WAG Modified school hours for gym

[bookworm]

I have been down this road with my daughter when she was younger (11-12ish) and training TOPS and elite....the gym we were at wanted me to homeschool her so that she could be in the gym during the day and my response was "I work during the day so I can either work and pay you to train her after school, or I can quit work and homeschool her and not pay you , you pick" ...she continued in school, I continued to work, she continued to do well without morning hours....and she actually said to me as she went off to do college gymnastics "thank God you never pulled me out of school because I probably would have gotten burnt out and left the sport"....be wary of the too much too soon scenario....

 

[Midwestmommy]

There are gyms who are rumored to require homeschooling/online for JO team girls. This is without question a business model. They are "selling" false hopes at the expense of little kids'educations, as it pertains to 95 percent plus of their elementary school customers. I'm not taking about families who he school for other reasons.
When my daughter was 7 she tried to insist with surprising conviction that she absolutely had to have six toaster waffles instead of two with some fruit and protein. That doesn't mean saying yes was OK. Seven year olds are not cognitively ready to make huge decisions, that's why it's against the law to leave them alone at home or in a car.

Saying a seven year old is driving the bus as it relates to sport training decisions is silly, that is a parent's job. Just like not letting them stay up late whenever they want etc. 7 year olds are not remotely close to being consenting adults who understand consequences. If a seven year old is in the gym 25 hours a week the parent 100 percent owns that and any long term consequences.

 

[B&M's mom]

When I got home, I mentioned the question and my previous response to my DD. Her response was "why would you want to do that so young! Let her be a kid! You give up so much, its hard enough to do when you know what you are doing.". This the kid who is working on qualifying.

In terms of the isolation, we work really hard to keep her connected with her elementary school friends. They have been great at understanding what her schedule is like and are willing to include her when she's available. I think its important to have friends outside the gym as you never know when your DD may walk away from the sport. If her only friends are in the gym, who does she have left? I've also encouraged my kids to do other activities just to keep them well rounded. I don't want them looking back at their childhoods and regretting that all they did was one activity.

My daughter has never been taunted about her size, though people can and do make silly comments. She's really tired of always being given a kids menu even though she's 13. Her favorite t-shirt is one that says "I'm not short. I'm fun sized."

 

[bookworm]

Totally agree with you B & M....7 is way too young to be channeling her into just gym and nothing else, even if she "wants to"...like Midwestmommy said, there's a reason 7 year olds can't make decisions for themselves...

When morning hours were brought up with my daughter, she was already a level 10, and training elite...I can't imagine considering it for anything before that...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

My son goes before and after school. The options at our gym are before and after school for 1.5 hours each, or just after school for 3 hours. The before/after works better for our family schedule. The only reason this works at our gym is that the elementary schools around here start pretty late in the morning. The middle schools start earlier, but some of them will substitute the missed period for PE. I would not have my son in this program if he were missing any regular school.

Dunno, why do you say it's not appropriate? Because of missed school or some other reason?

because of school AND the tender age of a 7 year old.

 

[kimute]

My DD (just turned 8), is excused from 2 hours of her public school each week for gym. She misses the end of the day one day a week in order to attend a special class at the gym for those who are training to test TOPs (she made the Diamond team last year). To do this, she misses PE, recess, and maybe 30 academic minutes. She then misses one morning of school because PE is first and that extra 30 minutes of sleep mean more.

Before asking for this, I got a lot of great advice here on ChalkBucket (you can look up my post and responses), talked to a mom at our school who has a 9 year old L. 8 (at a different gym), and had very respectful conversations with our teacher as well as our principal and then the PE teacher too. We did not ask to be excused from PE or school, we just presented the situation and our teacher suggested not only excusing her for the TOPs class, but offering her the sleep in day, and modifying her homework as well. It probably helps that our DD (like most gymnasts) is a very strong student. I think it also helps that I presented this as something to solve together. Our school also seems to like it when their kids who do something unique and challenging.

My DD loves school so I'm not going farther than this although I'm open to what the future may bring. There are certainly more amazing home school opportunities out there than ever if you can swing it!

 

[Gymishome]

Let's not forget about Shawn Johnson who only practiced 25 hours a week total, 4 hours AFTER regular school. No need to burn out the kid, especially at 7....

