Parents How does TOPS work in your gym?

[gymmom8772]

DD's gym is considering putting together a real TOPS program with the goal of having the girls make it to testing. They've tried it before but it seems that if 3-4 hours a week are not devoted to TOPS, it doesn't seem to really go anywhere. The problem also is having the time to do it in addition to the girls already practicing 16-20 hrs/4-5 days a week. How do the gyms with success in TOPS usually do it?

 

[glad2bgymmom]

We work on the physical abilities throughout the year. Once meet season is done, TOPs training really ramps up and we start working the skills portion. My daughter and one other girl made it to the National testing. Sometimes I think it would be nice to have a dedicated day to just do TOPs, but I don't think there really is time during meet season. I have heard of some gyms that do TOPs in the morning before school. I think that would be way too hard for us though and am glad (selfishly) that we do not do that.

 

[gymmom8772]

When you say they work on physical abilities through the year, do they pull the tops girls aside from their regular level group practice and work on their tops physical abilities? Also when the season is over do they do the same but work on skills? In a perfect world there would be a special dedicated practice just for tops but it is difficult to find the time and also not burning them out. I can't imagine a morning practice before school and how many people would be in the position to do that. I have a hard enough time getting my DD up for school let alone an early morning practice!

 

[gymmom8772]

Congratulations on your DD making it to National testing! That is quite an achievement in itself. How long until you find out the results? How long has your DD been training tops and what level is she?

 

[wallflower]

DD's gym doesn't dedicate any extra time to it. Everyone trains the physical abilities. If your skill level matches up to the skill level you need for tops, then they will take you to state testing. So I guess you can say that our gym doesn't really have a "tops program". Because of this they don't really send very many kids to test. Only 2 went this year. So I guess I would say they are more looking for kids that "naturally" have the ability to test and aren't interested in preparing kids for it.

 

[HoldThePhone]

Our gym tends to give just about any girl who wants to be on a competitive team, the opportunity, so that means practices don't really (at least for the younger ages/levels) have the time to get all the girls ready for these skills and abilities, even though they do work a good bit on conditioning during practices. We have 2 TOPs groups, TOPs is working into the practices of the girls that are actually of age to test, their practices are a little longer and I'm not sure what they work on at what time of year. They also have another day of TOPs practice, not sure if it's optional or not, but it's dedicated to TOPs skills and abilities. All the girls we had test, made national testing I believe. Then we have a younger group of girls who are working mostly on the abilities portion, and this is done in a short practice on a day they don't regularly practice.

 

[GymBee97]

Our current gym doesn't do the tops program but our old gym did. If you were in Tops you had to go to a Sat practice from 12 - 3. That was when they worked on the tops skills. There was a few years they did a Sat and Sun practice.

 

[glad2bgymmom]

The girls are usually pulled from their various groups to work on TOPs together once a week. (Really only physical abilities though.) Last year, we had some girls that were old levels 4 and 5 and some not on team that worked tops. Some weeks they didn't work on TOPs at all. Just depended on the schedule and if the coach could pull away from something else. Once meet season was done, they really worked both skills and physical abilities. In the summer before the testings, they worked on TOPs a lot!

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Our tops program is run separately from the team, on a parrallell track. They have completely separate training times and multiple levels. The highest level goes in the morning and evening several days/wk and are required to home school or make alternate arrangements with school. These girls usually also compete, some in L4-5 some in higher optional levels. The lower level tops don't compete in team at all, though some girls get drafted from tops to do compulsory team instead. Until the highest level tops, it's one or the other, not both. Lower leve tops train 4-6hrs/wk, mostly strength training, they generally only work on skills one training pass per week.

 

[glad2bgymmom]

My daughter will be a level 7 next year. I really hope she makes it to a camp. She worked so hard! I forgot to mention, only a small amount of girls at our gym that are able to do the physical abilities (especially rope climb and straddle presses) even do TOPs. I hope I answered all your questions!