TOPs B camp moved discussion from TOPs camp thread

[Tumblequeensmom]

I think madigym makes a good point. It is easy to point fingers at crazy parents, but the crazy behavior is obviously being encouraged by certain gyms and certain coaches. Like she says, if you're told your child is super talented and has all this potential, you would probably believe it. Especially if you haven't been around gymnastics that much, it is probably very easy to buy right into the idea that you can pick out future elites at the age of 6. I think most people already have some preconceived notions that gymnastics is a sport that you have to be young to be good at, the younger the better, and no one wants it to be "too late" for their child or to deprive their child of some special chance. I think it is probably fairly easy to get caught up in the hype from the start, whereas parents of kids who progress through the levels with no particular expectations but nonetheless find themselves with a preteen level 9-10 might not be wearing such rose colored glasses when it comes to elite dreams.

Great point!!!!

[MaryA]

Even though I really have nothing to say about Tops, I had to check out this thread because it has gotten so long. Just a funny, slightly OT aside... I found my dd watching gymnastics videos on YouTube last night. She came across one of a 5-year-old working on giants. The video said that she was practicing 18 hours a week and couldn't wait until she was old enough to compete level 4. I commented that 18 hours a week was insane for a 5-year-old and my daughter disagreed with me! Now, she is coming from a place of being the oldest on her level 6 team (a positively ancient 10-years-old) and wishing that she had gotten an"earlier and better" start to gymnastics, but still... I am afraid that I may be raising the next generation of CGM!

[gymnut1]

Now that is scary!!!!lol

[4theloveofsports]

I agree with the great majority of the posters. The longer amd longer hours, the younger and younger gymnasts, more and more difficult skills, more and more money out our pockets, crazier and crazier parents, greedier and greedier gyms (qualification: the previous statements probably apply to a smaller minority--mostly on the elite level). But what is the alternative? In order to be in the cutting edge, we must push the envelope. I am neither advocating nor not advocating the longer hours, pushing harder and harder skills, training at age 1! :-) How does one regulate hours, skills, etc. We may incorporate more artistry. Though putting more emphasis on artistry can be just another addend and may in no way limit the gymnastics part. In addition, how can we just stay stagnant?

Also we've forgotten the role the masses, the audience, spectators role in gymnastics. They only know what they see during the olympics. Gymnastics may be like everything else--the idea is to give the audience what they want--higher tumbling, daring stunts and skills, the more out of the ordinary, the better. And don't you think the gasps and applause gymnasts and coaches get feeds into their desire to even surprise and amaze the audience, judges, fellow gymnasts. It seems to me it is the society as a whole, starting with the family unit, that may drive sports to such competitiveness. I don't think pulling back is the answer because we will fall off the charts. Do we have an alternative? If so, what? I am personally stumped.

[coachmolly]

Even though I really have nothing to say about Tops, I had to check out this thread because it has gotten so long. Just a funny, slightly OT aside... I found my dd watching gymnastics videos on YouTube last night. She came across one of a 5-year-old working on giants. The video said that she was practicing 18 hours a week and couldn't wait until she was old enough to compete level 4. I commented that 18 hours a week was insane for a 5-year-old and my daughter disagreed with me! Now, she is coming from a place of being the oldest on her level 6 team (a positively ancient 10-years-old) and wishing that she had gotten an"earlier and better" start to gymnastics, but still... I am afraid that I may be raising the next generation of CGM!

No worries, MaryA! I would have said the same thing at your DDs age, and at 10 I was an excessively ancient level 4! I think you get a new perspective when you see that gymnastics isn't everything, even if you wish you had gotten the chance to go more hours as a youngster. Of course there are the exceptions, but I think most kids who live and breathe the sport dream of going more hours if it means being more advanced.