 

[txgymfan]

I'm not in favor of huge modifications of school just for gymnastics for the compulsory levels. In certain circumstances like Kimute's it makes sense. This missing school for gym needs to be approached carefully and on an individual basis. Ideally this would only happen for high level optionals and/or short periods of time. I also have no issue with gym kids missing PE if that is their preference.

I know some high level gyms do two a day workouts at a young age for a few kids but thankfully that seems to be in the minority. Good luck with your decision.

 

[Natalia]

Don't do it.

I don't say this because I have any real respect for formal schooling.I don't.

I do have a tremendous amount of respect for the complexity of this sport,the incredible talent that it requires to be an average gymnast,the pressure to achieve super human powers and deliver it all with a smile.A simple backhand spring on a tiny piece of wood requires exceptional ability.In this sport it's nothing to write home about.

So now that we've taken a step back and appreciated the madness of this sport,we're going to notch it up by a 100.We're entering the realm where it is not sufficient to do incredibly difficult skills,you have to learn them faster then nearly anyone else.

Your window of opportunity is tiny,you will grow and your body will change,you have to beat nature at its own game.You will spend hours and hours of practice and huge opportunies might be lost in a routine that lasts less then 2 minutes.

You will know slight sprains,aches,soreness.You will know your PT better then most kids know their family doctor.

You're 7 years old and we have decided this is your path.

DD is 9 ,she has a meeet coming up in 10 days.It will be decided if she belongs amongst the nations most promissing talents.If so she will be officialy Elite tracked.Otherwise she will just qualify to nationals and that would be a hard thing for her to accept .Being amongst the girls who qualify to nationals isn't good enough for her,she wants to qualify as national elite-tracked....

She strained her quad muscle,she's had 7 days off,6 sessions with the PT.She has to notch down her routines.She's not going to make the elite tracked list.....not this year.So she wants to quit.

All or nothing.

You asked wether or not to modify school schedules for gym.Modify it for family field trips,for concerts,for a morning starring at the clouds.But the all or nothing of elite track...Geez,I don't know.

 

[Fliptwisttumble]

Most gyms here expect girls that are in higher levels (so say L5 and up, as we don't have compulsories/optionals here) to miss some school. As the levels get higher, this increases. Many gyms here are not for profit, so they aren't doing it to make a quick buck.

The rationale given is more time on equipment, rather than sharing with 40 other girls.

DD is well adjusted, goes to a regular public school that is accommodating, and misses the equivalent of a day a week, plus away days for travel meets, as she seems to always get the Friday slots. She has friends, both in school and out, and other interests.

For her, it works, but I recognize it might not for everyone.

 

[Natalia]

Forgot to mention ,DD is in sport-etude.This is a modified school schedule established with the gym.

She misses the last hour of school four days a week.

Academic results are very good.It's not the academic part you should worry about.

 

[munchkin3]

We have very young L10s (10,11) and they Do NOT homeschool! and they train after school and weekends. This works fine too. My DD is not that kind of kid though! she is 9 and gets exhausted with 4 days a week.....whatever, I guess she isn't going elite.....
HC does not believe in homeschooling for extra gym hours because of injuries.
BTW, we do get PE exemption if needed, and the schools will make considerations.....

 

[Fijiwater]

My biggest problem is DD being exhausted after school and gym. I know a couple of families that have their 8 year olds in day programs with the girls being homeschooled. Both of these girls are TOPs teamers. They wouldn't have it any other way. They have told me that they love being home at a decent hour and that their DD is not extremely exhausted. Also that the training is much more efficient as many gymnast are not it the gym during the day. My only worry is that home schooling will leave DD struggling to get into college. Hopefully me and my wife can be sure DD learns all that she needs to know and can master an ACT or SAT when the time comes. I had someone ask me what about learning how to socialize with boys.....I am the Dad LOL, I told them there's no need for that. They have their college years to figure that out.

