Parents How things can change in a blink of an eye

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All I can say it has been a roller coaster ride lately. DD was hapily training level 5 and on her way to what looked to be a promising year. She was looking polished and ready for the season. All of a sudden the plans have changed. Coaches want to bump DD to level 6. After DH and I moved past the sticker shock we agreed since DD wanted to try. In the past 30 days we have had our 1st and only level 5 meet and have been learning all of level 6.

DD now has all of her skills but one with 2 weeks to go. She hadnt been up training until the plan was put in motion. Talk about stressful for all of us. She has been such a champ through all of this. If anyone has the fly a way fairy she is much needed in our direction.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to help DD through this transition?
 
My suggestion is don't talk about it with her, she has probably put a ton of pressure on herself to get everything without added external pressures.

There is a little one at my dd's gym who scored out of L5 and moved up with the L6s. The meet she did to score out of 5, she did great. The meets as a 6, not so great. I do believe that she is qualified for States, but just barely go over the score she needed. Also, this morning I just looked at the meet the compulsories went to this past weekend and her AA was several points below the other 6s.

The reason I say the above is that don't expect much from your dd's 6 season. 6 is much more intense than 5. I'm not saying your dd won't do great, but from what I have seen from the example above and several others in the past, majority of the girls who make this kind of jump don't see a ton of success like they would if they stayed 5.

Have her set small goals for herself to achieve at the meets and not worry about placements and awards.
 
All I can say it has been a roller coaster ride lately. DD was hapily training level 5 and on her way to what looked to be a promising year. She was looking polished and ready for the season. All of a sudden the plans have changed. Coaches want to bump DD to level 6. After DH and I moved past the sticker shock we agreed since DD wanted to try. In the past 30 days we have had our 1st and only level 5 meet and have been learning all of level 6.

DD now has all of her skills but one with 2 weeks to go. She hadnt been up training until the plan was put in motion. Talk about stressful for all of us. She has been such a champ through all of this. If anyone has the fly a way fairy she is much needed in our direction.

Anyone have any suggestions on how to help DD through this transition?

You said that she has had one level 5 meet so far. How did she do? Did she feel confident with her routines and skills? Competing and the "performance" aspect takes time for gymmies to learn. It really does help gymmies to stay at levels for several meets so they become comfortable with the routines to the point where they "own" it. As Granny Smith said, Level 6 is a big jump and especially with a young one like yours (she is 7, correct?) some bling and success at meets is a great confidence booster as well. And when their confidence grows, this is when they really shine out there on the floor--they feel so confident and can really play up their routines with thier personality. They become "that gymnast" that everyone wants to watch because they develop so much charisma and attitude. But it takes time and practice performing.

Just to have the big skills or required elements of the level is not enough. They have to be able to put the routine together smoothly and sell it to get the big scores. Artistry and performance is a big part of gymnastics and the kids with the big scores usually have these two aspects to their gymnastics along with the required skills.

Good luck with your decision--it is a very big one to make.
 
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I agree with what Granny Smith is saying. My gymmie is L6 who competed L5 last year, did well at L5 and now it is a whole new experience especially with bars :eek:. Her bar scores are much lower than they were at L5. So just keep encouraging her, set very simple goals like improving on one skill on one apparatus at a time or something like that. Also know that here at the CB there are quite a few of us doing this L6 together Yay!!! So hopefully we can keep each other going so we then keep our gymmies moving in the right direction :)
 
Good Luck to your DD! My dd just got word she is moving to L8 in 1.5 weeks. The plan was for January, so she was aware and working L8. I can see how it was a bit daunting for your DD as she was not mentally planning on it. Coaches must feel she is ready and will do well. How did she do at L5 meet? Does she have her BWO on beam, good kips, tuck on floor consistantly? If so, why not move to L6. Hope the fly away comes easy!
 
I just don't understand why the gym would move her to level 6 when she doesn't have all the level 6 skills yet and have her stressing about it for a meet so soon. That is so much pressure for a 7 year old. She could have a great year at level 5 (great for her confidence and great for her team), uptrain and then score out, but if she isn't ready, they should just let her compete level 5 until she gets that flyaway.

