WAG Low scoring level 5 bars videos

[Deleted member 14190]

Agree with Dunno, your boss has just opened the door for more problems with other parents. Tell him/her you are done at the end of the season. Be nice and explain why. Find a new gym

 

[thefellowsmom]

I found a couple on youtube pretty quickly by searching for "level 5 bar routine" with various scores. 7.1, 6.9, 7.3 etc at the end. Don't necessarily want to link to them here.

I concur though that our coach would have shown that woman the door. I have seen it happen.

 

[BarCoach]

Thanks. I'll try those searches.

 

[BarCoach]

Haven't talked specifically about scores with the mom but I don't think she'd care. She keep talking about how she should have the skills in 6 months (it was 8 months), by states, and she doesn't care how she starts the season. And I do hope she'll get a lot better in 6 months but we've already been working them for more than 6 months. And everyone else will keep getting better too!

 

[BarCoach]

I'm not getting those results on YouTube. I'm on my phone. Would that matter? Can you link a couple?

 

[gracyomalley]

I think it matters more how the kid feels - and if the adults in charge (not you this time) made the decision that she should compete L5 then as a coach your job is to help her learn and grow this season. As an old L6 DD went from 6s on bars to 8s in 3 meets - and high 8s low 9s won at every meet, so those 8s were great - and then she placed well on bars as a L7 9 months later....BUT as she got older she no longer liked the feeling of starting rough and polishing during the season - now struggling with wanting everything "perfect" before she'll go for it at age 12/training L8...each kid is different and different at different times!

L5 bars are hard to score well at - and if it hadn't been the timing (getting the girls to L7 before the change 2 years ago) and the fact that her gym didn't uptrain, it would have benefited DD to take more time, get her giants before optionals, etc. As a mom of a kid who moved "too fast" at times at a subpar gym previously (although my DD did not care an iota about awards, was happy to hit the podium on an event or two here and there, etc until adolescence hit - so there's a difference compared to the kid your describing right there), I would say forget the score, work and speak to the kid more about the skills she'll need for the next few levels and how important it is to get the fundamentals strong now - if you coach like that in the compulsory levels (and I realize that you didn't have the choice here) then the kids will at least understand what long term progression requires - even if us crazy parents don't always get it! Set goals for her like "getting casts to 45 above horizontal, getting giants on strap bar, getting flyaway - etc - not scores at L5 bars, now that you have to compete her there...

I will say that us crazy parents will be more likely to "get it" too if we understand the progression expected -

 

[BarCoach]

Thank you for that perspective. We are always up training and shooting for more and I think she gets it, though she is a very young 9 so sometimes it's hard to tell. Like I said before, I was searching for videos so I was prepared myself, not to share with the gymnast. It is really hard to move on and be ok with the decision. I keep trying to think if ways I could explain to the mother that would convince her to let her daughter do 4. Not only because it would be best for her, in my opinion, but because there are harder working kids repeating 4 and it doesn't seem fair that she comes in and goofs around but gets rewarded with moving up. Anyway, I will just get her as far as I can and hope for the best. Thanks!

 

[cassafrass]

MyDDs 7.550 level5 bars. Judge the gymnast not the gym... Gym had
A VERY high placement at level 10 nationals on bars!

 

[gymjunkie]

From experience, I will tell you that either this mom doesn't think her kid is capable of getting on the podium at any level or she is in some kind of race with another mom. If it's the former, she somehow got the idea that her kid is "one of those kids who just can't medal," but doesn't want her kid held back as a result. You can sometimes reform these moms by sticking to your guns and making them do well at a lower level. Once mom sees that their kid is capable of winning medals, they sometimes start trusting your plan for them. If she has her kid in some kind of horse race with another kid, there is probably no reforming her or ever making her happy.

I realize you are in a situation where your boss made the decision, not you. I would have a sit down with your boss and state your case that you think it's a mistake because you predict the following will happen as a result: the kid will never learn how to be good/will think they are inferior to their teammates and continue down the path of this self-fulfilling prophecy, the mom will want/expect the kid moved up again after state meet, other moms will start dictating their level choice once the precedent has been set that you can have your way over the coaching staff, etc. The boss may change their mind when he/she sees that you have strong feelings or they may later tell you that they were wrong after your prediction comes true (owners have to learn the hard way sometimes too), or they may inform you that there are other reasons for the decision. I had that conversation with an owner once only to find out the parent owed the gym $ and had worked out a payment plan to catch up by the end of season. The owner wanted the parent gone, but not until they had paid up. He simply didn't want the mom to get angry and leave w/o payment. As soon as this kid's dreadful season was over, he cut them loose for many reasons.

