WAG Parent jealousy of a L10 in the gym

[sleeping judy]

I couldn't imagine our gym without our huge group of level 10s! They are the best role models and the little girls totally look up to them! I feel honored that my little dd gets to train right next to some really amazing up and coming girls. They are also very sweet to the littles and have taught my dd so much.

 

[munchkin3]

I expressed my concerns to the director. She knows these bad apples well. They have been problems for years......oh well I guess all gyms have these.....
I hope the staff can manage the attitude problems from within the class and keep the girls on the right track.

There is no I in TEAM..........

 

[Deleted member D3987]

A few things....L10 is younger than most of the optional girls, so these girls are not looking up to her. They don't understand her.
Even my son (who is on the boys team) says that when she throws her double pike, and face plants, and then cries, it is more of a release of tension than her 'crying'. She just goes and does it again. I bet this is frustrating to L5 girls who are 12 and crying because they cant do the BWO on beam. And they are real drama queens!!!
They train in separate groups, optionals and compulsory but there is some crossover.
plus the gym is small so you are witnessing everything anyway.

I don't know, I just hope they don't run this family out of the gym. This girls is SUCH AN ASSET to our team. I would much rather see the other 2 families leave!
PS. Dunno, Head coach used to do the same thing...he coached EVERYONE!!! for years! We finally have additional GREAT coaches to take some of this burden off. I assume all coaches in the gym will step up to help any kid with a skill. That's how is should be, right??

yes, that is how it should be. i have been coaching everyone my entire career. i don't know any other way. and i have a huge staff. and they're paid to teach. wherever they are needed. and because i'm getting up in age, spotting is problematic for me. i need the coaches that coach my boys to help me spot. and i've trained them to do so. not everyone knows how to spot some of the things that i know how to do. and at clinics i have to teach the same to younger coaches. it is how it is passed down. i learned the same way. you just don't walk in to a gym at 23 and spot a girl on a shaposh 1/2. understand?

and if it is only 2 families, they gotta go. a level 10 is the most visual asset to a gym that i can think of. and that's how teams are built. both boys and girls. and yes, it is a culture that is fostered and nurtured in old school gyms. most gyms don't have level 10's. and they never will. and for several reasons.

and those older girls should be taking this girl under their wings. it's how it's done. gymnasts are of the same blood. and they ALL bleed together or not at all. tell these older girls to start understanding her because maybe they'll do college gymnastics. and there will always be the next freshman. tell them that.

honestly, this kinda stuff aggravates me to no end. it's no wonder that some gyms have the issues that they do.

 

[bookworm]

a level 10 is the most visual asset to a gym that i can think of. and that's how teams are built. both boys and girls. and yes, it is a culture that is fostered and nurtured in old school gyms. most gyms don't have level 10's. and they never will. and for several reasons.
.

Bingo! Leave it to Dunno to hit the nail on the head!!

 

[Deleted member D3987]

I expressed my concerns to the director. She knows these bad apples well. They have been problems for years......oh well I guess all gyms have these.....
I hope the staff can manage the attitude problems from within the class and keep the girls on the right track.

There is no I in TEAM..........

boy, i don't know. ever seen these? lol.

 

[raenndrops]

boy, i don't know. ever seen these? lol.

View attachment 4302

just can't NAME the location

 

[gwenmom]

Our gym specifically schedules one night of practice that overlaps the 3/4/5 with the 9/10s.

The 9 and 10s are great and I hear over and over from DD about one of the girls who she really looks up to.

I think it's great for the girls to look up too. Showing them what their hardwork can pay off with.

 

[iwannacoach]

.......Their kid's performance really has nothing to do with the coaching.........and more to do with their kid's work ethic. These are the kids who cheat on conditioning, miss a lot of practice, are "hurt" a lot and don't practice real hard.

The first thing L4 and L5 kids need is enough desire to motivate them to work hard and make changes according to the corrections they've received. No amount of technical expertise is going to teach or fix a glide kip if the child won't work hard or force herself to make something....anything different happen by the 20th try.

I'd say the best thing kids can learn is how to work, or enjoy working, with occasional daily.....not constant.....input from the coach. Honestly, I can spit out a month's worth of corrections in 30 seconds for a disinterested kid, but only 10 minutes worth for a motivated kid. Sure, some of you are rolling your eyes and thinking with more help these kids would be motivated.... or would they.

