Going on vacation for around 3 weeks

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dancengym

My DD is a 9 yo L6. We are going on vacation for around 3 weeks over the Christmas season to spend with family. Will there be setbacks or what kind of set backs will she be facing coming back to the gym after not having practiced for 3 weeks? Should I even try to see if there is a gym close by she can practice? Has anyone been gone this long and what did you do?

We were away for almost a month about 2 years ago when we visited a different country. But my DD was only a L4 then. We consistently take two to three weeks of vacation because we do plan long out of country trips. This time may be a little different because her coaches are going to try to get her to L7 by January and being gone most of Dec. might be a problem. What do you think? BTW: not going on vacation is not an option. :)
 
She'll be fine! Let her enjoy the vacation. If she wants to stay in shape, she could do basic conditioning every day, just in case. But honestly, once she gets back to the gym, in a couple of days it'll be like she never left. Just know that there WILL be soreness after the first practice back! :p
 
These girls need some down time every once in a while!!! She needs to enjoy her vacation. As the previous poster said, if she wants to, she can do some conditioning and flexibility while on vacation, but let her be the one to decide whether or not to do it. Her skills won't suffer much, but she WILL be very sore after her first couple of days back!

We always take about 2 weeks off towards the end of the summer and before school kicks in for the year.
 
Our gym closes for three weeks every Xmas, the girls do fine and everyone comes back refreshed and ready to go. They do not lose skills in three weeks. Keep active and let her try some new things. Active rest is great for athletes.
 
Thanks, Dancengym, for your timely question. My dd is in Florida with my husband visiting my in-laws and is missing 2 weeks of practice (well, she's only really missing one week of practice since the gym is closed for one of those weeks, but she's not practicing for 2 weeks). She so recently got her kips that I'm a little paranoid about what to expect when she gets back. It would be heartbreaking if she had to "find" those hard-won kips all over again! She told her coach she'd do pushups every day, and my in-laws have a pool that the girls have been in every day, so she's definitely being active (as if she's EVER anything but active!). The replies to your question have put me at ease (mostly...).

She was actually supposed to have a meet the day after she got back and I went as far as to look into gyms in the town where my in-laws live. My husband thought I was OUT OF MY MIND! Luckily, that meet ended up being postponed until January (thus maintaining our marital bliss... for the moment, at least! :) ) . Now she'll have 2 weeks back before her next meet. Phew!
 
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If she's trying to make it to L7 in Jan and it's three weeks? Assuming you can swing it, definitely find out if there's a gym nearby and work with her regular coaches and the coaches there. Bars especially. If I was her coach and she was trying to move 6 to 7 and I could talk to someone at a gym with optionals to get her doing at least some bars, I would probably recommend that. The other events probably will be okay.

Even a couple private lessons at convenient times if you don't have time for her to do several team practices, might be useful.

Edit: also, and this is specific to your situation, but since you've been having some doubts about your gym, this might be an opportunity to see how your daughter does in another coaching environment without having to commit to a "rival" gym back home.
 
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We are going to be gone for nearly 2 weeks over Christmas. I really don't think that she will lose her skills in 2 weeks (or in your case 3 weeks)

I think the rest is going to be a great thing for Morgan. She hasn't had any time off in a year. I am hoing that she comes back rejuvinated.
 
Have you discussed this with her coaches? Normally I would say go and have a great time, but when exactly are they planning to make a decision on her L7 skills and if she was moved up, when would she have her 1st meet?
 
Sorry, I completely missed the part that she's trying for L7 in January!! I would have a nice, relaxed vacation if she has her L7 skills and not worry about it. If she doesn't have her skills yet, I'm hoping that her first L7 meet is not in January!!!
 
Started feeling very comfortable with the vacation reading gymnastbeth, tumblequeensmom and particularly bogwoppit whose gym closes for 3 weeks.

