Parents DD only L9 not to make States :(

[Gymmom82773]

Well I will try to keep this short. It's been a rough road . Let me back up 18 months . My Daughter was a L8 at the time (age 10) and got a stress fracture in her ankle right after competition season . She trained for L9 that summer and made the L9 team . 2 meets in last year ( now age 11) she got a stress fracture in her right wrist . She was out the rest of the season . As she came out of the cast and gradually back into training , she says her hand hurts . Back to the orthopedic .. Mri done and they found a fracture in her hand (hook of the hamate bone ). She had to have surgery Sept 2014 , 6-8 weeks recovery . Started training L9 again . Competitive season was starting January . Our goal was
Maybe to do limited events by February . Her coach decides to put her in the first meet in January for al events except bars . Well as the season went along , she finally got bars back (her hand needed to gain strength ) and did AA last meet of the season and just missed the States score . She is devastated. But here is the kicker ... She started having left hand pain a month ago , got an mri and she has the same break that she had in the right hand and is scheduled to have surgery March 24 !! She will be out 6-8 weeks yet again !! It turns out she had a congenital defect where that hand bone is longer than normal so with all the impact she broke the bone down . The surgery is a success on the right hand so everything should be fine . I really didn't expect her to make States but it's been such a long road . My husband wants her to quit and try a different sport .. She wants no part of it !!
I would like some coaches imput .. I'm starting to think she was moved too fast up the levels ( she skipped L7)and only have 1/2 year L8 before L9. She is so determined and talented but I went her to see some success when she comes
Back yet agajn and think maybe to drop to L8 would be better but her coach and my daughter don't like that . Any advice would be great ... Poor girl she has been through so much !!!

 

[MeetDirector]

gymmom -

A couple of thoughts for you from our 14 years in this sport.

First, understand that your definition of success in this sport may be very different than your dd's definition of success. When these girls get to these higher levels, it becomes so integral to their very being that their minds see things very differently.

Second, coming back from the injuries you describe is an achievement in itself, however, I would not let an injury end her career on its own if she can rehab and get back to where she was. Putting it another way, gymnasts at these high levels need to end their careers in the sport on their own terms, not terms dictated by someone or something else. If the docs clear her to come back, she is going to have to realize on her own when enough is enough.

Good Luck

 

[gymdog]

Well maybe at your gym, but I absolutely guarantee she isn't the only level 9/10 to not make it to states after injuries and setbacks I promise. This level of gymnastics is exponentially harder. In some ways expectations have to be adjusted from the lower levels. If all level 9s and 10s had just one meet to make it to states many wouldn't. Unfortunately it was just a tough season for your dd that led to that outcome.

Hard to say if she was moved up too fast. If she was an 11 year old level 8, that wrist injury still might have been a factor...hard to say. Does she do yurchenko vaults and if so what kind of wrist protection did she use?

That said at age 11 I would be very careful and maybe consider time off or limited hours due to this injury. I believe bookworm pulled her daughter out completely for quite some time around this age due to injuries, her daughter went on to be a JO nationals competitor and NCAA gymnast. If she doesn't see this thread you should pm her and I'm sure she'll be happy to help and advise.

 

[ZJsMom]

That's tough. It's so hard for kids to deal with injuries and she seems to have had more than her fair share. It does seem like she's been pushed pretty fast. I hope, whatever level she does, her coaches will make keeping her healthy the number one priority.

 

[sce]

Such a rough and disappointing year and half. But you know the reason for the hand injury and have hope for a good outcome. At this point, if she did move up to fast, it's not all bad. She has time to really work on her level 9 and eventually 10 skills. Hopefully, she will have a much more successful level 9 season next year.

 

[bookworm]

That said at age 11 I would be very careful and maybe consider time off or limited hours due to this injury. I believe bookworm pulled her daughter out completely for quite some time around this age due to injuries, her daughter went on to be a JO nationals competitor and NCAA gymnast. If she doesn't see this thread you should pm her and I'm sure she'll be happy to help and advise.

And you'd be correct Gymdog as I did exactly that.....she had some nagging injuries, and a huge growth spurt, when she was 12-13ish and was "only going to compete vault" ...and I said , "that's not happening " and I pulled her from all competition and basically she conditioned and worked her way back into 4 events over the next year...and I firmly believe if i'd kept her in it per usual, she would have become so frustrated and quit the sport....fast forward 4 years and (you're right again Gymdog ) , she's been to JO Nationals a couple of times, done well and is committed to a D1 school!

So my mantra would be "rest is not the enemy, rest is not the enemy" ....

