Parents Uptraing... what is learned at what level

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My DD just finished lvl 3 comp season. In the gym they are already uptraining flyaways (at least she is) and I know they have already been training the cast handstands. I am just surprised about the flyaways. It seems like a difficult skill. When will i have to worry about Giants? Those scare me a little....
 
Probably soon. If you think about it, she could need them soon. The progressions for them take a while. I bet she has already worked drills for them. Just remember, it is better to work drills now, than to try to cram it all in later. Much less stress :)

Good luck! I understand how you feel. My ds started working his jaeger last night :eek:
 
I had not even realized she had been doing any of it till her coach sent me a quick video of her doing it into the foam pit. She said they have been practicing them on the low bar for a while. She is just starting in lvl 4...for some reason i thought it would be another year or 2. For the first time I am now worried about potential injuries. I am excited for her, I was just curious if up training that much is normal for that level.
 
I had not even realized she had been doing any of it till her coach sent me a quick video of her doing it into the foam pit. She said they have been practicing them on the low bar for a while. She is just starting in lvl 4...for some reason i thought it would be another year or 2. For the first time I am now worried about potential injuries. I am excited for her, I was just curious if up training that much is normal for that level.

Don't worry! Practicing drills is much different than practicing skills!

And the flyaway will actually help with lv 4 bar dismount. Giants shouldn't be worked until layout flyaway is successful, so you probably have time. Not that she won't do drill for Giants, but probably won't actually work giants for a while. Our girls don't start them until the end of lv 4, and usually not mastered until end of lv 6. You've got some time! ;)
 
I would say it's very common. Our gym does Xcel instead of levels 3-5, but our bronze girls are typically training squat ons, flyaways and kips, silvers train flyaways and kips as well as baby giants, clear hips, etc. Golds start training giants on the strap bar. It's pretty typical to see girls up training skills that are anywhere from 1-3 levels above what they are competing. This can differ widely by gym of course, some gyms do little to no up training.

I will admit I was surprised too to see my dd learning flyaways, etc in bronze. And a little nervous. But usually the higher level skills are very heavily spotted at first, and done over proper matting or a pit. I think they like to introduce them early b/c once a skill is introduced it can take quite a while to be consistent. Fear, mental blocks, etc can kick on on a more scary skill like a flyaway. My dd had hers, but is now scared to do it. Luckily since they introduced it early, she still has a year or maybe even longer before she needs it for competition. There is also benefit in introducing more scary skills when they are young, the younger they are, usually the more fearless they are.
 
My dd finished level 3 in December and is now training level 4. Her gym doesn't do much uptraining at the lower levels and they are definitely not training flyaways. They do sometimes work on cast handstand drills. It definitely depends on the gym, but it would have surprised me to see that at her gym. Sounds like your dd is doing great!
 
Our gym, like previous posters, up train 1 -3 levels ahead (and honestly I usually have to ask here after DD starts working on something I haven't seen before, what level it would be needed for). Bit by bit and dependent on the kiddo. Our coach believes strongly in doing drills, stressing proper form/technique, instead of just 'chucking' skills. So things are introduced early but in the broken down drill version. My DD as a level 4 was experimenting with Giants on the strap bar. Now as a new lvl 6, she is working toward getting them on the 'real' bar. She has also started twisting which was crazy to see... but it's on the tramp and the rod floor, so again just working on progressions. They have also been working on Yurchenko's and other things that have fancy names :) It sounds like your DD is progressing similarly :)

Like you, I have struggled with the fear of DD getting hurt. I still struggle with it. It used to be in passing, but like today when I dropped her off for her 4 hour + practice, the little thoughts just creep in. It's a matter of when not if, and I think that is normal as a parent to have that concern. I just have to remind myself that no matter what activity DD would choose, there is a certain amount of risk involved. And that DD's coach has her best interest at heart and wants to keep her safe too.

I think it is just momma bear/poppa bear instincts :) We can't help ourselves... LOL
 
Mine is training 9, and there's not an event left that doesn't scare me. ;) Don't they need the flyaway in level 5? I much prefer lots of time to work skills before they need to compete them. Mine was hurt between old 6 and new 7 so didn't have her giants until shortly before season. Now that was a stressful season to watch. :)
 
A good gym focused on getting girls to optional levels will work ahead, especially after comp season ends. Typically they will be working on skills for next level and then drills and skills for the following level and sometimes drills for even higher skills. Drills for all of these are generally very safe. The higher level you get, the longer it takes to get skills and get them consistently. I used to think the same thing about giants, but once I watched her do drills and train for them they weren't as scary.
 
Ideally certain skills should be learned or at least drilled quite early, this includes a lot of bar skills ie cast to handstands and Giants. These skills are easier to teach to smaller girls which coaches can heavily spot.
 
2 levels ahead? I really miss L4. It was so fun to watch.......

