Parents Switching gyms

[mamaplum]

I am currently not completely happy with my daughters gym. They are trying to rebuild their program right now. this is my daughters 2nd year in gymnastics 1st on team. The girls team died out a few years back after the owner of the gym passed away. (the boys team is still awesome) Before the team was apparently a top team in state. Now they have about 6 girls in levels 6-10 and a few girls who do excel. Lvl 2 has 21, lvl 3 has 15, lvl 4-5 has about 10 combined.

My daughter has big dreams and I am not sure this gym can cover them. But i wouldn't even know how to begin to know how to switch gyms. What to look for. What to avoid ect. She is currently a lvl 2 and almost 8. HER current goal is to work on level 3/4 stuff and start level 5 this fall. i know at most gyms thats not going to happen anyway but i know its wont ever be an option at this gym to "skip" levels

on a side question. Is it normal for gymnasts at lower levels to practice with their music more than once a week or two for floor?

 

[MILgymFAM]

I don't know the answer to most of your questions, but I can say that my DD is lucky to get twice a week to runt through a full floor routine. Normal? Well, I don't know, but it happens.

 

[mamaplum]

Well they run through once with music maybe twice a month. none of the girls can do the routine with the music. It frustrates my daughter to no end because she know if she got the chance to practice she knows she could. But i have tried to teach her to walk through the movements at home but it doesnt click.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

Well they run through once with music maybe twice a month. none of the girls can do the routine with the music. It frustrates my daughter to no end because she know if she got the chance to practice she knows she could. But i have tried to teach her to walk through the movements at home but it doesnt click.

When my dd competed level 2 last fall, they would practice with the music at least once, sometimes twice a week (only during the actual competition season). They also strongly encouraged us to buy the level 2 music and practice at home with the music, which helped. I thought at the very beginning of the season that they would never get the timing right with the music, but all the girls ended up getting it with no trouble.

As for your other questions, I have no idea really as we haven't switched gyms. But I know that there is absolutely no way anyway at my dd's gym could go from level 2 to level 5 in one season. Skipping one level is pretty rare, but skipping 2 just wouldn't happen. In fact, there is a good chance not all of the level 2's that are training for level 3 right now will even move up to level 3. I suspect come May, some of the girls will either stay in 2 or maybe not even continue. Our gym is pretty competitive and really focuses on proper form, strength and conditioning and learning the basics before you move on.

 

[KSLaura]

The floor practice seems fairly normal, especially if she isn't in meet season. She can practice it at home. Level 2 music (and routines) are on youtube.

For other gyms, call around and see what they offer. Keep in mind that not all gyms compete level 2 or even level 3. She may be grouped with a 'pre-team' group for a year or two and then compete level 3 or 4. I've never heard of anyone going from level 2 to 5 in one year. Maybe from 2 to 4 (skipping 3 and uptraining). Good luck!

 

[MAcastsalot]

DD is a 6yo level 2. They didn't start doing routines with music until about a month before the first meet. Before that it was just working on the skills and trying to get them nice and clean. Now that they are in the middle of the season, they do full routines with music at least one day a week (usually two days), and work on parts of the routine that need to be cleaned up, but they are up training skills for levels 3 and 4 in between. I've never heard of someone skipping from 2 to 5, but in our region, we only have a spring season. I know some regions have fall and spring seasons, so girls can do two levels/year. Also there are quite a few gyms that don't compete at all until 4, so a gym switch to preteam elsewhere may get her moving up faster.

 

[tooootsie]

It's my understanding that no gyms would start at L5

 

[mamaplum]

I was not saying she should or coild jump to lvl 5. I am saying my 7yo dreams this. Yes I know this is not possible. .I was trying to say our gym does a level a year basically.

And they are in the middle of competition season

 

[MAcastsalot]

So they are in the middle of the season and the girls can't do the routines with the music? How are the meets going? How many hours?

 

[mom2newgymnast]

I was not saying she should or coild jump to lvl 5. I am saying my 7yo dreams this. Yes I know this is not possible. .I was trying to say our gym does a level a year basically.

