Thinking about T&T for DD

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twinmomma

Proud Parent
DD is currently JO L4, embarking on her second year in L4. We're fine with the repeat. That said, I'm worried some of her challenges in the JO world may end up limiting her before she gets a chance to get to optionals. I was talking to her coach yesterday, and we both agree she's a fantastic tumbler and coach said she does really well on the trampoline too. Dd likes tumbling, and I think T&T might be a good fit.

We WON'T be making this change this year - I'm just trying to get a handle on if this might be the right move for her. She's almost 10, and there is no T&T at her current gym, but there is one nearby enough with a world team member to its credit.

For those of you with kids who've made the JO to T&T switch - tell me - how did your kids do with it, are they happy? What's the cost comparison where you live? Hours? Etc... Give it to me straight...what things are dealbreakers for kids who want to do T&T?
 
My DD was never JO- she went right from rec in artistic to t&t, but I do have one in each sport. I'd be happy to answer any t&t specific questions. My DDs team has a bunch of kids who switched from artistic- it's very common- and they all seem happy. I can say the theme I hear among the girls is that floor was their favorite event. Even vault would work (double mini being a very rough equivalent). My ODD always says she could never switch because bars and beam are her favorite events.
 
Oh I can add a little. Around here the overall cost is much lower for T&T than JO (compulsories and optionals) but that's mostly due to much lower hours. The L4s at my ODDs artistic gym train 12-16 hours a week while the L10s at YDDs T&T gym train 6-10. The L4s at T&T train about 3 hours a week. The per hour cost for T&T is actually higher than my ODDs, but the year as a whole is about 1/3 of the cost. Another cost difference- YDDs gym includes the usag membership and the coaching fees for meets right in the regular tuition. We only pay extra for the meet entry fees for the meets we choose to attend, and only the exact amount of the entry. Most meets require some travel though, for us, because there just aren't many local meets. Kids on YDDs team are allowed to compete in as few meets as they choose.
 
DD is currently JO L4, embarking on her second year in L4. We're fine with the repeat. That said, I'm worried some of her challenges in the JO world may end up limiting her before she gets a chance to get to optionals. I was talking to her coach yesterday, and we both agree she's a fantastic tumbler and coach said she does really well on the trampoline too. Dd likes tumbling, and I think T&T might be a good fit.

We WON'T be making this change this year - I'm just trying to get a handle on if this might be the right move for her. She's almost 10, and there is no T&T at her current gym, but there is one nearby enough with a world team member to its credit.

For those of you with kids who've made the JO to T&T switch - tell me - how did your kids do with it, are they happy? What's the cost comparison where you live? Hours? Etc... Give it to me straight...what things are dealbreakers for kids who want to do T&T?

My 9 year old DD made the switch from JO 2 and competitive rec league t&t to Xcel Bronze and T&T team to just t&t this year. She is 85% happy with the switch I would say. She misses bars and vault. She does not miss beam lol. She likes the fact that you can do different levels in T&T. I would not say she was a strong tumbler but has got to L 5 tumbling which includes a pass with 4 robhs and is working L 6 which needs 6 robhs and 3 robhs and a back tuck. Her real love is double mini. She goes 7.5 hours per week . Our 7 and 8s go 9 and 10s and Elites go 12. Cost is less but so are hours. Assessments are about the same. T&T to me is more laid back. Especially the parents. Very few crazies. Any other questions let us know.
 
T&T is generally cheaper, and T&T teams generally train far fewer hours. Currently, my T&T team (which has athletes as high as level 9) trains up to 4.5 hours/week, whereas my level 4-6 artistic JO team members practice 13.5 hours.

As a whole, the sport is much more casual, much more laid-back.

The downside, though, that programs hosting meets are few and far between, so you'll likely have to travel much farther for meets.
 
DS never was in artistic so I can't really compare but I like the friendly atmosphere of T&T. It is a nice community to be part of.
Hours are less although that might depend a bit on the gym and level that you are at. At our club (Netherlands so might not compare) higher levels do train quite some hours. 9 year old DS is at 4 times a week/ 9,5 hours at a trampoline only gym (no tumbling) currently but he is sort of on the path towards elite. Our junior/ senior elites train 12-25 hours a week (the upper hours in 2 a day sessions) but then they are preparing for world cups and stuff.

Mid and lower levels train 4 -8 hours a week at our gym.
 
Question. Theoretically, can you do just trampoline without tumbling? Or you have to do all events? Sorry if it's a stupid question, I'm clueless.
 
Question. Theoretically, can you do just trampoline without tumbling? Or you have to do all events? Sorry if it's a stupid question, I'm clueless.
Yes you can. The three events are treated separately, so you can compete one, two, or three and different levels on each.
 
