Parents Heartbroken for 8 yo DD...

[my4buffaloes]

Do you have to go to a gym in your town? There is one gym in our town and it is pathetic. More of a preschool rec/dance place than real gymnastics. Look in neighboring cities or towns. We drive 25 minutes to get to our gym and it isn't too bad. I like the time in the car with my kids. I drive through 5 or 6 small towns on my way to the gym. Look around a bit more and see what you can find. It might be worth it in the end.

PS, my younger dd is quickly catching up to my older dd too, even though they are 4 years apart. My older dd is having a hard time with it as well, I can't imagine if they actually competed the same level - it likely wouldn't go well at all. I hope you can come up with a solution.

 

[LizzieLac]

Hmm, well after reading some othe posts I would say that while the relationship between your DDs is what the basis of your post was about, I am seeing more conerns about the gym's approach.

I agree with the others - 5 hours for level 4 (or 5 for that matter) is too much. None of our complusory levels train more than 3 hours in one practice. Even our leve 9s and 10s don't do 5 hours. I think 4.5 is the max they ever do and that is in the summer when we increase hours.

Perhaps if she is there for that amount of time, they would allow her to go off on her own and work kips, even if the scheduled workout calls for something else.

Also, there is not a whole lot of difference in the floor and beam routines (in terms of choreography) for level 4 and 5. So, she could still work level 5 routines until the first meet but compete level 4 if the kip just isn't there. I simply believe there are several ways to keep your DD challenged and happily moving forward, EVEN IF the kip is not there for level 5 competition.

 

[gymstaryaya]

I agree with everyone else! My dd, at 7, only had 60% of her level 5 skills and she was moved to level 5. By the time she did her first meet a couple months later, she had them all. A good gym will train the girls on next level skills. Now at 8 yrs. old, she's a level 7, because at level 5, they trained her on 6 amd 7 skils.

 

[GymGirl's Mom]

Ugh, sorry. Currently my DD is on the fence too. Her gym does uptrain and is also not opposed to switching levels mid season if skills are acquired.

I feel for your DD- my DD hates the mill circle with a passion and any talk of repeating L4 (which is a good possibility for her at this point) makes her upset. I am sorry your gym doesn't uptrain.

DD's gym also has large compulsary teams and still manages to split them up for training and uptrain skills. I think your best option is asking if she can work with the L5 team at least one day a week this season. I know my DD needs very little instruction on the finer points of L4 at this point... I keep trying to talk to her about how much fun it will be if she has to repeat and she will have a better chance at medaling. I am sure your DD is in the same boat.

My DD is really only missing one L5 skill too, I hate to see it keep them from progressing and worry if there is no chance for your DD to uptrain she will either burn out or get bored. BTW her strength sounds AMAZING!!!!

 

[Kiwi]

I keep trying to talk to her about how much fun it will be if she has to repeat and she will have a better chance at medaling. I am sure your DD is in the same boat.

I've had to do the same with my DD, who might have to repeat step 4 as she was injured and didn't compete so had no qualifying scores to move up. She never places, so I'm hoping if she has to repeat she might place sometimes and it would boost her confidence. It would be good for her to improve her step 4 skills, but if that's all she gets to do for the whole year, she will be very bored. I'm hoping she'll get to uptrain some step 5 skills to keep her interest, but our gym doesn't do much uptraining, so I might have to push for it and hope they listen. Particularly the kip, it would be good for her to work on that well in advance, I've seen a lot of horrible bent-arm kips at our gym, too. Our coaches don't seem to use many drills, it mostly just seems to be practise it until you eventually get it.

To the OP - it is a shame your gym is being so inflexible. It doesn't make sense for her to stop training all those hard-won skills. I hope you can work something out with them.

 

[BRB]

Ooh, that is tough. I feel for her. That darn kip! I do agree with Blair Bob on the red flags. Maybe see if she can do a few private lessons? If she has everything else, it would be a shame to have to repeat. No shame at all in being a 3rd grade Level 4, but I understand it has to be tough for her if (1) her little sister moved up, (2) her BFFs are moving up, and (3) she has all her other skills but that one. I would see again if maybe she could scratch bars the 1st meet maybe? In the meantime, maybe she can do some strength stuff at home on some of her off days (arms, abs, core). The kip is part strength and part timing. Without seeing her attempt, it's difficult to know which is holding her back.

Good luck and I hope it works out for her! Keep us posted.

 

[gymnastmom38]

Just wanted to say that I'm sorry to hear this about your dd. That just really stinks that one skill is holding her back. Hugs to you!

 

[iwannacoach]

I'm just trying to read between the lines by putting together the info you presented. So here's what I'm going on........

Oldest was bypassed for the five day training option of 25 hrs

She has to have her kip to move up

They don't coach the kip other than to let the kids tilt at that windmill

They won't budge on their position for just this one skill

Myself, I would check out the other gym in town. A glide kip isn't easily understood by about....oh let's say 50% of the level 4-6 coaches I've been around, but then again it's not rocket science. So strike one on the staff for either giving up because they don't know how a kip works.....or for not providing the help they are capable of.

On face value alone it looks like the "kip" is their means of filtering the group and moving up only those who are able through whatever means to get their kip with little or no help. So strike two for giving up on the notion of trainability and dedication as separate "abilities" that compensates for a little less luck or "talent".

The twenty-five hour week provides another insight into the h/c's unstated agenda. Providing 25 hours to level 4, 5, 6, and even 7 is a clear indication, aside from being rediculous, they want to train high level kids, and their exclusion of your oldest from the 25 hour option screams to me that level 4 is where they draw the line on supporting the "have nots". There is very little doubt in my mind that the team program has capable coaches to take advantage of those 25 hour weeks, as gym owners aren't going to toss the money into level 4-7 kids to train 25 hours just to see it wasted by incompetent coaches.

It's their money and they can do with it as they choose. I'm sorry to say that it looks like they chose not to spent it to help your oldest get over the kip "hump", and in my world that's strike three.......sorry, but that's the way it looks from my perspective, and I wish I could do more than just wish you well.

 

[3rd_time_around]

I've been aroubd tge gym a long time, and i don't understand the no uptraining. It is key to moving to the next level? Hiw can they get the skills in just a couple months? That is too much pressure. Wish i had more advice for you, but i would have a meeting with the owner or whomever you need to.