Parents L4 invitation~mixed feelings

[justanothergymmom]

Did anyone else have mixed feelings when their daughter was asked to join team? Did anyone else's dd move to team before she had all her L4 skills, and if so, how did it work out for her? Am I over thinking this?

I have other dds who have been competing for many years, and I kindof feel foolish asking these questions. I think my excitement about my dd's invitation may have been dampered by my fully knowing (because of my other dds) the time, financial, and emotional commitment that is involved in this sport (I soooo wish I was blissfully unaware~but unfortunately I am not ). Also, my dd has some, but not all all her L4 skills and none are connectable or competition ready. I am wondering if she would benefit from another year of working on them, so that over the summer and fall she would only need to polish them. Any thoughts???

 

[MaryA]

Why do you think your DD was invited? Do you think it was because they assumed, since you already have DDs on the team, that you'd want the youngest on the team as soon as possible? Do you think it's because they want extra warm bodies on the level 4 team? Or do you think it's because they truly believe that she will be ready for competition season?

Also, what does your little DD think? Is she dying to be on the team? Is she really looking forward to competition? Will all of her friends be moving up to the team?

I think in your situation I would weigh the answers to those questions, along with the potential financial implications of another DD on the team, and come up with my answer that way.

Good luck!

 

[lhmom]

I remember that I had some concerns when my daughter moved up to team. She did not have all her skills down and she seemed so young. I actually approached the HC in mid-summer last year to discuss it. She felt like my daughter was on track and even if she did not have all the skills at the first few meets, she would soon enough. She was right-DD's weakest event starting out was bars (no FHC, hit or miss on the mill circle). By the 3rd meet, she had everything and it became one of her stronger events. Like Mary A said, I'd just weigh the options and what your DD is wanting and make the decision.

 

[UnoMas]

Hi! My little DD did move to team before she had her L4 skills. But at our gym, everyone does. They move up from L2 or L3 by scoring out at an in house meet. (They have to get a 36 AA to score out).

Anyway, my DD skipped L3 and went from L2 to L4 in April. (She was 6 years old). Her first competition was in January and she had all of the skills except mill circle and FHC on bars, although many of her other skills were not pretty and beam dismount was 50/50. Her highest score of the season was an 8.3 or something like that on floor. Her bars, beam, and vault scores were not pretty. Fortunately she didn't care too much since she was only 6. She will be repeating this season as a L4 and she now has all the skills. Mind you, she pretty much had NONE of them when she entered L4. So for her it took her just over a year to actually have all the skills. But she is a slow learner with bars especially.

I wish we did have a pre-team and actually think it would have been better for her to be there instead of going to L4. But, that wasn't an option for us.

With your DD it just depends on how quickly she learns, when the first competition is, etc. All that stuff. Is it normal at your gym for girls to be moved up without having all the skills? If she has to compete without all the skills, will she be ok with scoring lower? All things to think about...

I am sure the coaches probably think she is going to be just fine. Can you have a chat with them about the situation?

 

[Bella's Mom]

Bella is training for L4 this summer. At the end of school (early June), she still lacked her splits and ROBHS for floor and still had some work for beam dismount. It's been a mere two weeks and she now has her ROBHS, her dismount is cleaner, and she lacks just a little on her splits. I was told by CB parents that she would quickly master her lacking skills and they were right.

Most of our L4 trainers didn't start the summer with unspotted ROBHS so I think it's pretty standard at our gym. And we do pretty well at competitions both compulsory and optionals.

 

[bluesocks]

I have learned over the time I have been reading these boards that each gym has their own way for moving kids.

My daughter moved into L4 training in January. She didn't have most of the big skills, but neither did most of the kids moving into L4. That is just how they do it at her gym.

That said, in L4 we have two different competition seasons (one is like prep op from Mar-June and the other is USAG from Sept.-Dec.). We were given the choice whether or not to compete in the season from Mar-June. Most of the girls did decide to compete. I chose not to have my DD compete. So, right now she is training L4, but not competing. This has been mostly good. I definitely think she will be ready to compete by September. The hardest part is that she is practicing L4, but doesn't really feel like part of the team. There have been many moments she has felt left out. And, we are working through that.

I am of two opinions on this whole situation. In some ways, I wish she had stayed on pre-team until this summer. But, I think they have decided not to move any other girls onto team in July (which they have done in the past). So, it would have been another year at pre-team, and that would have been too long. On the other hand, she is making great progress practicing with the L4 group. With the increased hours and increased conditioning, this is to be expected.

I am really no help, I realize as I am writing this. I guess it comes down to what your DD wants. If she is happy practicing fewer hours or days per week on pre-team and feels good at that level, it might be worth waiting. If she really wants to move up, then she will pick up those skills in time.

blue

 

[htimcj]

What does your DD want to do. My DD was asked to join the l4 team before she had all of her skills. She said no. I don't have the skills I don't want to compete. So we stayed in L3 another year, competed there and then moved on to L4 this last year. The three meets she did as a level 3 totally gave her a confidence boost. She still worked on her L4 skills that year and had them all by the begining of last summer. This again gave her a huge confidence boost knowing that she had everything going into her first L4 meet last Jan. She went on to be State champion in AA, floor, beam and bars for L4. I think it is partly your DD decision knowing that if she doesn't have all of the skills at the time of the first meet, her scores might not be were they should be but they'll continue to get better as the year goes on. Our gym has several girls each year who start the season without all of their skills and do just fine.

