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[Sterlingdad]

My 8 year old loves gymnastics. She's level 5 this year. Unfortunately, we've moved twice in the last two years. First from Tennessee to Scotland, now to rural Kansas. In Tennessee she trained 12 to 15 hours a week and thrived. Her teammates won state last year, and she missed out because she went to Scotland. In Scotland she trained about 8 hours a week and passed her grades with distinction and was to move to the elite team, but we had to leave because of my work.

Where we are now, we cannot find a gym that trains more than 5 hours a week. She begs to work more, but it is not possible. She gets frustrated that she is not getting better when all her friends are (she keeps track on the other gym web sites). Any suggestions as to alternatives? It seems silly to keep spending the money and paying for meets when it just leads to frustration, but she doesn't want to quit. Anyone else have this experience? There are no dance studios in town either. Is there a way to keep her fit enough so that she can progress if we move in a few years? I'm kind of at a loss here. I hate to disappoint her, but the only option for improvement would be to drive two hours each way several nights a week, and that would keep me from any time with my other 4 children.

[lagymmom]

Hi Sterlingdad---don't know if I can give much advice, but I can totally relate. We live in a very rural area as well, and we do drive 1 hour each way to train. Right now, my daughter is only 6 and has competed as a level 2 this year, so we're only at the gym one night a week for 3 hours, but when she advances, things will change. Also, if she decides to stick with it (which I'm sure she will--she loves it), then we will ultimately have to make the decision to go further away (at least 3 hours) for training. I also have 4 other children at home, so it is definitely a challenge to make it to the practices. My boys (thank goodness) are older (10, 11, 13 and 17), and don't require the constant need of mom anymore, but they do need me. Thankfully, I have both sets of grandparents around to help out. I would maybe go ahead and give her a chance at trying the gym that is 2 hours away---just my personal opinion. You may have others tell you that there is no way they'd do it, but where I'm from, you have to make sacrifices for all kinds of things-----even going to the mall is a challenge!!! We're lucky that we have a Walmart! Driving to get the things we need is a way of life for people who live in rural areas. If you need to talk further, please feel free to contact me, and good luck with your decision.

[flippymonkeysmom]

Does the gym that does 5 hours per week have a competitive team? If so would any of the coaches be willing to let her come in extra for open gym or private lessons? Private lessons would be expensive - but no more so than the amount you would spend on gas driving 4 hours round trip to practice. If there are other parents who would like more gym time, maybe you could approach the coaches as a group? Good luck with whatever decision you make - it sounds like a tough situation.

[gym law mom]

Check out larger gyms that may offer clinics or camps. Many have clinics over school holidays and camps in the summer. I would try and find 1 gym and stick with them, that way at least she gets known a little by those coaches. While I'm not an advocate of training full time at 2 gyms, you might see if its possible to take her to another gym for a Saturday practice with their team. That at least gives her a few more hours without sucking up your entire week driving back and forth. Now, I personally would only do that after letting her present gym know about it. They've had to have had kids in the past who wanted more training.

Try asking her current coach/owner about getting her more time and if they can't offer it, where would they send their dd?

[gymgramma]

are you military? Because military families we know have had a hard time finding good gyms near any of the Army posts in Kansas.

[Bay Valley]

I moved just over a year ago too the boonies. The closest gym for my daughter was 1 hr 20 minute drive one way. The first 9 months I drove myself 3 days a week than I talked to some other people that are driving far, that live just south of me. Now we carpool I drive 2 days a week and she trains 4 days a week. Contact the better gym and see if they have students living your way or not, they would know. It helped me out!

[catesmom]

We also have 2 groups that carpool to our gym. They drive between 45 minutes and 1 hour each way. Sometimes you can participate even if it is hard to drive a turn. I know one single Mom who can't get off work early to drive the to the gym but can pick up. Another pays a family and doesn't drive a turn, with gas prices what they are it's always an option. I would definately inquire. You might be surprised.

[Sterlingdad]

Thank you for the good advice so far. Where we are is very limiting. It is over 1 1/2 hours to Wichita, which is the nearest big gym. The local gym is too small to have a full floor, and has no room for Vault (it is a small barn/shed converted to a gym). I've been driving to a gym an hour away that has chance to practice 5 hours a week instead of two here. This way at least she has some practice on a full floor and vault. She qualified for the state meet in USAG for level 5 last week, but she's the only one in her gym to do so.

Based on suggestions, I've at least made two arrangements. I've arranged to rent the local gym a couple afternoons a week so she can work out an extra 5 to 6 hours by herself on the beam and bars, and do conditioning. I also bought them a rope so she could get some upper body strength back. For spring break, the week before the state meet, we've decided to go visit my sister in Tennessee...and have her train 20 hours with her old team and take a week of private lessons from her old coach (something we're not mentioning to my parents since they think we're crazy anyway). It won't be a magic cure, but it will help fine-tune some skills and hopefully she won't feel embarrassed again.

As far a car-pooling, I checked that out when we first arrived and there is no one doing gymnastics here since there isn't a competitive gym (the local one is for toddlers and up to level 3 -- the woman who runs it just doesn't have the time to do more). So we'll see if we can make do and I'll let everyone know how the state meet goes.

[Bay Valley]

Good luck to your daughter at her state meet. It is good that the gym will let her work out extra by herself., and visiting her old gym with privates, I am sure she will do great!

[BlairBob]

To supplement, I would start having her do conditioning at home.

Install a pull up bar and make a set of parallettes and maybe a floor bar. Get an ab wheel. Buy some theraband tubing. Buy a simple piece of pvc to do stick dislocates with. Build some plyometric boxes or a medicine ball ( or you can buy one ). Hang a rope at home if possible. This stuff is all very cheap compared to buying or building a low beam, cheeze mats or panel mats.

She could be working a lot of handstand stuff at home. Presses, straddle L, handstand pirouetting, walking. Spot if necessary. A lot of dips ( you can have her do chair dips till she can do them on a dip station ) and pullups and leg lifts. Train planche and lever progressions on the parallettes/floor bar and pullup bar.

And a lot of stretching. Basically Tops strength skills.