Need advice for decision

[teamgirl]

Hi everyone! We need help making a decision, and am looking for your wisdom.
My daughter who just turned 6 years old has been doing gymnastics for one year now. She has been on Preteam for the past nine months, learning the basics. Going twice a week for two and a half hours per day for Preteam, and for the last seven months has done TOPs for three hours on a third day., so 3 days totally 8 hours per week. At our gym, it's decision time. Parents are informed of where their gymnast are going to be placed for the summer trail period. Then once the summer is over, they find out if the gymnast made the cut for that level or if not where the gymnast would be better placed. Well, right now my daughter has three options for the summer trail.

Option #1: Level 4 Team. Which she has been training the skills for while she's been on Preteam. She is excited to learn the routines and be in meets. For this summer, she would have practice 3 days for a total of 10 hours per week. No TOPs practice for the summer, but pick that back up in the fall. The goal here is to compete one level per year.

Option #2: Elite Program. She would not do Level 4 at all and continue to train but for Level 5 skills now. With the goal of competing in one Level 5 meet just to get a high enough score to move up to Level 6., and then compete Level 6 in one meet to get a high enough score to move up to Level 7. Thus getting to the Optional Levels hopefully faster with the over all goal of going Elite at a younger age. For this summer, she would practice 3 days for a total of 9 hours, and then do 3 hours of TOPs on the fourth day., meaning 4 days with a total of 12 hours per week. I think in order to test for TOPs at age 7 in the summer of 2011, she would have to do a Level 5 meet sometime between Jan. 2011 and March 2011.

Option #3: She could do both Level 4 Team and the Elite Program. For this summer, she would then practice 5 days a week for a total of 19 hours., and no TOPs practice til the fall. This way allows her to compete Level 4 getting meet experience, and still fast track through Level 5 and Level 6 to get to the Optional Levels and hopefully become Elite.

Being new to this sport, I have no idea which would be better for my daughter. Would like any and all (don't hold back to be nice) input, from everyone; gymnasts, coaches, judges and parents. Please we need help making this decision. I thank you in advance for your advice!

 

[bogwoppit]

The only thing that I wouldn't choose is option three, just too many hours for a six year old, leading to possible burnout emotionally and physically.

As for the two other choices they are both fine. The only distinction between the two other options is to whether you can see you whole family being commited financially and emotionally to the cost of the ELite path. Immediately there would be little difference, but once she hits the optional and pre elite levels the cost will skyrocket and the time involved will as well.

Hard to ask her what she wants as you need to know what you can manage as a family.

I do like the options they are offering, they clearly want her on team and they also want you to find the right fit.

Of course just my "humble" opinion.

 

[ZJsMom]

I think it's great you are given options. I know it must be hard to figure out at this point.

I agree with Bog that option 3 is just too many hours at age 6. I know I would be tempted by the thought that you could have the best of both worlds, but I don't think it would really be to your dd's benefit.

I really don't know what I'd do. I think I'd be tempted to try the elite track and see what happens, but I know for your dd it might be hard to think about putting off competing. Honestly, I don't think it's necessary to start competing at 6 or 7, but the girls do like it.

 

[Shelovesthebars]

Option 2

Level 4 is really not necessary. There is no way I would let my dd do option 3 at her age. She would likely have more injuries and burnout.

 

[UnoMas]

NOT option 3. Tooooooo much in my opinion for a 6 year old! My DD turned 6 recently also and she trains 13 hrs a week...which is about to drive me over the edge! She loves it and is doing ok so far but I cannot imagine going much more than 13 hrs as a 6 y.o (this includes her TOPS training also).

It all depends on what you want for your daughter's gymnastics. If you want to take it slower and keep it more relaxed, let her get a year of competition in to see if she likes competing, etc, then go for option 1. If you are ready for her to skip a level and start learning the L5 stuff (which are MUCH harder and scarier skills) while taking a break from competing until she is 7....then go for option 2. I know for many girls the long periods of training without competing can be very frustrating. Your DD is sooooo young yet...I would almost be tempted to say let her do L4 so that she does get that feel of competition while she is still 6. If she is very talented, as it seems she is, she should have no problem going right up to 5 when she is 7 y.o.

