Parents Asking if DD can have a shot at staying with current group?

[gymhorsemom]

Does anyone here have any experience with asking for their child to stay in their current training group rather than being held back? My DD is right in between the 2 groups (closer to the current one that she's in in terms of skills). She's made a ton of progress lately but is still missing quite a few bar skills needed to stay in the current group (which will be competing level 3 in the Fall). I feel that she does so well when pushed a bit -and also that since coming in late to her pre team group she has been catching up quickly and might be able to rise to the occasion of competing in Fall if allowed to stay with her group through the summer. I would be OK with a situation where she could train all summer and then either go back with the lower pre team group or compete 3 in the Fall -whichever made more sense at the time. I'm also willing to add in some privates to help with this. Is this a reasonable thing to ask for? How do I bring this up with the coach -I'm nervous! I'm not one to be pushy. Coach herself has said DD is closer in skill to the higher group but just not quite there -so it's not my imagination. The new groups start in 4 weeks.

 

[gymhorsemom]

Not sure how this posted twice!

 

[wallinbl]

Coach herself has said DD is closer in skill to the higher group but just not quite there

Ask if the coach has any thoughts on whether your DD would be better suited to be pulled forward by the advanced group or to be given the comfort of not feeling like she's behind her training group. She may have some insight to this that you don't observe from outside practice.

I would be OK with a situation where she could train all summer and then either go back with the lower pre team group or compete 3 in the Fall -whichever made more sense at the time. I'm also willing to add in some privates to help with this.

Bring this up in the context of conveying that you're willing to cooperate. You'll generally be better received when it's clear you're not going to fight them on their decisions. While you may not be CGM, they're always on guard for CGMs.

I don't coach gymnastics, but I do coach soccer, and I'm happy to talk to and work with the parents that are reasonable.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Do the coaches take emails? I'd write it all out in an email and send it to them--gives them a chance to think about it and process what they want to say to you too. Have they said she'll be moved to a different group or are groups being announced soon?

 

[ErinEclectic]

This is the position my daughter is in right now. Moving up to train lvl 3 and training 12 hours a week over the summer or training 2 and only having 6 hours a week during the summer. She knows the routines for lvl 2 and almost almost has all the lvl 2 skills (she needs a fingertip spot for her mill circle) and her coach thinks she can get all the lvl 3 skills in time for sure, except for maybe the back handspring. That one she's struggling with.

At least one of the girls moving up to 3 (all the girls moving up competed 2 last year, my DD did not) is at the same spot in learning the back hand spring, so DD wouldn't be the only one needing those drills and spotting.

But I know my daughter, she needs lots of repetition and drilling to feel confident and I see a lot more opportunity for that in a group that has double the hours. DD also really wants to work towards the harder skills and worries that would be hampered if she stayed in the lower group. DD's coach (who is coaching lvl 3 for summer) said she would pull for her training 3 if that's what we want. I made sure DD's coach knows that I understand that training 3 wouldn't mean competing 3 if she didn't have all the skills in time and that we would understand completely if they had her compete 2. Coach has to consult with HC and we are keeping our fingers crossed. So, I know your worries!

 

[gymhorsemom]

This is the position my daughter is in right now. Moving up to train lvl 3 and training 12 hours a week over the summer or training 2 and only having 6 hours a week during the summer. She knows the routines for lvl 2 and almost almost has all the lvl 2 skills (she needs a fingertip spot for her mill circle) and her coach thinks she can get all the lvl 3 skills in time for sure, except for maybe the back handspring. That one she's struggling with.

At least one of the girls moving up to 3 (all the girls moving up competed 2 last year, my DD did not) is at the same spot in learning the back hand spring, so DD wouldn't be the only one needing those drills and spotting.

But I know my daughter, she needs lots of repetition and drilling to feel confident and I see a lot more opportunity for that in a group that has double the hours. DD also really wants to work towards the harder skills and worries that would be hampered if she stayed in the lower group. DD's coach (who is coaching lvl 3 for summer) said she would pull for her training 3 if that's what we want. I made sure DD's coach knows that I understand that training 3 wouldn't mean competing 3 if she didn't have all the skills in time and that we would understand completely if they had her compete 2. Coach has to consult with HC and we are keeping our fingers crossed. So, I know your worries!

Good luck to you and your daughter. I wish our hours were that high over the summer -that's part of the problem for my DD. Level 3 will be doing 6 hours over the summer and lvl 2 pre team (they don't compete 2) just 4 hours.

 

[gymhorsemom]

Do the coaches take emails? I'd write it all out in an email and send it to them--gives them a chance to think about it and process what they want to say to you too. Have they said she'll be moved to a different group or are groups being announced soon?

They decided the summer groups way back in March. At the time DD had just moved into the group a few weeks earlier. She's really made a lot of progress -this was her first time doing more than a couple of short classes per week and she built a ton of strength. There's now about 4 more weeks before the groups split up. What I'm not sure about is whether or not some of the girls who were told that they will move to team will actually be able to do this or if there's another evaluation. DD has close to caught up to a few of them to the point where I have a hard time understanding why they would move up and she wouldn't. Of course I am not a coach.

 

[gymmomtoo]

Can't hurt to ask about it! I'd definitely do it sooner rather than later though.

 

[ErinEclectic]

Were you able to talk to your coach?

 

[gymhorsemom]

Were you able to talk to your coach?

Yes! Thanks for asking. They are going to let her train with her group over the summer. I'm hoping she can catch up and stay there for good!

 

[ErinEclectic]

Same with my daughter.

 

[gymhorsemom]

Same with my daughter.

Good luck to your daughter! What sort of group is she in? Is she also training for level 3?

 

[ErinEclectic]

She was on the cusp between 2 and 3, but HC said she could train for 3 over the summer and see if she gets the skills.

 

[gymhorsemom]

She was on the cusp between 2 and 3, but HC said she could train for 3 over the summer and see if she gets the skills.

Same as my daughter! Which skills is she missing and when do competitions start at her gym? My DD is missing ROBHS, FHC and mill circle -it seems like a lot! I hope she can get the skills over the summer for the first meet which is in Sept -but I'm not sure how likely this is!