Excessive practice times?

[Ribbon]

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...

I totally agree with that. I mean when a I was 10 I trained over 36hr per week, but I wasn't like L6 (for what I've read I think I know more or less what's the requirements of that level). And I also think that for that level, no for that age, is completly inapropiate and less if they aren't getting on the top 3.

 

[lilgymmie7]

I totally agree with that. I mean when a I was 10 I trained over 36hr per week, but I wasn't like L6 (for what I've read I think I know more or less what's the requirements of that level). And I also think that for that level, no for that age, is completly inapropiate and less if they aren't getting on the top 3.

These poor girls are NOT top 3 and their coaches are a bit 'strange'. They have fed lines to parents and only the self-absorbed parent(s) would believe them. I had to take my child elsewhere because I realized they did not know what they were doing. DD was so much happier when I did move her. Those days experiences really wisened me up concerning little DD's gym experiences. Luckily she is at a very successful gym that knows exactly what to do with all of their gymnasts!!

 

[Deanna]

Well our gym is fairly small. We only have one level 10 as of right now. And a L9 that is on her way to L10. Our current L10 who was the state champ last year and just recently signed on for a full ride scholarship to alaska next year only trains 16 hrs a week. I think that is the min. that the gym wants a L10 training..but they do leave it up to the gymnasts how many hours. As long as they meet that min. which seems to be fairly low in comparison to some of the hourse Im seeing much lower levels from other gyms "having" to practice. 34-36 hours for any level seems like too much to me..esp the lower level gals. Most are still babies, and cant really make that choice themselves.

I actually just went back and looked through her handbook. The maxium training hours per week at her gym is 20hrs. NO ONE trains more than 20 hrs per week.

 

[MissBear]

No gymnut. She is 8 and came with RO on fast track, no BHS, no beam or bar skills what so ever. She improved dramatically with a normal number of hours and a little conditioning and just came 2nd at Grade 14 (OOA). Most imprtantly she has fallen in love with the sport all over again. It really has opened my eyes!