Reviving this thread as DD is now REALLY interested in T&T. I've emailed the coaches at the one and only gym close enough to make this a reality. Problem is the website for the "state" we are in is sorely lacking so I'm trying to get as much information as I can but there doesn't seem to be any out there. What should I let them know she can do, etc... or what will they be looking for if they agree to see her?
 
I have no idea, personally, but just wanted to say how exciting that she is showing interest! I think it is great that she still wants to stay in the sport, just turn to a different focus, and use the skills she has for something related, yet brand new. Good luck to her, and to you with this new adventure. :)
 
Exciting times for your daughter. I hope it will be a good match for her. She can have a lot of fun in this sport.
As for the try out. In our gym they will look for interest and the drive to go for it, previous artistic experience is nice because it will than be easier for her to achieve good form, skillswise not so much perse, if she can do simple back and front somersaults, back handsprings and not be fearful with them that is a good thing. Good luck!
 
I happened to be sitting next to a mom from the gym I *think* you are talking about at my DDs last meet. She was very nice and we cheered for each other's DDs, since they happened to be back to back in the same rotation group. I also met a coach. I can say that they seem very positive and laid back, and the training seems on point with most other gyms in the state (there is one noticeable outlier). She told me that if someone wants to be on team, they can (much the same as our gym). People from all over two states come together for our "local" meets so the kids, parents, coaches, and judges all get to know one other. Good luck to your DD- I hope she loves it!
 
I happened to be sitting next to a mom from the gym I *think* you are talking about at my DDs last meet. She was very nice and we cheered for each other's DDs, since they happened to be back to back in the same rotation group. I also met a coach. I can say that they seem very positive and laid back, and the training seems on point with most other gyms in the state (there is one noticeable outlier). She told me that if someone wants to be on team, they can (much the same as our gym). People from all over two states come together for our "local" meets so the kids, parents, coaches, and judges all get to know one other. Good luck to your DD- I hope she loves it!

Yes, there's an obvious outlier, who incidentally shows up on USAG's site now as training with a gym in the opposite part of the state. Not sure what that's about. DD watched a bunch of Youtube videos last night trying to figure out what level she might be (she thinks 6 LOL). I'd like to find out the hours and when I can take her in. My one fear is she'll miss bars. She says she wouldn't miss beam at all and I think her vault would translate easily to DM.

Are the meets in our area (I realize that's relative as they happen all over) well organized and well attended? On one site I read that there's only 99 kids in T&T in our part of the state and that seemed really low.
 
Yes, there's an obvious outlier, who incidentally shows up on USAG's site now as training with a gym in the opposite part of the state. Not sure what that's about. DD watched a bunch of Youtube videos last night trying to figure out what level she might be (she thinks 6 LOL). I'd like to find out the hours and when I can take her in. My one fear is she'll miss bars. She says she wouldn't miss beam at all and I think her vault would translate easily to DM.

Are the meets in our area (I realize that's relative as they happen all over) well organized and well attended? On one site I read that there's only 99 kids in T&T in our part of the state and that seemed really low.

We hosted the last two meets and they had about 200 kids each. We have never had a meet in your neck of the woods, but they are all within a few hours from almost everyone. I've never heard that 99 number but it's definitively low. We have four teams in our immediate vicinity and three more within an hour and they have way more than 99 kids combined. We are a small team and have about 30 ourselves. It will be a lot smaller than artistic, but that's not a bad thing. It's really nice that the kids all get to know one other (different teams) and actively cheer for each other and become friends. There is also more opportunity to get to nationals because the sport is smaller.
 
She could always do bars at open gyms or in a rec class. My dd took rec classes for about six months before it was out of her system and she was fully invested in "her sport".
 
I know the team in our area is really small, but I'd like for DD to at least go and check it out to see if she'd like it as much as she thinks she would. I've said for a long time it seems like it would be up her alley because tumbling is her favorite - and she's NOT interested in Cheer, so this seems like it might be a good compromise.
 
Hoping the " tryout " goes well for her. You can also go to the usag T&T website to see the skills needed for each level. And remember she can do different levels for each event. It also shows the mobility scores and ones needed to qualify for Nationals
 
Hoping the " tryout " goes well for her. You can also go to the usag T&T website to see the skills needed for each level. And remember she can do different levels for each event. It also shows the mobility scores and ones needed to qualify for Nationals
I don't mean to hijack, but is there a maximum difference you can be between levels in different events? For example, are you allowed to be a level 8 on double mini and a level 2 on tumbling?
 
I don't mean to hijack, but is there a maximum difference you can be between levels in different events? For example, are you allowed to be a level 8 on double mini and a level 2 on tumbling?
Nope! We have a boy who is L3 on tumbling and L8 on tramp.
 

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