 

[Gymmom82773]

She wears wrist guards for all events except bars and her coach won't let her yurchenko until her hands are completely healed . Shes been doing tsuks .
Her drive and determination is what will help her . The positive is she will be cleared of everything goes smoothly mid May and doesn't compete again until January so she will be able to come back at a slower pace than this year when she had to get skills back and compete at the same time !! Not ideal !! Thanks everyone she's such a great kid and I just want her to know how much she had accomplished in such a short time . I tell her , hopefully she can come back confidently .

 

[LizzieLac]

Hmm, my DD was supposed to be a level 7 this year and training indicated she would have had a pretty good year. However, a broken tibia and fibula at the end of October from mis-landing a tsuk put a hard stop to that. She was lucky to compete at all (which she did in February and March) but had to do level 6 instead of 7 since to since she had to come back to it slowly with easier skills she could compete instead of the harder ones that would take longer to be able to do.

She is back to training all events, although just started what one might call "training vault." Her last meet of the year last weekend was a success (scored 9.1 on floor her first and only time competing this year!!), but wasn't ready to vault, so no AA and obviously no states.

It has been a hard road and now she is trying to get back skills she had worked REALLY hard to get in the first place. It has been a tough, tough year and barely a season. But these kids keep plugging away because they love it. I won't tell my DD to quit (even though there are times...). She will be the one to tell me that she wants to quit. I don't see any signs of it yet, even though I know this was hard on her and still is...

 

[vagymmomma]

I can say from first hand experience this year that L9 is just a completely different ballgame -- healthy or not. The challenge is mental as much as physical, so taking a step back to focus on training could be quite helpful. No pressure. It can be very hard for the girls to go back a level though, so just let her train L9 till she's ready. She sounds like quite a talented child, so hopefully she'll keep the faith!

 

[Dka]

Hugs is all I can add here! but she can comeback!!!! I hope both of our girls are competing at states next year together!!!

 

[Gymmom82773]

The more I'm thinking about it , going backwards would crush her mentally . So she will just plug away until she's ready to compete again at L9! She is talented and her coach truly believes in her . I totally agree L9 is hard no matter what and it's equally as hard mentally . The skills are tough and the judging is even tougher !! A couple meets we went to the highest L9 AA was around a 34! There were other kids at the last meet that didn't qualify for states either . It's just hard because it's the second year in a row that she didn't go to states ( last year she was injured ) I told her I would take her away for the weekend of States if she wanted but she said she still wants to go and cheer on her teammates . She really is a special kid

 

[flippin out]

The more I'm thinking about it , going backwards would crush her mentally . So she will just plug away until she's ready to compete again at L9! She is talented and her coach truly believes in her . I totally agree L9 is hard no matter what and it's equally as hard mentally . The skills are tough and the judging is even tougher !! A couple meets we went to the highest L9 AA was around a 34! There were other kids at the last meet that didn't qualify for states either . It's just hard because it's the second year in a row that she didn't go to states ( last year she was injured ) I told her I would take her away for the weekend of States if she wanted but she said she still wants to go and cheer on her teammates . She really is a special kid

I agree....for most kids (not all) dropping back a level would be devastating to the ego. I would let her come back at her own pace and when she is ready, compete 9. Only having 1 meet to achieve qualification is tough, we were there this year due to injuries throughout the season. You're dd sounds like a very sweet and level headed girl. I would be (as I am sure you are) very proud of her for wanting to go and cheer her teammates on. That takes a special kid. One who is selfless and caring, you are raising her right! And......I'd get her something special just for that

 

[gymdog]

She wears wrist guards for all events except bars and her coach won't let her yurchenko until her hands are completely healed . Shes been doing tsuks .
Her drive and determination is what will help her . The positive is she will be cleared of everything goes smoothly mid May and doesn't compete again until January so she will be able to come back at a slower pace than this year when she had to get skills back and compete at the same time !! Not ideal !! Thanks everyone she's such a great kid and I just want her to know how much she had accomplished in such a short time . I tell her , hopefully she can come back confidently .

Larry Nassar recommends wrist guards with Palm padding: http://gymnasticscoaching.com/new/2014/06/wrist-braces-with-palm-pads/
If she just has the traditional tiger paw kind maybe you could try to find something with palm padding.

 

[htimcj]

I am so sorry it was such a rough year but it looks like you have a plan and hopefully this last surgery will stop further injuries to the hands. I would just let her come back at level 9 when she is ready. She has lots of time!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

OK trying to keep it all straight. She is barely 12 ish coming off injuries and a level 9. Tell her Bravo from me.

 

[Gymmom82773]

Larry Nassar recommends wrist guards with Palm padding: http://gymnasticscoaching.com/new/2014/06/wrist-braces-with-palm-pads/
If she just has the traditional tiger paw kind maybe you could try to find something with palm padding.

I think I'm going to order these! The Palm padding might even cover her scar from where she had hand surgery .