Parents She has been brought over to the darkside

[flippymonkeysmom]

I'm not even sure if I can explain what happened, but I'll try.

As you all know dd has been having a tough time with her wrist - and having a tough time with the schedule now that she is in middle school. Well my other dd was spending the night at a friends house Friday night. I am good friends with the mom who had 3 kids in gymnastics: a level 10, a level 8 and a level 5. For various reasons she took them out and now they all do all star cheer. When I picked up dd2 Saturday morning I told her my gymmie was taking a break because of her wrist.

Well, later that day I get a call from the director of the cheer program. She knows who my gymmie is and has seen her tumble. She somehow convinces her to just come and watch a practice. They have a youth level 5 team (for you former or current cheer moms you know in cheer level 5 is the highest level) - and they would really love for her on the team. Her first reaction was absolutely not, no way, not happening. Somehow she ended up going to watch. Then smoothly they had another former gymnast do some stuff with her that she could do without her wrist - some triple toe touch back tuck things. She picked it up quick and was able to do it within 10 minutes. Then she learned some of the dance, etc. Next thing you know she was telling me how much fun it was and she wants to do it . She is talking about how they are going to Nashville, Texas, Orlando, Myrtle Beach, etc.

I'm still sitting here scratching my head trying to figure out what happened - but she is really happy right now. She is happy that she will still be involved in something, but only practices 6-8 hours a week instead of 20. She walked home from school with her friends yesterday and was able to hang out for a while. I'm sad and happy all wrapped into one. It is so weird - she is the one kid who no one though would ever give up gym.

I have to give it to the cheer program though - no wonder they always win everything - they are sneaky about getting those gymmies to cross over to the darkside. The director purposely leaves a few spots open on each of the higher level teams just for gymnasts ready to make a change.

So now that it looks like I have to hang up my gym mom hat and put back on the cheer mom one, can I still hang out here with you guys???

 

[bogwoppit]

Firstly you can always hang out here with us, I'd miss you too much if you left. I think we need a cheer forum (I'll look into that)

I am thrilled that she has found a distraction, it may be the end of gymnastics or not, but at least right now she can be fit, active and involved in a fun sport.

I certainly can see why so many girls go to cheer when it is so well organised. Sometimes being part of a team that is judged is so much more fun then being out there on the beam alone. TO spend less hours, be able to compete, get a cute outfit, travel with the team, it all sounds like fun to me and probably every teenage girl on the planet would love to be in the highest level of cheer.

It must be lovely to see her smiling again.

 

[gym monkeys mom]

Congrats to your DD competitive cheer looks so cool. At least that i what DD and her coacch say. Way better than sideline cheer. I think giving your body a rest from a tough sport is great and if she loves cheer go for it. I have heard about those cheer moms so be careful. LOL Best wishes to both of you. Looks like we have a new group cheer moms!

 

[mariposa]

I think it is great if she can find something that brings back her smile! If it will be easier for her wrist injury, then I would say go for it. I would have her talk to the coach of the cheer team though and tell him/her that she is just trying it out for awhile and if her wrist gets better, she may/may not want to do gymnastics again. Then there are no surprises later on.

Glad she is smiling again. I wouldn't want you to disappear from these forums though either way. Even if you run off to the Cheer Forums. Your experience helps all of us new and old gym mamas alike.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

good for your DD - happiness is what is important !!

please stay and chat - we would miss you otherwise !!

 

[flippymonkeysmom]

Thank you all so much - I can't not come on here anymore - I would miss everyone way too much - plus the withdrawal would be fierce. And since she will still be flipping around all over the place I can still keep my name Her poor little legs were so sore today - she must have done at least 100 standing back tucks yesterday. I really think this will work out well for her - tumbling has always been her strong point - the more flipping the better.

 

[bpatient]

The director purposely leaves a few spots open on each of the higher level teams just for gymnasts ready to make a change.

Clever director. . . .

Here's something to think about, though: Competitive cheer may be one of the few sports that could be harder on wrists than gymnastics is.

