WAG Which way do we go?

[sce]

I don't think it is required but I work for an insurance company so I have high risk insurance on her along with our regular family insurance. So basically she can go with the gym and they are not financially liable if she gets injured during the workouts.

Uh, yeah, they are still legally liable. Has the gym had her pay for her USAG athlete registration? This is required for her to be on the floor at any USAG meet.

 

[onelittledream]

We are at gym 3.5 hours every night M-F and on Saturday is assigned based on what needs to be worked, what is coming up, etc. I think everyone does at least 3 though just for workout purposes.

 

[onelittledream]

Uh, yeah, they are still legally liable. Has the gym had her pay for her USAG athlete registration? This is required for her to be on the floor at any USAG meet.

Not sure how all the legal works but yes I paid for that registration the same day she leveled onto the team so I am assuming the gym manager sent it whereever she had to that following Monday.

I purchased the insurance long before she made the team. It is a policy that covers a lot of people that do extreme sorts of stuff like bungie jumping and sky diving and such but also a lot of athletes have purchased it also. It covers stuff that other insurance doesn't ....... they gym didn't make me buy it BUT they were crazy happy when they found out I did.

 

[skschlag]

Yeah, around here if a gymnast is scratched from a session or not entered in the first place, the meet folks will generally look the other way if she or he is on the floor stretching with teammates or sitting with them in between events, but they don't touch the equipment. DS and one of his teammates were on the floor with another teammate while he was competing alone in an age group at regionals. They carried his bag for him and massaged his shoulders in between events.

And this can be meet dependant. I know one meet, a couple of our younger gymnasts went down to sit with the boys during awards, and were told that they couldn't be down there..only athletes that competed that session were allowed. But that was unusual.

 

[munchkin3]

Compulsory meets are L1-5 and all kids do the same routines. USAG requires qualifying scores for mobility starting at L4.
Once you 'score out' at a USAG sanctioned meet, you may move up if your gym allows it. Some gyms are more picky than others.....at our gym, the coach requires at least a 35 all around to move, even though USAG requires a 32. Some gyms require a whole season, (or more) at a level, some gyms just want one meet to move up....depends. Ours is big on competing the whole season, and getting the gymnasts to look as perfect as possible for the state meet, then on to the next level.

L6-10 are optional levels, and the routines are put together by the coaches and athletes. They must have a minimum # of skills and requirements and can be tailor made to the athletes strengths. My DD can't wait for level 6, she is already listening to floor music, and inventing dance moves....very cute.

Many states have their compulsory season in September-December, and then optional season starts January-April. There are meets in the jan-April time frame for the lower levels too and some gyms use those spring meets as mobility meets, as ours does. We do the state meet, and then after that all the girls try for their new skills to try and make the next level in February or March....

 

[hearts_and_stars]

I don't know that I have anything much to add to this already extensive discussion, but there are a few things I would like to point out that I don't think have been said yet:

1. Just starting gymnastics at 8 years old means she is WAY behind her peers who are the same age but have been competing for one or two (or more!) seasons. Gymnastics is very much a sport that is best started young (my DD started when she was 18 months old and was not 'pushed' through classes/levels) because it allows muscles and bones to grow at the same pace. Girls who start this sport at an older age have had significant bone growth (even if she isn't very tall for her age) without the corresponding growth in muscle....that is a huge disadvantage to overcome. That does not mean she cannot do it--she will have to work much, much harder on the conditioning than her peers. If she likes gymnastics but finds conditioning distasteful (as most do), that disadvantage may not be overcome.

2. DDs gym currently does not have any girls competing level 9+, but 2 of her 3 coaches are former Olympians (and the 3rd was a national team member who missed Olympic trials because of an injury). Does this mean I don't think her gym can get her where she wants to be? No. The coaches know what it takes to be an Olympian and I trust that they will make decisions with DD's best interests in mind. They have said she has a shot at making the team, but they know DD VERY VERY well....she has been training at their gym since she was 6 (she is now just shy of 11). Which brings me to my next point...

3. DD competed old level 3 as a 7 year old, old level 4 as an 8 year old, new level 4 as a 9 year old and scored out of 5 and will likely (fingers crossed!) compete 7 this season as a 10 year old. She is currently training 8/9 skills and, if she competes 7 this year, will compete 8 next season, skip 9 and go straight to 10 as a 12 year old. That is one of about 3 paths HC has discussed with me in the past few weeks. It's the path she wants DD to take, but she's not going to force her down that path. Just before season begins, HC will re-evaluate where DD is at and which path is best for her. I will say, having been on CB for a few months, DD is 'old' for where she is at and has a bit of catching up to do herself.

