Oh, wow, didn't expect this to get so heated!
Mom, you are doing a good job navigating what is right for your gymnast. Please note that the mom and daughter told the coach what they'd LIKE to do, as in their opinion, not that they were bossing.
As a coach, if I have a talented seven year old and she is burning out, you better believe I'd modify the hours. I'd much rather have the kid move more slowly through the levels then burn out at 8 (like so many talented ones do).
As for other parents, it's not their business. It has little to no effect on their child and their performance. Zero. As long as you're paying full tuition, it's fair.
My old coach used to say, "If they're not in the gym, I can't train them." As long as parents understand that, we are good.
Exactly!
Every parent/child can choose for themselves not to attend the full hours. Depending on your gym and your daughter's natural abilities, it will have different consequences. Some gyms may not allow it. Obviously the OP's gym did or they wouldn't have wanted to move her up a level. I totally could understand parents getting upset if the OP said she wanted her kid to be moved to L4 but not put in the extra hours. But that is not what is going on here. She is asking to repeat L3 so that she doesn't have to do the L4 hours. How that negatively impacts any other kid on team is beyond my understanding.