WAG Any point in going on??

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Kind of long. Ok. I have an awesome gymnast. Only, no one but me knows it. A couple years ago she was a level 4 gymnast showing a ton of potential, strong, focused, eating up skills. Our gym went through several coaches, each messing up the girls along the way. Finally got a great coach that stayed and my girl got injured. Tore her clavicle from the sternum right before season. Missed her level 5 season. Out of gym for several months. Came back, broke her foot. Came back. started to be the gymnast she was. Then growth spurt, knee pain, and an AC tear. Right before season. Missed all but 2 meets, not good scoring because of no time to train long before catching those last meets. But scored well enough to make the move to level 6...barely. Had back pain for a year but drs said no fx, just muscle. She kept going. Now right before level 6 season, they finally MRI, herniated disk. She's now in brace because PT and being out of gym for 8 weeks hasn't resolved pain completely. So... Missed her level 6 season that's going on now. No chance of catching that last meet. She says she's coming back. Can't give it up. My question? She's 12 will hit 13 before she can do lvl 6. She has dreams of college scholarship... Ucla in fact. Any chance?? I'm saying no. Just won't tell her that of course. She has heart!!! Just bad luck.
 
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I'm just a parent but I think if it was my DD and the Dr was ok with it, I'd let her continue. You are only young enough to chase this dream once. And she may realize in a year it's not for her anymore, but then it's her choice and she can leave without regrets.

Hugs. Hard decision.
 
Oh my. I don't think I've ever heard of someone having so many serious injuries before level 6. Poor girl. I think it's mainly up to her, but I would really check with docs and PTs to see what they think about her injury history. I'm just wondering if this gym needs to be more conscious of how they're training and injury prevention. Are other kids in the program getting injured, or does your dd just have extremely bad luck?
 
It's just extremely bad luck! The broken foot was her just walking in the gym and twisting her ankle just right. The tore clavicle was her doing a season of acro gymnastics as well and her partners dropping her. Just bad luck.


Oh my. I don't think I've ever heard of someone having so many serious injuries before level 6. Poor girl. I think it's mainly up to her, but I would really check with docs and PTs to see what they think about her injury history. I'm just wondering if this gym needs to be more conscious of how they're training and injury prevention. Are other kids in the program getting injured, or does your dd just have extremely bad luck?
xtre
 
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Let her keep going as long as the Dr.'s and you think its ok and the coaches are supportive. Maybe college gymnastics isn't in her future, maybe it is. But there are tons of lessons to be learned along the way and plenty of great memories to be made.

Good luck! I hope she completely heals and comes back stronger than ever!
 
As long as your daughter can hit Level 10 at some point, she has a chance to compete in college. It may not be on scholarship, or it may not be at a Division 1 school, though. In truth, UCLA will probably award their scholarships before then (they recruit elites and multi-year L10s), but she may be able to walk on there.

The bigger question is why all the injuries, and should she keep going if it's so stressful on her body. If it were me, I may begin exploring other sports, such as diving. But I agree with everyone else that it should be her choice. If she wants to keep trying and Drs say it's OK, she should. You never know what may happen.
 
First of all, hugs to you and your DD. I love her determination. Second, is there any way once she is back that they will let her try to compete L7 next season? L6 is not required so her mobility score from L5 could get her to L7 next year. If they say no to that- maybe they would let her do part L6 and part L7.
No matter what, I would let her try to go as far as she can.
 
Weighing in here with a different perspective.

Od was an awesome gymnast but suffered a bad knee injury. Although she would have liked to continue gym, we said no and explained that if she re injured her knee she would likely be looking at permanent damage.

She was able to accept this and transferred to diving and won interstate medals.

Now as an adult she is really happy we made that decision for her.

Every kid is different though. OP is there a chance for your Dd to trial another sport for a small time simultaneously to gym?
 
Tried to edit but CB isn't letting me:)

Just wanted to add that with Ods gym there was a significant safety issue unresolved but not wanting to go into more detail on here.
 
My sympathy to you and your daughter. If there is no safety issue why not let her continue to train? Lots of kids continue in activities even though they have no future in the activity. I know several kids that take voice lessons, but their chances of being a singing star or singing in college are slim. The same can be said with any sport or activity. There seems to me to be too much emphasis on what you can get from gymnastics ( scholarship, college, elite, etc) and not on just doing the sport because you love doing it.
 
My daughters story is similar to yours, but I think your dd had it much worse. My dd skipped level 7 and went to 8. Midway through her level 8 season,( February 2014) she fractured her hand- missed states, got back to training then had an appendectomy in June- came back fractured her elbow at the end of July , was told she would have to repeat level 8( we were fine as she barely had a season and she was 11) then she got back to the gym training again at the end of September. On dec 1 she said to me mommy I'm back and better than ever.... On dec 2, she fractured her foot running. She competed her first level 8 meet with watered down routines on 1/11. She missed the second meet with the flu. And she qualified for states last weekend. She is not where she was even last year but she is getting the and she is back! she just turned 12. Her goal is college gymnastics- Ivy League-- I think they all still have time...my daughter has taught me anything is possible, I thought she would have given up but she didn't and she will have full routines including flipping her yurchenko very soon... Good luck to your dd....
 
