Parents New here

[newbiemom]

Hello! I'm new to the forum and to the gymnastics world. My DD is six and has been in a rec program for about 8 months. She loves it so far.

How do you know if you are in a good gym? I have heard great things about the team program and the HC at our gym, but since DD is in the rec program, she doesn't train with the head coach.

I honestly don't know how talented she is because I don't know much of anything about gymnastics or what she should be able to do... I just know she loves it. She has mentioned wanting to compete a lot lately, so I did speak to her coach about the pre-team/teams to see if she the potential. She suggested upping her to going twice a week, so she starts that this week.

Any other suggestions for helping her achieve her dream?

 

[EastCoastGymMom]

I think adding a second class is a great step. Another idea is to find out if any of the team or pre-team coaches teach rec classes and try to get your daughter into those classes with the more experienced coaches.

At least at our gym, there is a fine line between telling the coaches you are interested in your child joining the developmental/team track and being too pushy. Do you know how often they evaluate the kids? After the next evaluation, you could talk to the coach about your daughter's progress and what skills she needs to work on. She can also do some (supervised) flexibility and strength training at home - splits, back bends, sit ups, push ups, pull ups, etc....

 

[suebee]

Some gyms have tryouts for preteam and others are invitation only. You may want to find out how kids get onto preteam at your gym.

My dd was invited onto preteam by sheer luck. The preteam coach happened to be in the gym one day during dd's rec class when she had been in class for a few months. She noticed dd and later that week, she invited dd to join preteam.

DD was doing rec with 2 of her friends. I think one of them is quite talented, moreso than dd, but she missed class the day the preteam coach was there. I told her friend's mom that dd was invited to preteam, and her friend's mom talked to the rec coach about having her dd evaluated for preteam. The rec coach told her that the gym has no real process for being evaluated for preteam, and that she can't recommend kids for preteam, and the only way onto preteam is to be invited by the preteam coach. Rec coach said she could tell the preteam coach that friend was interested in preteam, but rec coach didn't know if or when the preteam coach would come to observe her. DD's friend is still in rec 3 months later, and hasn't even been evaluated yet.

 

[srsjbs]

Our gym is one that there are no tryouts for the competitive team. We are very small and either the coach invites you or she doesn't. my 6 year old DD started in March 2012 in rec class and a few weeks later the coach pulled her and put her in preteam. A few months after that she was put in Level 4 to compete this year. We went from once a week to twice a week to 12 hours a week in a very short amount of time. My 9 year old DD and 5 year old DD who started at the same time are still doing rec classes, though my 9 year old just moved to the intermediate class, which is like pre-preteam.

Now that the coach knows you are interested, I would find out what the process is at your gym. As others have mentioned some have try outs, some do evaluations, some of them just handpick. Once you know you can go from there

 

[newbiemom]

The developmental/pre team is by invitation only. From what I understand they don't do try outs for it.

The coach that I spoke with was her coach until a few weeks ago, she's now the recreational director and she coaches the preteam and L3. She said she is improving but that she would see more results from going 2 days a week.

Last night was her first time with the second night and she LOVED the new class. It's a different coach, that she's had before and she really likes her. I think it's helping her confidence because she felt comfortable with the skills last night so she could work on the skill better.

I hope I didn't come off as too pushy by asking- I really just wanted to know what I could do as a mom to help her meet her goals. And if she really doesn't have the ability for the sport, I would start to get her involved in other things. She struggles a bit with being shy socially with kids her age, so I want her to get the chance to have activities she can have confidence in.

 

[gymmomtoo]

I thinking asking about it is fine--lets them know that team is something your daughter is interested in. Glad she's liking the two days a week!

 

[gymmutti]

I agree that how you approached it is fine. My oldest told me she wanted to do real gymnastics when she was 7 and I put her in a rec class at a local gym. When she wanted to make team about 2 months later, I thought it was far-fetched but told her to ask the coaches what she could do. They suggested upper body strength at home (a pull-up bar and wheelbarrow walks) and a second day of class (sound familiar?). They moved her up to the advanced rec class but no word on team (like others, you had to get lucky and be identified by the team coaches and invited on). Still, she loved her 2nd day of rec and was happy. However, right before the summer, they invited her to pre-team and 6 months later she was on team. I did not bug the coaches but looking back, I think that her voicing her interest and her willingness to come and do more than required while in rec, helped her get selected for pre-team.