Also, just so you know, you do not have to compete L5 as a 7 y.o. to test TOPS. My DD is also 6 y.o. and will be testing next summer (2011) as a 7 y.o. and competing this year (fall 2010/spring2011) as a L4.

Good luck with your decision! It's great to have options. In our gym we are just told where to be and when to be there.

 

[GetaGrip]

Personally, I think that option two is a good idea. I kind of did that, competing two levels per year by just passing it off, and just two years later I'm a level 8. If your daughter really WANTS to become a high level gymnast, not just compete for fun, then this option would be the best for her. But try to make sure that SHE is the one who wants to move up. Sometimes coaches want things for their gymnasts, but don't consider the face that the gymnast may not want to become elite. But if she chooses this path, she needs to understand that she is probably not going to earn 1st place all around at meets at get in the 37's and 38's. But the goal of option two isn't to do extremely well at all levels, but to move up as quickly as possible so she can test out to become elite. She can still do well, but the chances of her winning at states aren't as great as they would be if she stayed in each level longer. It's something you need to know too. If she is a high achiever, she might be disappointed, but you need to remind her that that is not the goal, that the goal is for her to move up quickly.

By no means should she do option 3. That is WAY too long for such a little girl. That's about how long I go, and I'm training level 8.

Hope this helped! And maybe you could ask your DD what she wants.

 

[MdGymMom01]

Definitely NOT Option 3--just way too many hours for a 6 year old. Either Option 1 or 2 is fine, depending on how she is handling the training and her personality. For instance, my dd LOVES competing (or performing, actually) so she really enjoys doing the meets. I think my dd would get bored and antsy for a performance if she just trained all year and worked on skills only. But that is her personality. Seeing that your dd is only six and she just started gym, it may take some time to see which fit is better (option 1 or 2). Good luck on the decision and keep us posted!!!

 

[All Chalked Up]

I think option 1 is best at her age. She is only six, so you could see how Level 4 goes and next year, if it goes well, you could place her in option 2. Goes well meaning no burnouts, no "Mummy-I-want-to-quit", not nessasarily her scores and how she places. Hope I helped!

 

[coachmolly]

Will the path you pick now allow you to change paths later? For example, if you choose option 1 now, in a year can you re-evaluate and move to option 2 if you feel that is best? I'm assuming she would be able to slow things down if option 2 is chosen if problems arise, but that is another thing to look at. You just don't want to make a choice now when she's only 6 that she'll have to stick with for the rest of the time she does gymnastics.
I also think the most important thing for such a young gymnast is falling in love with the sport. Your daughter obviously loves gymnastics now if she goes to the gym that much, but you want to keep that going. I think a kid who has developed a very strong love for gymnastics in their younger years is more likely to stick with it if/when things get tough at the higher levels than someone who was pushed too fast and never given the time for that true love and passion for the sport to develop. So which path will encourage your daughters love for the sport?
Also, look at the coaches she would be working with in each option. Not every coach works well for every athlete. Has she worked with all of the possible coaches before? Does she have a preference? Is there one that you think is a better fit for her? And by this I don't mean one that lets the kids do whatever they want, I mean a coach who knows how much they can push an athlete, what each individual needs, and how to help them progress while still keeping things fun. And the formula for that "perfect" coach is different for every child.
It sounds like your dd is incredibly talented and this is certainly a big decision to make when she's so young, but you know your daughter best and I'm sure you will make the best decision.

 

[sportzmomov3]

aerialriver said what I was thinking when I saw this post. I'd also add some more "honest" comments:

what's the realistic goal that's prompting this fast track? I too assumed it must be the Olympics given that the timeframe outlined would put you at level 8 by age 8. I'm a bit surprised actually given that your DD hasn't even competed yet.

While fast tracking it to elite status seems exciting and flattering (and it is an honor to be considered, so kudos to your DD for showing obvious potential at such an early age) the realities are this: of the almost 69,000 gymnasts in the U.S. from levels 4 up, there are 79 elites. There is a dropoff in the # of gymnasts going from level 9 to level 10 of 50%. These are published stats from the Jan 2009 issue of USAG's magazine. Of the 79 elites, an even smaller subset are actually part of the national team (jr and sr.) Of those same 79 elites, the ones who didn't make the national team are "merely" elites in label. And I don't mean to downplay the difficulty in achieving elite status, but say this to put it all into perspective - elite doesn't mean a guarantee to make the nat'l team. Int'l elites are even rarer b/c they must score higher with higher difficulty in order to be eligible for int'l competition.

