gymmiemom14
Proud Parent
My 8 year old daughter was on preteam this year (once a week, 2 hours). We recently found out (not from her coach directly but through word of mouth) that she was not invited to team tryouts. Most of her preteam class wasn’t.
Gym grade school director told me my daughter is very close to team (maybe a few months away from Level 3 JO), but coach feels she should sign up for preteam again to work on her focus. Her three close friends who had done intermediate recreational gymnastics with her last year (and were not moved up to preteam like she was) moved up to Bronze Excel or Level 2 team for next year. She can’t understand how her friends (who in her mind are at a lower level of class) got promoted and she didn’t. She is devastated.
My problem is that we had absolutely no communication from her coach all year. Her coach changed mid year and no one ever told us. My daughter didn’t get feedback on her progress either. I later find out her gym is under new management and almost all the coaches are leaving. They didn’t promote many this year because there is no JO coach yet. The outgoing Grade School Director has acknowledged my concerns and even used terms like “ridiculous” to describe what has happened for this preteam group this year. (Again, most of them didn’t even try out for team). She can’t guarantee me anything about next year’s preteam because they don’t have a coach for that yet either. BTW, this gym has, until now, had a strong reputation and routinely places girls at state and regional competitions.
My daughter really wants to be on a team, and a year is a long time for an 8-year-old to wait while all her friends are on a team. Plus her friends on Bronze Excel will surpass her quickly as they practice substantially more (2 times a week, 3 hours). Her gym considers her too “old” for a Level 2 team. Do I try to find her a Level 2 team somewhere else, or do I send her for another preteam year at a competitive, slightly stricter gym? How can I tell if a gym has a legitimate “pre” team? Is preteam just a sort of placeholder/moneymaker for girls not strong enough to get pulled out of the recreational program? I’m new to gymnastics but I’m feeling burned.
Please help explain! And I welcome any suggestions to boost the confidence of an 8-year-old aspiring gymnast who feels very defeated but still loves gymnastics.
Gym grade school director told me my daughter is very close to team (maybe a few months away from Level 3 JO), but coach feels she should sign up for preteam again to work on her focus. Her three close friends who had done intermediate recreational gymnastics with her last year (and were not moved up to preteam like she was) moved up to Bronze Excel or Level 2 team for next year. She can’t understand how her friends (who in her mind are at a lower level of class) got promoted and she didn’t. She is devastated.
My problem is that we had absolutely no communication from her coach all year. Her coach changed mid year and no one ever told us. My daughter didn’t get feedback on her progress either. I later find out her gym is under new management and almost all the coaches are leaving. They didn’t promote many this year because there is no JO coach yet. The outgoing Grade School Director has acknowledged my concerns and even used terms like “ridiculous” to describe what has happened for this preteam group this year. (Again, most of them didn’t even try out for team). She can’t guarantee me anything about next year’s preteam because they don’t have a coach for that yet either. BTW, this gym has, until now, had a strong reputation and routinely places girls at state and regional competitions.
My daughter really wants to be on a team, and a year is a long time for an 8-year-old to wait while all her friends are on a team. Plus her friends on Bronze Excel will surpass her quickly as they practice substantially more (2 times a week, 3 hours). Her gym considers her too “old” for a Level 2 team. Do I try to find her a Level 2 team somewhere else, or do I send her for another preteam year at a competitive, slightly stricter gym? How can I tell if a gym has a legitimate “pre” team? Is preteam just a sort of placeholder/moneymaker for girls not strong enough to get pulled out of the recreational program? I’m new to gymnastics but I’m feeling burned.
Please help explain! And I welcome any suggestions to boost the confidence of an 8-year-old aspiring gymnast who feels very defeated but still loves gymnastics.