DD is going for L7 and they are starting double backs, tsuks, chenkos, layouts on beam......not fun to watch....yet?

Dd competed lv 7 this last season, regionals next weekend, then moving on to lv 8---I can tell you, it's still not fun to watch. This was the season dd had the most injuries, but thankful she made it! Looking forward to putting lv 7 behind us but even more nervous about lv 8!
 
Yep our gym uptrains a couple levels ahead. Our Level 4 finished their JO season in February. Most have some if not all of their L6 skills, a few have some of their L7s. One even has her Giant (without form). Most of the rest are in various states of drills for them. Optional season ends in 2 weeks and then I am sure they will be fine tuning the 5/6 stuff (depending on the kid) and putting together the 7 stuff. Leaps are a work in progress though.
 
During the summer and early fall our gym trains the girls to their potential to determine placement. If a former L6 looks like they can pick up the skills to compete L8 successfully and everyone agrees it's a good move, then they'll go to L8. Otherwise the focus is really on building a solid foundation for the competitive season, so up training is minimal. I'll see the beginnings of progressions, but it's rarely taken to the point it could be competed successfully. For example, at L6 anyone who had their BHS on beam practiced BWO or BHS series on low beam, two girls had it where they fell less than half the time.

There is another gym in the state that sandbags at least 2 levels. They could easily compete at L8 and do well, but being 1st means so much they hold their girls back and they dominate their level...
 
Our gym doesn't do much uptraining at the lower levels. Level 2s do some kip drills and train standing BHS and RO-BHS, but most of the season is spent ensuring that the current level skills and routines are solid. Uptraining begins much more intensively after state gymnastics.
 
I'd say it's pretty normal. We haven't experienced it personally, but my DD is an exception rather than a rule (she's always chasing the minimum). I can say that from the outside I can see why gyms do it- the girls are definitely better off score wise for it, but I can say that I don't think it should be such a thing, personally. It's a fine line (IMO) between a solid training plan and sandbagging. I've seen girls score perfect tens or close to it (and 38+) and I can't help but wonder if those gyms care only about scores. My DDs both have been thrown to the wolves, though, forced to compete skills they barely learned at practice. It never ends well and can be downright scary. Time to really know skills and let them settle is important and they need to be introduced well before competing them.

But.. My T&T DD competes against a gym that is very open about the fact that their gymnasts always train the hours and routines/skills two levels above where they compete. They are flat out in it to win it. And they do- by margins that are simply ridiculous. I've seen plenty of resentment over it at meets, but I've always said it's a game strategy- and any other gym could adopt it if it were that important to them. That's not actually what I'm looking for, nor my kid. Somewhere in the middle is the ideal, I think. My best scenario would be some uptraining- learning skills this season to be competed next season, but not all out staying well below your ability level at comps just to win.
 
I am just surprised about the flyaways. It seems like a difficult skill. When will i have to worry about Giants? Those scare me a little....

Actually, at DDs gym, flyaways are considered a lower-level skill and isn't taught until absolutely necessary. I think DD got hers a month before competing it; she'd had her giants well before then.
As for training giants, they start while training level 4, but it's a long process. Start on the strap bar with lots of tap swings. Once they can giant from a tap, they can giant from a cast. Do this for several months. Move to pit bar - stay there several months. Then move it to the actual bars. Some gyms require a cast HS before working giants.

Some skills take a long time to acquire, especially if it's not your kiddos forte. She may end up with floor skills above level, but struggle with bars. That's why they give so much time!
 
My DD just finished lvl 3 comp season. In the gym they are already uptraining flyaways (at least she is) and I know they have already been training the cast handstands. I am just surprised about the flyaways. It seems like a difficult skill. When will i have to worry about Giants? Those scare me a little....

Only the kids on our fast track work more than 1 level ahead. The regular track L3s would be working on L4 skills. The fast track 3s have all of their 4 skills and are working skills (or at least drills for skills) all the way up through L8. They are working giants right now (they all have their cast handstands). The flyaway is actually a very simple skill provided they have a good cast tap/tap swing.
 
I think up training keeps them from getting bored and they don't feel as pressured to get a bunch of skills all at once. Its almost like a reward for working hard on the stuff they have. Oh yeah tumble track and pit time.

The flyaway is actually a very simple skill provided they have a good cast tap/tap swing.

That's what my daughters coach told me as well. He said it's actually easier then most of the other moves they are working. He says the hardest part is getting past the fear. He said once they really get they can do it. They just do.
 
Dd is a level 4, training level 5 now. They have been doing flyaway drills and spotted flyaways for nearly a year. She's had her cast handstand for a while and started doing giants on strap bar a few months ago, but they probably started drills for those a year ago too. She has all of her level 5 bar skills (not all smoothly connected yet) except the flyaway, but it looks like she'll have that soon. These skills are tough and I'm glad she's been working them for a while!
 

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