Last thing she needs is the pressure to get it to cause her to get a mental block on it. I watched a kid get skills like crazy, no fear, etc, get a mental block young, it was very sad, but it was because she was being rushed and pressured. I never would have guessed she would be the kid to start balking, EVER! She was fearless and very talented.

Level 6 bars are really scored tough and I have seen routines that looked really good get a 6, they seem to want so much MORE, which makes sense since it is the step before level 7.

I just never understand why just because a child has skills for the next level, coaches want to rush them and put added stress on them, ESPECIALLY at your daughters young age. Lots of kids have skills for the next level, but are they SOLID? Will they be able to focus on the little details of the routine or are they still worried about those big skills so they can't?

My advice would be to really step back and think about why the rush? Is the plan for her to do optionals this spring? If not, then I don't see the rush. She could do level 5 this year, score out of level 6 first thing in the fall and then get ready for optionals if they feel she is ready for that.
 
Totally agree with Marioposa on this one. If the goal is to get her to Level 7 at age 8, let her have a rocking season at Level 5 and gain all sorts of confidence, then score out next fall so she can move to Level 7. Level 6 is a tough level and it can be demoralizing even if you've trained for it for awhile. Not sure why the giant rush, particularly if she has not been uptraining these skills for very long.
 
I agree with Granny Smith. The coaches know why they thought this was a good idea. Trust them. She will acquire the skill. Every gymnast does not go out and get gold medals their first meet. Sometimes gymnasts move up because they need to be challenged. Some kids need it to be HARD in order to give their best and stay interested. I think the best way to help your dd is to refer her to her coaches and be proud of her no matter what!
 
I think the hardest thing for gymnasts (and parents) to get used to is seeing each level as an individual and independent level from the previous. Some gymmies may have excellent Level 3 and/or 4 seasons winning states and topping AA scores with 37's but then they level off in the next level with 34's or 35's and feel dissapointed or discouraged. It is very important to remember that each level has its own challenges and success at a prior level does not equate to success at the higher levels. It can be a very hard lesson for some kids (and adults) to learn. The best advice is to take it day by day and realize that there will always be setbacks, spurts of vast improvement, leveling off, wins and losses. It truly is a roller coaster ride sometimes!!
 
I honestly think you need to decide with your coaches . Every child is different and if the coaches feel maybe she is ready. I do not think you can generalize we have a girl in daughters group who is young and very talented only 7 moved up to 5 this year after doing average as a 4 and the first meet she totally rocked got a 9 on floor. Now my 10 year old is doing 6 and it is a bit of a challenge. So every kid is different if the coaches know what they are doing just trust them. I find a lot of people feel should not rush things but if your daughter is talented she may do fine.
 
I didn't see the OP's post asking about making the decision. The decision to do level 6 was made and I think that the OP just wanted suggestions on how to keep her DD stress free:confused:

Anyway, good luck to your DD in level 6. The best thing that you can do for her is be supportive. I wouldn't talk about gym outside of the gym. Let the coaches be responsible for that. Unless your DD wants to talk about it, don't even bring it up. Send her off with a smile and "I love you" and greet her with a smile. Let her work out the rest herself. Talking about it at home can put more stress on her.:)
 
You said that she has had one level 5 meet so far. How did she do? Did she feel confident with her routines and skills? Competing and the "performance" aspect takes time for gymmies to learn. It really does help gymmies to stay at levels for several meets so they become comfortable with the routines to the point where they "own" it. As Granny Smith said, Level 6 is a big jump and especially with a young one like yours (she is 7, correct?) some bling and success at meets is a great confidence booster as well. And when their confidence grows, this is when they really shine out there on the floor--they feel so confident and can really play up their routines with thier personality. They become "that gymnast" that everyone wants to watch because they develop so much charisma and attitude. But it takes time and practice performing.

Just to have the big skills or required elements of the level is not enough. They have to be able to put the routine together smoothly and sell it to get the big scores. Artistry and performance is a big part of gymnastics and the kids with the big scores usually have these two aspects to their gymnastics along with the required skills.

Good luck with your decision--it is a very big one to make.

