WAG Elite Training

[edamame]

Why train Elite over JO?

My daughter recently started training with the elite group at her gym. She has solid L9 skills and many L10 skills. She has had great success in her gymnastics career (38+, top 3 AA/event). Her coaches are very capable and have had success with their previous elites qualifying to Classics and Championships.

The other day she got a little teary and questioned whether she wanted to “try for elite.” I think she was a lot tired and overwhelmed after a long vacation weekend. (Plus she’s a girl and we all need a little cry of release now and then, right?)

We talked through her feelings and I realized we both needed a good sit-down with the coaches to discuss, what “Elite” really is. Most of what we know comes from watching the other girls in the gym, conversations with their parents and the Internet. I understand that there’s an increased investment of time and money, harder skills, more polish, longer routines, but that the payoff can be a spot on the National Team, international assignments, etc.

I guess my question is for those with first-hand experience parenting or coaching elites – what does Elite mean to you and why pursue it?

Since the teary episode, she has been perfectly happy and eager to “train elite.”

She just turned 12.

 

[Aussie_coach]

What does it mean to train elite. See life table below.

1. Gymnastics
2. Everything else

Gymnastics will become the number one priority in life above and beyond all else. It will not just feel this way to the child but also the rest of the family.

For so,e kids this is great, for others not so much.

 

[edamame]

@Aussie_coach - Yes, I understand.

Her life now is gym, home school, eat, sleep and more gym.

We treasure what little family time we can carve out and thank goodness no training on Sundays. But vacations are scheduled and limited around gym time. The entire family makes significant sacrifices, and I understand this is the case for most gym-families.

But....still...

She wants to go as far as she can in the sport, and I understand that Elite is exponentially more difficult in so many ways. I guess I just wanted to hear from those who are on the Elite road or have travelled it, when their thoughts are.

 

[Natalia]

A harrowing nightmare of physical and mental destruction.Very few girls are cut out for it but even FEWER coaches are trully prepared for the demands of Elite training.

It's worth it for a handfull of girls out of a couple of hundred.

Make sure the doors leading back to normal gymnastics are always wide open,so that the kid can go back to enjoying the sport before it's too late.

The pounding their bodies take,the pain,the injuries,the pressure.....sometimes it borders on child abuse.

Sorry,no warm fuzzies from me on the topic of Elite training.