I knew a gymnast "back in the day" who was coached for three years of high school by a coach who knew nothing (about gymnastics) when the kid started out.... absolutely nothing. This same gymnast moved on to a happier place where there was a good coach and in the span of 9 months was able to qualify and compete well as an event specialist at D1 NCAA nationals. Nothing resembling those results would have been possible without a great work ethic...... and about 10 minutes of the coach's time every few days.

That may not seem like a lot of coaching until you multiply the time by four events plus dance work on floor and beam. Throw into the mix the increased difficulty of skills as they've evolved over the years, and figure a minimum of 40 minutes per day....... and that's not enough for a kid who wants to walk away from the gymnastics buffet with a full plate.

None of what I've said is exclusive to L10 kids, nor to L4 andL5 kids. They all need to work hard on their own, and they all need to force change upon themselves.

That's what gets a coach's attention.......

gymnastics is VISUAL first. instruction 2nd.

I'd add hard work between visual and instruction, but your point is well taken. Really, how can kids believe they can do a clear hip handstand, or a giant, if they have nobody to watch. The hardest part of coaching gymnastics is getting the kids to believe they can do it. That's when they really start learning......

 

[wallinbl]

just can't NAME the location

From that picture, it looks to me like it's the "A" hole that's the "I" in team!

 

[shelovestoflip]

Out of curiosity, why did this Level 10 join your gym? Must be hard for her to have no kids her level and made harder by stupid parents creating drama! Hoping your gym owners/coaches deal with the parents asap. If they don't, I'd say your gym is part of the problem.

That being said, at our gym (mid sized with larger compulsory, smaller optionals due to girls moving on/switching to prep op at middle school age, when their 'drama' sets in...), the girls essentially all warm up together....many coaches who rotate warm up. Then they split into Level groups for events with specific coaches on the event. However our owners are out there at various points with different groups depending on need.

What may be hard for your gym is if she is one of the few optionals, they are trying to figure out a rotation schedule that works.

My daughter is Level 9 and the 9/10s practice together. Yet I know they jostle for space sometimes at some events with rec kids or compulsory. Just the nature of the beast I guess.

Hope they give the girl (and her family) a break! Or hope there's a more welcoming gym she can go to!

 

[munchkin3]

boy, i don't know. ever seen these? lol.

View attachment 4302

Leave it to you Dunno. I almost posted that along with my previous post but I then I removed it....LOLOLOL
it always is hidden in the A-Hole!!!

She likes the coaches. Thats why.

 

[gracyomalley]

Well, our small gym has had at least one Level 10 for my daughter to look up to from preschool hot shots until this year - and we/she miss that! Our optionals from L8 up practice all gym days, so there are always a few kids with high level skills to inspire the youngers/lower level girls - both through the amazing gymnastics they can do and their work ethic. Our groups have always been optionals, then 1-3 groups of compulsory kids (based on level and number there) all with a coach (but we have a coach who primarily does bars and vault/big spotting, a Head Coach, and a couple of coaches who are most comfortable on beam/floor - not different coaches for different levels, so they all rotate through each coaches station that day.) There are also rec classes going on (different coaches) and the hotshots (preschool pre team) are there 3 days a week with one of the team coaches working with them.

We had a 12 year old who was L10 working elite...she quit gym, but the older teens admired her skills. Any jealousy was hidden by most. There were a group of kids/families that moved gyms when unhappy - its worked well for them and for DD gym...I don't need to/want to know all the reasons...but I do know that attitudes are much better at DD gyms now, so for whatever reason they did not feel a good "fit".

A 12 year old, whether they be Level 3 or 10, needs to be able to self-motivate to finish all assignments, do their conditioning diligently, and be a positive team mate to ALL kids - those younger/looking up to them and those with higher level skills. If not, then no coach can "make them" work harder. If the lower level girls are not getting spots on new skills, or corrections, etc because everyone is watching the Level 10 do stuff, that's different - but I HIGHLY doubt it. A Level 10, in mid comp season and new to the coaches will NEED a bit more attention than a compulsory who knows the gym routine, is either mid season or up training, and such.

Its certainly reasonable to expect your level 3-5 girl to get enough coaching that they someday might get to level 10....but if a kid (any level) is stuck on something and not progressing with hard work and occ. corrections at normal practice with normal coach/athlete ratio, that's where I find privates helpful....and then my kids issues don't take away from the flow of the team... (I'm referring to the 12 year struggling with the BWO here but same could go for the L 10 too...)

 

[wgymmom]

We have certain practices and times when everyone is there, but they are divided into groups and optionals are separate from compulsories. In any event, we have one L10 and everybody stops and watches her. I think it's awesome for DD to have one up close and personal, KWIM? That's something to aspire to, and she's not even on TV!