This is so well said. I have given thought to that with DD as well. Not that she has been approached to move up yet, but if she was I have wondered what we would do.
There is a poster on CB that has a DD who had the reputation of being "That" girl. This kid is beautiful to watch. She spent two years as a level 6, and I can recall last year some of our parents talking about how darn good she was each of her level 6 years. In fact just last week, one of these Mom's stated quiet excitedly "Yeah! Guess who moved up to level 7!" Well I saw the video of her first level 7 and she plans on terrifying that new scene of girls. She is fantastic! I'd imagine this kid is so confident. That is what I want for DD.
But in no way do I frown on the DDs/DSs who are moved up early. Each must make their own mind up as to whether it is right for them or not.
 
DD did well in:) her meet scoring a 36.0aa. It wasnt her best meet but she got the job done. She had not been training 5 leading up to the meet so she wasnt as polished as she could have been. I know had she stayed a 5 she would have had a rocking year like last. Our goals have been adjusted slightly with this new challange but I know DD is up to it. In 3 weeks she has all of the skills but the fly a way and she has started doing it last night on the bar. So ee have made HUGE progress for being 7 and moving so close to meet season.

She has been cleared for everythimg but bars and has 4 practices and 2 privates. Now it is all up to DD coach says she could still get cleared. So we will call on all of the bar fairies for help.

The goal is to have DD in optionals for next year. DD is the youngest on her team at this lebel and the onlyone to skip like this in many years. We look at it as what does she have to loose by trying.
 
We look at it as what does she have to loose by trying.
Now that the decision has been made, it's important to keep this thought with you. That is, as long as you keep it real and keep being supportive, it can turn into a successful journey. Also, keep a close eye on her behavior and mental state. Look for signs and be prepare to bail if necessary.

I disagree with the posters who suggest "what happens at the gym stays at the gym" and "leave everything to the coaches". Instead, I would keep the communication channel open. You child is very young and she is under a lot of pressure to succeed. If you don't ask, she may never tell (in risk of disappointing you). Also, have regular meetings with the coaches. Make sure everything they do is to have your gymnast's best interest in mind.

The last thing I'd like to point out is not to dismiss the comments that have already been said in this thread. They represent many years of experience of raising and observing gymnasts of all types.

Good luck!
 
Look at the big picture

Totally agree with Marioposa on this one. If the goal is to get her to Level 7 at age 8, let her have a rocking season at Level 5 and gain all sorts of confidence, then score out next fall so she can move to Level 7. Level 6 is a tough level and it can be demoralizing even if you've trained for it for awhile. Not sure why the giant rush, particularly if she has not been uptraining these skills for very long.

I have seen quite a few girls skip levels or move up quickly, then wash out. Or, I've seen them dominate at say Level 4, score out of 5 with an average score, then struggle through level 6. I've seen girls jump through levels quickly, go from gym to gym to move up even quicker, then stall out with mental blocks and fear issues. My dd was a solid level 4, and I thought she'd have no problem with 5, but she still took about 2 months to really grab on to the level 5 skills. She did score out of 7, but 7 and 8 aren't a huge jump. Level 6, now that is a tough level and why a lot of gyms are scoring out of 6 and spending more time training 7. At my dd's level 6 state meet, you would have thought they were at the Olympic Trials (esp on bars), the scoring was so tough! (winning score was 8.9)

I feel like I'm rambling, but the point I'm trying to make is to be sure she is really ready. You don't want her to burn out or give it up because it's just too much, too fast. I knew a girl who skipped from 4 to 7 (don't know how, she just did), and was missing a lot of key foundation skills that she had to learn when the other girls already had them, making her struggle a little more than she would have otherwise. Another girl moved quickly through 2 to 7, doing partial seasons and scoring out, and is now having mental blocks and fear issues. A group of girls at my dd's gym skipped 4, and finished mostly at the bottom all through the 5 season and all had to repeat 5. Not one girl from that group made it past level 7, and they have all quit. Just be sure to encourage your daughter and tell her that her first couple level 6 meets might score lower than she's used to, but that soon she will be level 7, which is so much better anyway. Don't let her scores discourage her. I can't wait to see how she does.
 
