AREA: Greater Boston
BACKGROUND: Daughter is Level 5 gymnast at non USAG gym. 10 yo, not short, not super tall. She is not a phenom but becomes more talented the harder she works and she is a hard worker. Very consistent.
CURRENT TRAINING: 3 days (9 Hours) Her coach is only there part time, a teenage coach fills in the gaps. Very supportive gym, older equipment, a little small. The gym has budget constraints which don't allow for the most experienced coaches.
In addition to her team training she takes an additional low level class at another gym to fix and polish form which was not corrected early on and an extra tumbling class at yet another gym (hard worker).
My daughter is interested in moving to the next step in training and wants/needs better coaching and more hours. For example: When I videotaped a meet she had no idea her split jump on beam was low because no one ever told her.
She tried out at a top gym in the area and didn't make the team. The feedback was tumbling and bars. When asked for specifics, they said front tuck and cast to handstand. Both skills are new skills. She does, right now, land in a squat on her front handspring. According to my daughter there were other girls on he team who landed on their bottom. Cast to handstand she doesn't have. They said she could try out for prep op novice, which to be honest actually shocked me. I'm not delusional about her skills and I knew going in it was a stretch, but prep op novice doesn't allow any high bar, no big vault, no back tucks. As far as I'm concerned, she is past novice. The coach said she felt bad because she liked my daughter, she's a hard worker, makes corrections, and listens well. This is always nice to hear but felt a little like 'it's not you, it's me'
It does feels like a catch 22. In order to make the team at a different gym, she needs to be better, but in order to be better, she needs a different gym.
Her level 5 skills are pretty solid. Things that need work from an untrained eye (mine) are connection on bars, higher jumps on beam, straddle jump on floor. Up training she has her robhbt, not perfect but good, bwo on beam with tiny spot, although everyone (including coach at competitive gym) says she doesn't need it because they're not doing anything, and free hip on bars (right now inconsistent).
Unfortunately, I was not versed on gymnastics when she began, so her early training was less than desirable for the more competitive gymnastics community. She has worked hard to fix those problems. Now again, because the current gym is not USAG and we do not compete against those teams I do not know which gym(s) would be good for her to look at to see if she is up to their standards and that she feels comfortable in.
Any advice/options for gyms with good reputations, more hours, etc in our area would be appreciated.
Thanks.
BACKGROUND: Daughter is Level 5 gymnast at non USAG gym. 10 yo, not short, not super tall. She is not a phenom but becomes more talented the harder she works and she is a hard worker. Very consistent.
CURRENT TRAINING: 3 days (9 Hours) Her coach is only there part time, a teenage coach fills in the gaps. Very supportive gym, older equipment, a little small. The gym has budget constraints which don't allow for the most experienced coaches.
In addition to her team training she takes an additional low level class at another gym to fix and polish form which was not corrected early on and an extra tumbling class at yet another gym (hard worker).
My daughter is interested in moving to the next step in training and wants/needs better coaching and more hours. For example: When I videotaped a meet she had no idea her split jump on beam was low because no one ever told her.
She tried out at a top gym in the area and didn't make the team. The feedback was tumbling and bars. When asked for specifics, they said front tuck and cast to handstand. Both skills are new skills. She does, right now, land in a squat on her front handspring. According to my daughter there were other girls on he team who landed on their bottom. Cast to handstand she doesn't have. They said she could try out for prep op novice, which to be honest actually shocked me. I'm not delusional about her skills and I knew going in it was a stretch, but prep op novice doesn't allow any high bar, no big vault, no back tucks. As far as I'm concerned, she is past novice. The coach said she felt bad because she liked my daughter, she's a hard worker, makes corrections, and listens well. This is always nice to hear but felt a little like 'it's not you, it's me'
It does feels like a catch 22. In order to make the team at a different gym, she needs to be better, but in order to be better, she needs a different gym.
Her level 5 skills are pretty solid. Things that need work from an untrained eye (mine) are connection on bars, higher jumps on beam, straddle jump on floor. Up training she has her robhbt, not perfect but good, bwo on beam with tiny spot, although everyone (including coach at competitive gym) says she doesn't need it because they're not doing anything, and free hip on bars (right now inconsistent).
Unfortunately, I was not versed on gymnastics when she began, so her early training was less than desirable for the more competitive gymnastics community. She has worked hard to fix those problems. Now again, because the current gym is not USAG and we do not compete against those teams I do not know which gym(s) would be good for her to look at to see if she is up to their standards and that she feels comfortable in.
Any advice/options for gyms with good reputations, more hours, etc in our area would be appreciated.
Thanks.
