WAG Orlando Gym advise

[Ali'sMom]

My daughter has trained while on vacation a few times, and she really loves it!
Two different gyms in Ireland last summer, one in Hawaii, and one in New Orleans.
I agree - it's all about you knowing your daughter

 

[Kate E]

If she is 7 and training at least level 5 or 6 un the USA, which would mean BHS on beam, BHS BT on floor, training Giants then she will be Ok at any good gym....ACE, Legacy, dinamos are all very good.......Orlando metro is too big and they have no reason to do this. Unles she was already L10 or so.....
Anyway, good luck! I would go with smaller.....

Thank you I can look at US levels to compare with what I know she can do. She is on back walkovers on beam, baby Giants and jump to high bar with squat on for bars. We've got watching day next week so I can compare even better after that.

 

[Kate E]

Early elite years in the UK, especially at clubs like I suspect the O/p is at, is conditioning, more conditioning, body shapes, and more conditioning. The o/ps DD is unlikely to be doing any big skills, except maybe on bars- but it will only be single bar, and probably strap bar work. And some more conditioning. The basics will be drilled and drilled until perfect, then the skills come rapidly from there. They'll be doing handstands, getting 180 split leaps, working on range.

Honestly though, at her age, and if she's elite track, I'd give her (and you!) the break now while you still can. Look for activities that will keep her conditioning up- cycling, rock climbing, swimming- even flume pools are great because she'll be up and down stairs all day, lots of walking, jumping, playgrounds, monkey bars. It'll all add up, give her a different work out, a psychological break, and a physical break from the repetitive training of gymnastics. My DD is 11 now and I try to give her several proper breaks per year- two weeks at christmas, two in the summer at least. No training, no thinking about training, and they do go back better for it. One of our seniors had a month out recently, and has just come back and medalled at an elite comp.

Your right yes condition condition condition! All about strength, flexibility, technique and form.

She's training baby Giants with gloves and loops and I think her biggest beam skill is back walkover.

She gets just over a week off at Christmas and the conditioning they do on the day they return is brutal to make up for it, so we don't want an issue like that to upset her after a fabulous holiday.

We've only got 5 down days spread out over our 22 days (not 24 that was a mistake) and 15 of those days are theme park from rope drop to closing so those days she won't get the programme gym provide done, we are doing a 4 night cruise too and she will be able to do the programme daily then (it's only about 20 minutes of conditioning drills though they might have increased since last summer as she'd only just moved into that squad before we went on a beach holiday). We will be doing tonnes of walking daily and 2 Waterparks with lots of going up and down for slides and we've got a few days for trips out to see winter & hope the Dolphins, a mermaid show at springs. She'll also be doing a good amount of swimming.

 

[Kate E]

My daughter has trained while on vacation a few times, and she really loves it!
Two different gyms in Ireland last summer, one in Hawaii, and one in New Orleans.
I agree - it's all about you knowing your daughter

Thank you
I'm not the only parent doing it either there's another going to the same place as me for a slightly shorter period, we're hoping to share privates or for the girls to be able to go together...all depends on the gyms schedule and our schedules being compatible.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Hi everyone,

We are from the UK & coming on holiday to Orlando for 3 weeks in August. My DD who is 7 trains 9.5hrs a week at home & she will have a basic conditioning programme set to bring with her to do daily, but being an Orlando holiday we will be out from rope drop to park closing most days! I've told her gym this & offered to take her to a few sessions at a gym on pool & waterpark days (she is sooooo excited to go & train in an American gym) & her gym owner recommended Metro Orlando gymnastics.
I've spoken to them today & they used to let kids on holiday join in with their teams or have 121's but the owner has changed their policy & no longer allows this.
DD is in a high performance gym on the elite track & 3 weeks is far too long for her to not train at all (I booked the holiday before she moved to her current squad) & she will be missing 10 sessions but I have 5 times I can squeeze a session in for her at an Orlando gym during our holiday and I'd really appreciate any advice on a gym that is around the same elk & would be willing to offer her 121's or to join their team for 5 sessions. Thanks for reading xx

Contact Ray and Joan Gnat at Ace Gymnastics. They'll let you come in.

Folks...kids like to work out when they're on vacation. there's nothing wrong with that.
even us coaches come visiting and volunteer our time for our friends as "visiting guest coaches".

doing this is our culture...our religion.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Contact Ray and Joan Gnat at Ace Gymnastics. They'll let you come in.

Folks...kids like to work out when they're on vacation. there's nothing wrong with that.
even us coaches come visiting and volunteer our time for our friends as "visiting guest coaches".

doing this is our culture...our religion.

I met some folks from ACE at their meet this month. Very nice!!!
Unfortunately @Kate E if you are staying in the Orlando area, like Disney and Universal Studios, it could take you an hour to get there. And the main highway that you would take can be HORRIBLE with traffic.

 

[gymdog]

I don't think it's a big deal either way. I'm surprised any gym wouldn't at least accept someone for private lessons, I can understand not having younger/lower level kids join practice if you have big numbers and can't accommodate in a vacation town like Orlando, but I would expect most gyms would set up a private lesson with some coach or another.

