grown bored of her range of skills and asked for the challenge of level 4/5. But now that is not such an issue is it?

Shawn · #13 03-18-2008, 02:22 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by bogwoppit I did have one thought before you posted your final decision. That was if your daughter did not want to move up to level four this year, that you no longer allow her to practice level4/5 skills at home, and only practice her level 3 skills, I think she would've very quickly grown bored of her range of skills and asked for the challenge of level 4/5. But now that is not such an issue is it?

LOL.... boy THAT would have been quite a punishment.

I think she was just looking for the wrong motivation (social rather than skills) for moving up. Checking out these other gyms/ programs has really opened her eyes to the possibilities, I think (as much as a 6-year-old can).

lannamavity · #14 03-19-2008, 02:42 AM

I also liked their philosophy for advancement. They move the girls up when the girls are ready, regardless of competition season.

HUH? You may want to look a little deeper into that. It sounds weird...a little chaotic.

Shawn · #15 03-19-2008, 04:30 AM

I'm not sure what you mean by chaotic. What happens at our current gym is that the girls are evaluated and placed in April/ May for the coming season (which runs from January through April). This means that a girl is placed in, say, level 3 in April and she stays in level 3 until the next April, even if she could easily move up to level 4 by October. In contrast, at the new gym, if a girl is ready to move up in October, they move her up and just do extra practices to make sure she knows the routines in time for meets. Does that make more sense?

flippymonkeysmom · #16 03-19-2008, 04:32 AM


Quote:
Originally Posted by lannamavity I also liked their philosophy for advancement. They move the girls up when the girls are ready, regardless of competition season. HUH? You may want to look a little deeper into that. It sounds weird...a little chaotic.

Actually my dd's gym does that as well. Keep in mind it only happens rarely - it's not like all the girls are all over the place all season - but if there is a girl who is really excelling and obviously ready to move up she can. One of the things I love about my dd's gym is that they treat them as individuals.

Good luck to your little one Shawn - I'm sure she will do great.

Megley · #17 03-19-2008, 11:23 AM

Shawn, it sounds like a great move for your DD. It's definitely nice that they assess the girls individually. We don't have a lot of mid-season level hopping, but it does occasionally happen. I am sure that your dd will thrive at this new gym.

Meg

Shawn · #18 03-19-2008, 11:27 AM

Thanks, Meg. I certainly hope so. We've been struggling with this long enough. I was really impressed but more importantly, my daughter liked it. I don't anticipate her skipping any more levels any time soon but it is nice to know that they will watch her and move her when it does become appropriate.

lannamavity · #19 03-19-2008, 02:35 PM


Quote:
Originally Posted by flippymonkeysmom Actually my dd's gym does that as well. Keep in mind it only happens rarely - it's not like all the girls are all over the place all season - but if there is a girl who is really excelling and obviously ready to move up she can. One of the things I love about my dd's gym is that they treat them as individuals. Good luck to your little one Shawn - I'm sure she will do great.

If it happens "rarely" then is it really a selling point?

Any gym which moves kids without move up requirements and dates sets the kids/parents up for resentment. Gymnastics is inherently an "individual" sport, but that doesn't mean that the processes in the gym should be unfair between individuals.

Just speaking from experience.

I'm not saying it's a bad move...but I will say that there are many coaches out there who will say whatever it takes to get a kid into a gym, while coaches who adhere to their own rules in the name of being fair are not necessarily crushing the individuality of any gymnast. Talented athletes are not always "victims of the system", though it has become a knee-jerk response to a coach saying "no." Expectations and fair procedures protect the individual as well as the group.

The fact that your daughter is happy and comfortable is what's most important.

Shawn · #20 03-20-2008, 08:50 AM

I've done a lot of research on gyms in our area and I know enough to not fall for some party line from a coach just to get our money. This gym has not only successful team programs but also does classes, preschool groups, boys classes and teams, homeschool classes, and camps. It is a full-time business and I don't think they are desperate for team gymnasts.

Also, I watch every practice and supervise all of DD's at-home practice. I watched her evaluation both at this gym and at another gym in our area. I watched the full 3 hours of practice at both gyms. I paid attention to what the coaches did for warm ups, stretches, the skills they worked on and how they spotted the girls. I watched how my DD interacted with the other girls, how well she did or didn't do the skills they were learning and whether or not she seemed happy both during the practice and after. I agreed with what the coach had to say and where they think my daughter will fit. I am not going into this blindly.

As for the "rules" of mobility, I have to disagree with the hard fast rule of "nobody moves up until next Spring". That does not seem fair to a girl who is clearly ready to move up before then. Why hold back a girl who's ready to advance just because it's not "time" yet? That doesn't make sense to me. This gym is very flexible with making things work for the gymnasts. For example, if a girl is ready to move up but it is close to or during meet season, they will do private lessons (if there's time) to help her get the routines for the new level. Or, they'll have her practice with the higher level while competing the lower level. They try to place and move each gymnast according to her individual needs, not the calendar. This is not a selling point. This is paying attention to the needs and progress of each and every girl as individuals and not just as parts of the whole.