I don't have any eye-popping cheer statistics to share with you, but, while more than 50% of young, beginning to mid-level gymnasts suffer wrist injuries and half of those injuries persist for at least six months [Clin J Sport Med 2002. 12(6):348-53], gymnasts at least tumble on padded spring floors, while I suppose that some cheer teams may use just mats. Perhaps a further problem for cheer, though, is that the 'base' kids may stress their wrists in hyperextension while holding up the flyers. (FWIW: The daughter of one of my coworkers was a base who needed two surgeries to correct her Madelung deformity--an extreme form of the distal radial physeal (growth plate) injury seen as "gymnast's wrist".)

You might want to discuss this situation with your pediatric ortho/sports med specialist. It's possible that your dd will need just as much time away from weight bearing before she turns to cheer as she would have required before returning to gymnastics--and that she'll have to be just as careful to very gradually return to activity after she ends her hiatus. OTOH, the reduced training hours of cheer in comparison to gymnastics might help her to avoid reinjury. . . .

Good luck to both of you.

 

[flippymonkeysmom]

I know school cheer tumbles on just mats - she is doing all star cheer which uses the same spring floors as gymnastics. I think when she starts using her wrist again just the cut in hours will hopefully prevent it from re-injury. Right now she is just doing the dance parts, jumps and standing tucks until she is allowed impact on her wrist. I totally agree about the school cheer though - some of the things these girls do on hard gym floors or grass is scary!!!!

And yes - I am still chuckling about the cleverness of the cheer director

 

[Ingymmom]

Good for your dd for finding another activity she can be excited about!

Unfortunately for you, with all of that traveling, well $$cha-ching$$ LOL

 

[Livinatthegym]

Noboy's chased me away yet, and I no longer have anybody on team!

For a middle schooler, the reduction in practice time (giving her, you know, a life) is can be a life-saver. 6-8 hours is still plenty of activity per week, and even though she's still doing tumbling, she'll obviously have far fewer reps than she would in 20 hours of gym, giving the wrist a break.

 

[flippersmom]

When you said she might be done, I thought something like this could happen. That is just how I think my daughter would do it. Go right from one activity to the next.

I am happy that she as found something to be excited about, and will now have time to hang out with friends too. She now knows that if she is hurting, it is ok to take a break and if it doesn't get better, there will always be something else!

Best wishes.

 

[M23K's]

I'm so glad your DD is happy!! I had to LOL at the Dark Side comment.

 

[flippymonkeysmom]

Good for your dd for finding another activity she can be excited about!

Unfortunately for you, with all of that traveling, well $$cha-ching$$ LOL

Yeah - I have to laugh - leave it to my dd to find something else right away that costs just as much as gymnastics. I have always told her that she better either be very rich herself or marry well because she sure does have a knack for spending money

 

[MdGymMom01]

OMG Flippymonkeysmom!!! I sure hope you know what you are getting yourself into!!!! LOL!!! Well, since I have been there, done that and have many friends who have kids on Level 5 teams still, I am here for you to vent to, if needed. You will need it believe me ;-). I hope your dd's (now cp's --stands for "cheer princess" on the cheer boards) are happy and have fun!! It is a lot of fun and very exciting!!! Just beware of those vicious cheer parents...we'll talk later about that. God bless and may the force be with you!!!!!!!!!!

 

[msl529]

Oh wow! That happened so quicky! You must be suffering from whiplash! :knockout: I think though, that the quick change is indicative how much she likes her new sport. It was obviously an easy transition for her. Good for you for being a supportive Mom! :applause: I'm sure you had your reservations, but you let her choose, and I am sure she appreciates that.

So, you did not mention how her gym/coaches feel about this...Are they sad and/or begging you to re-think? Good luck handling them, I am sure they loved your DD and are sad to see her go :brokenheart: !