If she trains regularly on a hig performance program as opposed to a preteam I don't really think a few sessions here and there are a bad idea. If it was a week then I'd say don't bother but this is nearly the whole month. You can take a month off gymnastics at any age, sure, but it's going to take just as long if not more to come back. I'm not sure what the competition season is there...I wouldn't care if it was one of my gymnasts over the summer, because there would be plenty of time to re condition and do drills, but if they were gone over the holidays which is the middle of our season I would recommend it would be best to get into some practices during that time frame. Not a huge deal either way, if the kid was reluctant I'd say don't bother, most kids want to do it. It's more like going to a gym camp, the coaches there aren't going to really push the kid unless they're nuts.

I just looked at what FL gyms are in the Orlando area and the names that stood out to me as gyms I know of despite not being in FL are Ace, Browns, and Broadway in that order...if Brandy Johnson is in that area, add that to the list, but didn't show up as in Orlando on my search.

 

[Kate E]

Contact Ray and Joan Gnat at Ace Gymnastics. They'll let you come in.

Folks...kids like to work out when they're on vacation. there's nothing wrong with that.
even us coaches come visiting and volunteer our time for our friends as "visiting guest coaches".

doing this is our culture...our religion.

Thank you very much for this & the understanding .. She doesn't go a day without practising so .I'd rather she did it in gym than around the parks/streets/hotel!

 

[Kate E]

I met some folks from ACE at their meet this month. Very nice!!!
Unfortunately @Kate E if you are staying in the Orlando area, like Disney and Universal Studios, it could take you an hour to get there. And the main highway that you would take can be HORRIBLE with traffic.

The girl on the phone was lovely!

We are indeed so I'm now not looking forward to that was hoping for a 20 minute drive lol..we won't tell the husband

 

[2G1B]

Traffic in Orlando is AWFUL. I had never realized this as we had always stayed "on property"; but we were down there recently for a meet and stayed about 10 miles from the meet. The traffic getting everywhere was awful! (And I live in a metro area known for bad traffic.) Just be aware of that and that it will really add to your time trying to get anywhere.

As for practicing... My kids did practice at a gym in AZ when we went there; but it was because they wanted to, like you said. They had tons of fun. On the flip side, my kids took a 1 month vacation and didn't do anything but conditioning while gone. IMO it is important to do "kid stuff". They were so happy to get back into the gym when they got home.

 

[mommyof1]

Traffic in Orlando is AWFUL. I had never realized this as we had always stayed "on property"; but we were down there recently for a meet and stayed about 10 miles from the meet. The traffic getting everywhere was awful! (And I live in a metro area known for bad traffic.) Just be aware of that and that it will really add to your time trying to get anywhere.

This is a very important point. The traffic in Orlando is a nightmare by just about any standard.

 

[skschlag]

I think I must have been lucky....we haven't had it too bad when we were there. Just a little in/out of the park, but most of the time, it hasn't been too bad

 

[2G1B]

I think I must have been lucky....we haven't had it too bad when we were there. Just a little in/out of the park, but most of the time, it hasn't been too bad

When we were both down there I had to go just a bit further than you and basically the traffic picked up a LOT right after your destination. And then for my husband to get from Universal to the convention center where our meet was took him more than 30 minutes!

 

[skschlag]

WOW. That is so strange lol. But I guess we didn't ever go into Orlando proper really. Just from OL to Universal, OL to ESPN, and back.

 

[Kate E]

We have been before but quieter times not in August and we stayed part on site and part in a villa in Clermont and the traffic wasn't too bad, we also went to Sarasota for 10 nights after Orlando in 2013 and that drive was also traffic free there and back,but as I say never in August!

 

[2G1B]

Be prepared. It us going to be HOT. I live in GA and refuse to go to to FL in August. But obviously a lot of people survive it.

 

[GymDad9.9]

Hot, sticky and wet. Orlando in August.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

oh, c'mon....traffic wise, Orlando is like Montana compared New York, Los Angeles and Chicago.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I don't think it's a big deal either way. I'm surprised any gym wouldn't at least accept someone for private lessons, I can understand not having younger/lower level kids join practice if you have big numbers and can't accommodate in a vacation town like Orlando, but I would expect most gyms would set up a private lesson with some coach or another.

If she trains regularly on a hig performance program as opposed to a preteam I don't really think a few sessions here and there are a bad idea. If it was a week then I'd say don't bother but this is nearly the whole month. You can take a month off gymnastics at any age, sure, but it's going to take just as long if not more to come back. I'm not sure what the competition season is there...I wouldn't care if it was one of my gymnasts over the summer, because there would be plenty of time to re condition and do drills, but if they were gone over the holidays which is the middle of our season I would recommend it would be best to get into some practices during that time frame. Not a huge deal either way, if the kid was reluctant I'd say don't bother, most kids want to do it. It's more like going to a gym camp, the coaches there aren't going to really push the kid unless they're nuts.

I just looked at what FL gyms are in the Orlando area and the names that stood out to me as gyms I know of despite not being in FL are Ace, Browns, and Broadway in that order...if Brandy Johnson is in that area, add that to the list, but didn't show up as in Orlando on my search.

Broadway is on the other side east in Oviedo. Rita is not around and they have mostly lower level kids now. Brandi is south down in Clermont. Jeff or Ray and Joan would let them work out. no problem.

 

[Kate E]

Be prepared. It us going to be HOT. I live in GA and refuse to go to to FL in August. But obviously a lot of people survive it.

Hot, sticky and wet. Orlando in August.

I know I'm dreading it but school determines when we get to go now as DS is in year 10 so exam preparation takes over holiday priority.