Parents End of year report and next years hopes

[Ex member]

i thought it might be fun to start a thread so we can share our gymnasts year long progress and hopes for next year.

Youngest dd
Dd is now 8 and has been in her development group nearly 1 year and has been training twice a week for 8 months, she has become stronger, faster and more flexible during that time, has learnt a few new skills along the way such as

Straddle Undershoot dismount
Back hip circle
Handstand flatback on high crash mats
Front hand spring on trampoline
Front tuck on fast track
Round off back handspring with a light spot on fast track
Cartwheel on the high fat beam

Dd has her first competition this Sunday, her first Christmas festival display and the another display in another gym in January, she will be doing the new grades for the first time next year.

Dd has also become more social with her team mates and coach and is not longer as shy as she was.

Hopes for next year

Back handspring without spot
Giant on strap bar (she is really close)

I hope she continues to enjoy gymnastics and do well in grades.

Oldest dd..

What a year it has been for her, first year in competitive gymnastics. Dd has been to quite a few comps and has gotten quite a few medals, passed her grades with a distinction, took part in the launch of the Special Olympics for her county and helped carry the flag. Dd has signed up for the a British Gynastics Young leadership program and has begun to work on aspects such has mock planning and assisting her coach, dd got asked along with her older team mate to go along to the National Squad trials (disability), unfortunatly this got cancelled due to updates and changes being made to the disipline, she is still working towards elements for it in prep for next year. Dd is also doing the same Christmas display as her youngest sister (on her birthday).

Next year

I hope she continues to enjoy gymnastics and her leadership program, do well in her grades and maybe pick up a few more medals in her future comps.

 

[poodlemomma]

We switched gyms this past summer and it has been an adjustment.

Progress so far. DD has all her L4 skills and is currently up training on some L5 skills while she is cleaning up her L4s. Her confidence at the new gym is through the roof. I have never seen her so sure of herself. She trusts and believes in her coaches. To me, this last is everything as she had serious trust issues at her old gym due to a bad injury.

Hopes for the end of the year. Clean up her L4 routines, do well at state, move on to L5 and continue to enjoy the sport.

 

[Frase]

After a long year of injury, mental blocks, set backs and more skills lost then learned, all I hope for is that dd re-discovers her passion for gymnastics.

 

[xrachx]

This year, DD has had 2 gym moves (one due to poor coaching, next because of relocation 4hrs away), and each move has led to real progress each time. Lots of new skills and lots of polishing of old ones to get them perfect. She's now in a team she loves so all in all its been a good year


Hopes for next year: that she's allowed to compete grades.
She's currently working her bottom off trying to get her routines right, but until the coach says she's definitely going down the grades route (HC is currently assessing the girls), then there's no guarantees.
Just keeping everything crossed for good news, and soon!

 

[Mrs. Puma]

This year, DD has had 2 gym moves (one due to poor coaching, next because of relocation 4hrs away), and each move has led to real progress each time. Lots of new skills and lots of polishing of old ones to get them perfect. She's now in a team she loves so all in all its been a good year


Hopes for next year: that she's allowed to compete grades.
She's currently working her bottom off trying to get her routines right, but until the coach says she's definitely going down the grades route (HC is currently assessing the girls), then there's no guarantees.
Just keeping everything crossed for good news, and soon!

Out of curiosity what is grades? I assume it's not a U.S. thing? And congrats on the good year!

 

[Jenny]

Grades are a series of levels of competition with set moves for routines including a strength and flexibility routine called range and conditioning. There are many levels of grades ranging from beginner level up to elite from the age of 8 upwards. They have a pass mark. Once you have passed a grade you cannot take it again. Some grades lead to national finals and some are regional only.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Grades are a series of levels of competition with set moves for routines including a strength and flexibility routine called range and conditioning. There are many levels of grades ranging from beginner level up to elite from the age of 8 upwards. They have a pass mark. Once you have passed a grade you cannot take it again. Some grades lead to national finals and some are regional only.

Thanks! Always good to learn something new

 

[cbifoja]

Hmmm....well, this hasn't been the best year for DD but somehow she still enjoys this crazy sport.

At this time last year, she was uncharacteristically struggling on vault. Right now, she is working on landing her tsuks and getting back into yurchenko drills. By this time next year, I hope that she is ready to compete a piked tsuk.

At this time last year, she was solid on bars with consistent giants and clear hips above horizontal. Right now, she is consistent with clear hips to HS and landing double back dismounts onto mats in the pit. By this time next year, I hope she can have a beautiful cast handstand with NO arch and giants with no arch.

At this time last year, she had a beautiful HS-BHS series on beam. Right now, she is struggling with connecting them and with connecting her BHS BHS. She has begun working BHS BLO on floor wide beam. By this time next year, I hope she has her BT on high beam and is working her BHS BLO on standard beam with stacked mats.

At this time last year, she was doing a layout and had just begun learning how to twist. Dance was consistently bad but improving. Right now, she is landing 3/2 on floor and double twists on mats in the pit. Dance is still a struggle. By the time next year, I hope she is landing double twists on the floor, has her double salto front pass back, and has at least passable dance.

At the time last year, I was excited of how well she was doing at L6 but dreading all of meet season. Right now, I'm apprehensive how she will do at L7 but looking forward to meet season. By this time next year, I hope to feel like DD is on the right path to meet her goals.

 

[gracyomalley]

This time last year DD was heading into a winning L7 season, all skills there except a fall on BHS-BHS series on high beam leading to fear issues, (competed lovely BWO-BHS well all season instead), and giants still off and on but great form...gym change, old coach cutting out of town leaving 35 girls with no team, then them all being dumped on her new coaches, new gym losing building, and puberty/family issues since then, L8 skills gained,lost, polished and lost, learning that old coach set her up to fail on vault and bars long term, etc, 6 weeks off gym, and back now for 6 weeks, training some, strength coming back, THINKING about working on her fulls, FHS-FP-FLO on floor again (the easy stuff from L8 for her), and her BT on high beam, THINKING about gianting again, WORKING on vaulting on 3 so the yurchenko she was training for years can be made safe by new coach, and learning the TSUK her old coach said was a waste of time, etc....

Most importantly, stated this weekend that although "winning was fun mom, it felt good" not being able to go straight to "winning" at L8 because of fears, poor training and frankly, simply because she's not a phenom and never was, may not have to mean that she is a terrible gymnast. Struggling to speak up when she needs to, to get back in the larger, more competitive, more strict gym and face her fears and inadequacies, realizing that although she still doesn't want to compete this year and has a lot of work to do, she is more happy with gym than without....

My not too secret mommy hope is that I get to see her do all those skills she was working/doing this summer in her new comp leo (ordered when slated to compete L8 this fall, and she loves it) some day....my more realistic and important hope is that she continues to learn and grow this ever so hard year and that next year at 13 she is a more confident, strong girl...with or without gym!