 

[BarCoach]

Well I think it's a little of both. She was middle of the road at old 4 and then new 4, though she does have a lot of potential. And her mom said to me that we don't know she'll do well at 4 again so we may as well move her up. But there are also 3-4 other girls that she has compared her to by name. Some are moving up, some aren't.
So I guess we do need to have another conversation. I feel too strongly about it to just let it go. Then if my boss says I still have to let her try 5 then hopefully I'll be able to give it my all. Has anyone ever competed a couple meets one level and a couple meets another level before sectionals just to compare?

 

[raenndrops]

I know of a girl that (in the middle of a season) competed Old L5 and Old L6 IN THE SAME MEET ... actually did better on floor in the L6 meet, but was 2.325 lower in the AA at L6, so she finished the season as a L5 and won STATE!

 

[BarCoach]

Great story!
Cassafrass, thanks for the video. Her routine would be very similar. She can connect the kip-squat on but doesn't have as nice a baby giant.

 

[Ali'sMom]

I know of a girl that (in the middle of a season) competed Old L5 and Old L6 IN THE SAME MEET ... actually did better on floor in the L6 meet, but was 2.325 lower in the AA at L6, so she finished the season as a L5 and won STATE!

I have seen scores where there are two sets for one girl, and always thought it was a fluke online. Now I get it! Thanks!

 

[thefellowsmom]

Here are a couple I found.

- 7.1

- This one is old level 6 but same routine and scores a 6.9

 

[munchkin3]

We have a difficult mom (LOL, well several) but one in particular insists that her daughter move up every time. She is a MESS and should have been held back at L4/5 in order to polish her routines. Almost everyone else there MUST polish their routines but not this girl. The mom is HUGE COMPLAINER so the coach just lets her move, however messy and she competes with 33s and 34s.
It finally caught up however, this year coach said, 'no you are repeating' and the girl cried and threw a tantrum......guess what, for the first time in 3 years, she is trying to clean up!!! good for her, she may even look polished and get on the podium!

 

[raenndrops]

We have a difficult mom (LOL, well several) but one in particular insists that her daughter move up every time. She is a MESS and should have been held back at L4/5 in order to polish her routines. Almost everyone else there MUST polish their routines but not this girl. The mom is HUGE COMPLAINER so the coach just lets her move, however messy and she competes with 33s and 34s.
It finally caught up however, this year coach said, 'no you are repeating' and the girl cried and threw a tantrum......guess what, for the first time in 3 years, she is trying to clean up!!! good for her, she may even look polished and get on the podium!

Our HC can relate. We had a girl in Old L4 who scored a season HIGH of 33.5 (scored in a meet with a LOT of personal bests). Her scores ranged from 31.45 to 33.5. When the "Great Level Change" happened, her mom didn't want her to "go down a level" so she TOLD HC that she would be at the L4 team camp. Long story short... she is repeating L4 this season after a season high of 30.2 (HC wouldn't let her switch to Xcel for this season, even though she allowed 2 younger girls and others who struggled to make the switch... the other girls had scored better in Old L4 and skill-wise were where they should be at the time to move up to New L4 OR they had chosen to repeat, doing New L3 instead).
The other girls also tried their best last year while this girl took lots of "breaks" and goofed off.
My YG matured a lot toward the end of last season, knowing that it would take maturity to compete with the Xcel girls since she will be the youngest. It is paying dividends for her. She is doing well and is almost ready for the season (still working squat on and beam cartwheel OR handstand stepdown straight jump... Floor is out of a 10.0 and just needs REMEMBERED and "fancy-factor" added to where she forgot what she was doing... Vault is currently a FHS, but might change to a 1/2 on or 1/2 on-1/2 off by the end of the season).

 

[gymjunkie]

Has anyone ever competed a couple meets one level and a couple meets another level before sectionals just to compare?

I just judge them in the gym during practice on both routines. If you don't have a judge at your gym (which you should!), have someone come in and judge any girls in question.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Here is an idea, just show her some good routines and tell her when her daughter looks like that she can go 5.

 

[BarCoach]

Haha, good idea!

 

[BarCoach]

For those who asked for an update on how this played out, here it is:

I spoke with my boss and told her how strongly I felt that the gymnast is not ready to compete 5. So we had a meeting tonight with her mom and told her we'd like her to repeat 4 because we feel it's best for her. Her mom wouldn't even discuss it. Just said, "it's fine" over and over, other than to tell me I'd given up on her daughter. She was clearly very mad. It was horrible. It was worse than having her yell at me. Then at least we could have argued both sides. In the end I guess I should be happy because I get what I wanted, but instead I feel sick to my stomach and very guilty.
I then met with the gymnast and let her know. She was totally fine!