Specialists an Option at Level 7 or 8?

[Gymnastics Mom]

My daughter has excelled at floor since level 4. She took 1st in floor at many competitions in level 6 (as well as AA at times) last year and was in the top 1-3 consistently for floor this year at level 7, including state competition. However, she's conflicted about continuing given upcoming high school AP demands and desire to see other friends once in a while. Questions: Is becoming a Specialist considered a reasonable and respectable option at level 7 or 8? How would you chose between 2 other strong events (if specialists must limit to 2)? How many hours of practice per week would be required potentially? How are they scored at meets; could she still get 1st in floor?

 

[gymcoach34]

I would not suggest specializing in Level 7 or 8. Some states allow it (and I mean competing in the State meet as a specialist), some don't, you would have to chcek your states website. But you cannot get to regionals in L8 as a specialist (at least in my region), but I believe you can at 9 and 10. I think you can only go to the NIT meet at Level 10 as a specialist if you win the event at regionals, not sure about Level 9. I think you can be successful as an AA gymnast in L7 and 8 with reasonable training hours and some dilligence and time management on your DD's part to get her studies done. I have seen it happen very successfully over the years.

 

[bpatient]

“Even if Individual Event Specialist competition is conducted, (up to and including State), the mobility score for advancement to the next level remains as an All-Around score.â€￾

:: USA Gymnastics :: Junior Olympic Program Overview ::

There are restrictions on the difficulty of skills and routines at Levels 7, 8, and 9. Since your daughter could advance to a higher level only by earning the required All-Around score, she might be required to remain at a particular level (e.g., Level 8) unless she trains enough in all events to be able to compete relatively successfully in all events (e.g., to earn an All-Around score of 34 to advance to Level 9) and thus be rather strictly limited to competing only "easier" skills for the rest of her gymnastics career—but perhaps she would like that (and there would of course be no limit on what she could train, only on what she could compete).

 

[Gymnastics Mom]

Thank you, I appreciate your advice and will share with daughter. It's difficult as undoubtedly many other "older" gymnasts have experienced before, hard to do it all, sleep can suffer greatly, and school and gymnastics become more challenging on limited sleep...Any tips for balancing it all on into high school when grades will be critical for college opportunities? My daughter loves competition and is also a good student, though it seems a fragile balance at times...I'd like to support her in making the right decisions as we move forward. Thanks again!

 

[gym law mom]

Thank you, I appreciate your advice and will share with daughter. It's difficult as undoubtedly many other "older" gymnasts have experienced before, hard to do it all, sleep can suffer greatly, and school and gymnastics become more challenging on limited sleep...Any tips for balancing it all on into high school when grades will be critical for college opportunities? My daughter loves competition and is also a good student, though it seems a fragile balance at times...I'd like to support her in making the right decisions as we move forward. Thanks again!

Does your state offer a rec league or prep op? Something like that could offer your dd less practice time, but still be able to do competitive gymnastics although not in the USAG level system. Might be worth looking into.

 

[AGM78910]

Thank you, I appreciate your advice and will share with daughter. It's difficult as undoubtedly many other "older" gymnasts have experienced before, hard to do it all, sleep can suffer greatly, and school and gymnastics become more challenging on limited sleep...Any tips for balancing it all on into high school when grades will be critical for college opportunities? My daughter loves competition and is also a good student, though it seems a fragile balance at times...I'd like to support her in making the right decisions as we move forward. Thanks again!

This might be a bit off topic, but my DD is level 8 (USAG) and is a high school freshman. She has a 6 days a week gymnastics schedule. She has early release from school because she has Off Campus PE. Gym hours are 3-7 during the week and 9-1 on Saturdays. Gymnastics is doable on this schedule but she has to stay on top of homework and projects. A lot of school work is done on Sundays and we can get homework ahead of time. She loves to participate in school activities such as games and dances. A few missed gym hours will not make a difference in the long run. (Just not before meets.) I have seen lots of girls quit because they were not allowed to do anything other than gym. She does well in both gym and school and is very disciplined.

 

[Gymnastics Mom]

Not off topic, thank you, definitely food for thought, my DD feels guilty to miss any time and has not been able to do school activities except when they happen to be on off days. Thanks for taking time to share your perspective.

 

[Gymnastics Mom]

Not sure, we'll check, thank you!

 

[bpatient]

It seems that one driver for the upper level girls may be the chance to compete in NCAA gymnastics, with perhaps the added lure of a college scholarship. About half of the graduating Level 10 girls (that is, apparently, about one for every 70 or so of those cute Level 5 girls) go on to compete in college, while graduating Level 9 girls who move on to compete in NCAA gymnastics may be numbered in single digits. If your child hopes to compete in the NCAA, becoming an 'event specialist' in Level 7 or 8 doesn’t seem like the best choice.

OTOH, if your dd doesn’t dream of such glory (or, really, even if she does) it’s quite possible to thoroughly enjoy a sport for years without committing the long hours necessary to achieve mastery—most golfers can attest to that. I had a great time in Little League baseball, although my fastball didn’t phase even my diminutive competitors, and I enjoyed football although my role as a kick-off and punt returner was such a life-or-death experience that it was clear that I’d never survive a collegiate program. I was a competitive cyclist into my thirties, even as I became increasingly (and, I suppose, rather pathetically) unable to fend off young whippersnappers in a sprint. I really enjoyed all that. It’s wonderful that some athletes can be great, but it’s great to be an athlete, whether or not you are a great athlete.

FWIW, my dd, like yours, is wondering how gymnastics will fit into her high school experience, and I don’t know what my eighth-grader will decide. Kids make different and interesting choices. Whether your daughter chooses to prioritize gymnastics or chooses to move on, I suspect that you’ll still think that she’s a great kid—and I suspect that you’ll be right.

 

[Swiftli]

My DD was an excellent floor worker until lvl 7 and that point it switched to beam. As her body grew and new skills came along she has found a new love for a different apparatus. I would hate to have locked her into being a floor specialist come to find out that beam would have been her true calling.

 

[txgymfan]

You might want to explore Tumble and Tramp. It takes less hours and she could still flip.

 

[Sunobo]

You might want to explore Tumble and Tramp. It takes less hours and she could still flip.

This is a suggestion I was about to make. It lacks the dance portion of the floor but it does allow tumbling. My older dd quit gymnastics a few years ago but as recently been talking about missing it. She likes floor and vault but doesn't want to go anywhere near bars or beam. I've started the search for a T&T gym in our area in hopes it will fullfill dd's desire.