CLgym
Proud Parent
I can't believe I'm posting in the middle of the night -- but I just woke up and can't get back to sleep bc my mind is stuck on gymnastics. I have a 6 year old on the pre team at her gym (6 hrs / week). She is one of the "older" girls on the pre team (age range is 4-6). We get almost no feedback regarding progress, and have no contact with the main coaches at the gym. The one coach that sometimes steps out to talk with parents was asked about summer schedules today after practice. She said that some girls would stay put (presumably the younger girls), and others would move to Excel (suggesting the older girls). I asked if any of the girls would be moving into the USAG level 3 track, and was told the head coach had "taken" all of the girls she wanted for USAG for now. (She took three girls last fall, and one this winter). My DD's goal is to compete level 3, and I suspect she will feel very rejected. In addition, the Excel program at our gym functions more like a rec team in many ways (girls have unfocused/wild behavior, groups are big, little emphasis on form and conditioning, too much downtime, etc.) It's also worth noting that the USAG program at our gym is small with girls hand-picked at a very young age -- there is absolutely no opportunity of moving to USAG from a different team track later.
My DD was late to start gymnastics (only about a year ago) and has made great progress. In fact, she is the only pre team girl selected from the gym's huge rec program (the others came from an advanced preschool track). She is dedicated and attended every practice this fall/winter with a broken arm (lots of sit-ups and stretching!). I personally feel a little misled. She was invited to the pre team late September (when several girls moved up). I was told the head coach "really liked" her and USAG was specifically mentioned -- they even spent time with DD, had her watch the older USAG girls, and asked if she wanted to be a champion. So, she decided to give up several other activities and commit to gymnastics. I feel she has had insufficient time to really be assessed (especially with the broken arm keeping her activities limited for months).
So this is my question: Should I sit tight and wait to see the verdict, or should I reach out now and express DD's interest in pursuing USAG while they are currently discussing the girls' fates? And, if I reach out, how and to whom should I speak? And is it possible to advocate for DD without coming off like a pushy mom??
Thanks for any advice...
My DD was late to start gymnastics (only about a year ago) and has made great progress. In fact, she is the only pre team girl selected from the gym's huge rec program (the others came from an advanced preschool track). She is dedicated and attended every practice this fall/winter with a broken arm (lots of sit-ups and stretching!). I personally feel a little misled. She was invited to the pre team late September (when several girls moved up). I was told the head coach "really liked" her and USAG was specifically mentioned -- they even spent time with DD, had her watch the older USAG girls, and asked if she wanted to be a champion. So, she decided to give up several other activities and commit to gymnastics. I feel she has had insufficient time to really be assessed (especially with the broken arm keeping her activities limited for months).
So this is my question: Should I sit tight and wait to see the verdict, or should I reach out now and express DD's interest in pursuing USAG while they are currently discussing the girls' fates? And, if I reach out, how and to whom should I speak? And is it possible to advocate for DD without coming off like a pushy mom??
Thanks for any advice...