Many on here have said it before and it sums up this sport well - it is a journey, not a destination. The last one standing (and obviously the one most prepared) will come out on top - Olympics or otherwise. At age 6, it's a really long journey with obvious considerations of burn-out and physical impacts (injuries, puberty). I wouldn't even say choose wisely, I actually would consider asking, why right now?

 

[gymdog]

Personally I think I'd choose the L4 team. 6 is still very young. I too would be interested to know if she could then move to the other group after a year of L4. I am guessing yes since the option to do both is being allowed. But I'd try to talk to the coaches about that. If yes, she could do a year of level 4 and then move to an accelerated training group for 5/6 (if you want to in another year) then I would definitely do L4 this year. If she would not be able to move to the accelerated group, then I don't know. I would ask if she could try a day with both groups, or that you go watch a day of the accelerated practice, and see how it looks to you.

19 hours a week in order to prepare for L4 competition at age 6 would just be silly. I am not sure I even understand why they would propose that. It is twice the hours even of their "accelerated" proposal. Makes more sense to say you can do L4 now and then move to an accelerated training group.

Also if she just turned 6 then L4 is maybe her only option for 2010-2011 competition (if there's a later spring season possibly not). So she'd just be training all year, and then 2011-2012 would do 5/6/7? I'd want a year of competition at a lower level first. I've heard of these plans before and I've also heard of a lot of frustration with how they play out which doesn't surprise me. Jumping into L7 your first year of competition as a very little kid is a lot. This is not designed to be an introductory level. L4 is designed to be an introductory level and it is more "fun" with more younger kids.

 

[sally]

Hi, just wanted to share my thought on this. my dd has just turned 6 last week. She is in an elite level and has been training 15hrs a week from the start of the year. I put her in the elite level instead of doing normal levels when she got selected. I am really glad that I did, as now I have found out how different it is and now she is so far more skilled then anybody that has come in. If you want your dd to become an elite gymnast then she really needs to get in there and learn all the new skills. With hours my dd handles 15hrs so easy she has now just increased to 17 hrs. The thing is just from what I learnt as I too was scared of her doing so many hours, is that she is so much fitter then last year, as they do a lot of strength and enduance exercises i am talking 5 days a week. My dd has had no competitions at all and this year will be her first one where they have introduced just a little one to give them experience as many of them have never done one before, and it hasn't really bothered my dd to much as they are working on harder skills which keeps her challenged.

 

[bogwoppit]

Sally aren't you in AUS? I ask because in AUS, unlike in other countries, if you do not commit to the Elite stream at 5 or 6 years of age then you can never enter it later, no matter how good you are.

It is not the case in the USA, the 2010 world champion on vault, Kayla Williams was a L10 gymnast at US Nationals last year, but September she was an international elite and clearly the best vaulter at that meet on that day. Progression to Elite can be done many ways in the US and 19 hour at age 6 isn't the only way to get there.

I totally get where you are coming from as there is no other way in AUS, but if there were other ways, would you choose so many hours so young?

 

[MdGymMom01]

I also wanted to add that "more is NOT necessarily better". Too many training hours at a young age can lead to injury and burnout. Yeah, they may learn a lot of new skills but learning new skills also increases the risks of injuries both overuse and by freak accidents and falls at the gym. There really should be no rush at the age of 6.

 

[lilgymmie7]

Well, I have never really heard the ..."fast track her to elite" speech other than on the movie "Stick It". I guess it does happen in the real world. As a parent of a little gymnast, I'd have to say ask your daughter what she wants.