I guess it depends on what her ultimate goal is and why she wants to come back. My DD didn't start competing until she was 11 -- the gym didn't have a team before that. And they made every girl, regardless of rec level or skills, start as L3, which she then repeated because she didn't make the coaches requirements for moving up (36 AA in two meets). So it is unlikely that she will make L10 before college. Heck, she's just barely going to make L6 to start high school. She is not going to be elite, or an olympic hopeful or a candidate for a college scholarship. But that is OK because that's not why she does it. She likes the sport, she likes the challenge, she likes the team, and she is good enough to win sometimes. She's in great physical shape, she is learning about trying and persevering and working hard to get a skill. She's managing her time well and can articulate her priorities in life. And for that I will happily (well, OK, I grumble a little) write the checks and get her back and forth to the gym 5 times a week.
 
So sorry to hear that you are going through this! It must be incredibly heart wrenching to continue to have these setbacks.

My concern if she was my dd would be the long term effects of having so many moderately serious injuries. There is such a fine line between letting a child chase their dream and looking out for their long term well being. The disc herniations in the back are troubling because there really isn't any way to repair that, you just kind of have to manage it, and if it continues to get worse she could be looking at surgeries and pain in adulthood.

I feel for your dilemma. It must be really hard to know as a parent when it is time to say when. I'm sure you will end up making the right decision for your DD. Sending support and hugs your way!! :)
 
Thank you for all your replies. I'm not going to tell her to quit. Nor do I think she should. She loves it and I love watching her practice. She doesn't to do it in hopes she will get something from it. She does however have goals. I was just wondering more along the lines of whether there were girls out there who beat the odds and made their goals. But I guess in the long run its up to her. And she does have other likes...all gymnastic related...she loves Lyra and static trapeze. Thank you for all the support.
 
I am so sorry she has had a bad time of it! But I love her heart and desire! Those are traits that will serve her will her entire life. So congrats on raising such a resilient and focused child. Most give up under much less adversity. :)

My DD is not so different. A late starter because who knew there was this whole thing called competitive gymnastics out there that wasn't just elites, and was headed down a path of being a solid competitive swimmer at 10. Long story short, started as bronze prep opt and won states, gave up swimming, did level 4 (top 5th score out of the whole state that year). Level 5 horrific Osgood schlatters for almost 2 years and could barely bend her knees when she walked. A decent season but could barely train so didn't gain many new skills. Repeated level 5, won states. Next year, new level 5, won states.

This year ready for level 7, breaks tibia and fibula doing tsuk vault October 2014. She is now 14. Don't know yet, but a very good chance she will not be ready to compete 4 events this season (just hoping bars and maybe beam - but may have to compete as a 6 due to traumatic injury and inability to really train.

I know this kid is not a candidate for college gymnastics - she started too late and has had too many set backs. But she doesn't care and I don't care. Coming back from this injury has taught me about her strength and resilience (PM and I will give you all of the details). As long as I feel she is not injured with something that might have long-term effects and I believe she is relatively safe (it is obviously a risky sport) I want her to do it as long and as much as she still wants to.

I don't know if that story helps, but what I am trying to say is I would follow her lead as long as she is safe and no risk of future physical issues. Good luck!!
 
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I had a very similar experience to your daughter as a gymnast, one injury after another. Sometimes just small, nagging things- other times very large and severe things. I had a great orthopedic Dr. who very simply said that not all bodies can withstand gymnastics, even at levels far below elite, it's just the way they are built.
I would be in very serious conversations with your doctors and PTs to see if this is a path worth continuing, and if doing so would have any long term implications on her health and well being. And I don't mean worthwhile in the sense that she would reach level 10 and get a D1 scholarship, but rather in that she could do so safely.
I'm so sorry she has already been through this much, I wish you both all the best!
 
I don't have much to add but I know how hard it is to watch your child want so bad and getting hurt, my odd is 14 and a level 4 , was suppose to move up ( they were all level 5 but the usag change brought them back down) to new level 5 and then got hurt was in a boot for 8 weeks then finally got back and did her first full meet , well first event her other foot gave out and she tore 2 ligaments and is back out.
 
I guess I am wondering if doing club gym in college might be satisfying to her. My DD is realistic enough to know that D1 college gym isn't a possibility for her, but she does hope to continue with the sport, and is willing to continue working as hard as she can to have club as a possibility. As a wise old 13 year old, she feels that club gym will be a perfect fit for her with the more laid back expectations after plowing relentlessly through years of JO training. She loves gymnastics but doesn't love meets. :)

If your DD can come back and progress -- and I agree that some talk with medical experts is in order -- I would think she could make it up into upper level optionals. My understanding is that most clubs will take girls with some strong events even if they only ever made it to L9 or so. But people who know a lot more than me about it should correct me if I'm wrong!
 

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