Excessive practice times?

[virginiacoach]

Hours

At the gym where I work our level 5 & 6 gymnasts both practice 12 hours and they just recently finished 3rd at level 5 and 4th at level 6 at a very prestigious MD meet. The level 7 and 8s practice 16 hours and the level 9.10s practice 18 hours. This is a large team and they always place very high at team competitions at big meets. They qualify to regionals and nationals and go to college on gymnastics scholarships. No, they don't do elite and haven't qualified anyone to the olympics! However, they have also only lost 4 gymnasts in 15 years that have gone on to compete for other gyms and they cannot get rid of their team gymnasts... they just keep on keeping on!!!! Even as teenagers! I attribute that to pacing them when they are little and keeping their hours reasonable.

 

[Mariainlv]

I thought gyms like this were like "Loch ness monster" discussed but rarely seen, until last night. J tried out a gym last night where she was with 3 other 7-8 year olds. These kids go 20 to 25 hours a week PLUS some add privates!! I'm thinkin the culture @ that gym may not be for us...

 

[bogwoppit]

I thought gyms like this were like "Loch ness monster" discussed but rarely seen, until last night. J tried out a gym last night where she was with 3 other 7-8 year olds. These kids go 20 to 25 hours a week PLUS some add privates!! I'm thinkin the culture @ that gym may not be for us...

Wow, as you said these gyms seem to be talked about but rarey seen. I did find one that had their L5's going 35 hours a week and they had to be homeschooled to be accepted. I wonder what kind of coaches think this would benefit a child? Hopefully you find a gym with a more child friendly philosiphy.

 

[gymmomntc2e6]

I thought gyms like this were like "Loch ness monster" discussed but rarely seen, until last night. J tried out a gym last night where she was with 3 other 7-8 year olds. These kids go 20 to 25 hours a week PLUS some add privates!! I'm thinkin the culture @ that gym may not be for us...

That is insane. they are kids for God's sake. And I worry that my L5 DD is there too much @ 12 hours a week !!! DD's gym is very small, about 15-17 team girls. The most anyone practices is 15 hours and that is L7 & up and only every other week. The other weeks they are 12 hours like the L5's. L4 is 9 hours and L3 is 6-9 hours. The girls do well, most of the L4's placed in top 5 @ States last year and when we did Prep-Op one of the team finished 1st @ Regionals. We had several in the top 5 @ Regionals for Prep-Op as well.

It's not about the hours.

These are kids, it should not be like a job. 99.9999% are not going to the Olympics, what is the point of doing that to them ??

 

[mariposa]

I often find it crazy how many hours some kids put in. Even if they ARE scoring high and winning 1st place, etc, no way I would let my kid do that. My daughter is a level 5 and goes 12 hours/4 days a week (and at level 4 she did 10 hours/3 days at current gym, her first gym did 12 hours/3 days at level 4 and 16 hours/4 days at level 5/6). Sure, she won't be placing top 3 at many meets, but she is happy and she holds her own at meets. They do plenty of conditioning, too and even have time to uptrain. The optionals only practice 20 hours (maybe a little more in summer) a week and we have had girls get full ride scholarships, place well at regionals and nationals, too. I think that quantity of hours isn't as important as quality.

I would RUN from any gym that wanted my kid to train more than 20 hours a week. Just don't think it is necessary unless you are on the elite path. And we homeschool, but still wouldn't let my kid train more than that.

 

[AGM78910]

I heard that Rebecca Bross of WOGA works out 52 hours a week. (Not verified, just heard through a friend whose daughter goes there.)

 

[Mack_the_Ripper]

I actually did a big symposium presentation last year that included a section about excessive training hours in gymnastics and how it affects the body and psyche over the years. I talked about how it's quite normal in elite gymnastics to have 14 year olds training 40 hrs/week or more, the affects of competing on the international scene so young, overuse injuries, etc. The class was really drawn in to it, primarily because I started the presentation by dropping into a split.

Actually, the guy who was presenting after me...his topic was child soldiers. An audience member was like, "Dude! She stole your topic!"

But I"ve never heard of such high hours for lower levels! That just can't be productive...

 

[catrena]

Well I LOVE to practice gymnastics, so I liked when I used to practice 30-45 hours a week. I even miss it now.

