Parents Moving up Levels

[Cicid]

As I've said in my few posts, my daughter is in her first year of competing Level 1 and is 9 years old. I realize that the skills in this level are "easy," but she has been scoring in the 38 range and has won a lot. I don't say that to be bragging - I would actually rather her be more challenged and perhaps score a little lower.

Being new, (and not athletic!) I'm not sure what the normal course is at our gym, but it seems to me (as a layman) that they spend an entire year at each level, and there is no bumping up over the course of the season.

I feel like if she starts training in April, after meet season, and trains through the summer, that she could jump to Level 3 for the next season in Winter 2014/2015, but I also feel like this is not in the plans whatsoever. Now, I realize my precious-snowflake-riding-on-a-sunbeam is not trying to get to Level 10 or Elite or the Olympics, or anything like that - but I do feel like #1 she started older, and #2 she needs to be challenged more (especially with what I am paying.)

Do I wait until this meet season is over and see what kind of training she is doing? Do I wait until summer and see what training she is doing? I do not want to look like a crazy lady.

 

[txgymfan]

Talk to her coach and nicely ask what the plan is for your dd. Levels 1 -3 are not mandatory so she would not need to compete at each of those levels if it is not required by her coaches. You could also mention that you are new to the sport and your dd feels like she could use a bigger challenge. Many gyms will do move ups as the girls are ready. If the gym will not move her up and she is not being challenged or growing in her skills (uptraining) then you have a bigger issue with your gym.

 

[cbifoja]

I don't understand why so many parents act like coaches are gods on a cloud that can't be questioned. ASK! When the season is over, I think it's perfectly acceptable to ask what the plan is for the summer and what the coach is thinking in terms of next season.

Our coach approaches us frequently with updates about our kids. Half the time, she tells us before we start questioning! I love having this information.

Gymnastics is awesome but really, it's just another activity. I expect grade cards from school and to know where she excels and where she might need help. I expect the doctor to tell me what he thinks about her after her annual physical and to tell me if I need to fix something. Why should gymnastics, especially given the cost, be any different?

I'm not just sending my kid in to a room to play for 20 hours a week at a cost of hundreds of dollars a month. I'm not just going to not care if she screwing around or working hard. I'm curious about how she's progressing and what levels/skills the coach is thinking of drilling her with next.

These are fair questions and NOT a sign of CGM. And if you can't approach your DD's coach and ask him/her, then that says something important about your all's relationship.

 

[cbifoja]

I don't understand why so many parents act like coaches are gods on a cloud that can't be questioned.

except for you, Dunno and IWC. I know that you both are gym gods.

 

[Cicid]

Thank you! I guess, with my lack of athleticism...(I lettered in French and Drama in HS if that gives you any idea)...I am a little intimidated by our coach. It is really our first activity that isn't coached by parents!

 

[cbifoja]

I might not be the best person to take advice from honestly. I'm pretty close to DD's coach and feel perfectly comfortable asking her anything. And she is perfectly comfortable telling me anything. I can't tell you how many times she has come to me and said something like "I'm thinking of strangling your child" or "What is X's deal tonight?" Of course, always playful with the strangling or the breaking of her neck, but she just tells me like it is and I tell her like it is.

My DD says one of her scariest gymnastics moments is when her HC and I were discussing (she says arguing) the pros and cons of moving DD to a higher level. I love that I can just lay out all of my concerns and she is equally comfortable telling me to shut up and let her drive the gymnast! LOL

 

[SignHere]

You may be pleasantly surprised but wait and see what skills your DD is training after competition season. Talk to her after 1-2 months and ask if she's happy.

There is no reason why a 9-10 year old cannot progress to level 3 after a successful season of Level 1. BUT- and this is a BIG but! She needs a ROBHS on floor (pretty big gateway skill), glide and pullover and stride circle on bars (the dreaded stride circle!) and to do a handstand (at least 3/4 ) on beam.
And those are USAG requirements. Is your gym requiring the optional kip on bars to be performed by their Level 3 girls? Does the handstand on beam have to hit vertical?

However, I also second that, as a parent, you have a right to timely information. Timely, though, is a relative term... Does the gym make decision about levels well in advance of competition season? Or do they wait until the last possible second? (I've seen both).

I also think that you need to trust that your daughter's coach has her best interests at heart. That the coach will make the best decision about what level your daughter should compete, and when her coach feels that the time is right for your daughter to have input in what level she will compete, the coach will allow your daughter to have input. Ultimately, it is your daughter's sport, so the only people deciding what level she competes are herself (when she is a more seasoned competitor) and her coach.

 

[Sasha]

Definitely politely inquire!

I'm just a parent, but I'd say if she is scoring that high, then her basic forms must be very good.

For reference, our gym doesn't compete L1 or L2. L1-L3 (and some L4) skills are all taught together in 'pre-team', and when 90-100% of L3 skills are obtained, a girl moves up to officially be an L3. This can be just 1 year for a talented girl, particularly the older ones like yours. This was my DD's path. She has learned all of L1-L3 + some L4 in exactly 1 year of walking in the door with an increasing training schedule of 1 hour at first, to a max of 6 hours per week for the last few months. She has talent, but is not any phenom. So her path is not unique.

I mention this to demonstrate that the skills for L3 CAN be learned in a short timeframe for her to move to L3 if she is already showing talent, as her high marks in L1 would imply. Whether or not your gym has different policies, or if there is a skill area holding her back, I don't know, but a chat with the coach(es) should help you figure this out.

Hope you get the info you need!

 

[IreneKa]

Yes, talk to them, and don't wait too long. I would talk to them right after States. Because if you don't like what you hear, and want to look into other options, that would be the best time. Good luck!

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

I agree with the other responses. You can always ask. I saw a girl go from L1 to L4 recently. Not common, but not unheard of. There is certainly no value in her competing L2 if she is ready for L3.

 

[suebee]

My dd is 5 and also competes Level 1. At our gym, which also tends to do 1 level per year, several older girls in Level 1 (age 8, which is the oldest in Level 1 at our gym - older girls are asked to join Xcel) who were doing well at Level 1 were moved up to Level 2 during competition season. I assume this is because they are trying to be able to do Level 3 next season. While the Level 1 girls are doing some up training, I doubt that most girls in dd's Level 1 will have the ROBHS or handstand on beam to compete Level 3 next season. These older girls competed level 2 for the rest of the season, and most of them went from being at the top of Level 1 to the bottom of level 2 scorewise, but I think they are working the level 3 skills more in practice, and I think the goal is for them to get to level 3 for the next season, not to do well in level 2.

 

[Cicid]

Thanks everyone! I appreciate everyone's comments.