 

[bookworm]

[QUOTE="Dadderob03, post: 287716, member: 13826I know a couple of families that have their 8 year olds in day programs with the girls being homeschooled. Both of these girls are TOPs teamers. They wouldn't have it any other way. They have told me that they love being home at a decent hour and that their DD is not extremely exhausted. .[/QUOTE]

"8 yr old TOPS teamers who wouldn't have it any other way"....I would tread very lightly into adjusting a school schedule or homeschooling for a child this young in any sport...I can't tell you how many TOPS teamers we have known who, because of their early success, were living and breathing gymnastics only and ended up out of the sport , due to high burnout rates and injuries....

 

[profmom]

More than half of DD's L10 teammates are 14 and under. None of them homeschool or practice more than 25 hours a week. They seem to be doing OK. I'd be very cautious in taking the first steps down this road. And online education, for the most part, is not the equivalent of good in-class instruction.

 

[Dr Maleficent]

In France some kids who show a lot of potential are given sports scholarships to private schools where they do modified hours, and they do this in some cases from the first year of school (the year in which they turn 6 here). My ds started doing this at the age of 8. Bearing in mind that this is a school which endorses this programme, and organises the teaching so that it is possible for the gymnasts, we still encounter difficulties (managing to do 'group' projects when he isn't at school during the time they do them, being given homework assignments at the last minute, just the sheer tiredness and trying to keep up with school, gym and friends), and this is not an easy option, even organised by the school and gym as it is. I know that things are different for girls and that there is a lot more pressure for them to train lots and get skills young, but I would really listen to the advice of the mums of elite girl gymnasts above when they say that this appears to be too much too young - injuries or burnout could mean the end of a career in gymnastics before it starts.

 

[LizzieLac]

We had a girl at our gym for 2-3 years who has elite potential. She has been to the ranch at least twice. She is 11-12 now I think and level 10. Did really well at easterns last year as a 9. She had to switch to another gym as we had coaching changes and couldn't give her the dedicated hours she needed.

The important point is she started gym as a 7 or 8 year old. Did two levels per year until finishing level 7, then one per year, all while in public school. It wasn't until she was an 11 year old level 9 that she modified her schooling. Just wanted to offer that.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

I think no matter how unbelieveably amazing a 7 year old is at gymnastics to put all her eggs in one basket and begin to modify her school schedule for the sake of sports is sad. Who knows what the future holds? Does this decision REALLY need to be made now- why not when she is a 10+ year old Level 10?

 

[gymgal]

Just a few scattered thoughts as I continue to read this thread...

I just don't get all the hype about elementary school children missing a little bit of school (pre-arranged so that they minimize missed learning times) or choosing alternative schooling to pursue a dream. Everyone always points to the fact that the odds are these children won't make it and will likely drop out of gymnastics. So what? In the mean time, they are striving for their goals, doing what they want to do most. Isn't that what we want to teach our children - pursue your dreams? And what happens if/when they burn out? They pick another sport and go back to school (or continue with alternative school). Children are very resilient and most will have little trouble transitioning back into regular life. As long as the parents approach it the right way, there should be no reason for the child to feel like they "wasted" several years of their lives and they would have learned some very valuable lessons.

Of course, as a parent, I would have to feel confident that this is truly my child's desire to pursue and I would have to see she is determined to put in her 100%. And she has to be ok with not being a social butterfly, attending every party, sleepovers, etc. And the parent has to be ok with allowing the child to call it quits if she doesn't want it anymore - regardless of how much money you have put into training etc...

And all this talk about confusing kids that gymnastics more important than school or that they won't be able to get into a good college because they are not in a traditional school for k-12 is hogwash, as long as the parents are doing their job and ensuring that their child is receiving a proper education.

In my world, school is not the most important thing in the child's life; Learning is - and it takes many different forms, only one of which is formal schooling. The whole purpose of choosing alternative schooling (whether it be modified schedule, online schooling or homeschooling) is so that the child has the time and the energy to succeed at both education and her sport, without burn-out, and has time for a little social life.

 

[profmom]

If you're looking into online, it's almost always better to opt for synchronous over asynchronous. And there is WIDE variability in the quality of the products available. Not a lot of regulation, either, so you need to be a well educated customer. This is not something on which you can afford to stint on research. I don't want this to devolve into a fight over educational practices and certainly not into a fight over homeschooling per se, but I do encourage people to make smart, informed decisions that will benefit their children in the long run.