Parents Would you stay for preteam?

[Cmom]

We are currently at a gym with a very competitive team in a large metro area. It is likely one of the two top gyms in the state. The coaches are very selective about who is chosen for the preteteam and team. The team is known for its excellent form, attention to detail, and reasonable hours.

My child is not yet old enough to compete in gymnastics but the coaches have expressed interest in her since she joined. She is small, very coordinated, strong, flexible, and intelligent. She would like to join the gymnastics team one day. I think gymnastics is a good choice for her but I have some reservations about the process, which seems unclear.

From what I have observed, the process involves being singled out in the early stages of the rec program, based on body type, flexibility, and coordination. The rec coaches have strong attention to detail, lots of conditioning, and a slow progression of skills - maybe rec classes are run similar to preteam classes at some gyms.

Once the selected gymnast has completed the required series of rec courses, she begins private lessons to prepare for preteam. I am currently seeing a couple of 6 year olds - presumably the two chosen ones - who have been doing weekly privates for the last several months, with the goal of being ready for preteam. I believe the preteam lasts about a year, not really sure though, and then the girls compete level 4. The level 4 gymnasts are probably 8/9 years old.

Anyway, we selected this gym based on its location and schedule. Although I wasn't surprised that they showed interest in my daughter who is a little monkey, I am surprised by the process of getting onto the preteam. As I mentioned I am located in a metro area of one of the largest cities in the US. We have several gym options within 20 minutes driving distance. Some that seem less serious but still perform well.

My daughter is happy where she is but I am a bit put off by the process of getting to preteam. She will stay for now but we may rethink things if she is told she needs months of privates to progress onto preteam. Is this unusual, and is it unique to very competitive programs? If your daughter is at a very competitive gym, what was the preteam selection/prep process like?

Thanks!

 

[Coach Kate]

It is not normal to need privates to make preteam. As a coach, I reserve privates for when a competitive athlete is doing everything they can at practice and needs a little extra boost, or if there have been extenuating circumstances in the family that caused a lot of practices to be missed. Sometimes a family member (usually a grandparent) gives a private as a present, and I use those to work on an upgrade or unique combination that we might not have time for in practice. I never ever do or recommend rec privates.

I would say if everyone is happy, stay, but if privates are going to be necessary or required to progress, I would look into other options.

 

[CuriousCate]

Our gym doesn't even offer private lessons but if they ever chose to, I'm 100% sure it would not be to make the preteam. Our gym has a pre-pre-team type of program for the very little ones who are flexible, strong, and able to focus. It is usually a very small group run twice per week for maybe 60-90 minutes (it's been a while!). Then from there kids either stay for more pre-pre-team, move to pre-team, or head back to rec. Personally, I would not do privates for any sport this early on and would worry that if that is the expectation of this team, that it would only get more extreme from there.

 

[Dahlialover]

Mandatory privates before joining preteam or team is weird. I’m wondering if it’s really mandatory or if the parents of the kids you see having lessons are seeking out that service to improve their children’s odds of selection. In my experience, the main factors that determine who takes private lessons are the wealth and the ambition of the parents. I’d just ask the coach outright how the process works before drawing conclusions. It sounds like you are in a good gym and those are pretty hard to find, so I wouldn’t be too eager to move on so long as your child is happy.

 

[Kara]

Required privates to make preteam would be a huge red flag to me; I'd talk to the gym about what the whole process is, and if this is really a requirement, I'd start looking at other gyms.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Are you sure the privates are mandatory? I’d be surprised, but I wouldn’t put it past a gym I suppose. I’d more likely assume the parents are the ones initiating it. If she’s happy and it’s convenient I’d probably stay.

 

[Cmom]

Thank you for all the replies. My daughter is happy at the current gym so we will stay for now. It's reassuring to hear that privates should not be part of the preteam selection process.

Yes, it's possible that privates are parent-driven, but I'm not sure. I also see lots of privates among the team girls. The coaches have said the preteam process involves completing the require rec levels and then being evaluated for team. Perhaps privates come in response to parents being informed of missing skills? Not sure though.

 

[marym]

it seems like a weird process to me....privates shouldn't be required to get to pre-team.....for our gym you have to be "invited" to the pre-team or competitive team, which largely means the head coach tests/assesses athletes during rec classes and extends an invitation. In some cases parents contact the head coach asking to have their child assessed for the team. We moved from rec into comp without any privates.

 

[Winterbuzz]

Until a kid has basic strength, flexibility and is at least 6-7 years old privates tend to be a waste of money... just my opinion as a previous gymnast, coach, parent, and now grandparent. What you could do is enroll her in class twice a week, or work on strength and flexibility at home. Most kids love to practice their splits and backbends at home. She could do V-sits, L-hangs, push ups, pull ups, etc.. If her class is currently teaching her cartwheels and handstands, she could practice those on a soft surface (please not a bed) Most kids in gymnastic classes do this spontaneously. If they have already expressed interest in your daughter they will probably route her into a younger or older pre-team group in the future.