Last year my dd was new to a gym where they moved her quickly to level 4. She was only 4 at the time. Her bday is in January. Last summer when she was only 5, her coaches again approached me and said they'd like to move her to train level 5. The first thing we did was ask her what she wanted to do. She went as a trial on the first week and LOVED it! Her gym has the 5-6 teams train together for 16 hrs/week. At first, I thought it was too much as well, but I knew it was her choice to make. I know she is only 6 now, but if I had to compare her to my other two children I would have to say that she is clearly far more mature and "put together" than my older two children at her age. She is one kid that really knows what she wants. Her going to practice 4 days/4 hrs. has not taken one bit away from her bubbly personality. She is in a carpool and a teammate takes her to practice and I pick her up. She leaves home with a smile and I pick her up and she is still smiling! Many nights she runs to jump on me to tell me the newest skill she has accomplished. The minute I see her spirit wane, I know I will act parental. But for now she is having fun.

Her coaches sometimes disregard her age because they have admitted it to me, but they also say they force themselves to put it all into perspective. My dd competes level 5 through the GIJO program in our state due to her age and I have to say that is the highlight of her gymnastics. She is a ham, so whether she sticks a routine or not she still wears the biggest smile. That is what is important to me. Gymnastics is meant to be fun. The highest elite gymnast will always admit to the fun they have had with gymnastics.

Ask your dd what she wants and listen to her. In fact I asked mine what she doesn't like about the gym and she said the conditioning. If she didn't have to do it, she'd go every day. She also said she loves bars and vault. Those are the two apparatuses that she struggles with due to her size, but she loves them. Adults think that children can't make decisions for themselves, but we need to give them more credit. As a teacher, I have to say never underestimate the power of a child. They do not have life to cloud their minds. Your dd will let you know if it is too much for her or not. I'm sorry i rambled on. I hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[Bobby]

I actually love the sound of all this coach-parent conversation, plus the club clearly articulating options for you to choose from!!
I'm going to take a leap and assume this is the sort of club that has enough gymnasts to have established a clear protocol for how they train future elites versus other types of gymnasts, and that they believe your DD is a potential elite. Do you think they might be trying to force you between A and B, given it's unlikely you'd choose C??
If you're open to allowing her to travel down an elite path to see where it leads, option A sounds a little pointless to me. Whilst the coaches want her to aim toward elite for now, there's no guarantee they would in a year's time. It may be there isn't an age grouping they want to progress her with (at that time), or she might not have the condition/skills they expect of the next stage.
B would seem the obvious choice to me. Whether she remains on an elite track or not, her time for competition will come.
Whilst it may not be an obvious choice, I wouldn't necessarily dismiss C out of hand. Learning routines is not exactly hard on the body, and the skills are probably at the lower end of her range - hardly the sort of repetition likely to cause injury. If she was mad keen to compete, perhaps it's worth trialling whether or not she could manage the hours (assuming you can afford them)? If you place priority on the possible elite pathway, you could just specify at the outset that competing L4 is an extra that will be dropped the minute it ceases to work out for her.
But if you can persuade her to hold out, I don't personally think she's get much worthwhile competition advantage for the future.

 

[sally]

no that is not correct. there are people that enter in later we have had new ones in who are 9 years of age. However I feel 19hrs is to much for a 6 year old but couldn't she do elite stream and work up to those hours.

 

[Aussie_coach]

A lot will depend on your daughter, remember that she won't be at school, and she may be doing nothing else. Yes 19 hours is a lot each week for a 6 year old, but with no school at all or any others sports its not too bad. However, its probably quite unnecessary.

I would recommend you consider option 2. This option gives you the most choice. It is far easier to train at a higher level and then have your daughter decide she doesn't like it and step back to a lower level than it is to start at the lower level and make the decision later to move up after the others have had so much of a head start.

 

[bogwoppit]

Aussie why wouldn't her child be in school? they start at 5 years in the US and that is full days.

Sally thanks for that, I learn new stuff every day here. But my point is there are many ways to be an ELite in the US, but in AUS it is more restrictive.

 

[ZJsMom]

I think Aussie is probably saying that since they're talking about options for summer training, she won't be in school.

I think people are correct to point out reasons to be cautious about the elite track. At the same time though, I don't think 12 hours is too much for summer training. The thing I would be cautious about is putting expectations or pressure on her at this age. I would be careful not to tell people, "She's on the elite track so she can be on the National Team," or tell her "If you work hard, you can go to the Olympics." If you choose this option, it should be because it presents an appropriate level of challenge to her and she's enjoying the process. Leave open the option of slowing things down in the future without her feeling like that means failure or that she's disappointing you.