Coaches taking time off

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dmytv

Coach
1 of my level 5s'(who I think is really good) Parents came in today to ask if her dd could take off for the summer to do swimming. I said I don't think it is a good idea and wondered if we could just work around her schedule. The parent kinda just wanted to take off for the swim time and then come back( IDK, maybe it is cost). Anyway, has anyone taken time off for another sport? How has this affected gymnastics? If the GM chooses this, is there any advice I can give her?
 
Aside from my own opinion, which would be to preserve the team program for those willing to make a year long commitment..... if the kid really wants to be a swimmer, then she oughtta do it to see if that's her passion. If you haven't figured it out by now, gymnastics is clearly not her passion..... unless this is all being directed by GM, and the poor kid really wants to do 100% gym.

At the end of the day, when it all gets boiled down, the bottom line is the GM will do whatever she feels is right for her kid, and you'll do whatever you feel is right for your program. These are two separate decisions made by two different people with separate concerns, and neither of you should feel compelled to "make it work" for the other's interests.

You can care.... you can wish..... and you can even change the structure of your program, but none of this caring, wishing, and changing should take place if it's simply being done for this child and her mother. Avoid making changes that aren't what you want, or you'll start to fade as a useful coach and your team won't provide kids with the experience you feel should be provided.

The bottom line (yeah I know I already used it once), at the absolute end of the day, is that gymnastics clubs shouldn't be there to offer what everybody wants, as they should offer what they do well. The parents and their kids will have to shop around to find what they're looking for, and if nobody's offering exactly what they want, they'll settle for the next best thing or do without.
 
I guess it doesn't happen here as summer holidays are only 6 weeks and that includes Christmas.
But if they are adamant that's what they want you can't make them train, but explain why its a year round sport and if they wish to quit for the summer and try out for the team again after that then that's fine, but that her dd will have to try out and see if she still has the skills after such a long break.
 
Well like the others have said you don't know really why they are choosing this option. Maybe it is cost, maybe she is hoping the kid will find other interests. I guess you could dig a little deeper if you want to. If the parents are clueless it may help them to know at her level missing 3 months of practice will really set her back if she plans to continue in the fall.
 
It is coming from the GM. The kid is 8. She was a cheer kid who switched over when cheer season ended. I run clinics for the cheer program in their off season and that is how she became aware of the program. This is her first full year with us and I think the GM is not used to this aspect of the sport. Most sports in this city center have a season. I really can't name one other that is year round. I just want to know what it will affect so that I can give examples. IDK this try out thing sounds pretty interesting. We have just moved kids up when we have felt they are ready. We start at level 2 and we have xcel and MO, so if a kid really wants team, I can find a place they will succeed. If the season starts in sept, how early should we have tryouts?
 
As a coach we can't tell them not to stop for swimming, what happens then is we have a kid in the gym who is not 100% focused, wishing they were swimming and wondering if they made the right choice. A true gymnast will try swimming and discover they left their heart in the gym, when they return you will have a. More dedicated gymnast.

Just advise the parent that gymnastics is the type of sport where skills are lost if they are not maintained and there is a possibility that she will have to repeat a level or even go back a level if she takes a lengthy break.
 

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