The goal is to have DD in optionals for next year. DD is the youngest on her team at this lebel and the onlyone to skip like this in many years. We look at it as what does she have to loose by trying.

First off--congrats to a great Level 5 meet for her--36AA is a very strong solid score!

Be aware that just because she is the "youngest" at this level at her gym and she is the only one to skip levels like this doesn't guarantee she will be successful at the optional level. Sometimes it is a big disadvantage to be a young Level 7 because in meets you get put in sessions and age divisions with kids a lot older and more experienced. She may be "only 7" but she will have to compete against experienced and polished 9 and even 10 year olds. And sometimes those 2 years can make a huge difference.

Good luck to your dd and hopefully her uptraining will have her ready for next year so that your goal will be met.
 
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Good Luck to your DD! My dd just got word she is moving to L8 in 1.5 weeks. The plan was for January, so she was aware and working L8. I can see how it was a bit daunting for your DD as she was not mentally planning on it. Coaches must feel she is ready and will do well. How did she do at L5 meet? Does she have her BWO on beam, good kips, tuck on floor consistantly? If so, why not move to L6. Hope the fly away comes easy!

DD has her BWO on beam, front and back tucks are solid and clean. Kip cast above vertical, clearhip re kip consistant could hit the handstand more.

Good luck to your gymmie in L8.
 
I posted earlier that I didn't know what I would do if DD was approached to move up so rapidly. I hope you have given all deep consideration before deciding on letting your DD move up to 6 after only 1 level 5 meet. I can see how it would be easy to get caught up in the moment however. It is a feather booster when a coach sings such accolades of our DD's talents, but then as parents reality has to set in. I too have seen some girls move up quickly and nothing then become of them for various reasons.
I love watching little DD do gymnastics. If someone would have told me she would be doing all she is now a year ago, I would never have believed them. If her coaches are thinking, "Oh let's do this with her." I wouldn't know because IMO they seem to be taking it slow and steady with her. They are insuring that her skills, dance, etc. are polished. She has trained with the level 5/6 since she was 5, but they have never said that they plan for her to skip levels, etc. They talk about how well she is doing, but again never have said we plan on moving her to... etc. I really think their mentality is not to burn her out. I am very grateful for that. When she has told me so-and so coach is being 'mean'/ she is only six./ everyone is 'mean' to these little ones if they aren't allowed to do their own thing. I talk to the coach and then they talk to DD to straighten things out. However, they treat her just like everyone else. Again I am very grateful.
Like other posters have already stated, watch your DD's changes emotionally, etc. The push to 6 could bring out some negative consequences if her demeanor changes are not addressed. However, again some kids are so talented that they may need a challenge and moving up may well be that challenge. There is a little 7 year old on you tube, SupergymnastSage, who could be one of those. I don't know what her story is however. She may be one who you could discuss this situation with. That kid is already throwing a solid full, double back, etc on floor. Her other apparatuses are just as dynamite. Her form is impeccable! Just my thoughts.:)
 
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"but that soon she will be level 7, which is so much better anyway."

I'm curious about why level 7 is so much better than 6. I'm pretty new to this...After prep opt, my daughter switched to 5 last year and then just had her 1st level 6 meet 2 weeks ago, her AA was 34.something, brought down only by her 6.8 on bars....she did the whole routine without a spot but is just getting that fly away!!

My daughter's coaches had gone back and forth about having a few girls move to 7 as she is training 7 skills. But they left them at 6, theory being a successful season. If they struggle with bars now (and admittedly only my daughter does!) then isn't 7 harder?? Or do the judges look for different things?

My daughter's favorite events are floor and beam. Floor she is consistently in the mid 9s and beam as well (as long as she doesn't fall!!)
She actually says the 6 beam routine is easier as she found the 5 cartwheel to be her nemesis! Something about her feet turning and causing the fall/wobble. She gets great height on her split leap and I'm guessing that's good...all the mom's always tell me she looks fearless on beam (if only that fearlessness could transfer to bars!!)

Anyway, I'm wondering, then, if 7 is easier scoring, what might be what leads some gyms to move girls and others to stay put?
 

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