WAG Modified school hours for gym

[raenndrops]

Wooooo. I was homeschooled half of 2nd grade through 12th grade (pulled out because of having cancer and my mom is a teacher and decided why doesn't she just teach her own kids, so nothing to do with gymnastics) but online schooling is a big time commitment. I did only one online school class, spanish, it took more time than all my other classes (including math which usually took a bit) online schooling is more flexible not necessarily faster but what you described in fast tracking to get through 6 years in 3 years including highschool where classes get tougher seems very very difficult and unrealistic. Especially with gymnastics on top of it.

This is if you were being serious and not just expressing the dreams of a 12 year old!
If that's the case then let her keep on dreaming!

The online school she would be attending, I have experience with. I am working with my 5th student. If the student works steadily through the classes, it IS possible to fast track - especially with how smart she is! My first student was a technical freshman (after 3 semesters and summer school. She worked with me M-F for 3-4 hours a day mid-January to June 15 and was a technical senior when she went back to her old school. She took 1/2 days for the next 3 semesters because her mom decided AFTER she was a senior that she didn't want her to graduate until she was 18.
My next student was a 7th grader with only credit for 1 9 weeks in 2 of her classes and no credit in the other classes. Worked with her from mid-January thru June. She finished 7th grade, completed 8th grade, and took HS. Algebra 1, Gym, and Health.
While I worked with her, I started working with another girl who only worked an hour a day, 2 days a week and she get caught up with her class.
My 4th student needed to get through 2 full credits of English, American History, and Government to graduate. It took 2 months and he slacked off most of that time.
The student I am currently working with is also a slacker. He is SUPPOSED to be here 2-4 hrs a day, 5 days a week. I might see him 2-3 hours a week. He was a freshman when we started (last school year in March). By June, he was a junior. They take mid-June to mid-August off. He is now 1 book report away from being a senior.
My OG only has gymnastics 7.5 hours a week. If she was doing online school, she would be able to get dance lessons and privates on certain skills, and not have to deal with the DRAMA at school.

 

[iwannacoach]

I feel like poor little Gilligan (google it) with my loyalty bouncing to and fro between the Skipper, Mr. Howell, the Professor, and the ladies (who seemed right more often than not).

The thing is that none of these answers can be applied to all situations, and the same, I suggest, is true of some observations about club's serving themselves well by robbing children of their educations.

About the child's age........ I'm concerned that the coach is focusing on one element of this child without regard to any other interests or needs. When you ask talented beginners if they want to do more gymnastics, you'll probably get a "heck yeah" from 4 out of 5 seven year olds, and only then because kid #5 was dreaming about the national team and completely missed the question.

Pretty cute..... right?, but what's cute about letting a 7yo make a ten year commitment when they haven't the cognitive ability to see past tonight's dinner and bed time story. Really, should you ask he question at all when they're that young. One sage chalkbucketeer has said you can't create an elite because, more or less, they just happen.

Yeah right you say? Well yeah, they have a way of making their dreams become reality, and find a way of putting their parents and coaches in the hot seat by working so dang hard there's nothing but guilt served to those who would deny them their destiny. I've seen talented kids get shipped off to gymnastic wonderland, and end up done for good two years later. I've also seen one who shared, with mom and dad, her dreams of glory that were so far fetched you could almost see the folks nod and smile a "sure sweetie" right back at her..... but the kid still made the national team and wore the red, white and blue in competitions abroad, even though she had to wait until age 12? to begin serious training.

About gyms asking for school schedule modifications...... The idea that a gym is profiting from this practice is a stretch for me, as most of these changes result in more resources being dedicated to the child. The fact that the equipment becomes available for the prime time hours is really a moot point, as the equipment made available to "the masses" will generate revenue that ultimately provides better circumstances for the team. If the task of running a gym were as simple as collecting team fees to pay the rent, utilities, and coaches, then we wouldn't see so many gyms with enrollments north of 500 kids, and there'd be far fewer multi sport operations with a positive bias toward the gymnastics program.

In most cases the benefit is to the kids. They get complete run of the facility and can stay on a piece of equipment when they're on a hot streak, or move when continued failures make it more sensible to work a different event. Really, just having the gym quiet enough to communicate easily is enough of a bonus to make it worth some of the effort to maintain a good education outside the mainstream.

I've had kids with modified schedules, and have never seen one who wasn't educated, as a whole, beyond her years from top to bottom. Sure, there may have been a few who had a "B" or "A-" on their report cards, but considering the impracticality of controlling what constructive passions a child may, or not, pursue, it's remarkable to see their second or third choice pursuit do as well as a 3.75 GPA. The purpose of education???? Is it to teach kids how to study for tests.... or is it to teach them how to learn, seek solutions, and to understand the process of achieving something extraordinary.

 

[COz]

@raenndrops , just curious, do you have a role at the gym as tutor or helper with the homeschooled kids as coaching? That sounds like fun.

 

[Dka]

She has gym for a a few hours Saturday morning. I lucked out for a variety of reasons. My dd is the only one from the town of the gym as well. Only 2 of the 10 girls live within 10 minutes of the gym, the rest have much further commutes which makes homeschooling a more attractive option. The other 5 th graders ( 4 of them) have. A teacher that comes to the gym, my dd could have joined that group and it would have cost the same amount as I have to pay a babysitter to get her at school each day and drive her to the gym( the money I pay her each month would equal my share of the teacher)- they have an excellent program too. My husband and I are both public school teachers, which heavily weighed into our decision. She only misses her elective which the school has exempted her from that class. She does have to take PE it is mandatory in elementary school, but she enjoys it... I think it's great, she goes to school dances and can participate in all school activities. By the way Wednesday practices only got from 2-5... For all even the homeschool. They have school with their teacher all day on Wednesdays..

 

[raenndrops]

@raenndrops , just curious, do you have a role at the gym as tutor or helper with the homeschooled kids as coaching? That sounds like fun.

I am a tutor by trade... I am available if any of the girls at the gym need help, but team girls only practice 7.5 hours a week, so homeschooling is NEVER required.
At the gym, I am available to tutor, to help the coaches, to help the girls with their gymnastics, whatever I am asked to do

What I do IS a lot of fun. I have several students that I tutor from home before gym. My schedule M, T, R (on days that my Online Student actually comes) is: 10am-12pm tutor... break (ChalkBucket and Facebook until 2:45) 2:50-5pm tutor ... go to gym... 5:30-8pm @ gym (if we are allowed to stay full time- often leave at 7:30 to get gymmies dropped off)... come home 8:30-10pm tutor.... catch up on ChalkBucket and Facebook... go to bed around 3-4am and repeat, lol.

 

[COz]

I used to do a lot of tutoring. I'm too old to keep those kind of hours now