What other surprises await us.....

[cher062]

Ok as most of you already know My DD is a new L7 this year.
Our biggest surprises are the extra expensis I just didnt even think about
Like the floor routine chorographer, the Beam chorographer,
Meet around the country with big ticket prices on them to do.

So now I'm wondering Just what else is out there for the Optional Levels that I haven't a clue about that I don't even know I don't know about.

Ok Optional people time to chime in and let the secrets out of the bag. What else can we expect that never came up in the compulsory levels (good or bad).

I just can't take any more surprises LOL....

 

[gymfan4ever95]

I am also a new level 7. We haven't really talked about choreography yet, but i assume either my coach will do it (but i hope not!! ) or someone from another gym will do it, like my old teammate's routine. All that is really new to us is the extra 2 hours and the monthly tuition went up a little. I don't really know of any other surprises...yet!

 

[Gymdad2]

I'd say the biggest changes will be more travel and new floor and beam routines every couple of years. I don't like the idea of using a recycle beam or floor routine. Dd tried that her first L7 year, but next season we found that professional choreography did improve dd's scores by a large margin.

I think you need to be aware that when you start on an optional career in club gymnastics, it is going to be expensive. You will need to travel. There just aren't that many local optional meets in many areas, and it is importnat for upper level optionals to be seen by college coaches in different parts of the country. We always do 1 meet in the far west or the south, and somestimes both, as well as meets in the other region 5 states both for the experiece and the exposure.

 

[elitemom]

One is that optional meet entry fees are more. Depends on the gym but you might need more privates for release movesand new vaults. My daughter is the only one at her level so we have to pay all the coaches fees instead of splitting them up with team memebers.

 

[gym law mom]

One is that optional meet entry fees are more. Depends on the gym but you might need more privates for release movesand new vaults. My daughter is the only one at her level so we have to pay all the coaches fees instead of splitting them up with team memebers.

Yes, Cher, the entry fees for optional meets go up. These big invitational meets will charge $80 and up for your daughter to compete---many are over $100. I think you're past the worst for this year with the floor and beam routines that she'll most likely keep for 2 years. I've read the whole thread on your gym traveling and while its good experience to go to some of these big meets, the colleges do not recruit L7s, so if you only go to 1 this season that will be enough.

Number of privates seems to be an individual thing and will be dictated more on how the regular practice time goes. With the changes to the COP, the only major change will be vault for dd at L8 and she may well do fine learning a tsuk or yurchenko without privates.

 

[gymdog]

Post season meet fees. And travel. In some situations, significant travel is almost inevitable for regionals, and certainly for nationals. If your daughter continues for several years in L8+, qualifying for regionals will likely happen.

Most gyms that charge team/assessment/whatever you want to call them fees, have them going up (mostly because of the regionals/nationals thing). One of my old gyms generally qualifies virtually all their optionals to regionals, and a fair amount will go on in the higher levels. The gym pays for all those meet fees and for air travel to nationals for the gymnasts, but parents still need to pay travel expenses and pay more into the general pool that will cover those things.

 

[cher062]

Yes, Cher, the entry fees for optional meets go up. These big invitational meets will charge $80 and up for your daughter to compete---many are over $100. I think you're past the worst for this year with the floor and beam routines that she'll most likely keep for 2 years. I've read the whole thread on your gym traveling and while its good experience to go to some of these big meets, the colleges do not recruit L7s, so if you only go to 1 this season that will be enough.

Number of privates seems to be an individual thing and will be dictated more on how the regular practice time goes. With the changes to the COP, the only major change will be vault for dd at L8 and she may well do fine learning a tsuk or yurchenko without privates.

Vault is one of the events she learns quickly and is currently training a tsuk as her L7 vault looks really good at this point.

 

[cher062]

Post season meet fees. And travel. In some situations, significant travel is almost inevitable for regionals, and certainly for nationals. If your daughter continues for several years in L8+, qualifying for regionals will likely happen.

Most gyms that charge team/assessment/whatever you want to call them fees, have them going up (mostly because of the regionals/nationals thing). One of my old gyms generally qualifies virtually all their optionals to regionals, and a fair amount will go on in the higher levels. The gym pays for all those meet fees and for air travel to nationals for the gymnasts, but parents still need to pay travel expenses and pay more into the general pool that will cover those things.

our gym (and most in our area) only pay the meet fees and the coaches expenses with the assessment fees. We are on our own for travel, hotel etc for gymnasts and parents attending.

 

[momofchalksters]

Wow - I would love our gym to pay any fees! That is really a helpful thing to those that have gyms that do!

 

[cathiann]

Meet fees are higher--but if you have a good booster club, they can help (currently our booster club raises enough that meet fees are paid for all the gymnasts).

Travel expenses--I know your club travels a LOT!

The recurring choreography and music every 2-3 yr (depending on your gym).

Competition leos at our gym at least are more expensive (they do jewels, etc.) than the compulsory ones and change every 2 yrs (at our gym anyway)

Our Optional gymnasts tend to do more things together too--outings, get togethers, etc. Not really a huge expense, but something to keep in mind.