I know it is exciting to see our kids find something they are passionate about (and are good at), but the fact that the gym is talking national team with a child who has not even made their competitive team is a bit concerning. DD's HC is aware of DD's long term goals and she has said that DD has the ability and the drive to get there RIGHT NOW...things change as the girls get older and new experiences and opportunities come into their lives. DD just lost one of her best teammates to middle school activities (cheerleading and track) and a few others have talked about leaving the gym for high school sports/activities. I know at 8 it is hard to fathom that these things could sidetrack someone who is so passionate about the sport, but people change and when they do, so do their interests.

For the time being, sit back and enjoy watching her have fun. When (and if) she moves to competitive team, you can decide if she still likes gymnastics as team is much, much different than recreational. (Of course, if she is really good but doesn't like the long hours of team she could always go the Xcel route).

Also, allowing her to do any sort of gymnastics out of the gym is very, very dangerous, especially if she is doing skills she has not had proper training for (which I'm sure she is since home is the only place she could possibly do them). Saying you can't stop her is ridiculous. Simply tell her you are concerned about her hurting herself and potentially ending her gymnastics career before it even gets started. The only things my DD has as her 'home gym' are a fold up beam and some panel mats. She uses the mats for conditioning and stretching since we do not have carpeted floors, and she uses the beam to work dance elements only (NO TUMBLING IS ALLOWED!--even tumbling that is well below her ability level). I may be out of line with that comment, but DD has never had an injury more severe than road rash, bruises, and rips.

 

[onelittledream]

Compulsory meets are L1-5 and all kids do the same routines. USAG requires qualifying scores for mobility starting at L4.
Once you 'score out' at a USAG sanctioned meet, you may move up if your gym allows it. Some gyms are more picky than others.....at our gym, the coach requires at least a 35 all around to move, even though USAG requires a 32. Some gyms require a whole season, (or more) at a level, some gyms just want one meet to move up....depends. Ours is big on competing the whole season, and getting the gymnasts to look as perfect as possible for the state meet, then on to the next level.

L6-10 are optional levels, and the routines are put together by the coaches and athletes. They must have a minimum # of skills and requirements and can be tailor made to the athletes strengths. My DD can't wait for level 6, she is already listening to floor music, and inventing dance moves....very cute.

Many states have their compulsory season in September-December, and then optional season starts January-April. There are meets in the jan-April time frame for the lower levels too and some gyms use those spring meets as mobility meets, as ours does. We do the state meet, and then after that all the girls try for their new skills to try and make the next level in February or March....

Thank you that is very helpful

 

[bogwoppit]

You have to be seriously joking when you say your kid is in the gym 3-5 hours M-F plus Saturdays at L4. That is at least 15 hours a week, but more like 20.

She is a beginner, I doubt she has a kip based on what you showed me.

Nobody pays insurance on top of the USAG fees. No one travels with their team and just trains with them. Teams do not train as teams at meets, unless they are very high optionals.

I do not like this spidey senses tingling feeling I am getting.

 

[bogwoppit]

Just in the forge warming up my special ban hammer.

 

[Natasha]

You have to be seriously joking when you say your kid is in the gym 3-5 hours M-F plus Saturdays at L4. That is at least 15 hours a week, but more like 20.

She is a beginner, I doubt she has a kip based on what you showed me.

Nobody pays insurance on top of the USAG fees. No one travels with their team and just trains with them. Teams do not train as teams at meets, unless they are very high optionals.

I do not like this spidey senses tingling feeling I am getting.

I agree.
I can't imagine ANY coach who knows anything to allow a gymnast to go from 0 hours to 15-20 hours in 3 MONTHS.
There are no "workouts" at compulsory level meets- even in Texas!
And the drama described is over the top…even for CGM's.

 

[lovemygymnast]

I just kept thinking that sure was waaaayyyy different than our gym!

 

[bogwoppit]

Thread is locked and I have deleted a number of posts.

I am done with this drama here.

OP has broken no rules, but the story telling and trollish behaviour is not conducive to a happy forum, unless voyeurism is your thing. Tonight it is not mine.

We know far too much about gym, and far too many coaches to go down this path.

Move along, nothing here to see.