To MaryA: We went on a month long vacation 2 years ago and my DD had a meet 5 days after we got back. She placed 2nd AA (Her bars were actually weaker than usual). But then again she was only a L4 and was competition ready going into the vacation. So, good luck with your DD. I am sure she will do fine.

To gymlawmom: My DD's coaches are not happy about the vacation. They've already told me, we can't keep going on this long vacations much longer. They were nice about it but seemed concerned for my dd's progress.

To gymdog: Funny you mentioned checking out another coaching environment. I was just thinking the same thing. There are a few strong gyms about 20 miles away. I wanted to try out a truly reputable gym just to see how a top gym operates, but I don't know what the proper protocol is: if they give privates to non gym members or allow them to practice with their team.

My dd's L7 skills are there but I don't think she is competition ready. Her bH on beam is not as consistent as it needs to be and even if giants are not required in L7, her coach wants her to do them. She still has some form issues on that. So, like MaryA, she is just getting to the point of nailing the skills and losing them would frustrate her. My DD does not deal with setbacks really well. She gets so upset with herself and wears this long face with her coaches until she starts feeling good again with her performance. If she stayed a L6, I think she'll have no problem competing two weeks after she gets back. But her first L7 meet is two weeks after she gets back. Never thought kids sports would be this complicated!!!!
 
briefly...at some point you can not take long extended vacations such as this. and some kids bodies come back as if they never left but that is NOT the norm.

essentially, the body 'de-trains' at about the 5th day. it is never recommended to take vacations during a competitive season. at a minimum, even though your husband thought you were nuts, you should seek out another gym during your stay to do basics and conditioning.

this becomes more critical when the kids hit optionals. and although elite training is longer and more rigorous they too will get a 'break' in their traning but a break that is coordinated with micro/macro training and certain competitions .

food for thought...:)
 
We go to gym when we are away. We are away for up to 4 weeks in August and September and I take my daughter wherever we are. And she's at a very low level. But I figure if I am taking them away we will continue to do what she loves and what is good for her, just as we do our schoolwork when we are not home.
 
I would do some research and find a gym or 2 that will be close to where you will be staying on vacation. Then call and explain you'll be in the area and would they mind letting your dd practice with their L7 team. Then take the ifo to her current coaches. Ask them if they would have a preference over where she got to practice and could they call and talk with one of the coaches? That way eveyone is on the same page and the coaches at your gym have some input on what dd needs to work on.

Does she have her new floor/beam routines? If not, I don't really see how she would get them and feel comfortable enough with them to practice them at another gym. Cutting it VERY close coming back 2 weeks before her 1st L7 meet and trying to learn all that.

Sometimes it comes down to what is more important---good/quality family time without worrying about gym(stay at L6) or some of the family vacation taking a back seat to gym(try the move to L7)?
 
To gymdog: Funny you mentioned checking out another coaching environment. I was just thinking the same thing. There are a few strong gyms about 20 miles away. I wanted to try out a truly reputable gym just to see how a top gym operates, but I don't know what the proper protocol is: if they give privates to non gym members or allow them to practice with their team.

Yes, you can do this. Most gyms will do it for a visiting/vacation situation assuming you have it cleared with her regular coaches. I would find a reputable gym that has optionals and they may even be able to communicate with her regular coaches. If her skills aren't competition ready now and you go away for three weeks in Dec then I would prepare for her for the possibility of not competing, at least for awhile. If you can get her there I would strongly recommend it given what you've posted.
 
My DD does not deal with setbacks really well. She gets so upset with herself and wears this long face with her coaches until she starts feeling good again with her performance.
It is good that your daughter is so dedicated to the sport but being so tough on herself all the time is not a good thing. She must learn to enjoy the journey (at least ride it) regardless of occasional set backs.
 
As she's level 6 still, I would go on vacation and not look back...as Dunno says, when you get to the upper level optionals , long vacations are "tougher" to take (and generally frowned upon) but at 9 years old and Level 6, go for it. You have plenty of years to come to have to plan your vacation around a gym schedule...
 

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