 

[lilgymmie7]

What's unfortunate is that the girls at this gym are not doing well at all. However, I was told that one of the lvl 6's who is practicing for 30+ hrs. has a mom who is constantly boasting about how much her DD trains. Obviously mom has stars in her eyes and poor DD has to go along for the ride.

 

[gymgurl]

I think it is ridiculous to have kids that are like 7 training stupid hours, Some of the national level fours train 18hrs a week (and this isn't even in the international program!!) and there was one who trained 20.5 hours a week (she was older though) needless to say she has had repetitive injuries to her ankle and couldn't go her gymnastics display without crying at the end because they were torn to pieces.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Hey Gymgurl, I have seen a few articles on kids who train 20-32! hours as level fours and fives. I have seen some compete and not place top three. Must really burn to put in all that time and still not win. Clearly they don't have the talent or the coaching smarts, unfortunately no amount of hours can make up for that.

 

[gymgurl]

Exactly and whats a shame is that some of the kids at our gym are really talented (2 are doing IDP) and some of the others place top 3 frequently but then at the end of the day they are going to burn out and The coach is really good and i know in one of their cases anyway it could be parents pushing because both of them are influential members of the board etc but for all i know its the kid idk but still i find i train a nice 10hrs and am not overly tired or unsatisfied with my performance

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

I feel bad for kids who train so much and don't have a chance to just be a kid, play in their yard, go to a friend's house, have sleepovers, go to birthday parties, etc. I feel like it will catch up with them when they are older- they'll either resent that they didn't have more of a "normal" childhood, or have permenant injuries and broken down bodies.

DD trains 7 hours a week and all her non gym friends moms think that's excessive- they always ask me if she likes going that much.... um, yeah she does, because if she didn't, trust me she wouldn't- I am not pushing her into this in any way. She is always asking for more hours and saying practice is too short- haha

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I feel bad for kids who train so much and don't have a chance to just be a kid, play in their yard, go to a friend's house, have sleepovers, go to birthday parties, etc. I feel like it will catch up with them when they are older- they'll either resent that they didn't have more of a "normal" childhood, or have permenant injuries and broken down bodies.

DD trains 7 hours a week and all her non gym friends moms think that's excessive- they always ask me if she likes going that much.... um, yeah she does, because if she didn't, trust me she wouldn't- I am not pushing her into this in any way. She is always asking for more hours and saying practice is too short- haha

not if the athlete made their own decision about their committment. felt the need to clarify...

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

I agree dunno, and i do think there are athletes who do decide if they want to make these sacrifices. What I am concerned about is often it sounds as if there is a large percentage of children whom these decisions are made for them in the younger years by overzealous parents and/or coaches. I think an 12-14 year old upper level gymnast is absolutely able to make the decision how much time she wants to commit to gymnastics. I get sad for the younger children who may be pursuing someone else's dream.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

and that i agree with 100% ^^^.

 

[MissBear]

A gym in my area ran a summer program where young, low level gymnasts (aged 6-10, USAG 3-6 approx) trained 30 hours a week for 4 weeks. At the end of the program there were 2 spots open in the pe-elite program that these gymnasts were competing against each other for the place. The coach gymnast ratio was very poor (1:18) and the gymnast that came to our gym from the program after not being accepted could not do 5 chin ups or leg lifts. I have no idea what they were spending all the hours on. I was amazed and shocked, I have never heard of a crazy program like that here in the UK before. I really hope it is not a new trend.

(I did check that it was not a more traditional summer camp with other activities and some gym each day. No, they were in the gym for 30 hours.)

 

[gymnut1]

That is nuts. I would expect some leg lifts after 4 weeks of that! Did she come with other skills. Maybe they didn't do much conditioning but just skills.

 

[Coacharella]

Parents are insane. I just read this whole discussion and that is my conclusion.
Obviously some coaches are also insane, (but we knew that already haha), but ultimately....parents are okaying this, allowing this, paying for this, and in some cases BOASTING about this?

Kudos to the parents who remember their kids are just KIDS who happen to be talented at gymnastics. Fast Forward a few years and these over worked athletes will have quit, burnt out, become injured, or be placing poorly at competitions because of all the pressure. If only they saw the light!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

word. ^^^^^