And they are in the middle of competition season

Oh sorry, I misunderstood. Our gym is the same way really. A level a year with no real uptraining during the season. It seems to work very well for them though, they have many successful gymnast at all levels up to, and including, level 10s. But it sounds like you aren't happy with your gym, so it probably would be worth looking around. Are there many options in your area? Good luck!

 

[mamaplum]

Yup! Meets all the girls have under 8.5 (most around a 7.5) for floor. They practice 5 hours a week + open gym. The rest of the events are fine. except only 3 girls out of 22 have their middle (mill) circle on bars. The coach hasnt taught them to get up

 

[mamaplum]

And they have been working on lvl 2 stuff since june

 

[Deleted member 18037]

A lot of different things go into choosing a gym. And I am sure it varies by child/family. For us it was a schedule that works for us. Opportunity to grow and advance. Our gym doesn't move kids up mid season, so if that is important to someone they wouldn't choose our gym. They don't do a lot of privates, some but not a lot. Our gym has had Level10/Elite girls and the coaches daughter was NCAA Div 1 school scholarship for gymnastics. They have a decent balance of gymnastics/other life. They train hard, have high expectations. I like their coaching style. If anything changes I wouldn't hesitate to change. If I feel my daughters growth and pace has out grown what they can give her we will readdress as needed.

As far as floor and music. Maybe twice a week during meet season with music. The girls place on the podium regularly and at States, so I guess it is enough. End of season their floors were in the 9.0 to 9.8 range depending on the girl.

 

[sce]

And they have been working on lvl 2 stuff since june

I do see an issue here, if they've been working level 2 since June and don't know the routine well as well as are missing a major bar skill. There could be deficit in coaching. How are the levels above doing in meets?

It could be worth checking out other gyms, but her expectations may need to be tempered as well. Encourage her to enjoy each step of the journey. Another gym may continue her in level 2 looking for her to achieve proficiency before moving up.

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

In my experience, by the time someone finds this forum and posts about being unhappy at their current gym, they have really already made their minds up.

On the technicalities, the amount of time spent on their floor is a bit odd, considering that the scores are lacking. As far as the mill circle goes, I can't really comment. It is not a skill our girls are taught in the UK, at least I've not seen it in the last decade.

What is probably the same in the US as the UK though, is the lower levels being where a gymnast learns the fundamentals they will need throughout the sport. While I can see the excitement and desire to progress is a real motivation, it can sometimes mean forfeiting some of the real framework that gymnastics is built around. I would be more concerned about them firmly correcting those problem areas before any move up was looked at.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Mill circle is required in Level 3 and only Level 3. Good thing about Level 3, you don't actually have to do it to move to Level 4. I hate that blasted mill circle. Took my strong overall gymnast forever to get it.

We changed gyms last year. The new gym put my girl back a level. I watched their practice for all of 15 minutes and knew they would. This gym girls are so much better then the old gym, and now my girl is too. It was the right thing to do.

My only regret is if I had made the move in June instead of Sept, she probably wouldn't of had to go back a level. Oh well.

 

[stillgotmyleotard]

I think most people change gyms at some point. We did, and the move was successful. I do think that it has to be a carefully considered decision though, as a gym's culture and programme will usually be quite established. Finding a culture and programme which fits is very important.

OP have you approached the coach with your concerns?

 

[Quadqueen]

If most kids are scoring in the 7s on floor, that does indicate a problem with the gym and/or teaching of the floor routine.

It does not indicate a problem with your gym, however, if they do one level a year and have no one skipping levels - I would say that is more the norm than gyms that have kids skipping levels.

 

[mamaplum]

We live in Atlanta (actually in atl not a suburb) so there are lots of gyms around metro atlanta but only 2 near us really with real teams. But the other problem is there are SO many with in an hour drive (which i dont want to drive that far if possible because of work and my 4 yo). But if she sticks with it and needs more i will. I am just hoping that when she moves up to lvl 3 her coach doesn't follow.

 

[mamaplum]

OP have you approached the coach with your concerns?

Yes. and she said well she will learn at her pace. But my daughter just says but i need her to tell me what I am doing wrong and not just that i am doing it wrong.

As for Her skipping levels I have told her that probably wont happen. she has no clue she could take at another gym. She also LOVES all the coaches but hers. recently I have seen the HC working with her level a bit. but only on occasion since he is coaching his optionals at the same time.