 

[justanothergymmom]

Thanks so much for your replies! I really appreciate you all sharing your dd's experiences. I do believe they moved her up because they felt she would get her skills. She has only been on preteam a few short weeks and has made a lot of progress (strength, flexibility and skillwise) in a short time. Most of the other girls were on preteam for the entire schoolyear, though, so she is behind in some areas. She really wants to move straight to team, but prior to receiving the invite, I had been preparing her that she may not move with the rest of the girls since she is new to the group (and she will be barely old enough to compete). We have about 5-6 months before our season begins so she does have some time.

I guess if I am being honest with myself, I don't like to watch my kids struggle or start out at the back of the pack. I want her to be successful in her 1st expereince as a competitive gymnast...but children sometimes don't realize that success can be measured in other ways than just winning or placing at a meet...especially if all of their teammates are rockstars...ugh...what to do...

 

[Bella's Mom]

I guess if I am being honest with myself, I don't like to watch my kids struggle or start out at the back of the pack. I want her to be successful in her 1st expereince as a competitive gymnast...but children sometimes don't realize that success can be measured in other ways than just winning or placing at a meet...especially if all of their teammates are rockstars...ugh...what to do...

I understand your feelings and it's good that you can be honest with yourself.

 

[MaryA]

When my DD was that age, she was pretty clueless about winning, etc. She got pretty ribbons... didn't care what color they were... and a gift bag. Everything that ends with a gift bag has got to be good! But your DD may be more savvy about such things since her big sisters have preceded her in this sport. Do the coaches need a decision now? Can she train level 4 for the summer and see how it goes?

 

[cher062]

If your DD has been invited it is because the professionals at the gym feely she is ready for L4. Most start with minimal skills and gain them actually very quickly over the summer - I'm always amazed how quickly the skills are achieved even at the harder upper levels. If the coaches don't feel she is ready to compete most won't let them.

 

[justanothergymmom]

When my DD was that age, she was pretty clueless about winning, etc. She got pretty ribbons... didn't care what color they were... and a gift bag. Everything that ends with a gift bag has got to be good! But your DD may be more savvy about such things since her big sisters have preceded her in this sport. Do the coaches need a decision now? Can she train level 4 for the summer and see how it goes?

Unfortunately, she is well aware of what placements and deductions are. (I wish she were clueless as that would make this easier.) She has been going to gym meets since before she could eat solid foods! But every little girl does love a goodie bag! (...which may work as a consolation prize if need be~LOL) We have a little time to make our decision.

If your DD has been invited it is because the professionals at the gym feely she is ready for L4. Most start with minimal skills and gain them actually very quickly over the summer - I'm always amazed how quickly the skills are achieved even at the harder upper levels. If the coaches don't feel she is ready to compete most won't let them.

I agree. I do trust the coaches' judgement and it is very possible that her skills will come quickly with the increase in training hours. I am not sure how they handle it if the girls don't get all their skills...another question to ask.

 

[Bella's Mom]

I am not sure how they handle it if the girls don't get all their skills...another question to ask.

Ask me at the end of July. Our coach is using the summer to evaluate all the L4 trainers to see who gets to make the competition team and who gets moved to......nobody knows. I suspect my child won't make the team and will have to do a year in some other experience. Another year of pre team maybe? IDK.....

 

[cadybearsmommy]

It sounds like they see great potential in her if they are inviting her to move up. Also, if she is very mature and takes direction well, that can be a deciding factor even more so than the skills they have. I would let her give it a try if she wants to, you can always step back down if it is too much for her. Best of luck!

 

[3stars]

My daughter moved up to L4 in January. She had very few of her skills. Her coach moved her up because of her work ethic and because he felt that she would improve faster if she was more challenged at practice. I was very nervous about her moving up because I was worried about her being intimidated by being with a lot of little girls who are a lot better than her. She's getting stronger and has been getting the skills slowly but surely. She has all the routines memorized even if she can't do all the elements yet. I'm pretty sure that she is going to get knocked out of the water during competitions this fall, but we talk about the fun of competing and hopefully she will remember that while she is out there. She feels the pressure of everyone else, but her coaches do a great job of recognizing it and talking her through it. It's tough. I just keep my fingers crossed a lot and remind her that this is supposed to be fun.

 

[mom2mini]

I would trust your gut feeling & experience. My dd who is 7 has moved to L4 but her gym requires that you have all the level 4 skills before you are invited to move up. I was worried she wouldn't get the FHC by the May 30 deadline but she did it. Every gym and coach is different on their training & team requirements.

 

[cathiann]

My youngest just got invited to the level 4 team too--and she doesn't have all her skills either. With her she works harder in the team setting so will get her skills faster this way. But I have to admit the cost is NOT something I'm excited about!

 

[ccgmom]

I would trust your instincts. When my DD was invited to level 4 I had doubts and her coach was very supportive of my decision to keep her on pre team an additional year. She was the state vault champion when she did level 4 the next year, and 3rd AA at state. She didn't even find out until years later that she could have been on team earlier!