Best of luck to you! Please stick around here, I always appreciate your advice/feedback. :goodvibes:

 

[MdGymMom01]

Oh wow! That happened so quicky! You must be suffering from whiplash! :knockout: I think though, that the quick change is indicative how much she likes her new sport. It was obviously an easy transition for her. Good for you for being a supportive Mom! :applause: I'm sure you had your reservations, but you let her choose, and I am sure she appreciates that.

So, you did not mention how her gym/coaches feel about this...Are they sad and/or begging you to re-think? Good luck handling them, I am sure they loved your DD and are sad to see her go :brokenheart: !

Best of luck to you! Please stick around here, I always appreciate your advice/feedback. :goodvibes:

I can relate to the "happening so quickly" because that is about how fast my dd switched from cheer to gymnastics!! It's good that the 2 sports are interchangable to a degree. I do know that when they heard my dd wasn't coming back to cheer they were pretty dissapointed since she was the most flexible flyer in the gym (sorry-brag alert). They told me to come back in a few years so she could fly on F5!! The cheer gym knew that it was pretty common for kids to leave to do another sport and then come back later. Actually, on the senior and junior level 5 teams they would leave spots open and then recruit at the gymnastics gyms to pull the gymnasts over. Pretty sneaky, eh? I figured by having dd switch from cheer to gymnastics, it evens things out a bit!!! LOL

 

[gym law mom]

What a sneaky and probably successful cheer coach. She knew if she could get your dd to come watch a practice, try some skills and hear about really cool trips she'd be hooked. Glad she's having fun with it.

 

[DbacksMom75]

Do they have a Jr. level 5 team? I don't know how old your DD is but at least then she can go to Worlds. On the West Coast there are hardly any Youth Level 5 teams to compete against.
Read the fine print of whatever contract they have you sign (and more then likley there will be one) many have HUGE penalties for pulling out of the season if your child changes her mind. Many will charge you for travel fees even if you end up not traveling (for a level 5 team your looking at least $2000 for the season). Last season oldest DD's BF left our gym for a new one, since I had already paid deposits, bought a new uniform, ect. I told her she was commited for the season, it was ugly. If we had left I would have been responsible for all local/out of state/misc. fees. A cheer director's worst fear is having half his team walk during the year, especially anyone on their Level 5 teams.
Good luck....it's a very different world then gymnastics...

Liz
:nurse:

 

[Cascade]

Your post made me smile! The title had me guessing it had something to do with cheer!
I think it's wonderful that you supported your daughter in her choice and that she is so happy with her decision.
Good Luck to you both!

Oh- and guess you'll be taking that coffee on the road again!

 

[flippymonkeysmom]

Do they have a Jr. level 5 team? I don't know how old your DD is but at least then she can go to Worlds. On the West Coast there are hardly any Youth Level 5 teams to compete against.
Read the fine print of whatever contract they have you sign (and more then likley there will be one) many have HUGE penalties for pulling out of the season if your child changes her mind. Many will charge you for travel fees even if you end up not traveling (for a level 5 team your looking at least $2000 for the season). Last season oldest DD's BF left our gym for a new one, since I had already paid deposits, bought a new uniform, ect. I told her she was commited for the season, it was ugly. If we had left I would have been responsible for all local/out of state/misc. fees. A cheer director's worst fear is having half his team walk during the year, especially anyone on their Level 5 teams.
Good luck....it's a very different world then gymnastics...

Liz
:nurse:

They have junior level 5 team as well and she was given the choice between junior and youth level 5. She choose youth since there were more girls her age. Also I know some of the moms on the junior level 5 and they are the really harsh cheer moms. Joining late in the season is tough - the first competition is at the end of October. I figure with less competition as a youth 5 it will be a more fun experience for her first time cheering. It is a huge cheer program - 18 teams- so I'd rather her start here and do junior level 5 next year - steps on less toes so to speak. The same coach coaches both teams and she was dd2's coach 2 seasons ago. My other dd was in the program for 2 seasons and I really like how they do things. If she didn't develop a major mental block she would probably still be doing it.

Right now my dd doesn't even know what worlds is, so that doesn't matter so much to her. She just wants to learn and have fun and then do the junior team next year.