WAG Tough Coaches at level 3

[Gymdancer]

First of all, welcome to CB. It is so hard to navigate the waters through the sea of coaches, gyms, skills, levels, and requirements. The folks on CB are an excellent resource with years of experience and tons of wisdom!

Your coaches have certainly proven what they can help your DD do if she is in this sport for the long run. She is the same age myDD was doing the dreaded mill circle. My DD never did get it down very well, and we giggle when we watch old videos because her coach would quickly give her a push to make it up to the top. Otherwise, she would end up hanging upside down, and then, well, it was almost impossible for her to right herself.

I tend to agree that her coaches are wise. They want her to feel successful when she does compete bars. It is so difficult as a parent starting out on team to sit back and watch the process. But she will feel such a sense of accomplishment when she finally gets to compete her bars and has all of the tools to be successful and confident. She is learning a life lesson that will be one of many taught through gymnastics. Something about patience, hard work, dedication, and good things as a result.

 

[gymdog]

No point in competing here with missing a major element. The routine won't score high enough and will be discouraging also. Many 6 year old level 3s do two years in our state. Your gym is not known for it, but be aware of and prepared for the possibility. Gently prepare DD and don't necessarily speak of next year as if it will be level 4. Especially as she is 6, she may need another year of level 3.

 

[StatsMom]

My DD also competed that level at the age of 6 with older teammates. I don't think she ever had a decent mill circle and bars was painful to watch! Our coaches put her out there but I'd trust your coaches.

She will never have to do that skill again in any other level!

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

Lol. I have to start only watching bars occasionally.

I actually highly reccomend this, not just on bars, but in general.

If you watch every practice, you'll see the same skills done over and over again, struggling to fix every minuscule detail. The frustration, the trial and error, the hundreds of failures it takes to achieve success; you won't see the progress that much, because it's gradual.
If you watch say, once a week, or once every other week, then you'll be able to see how much she progresses from week to week.

It's sort of like watching a kid grow; if you see them every day, you don't notice that they're getting taller, but if you see them every couple months, suddenly you notice when they get taller.

 

[headoverheels]

Oh, that stupid mill circle! We celebrated when my DD competed her last level 3 meet because we were so glad to see the end of it.

And then there's the kip. And once they get the kip, there's the flyaway. And then the giants.

It just keeps going on and on. I catch myself physically tightening my muscles like I think I'm going to "help" her somehow!