Competitive Gymnastics for Young Girls: What to Expect.
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The Good
Gymnastics is one of the most beautiful and dynamic sports in the world. Less than 3% of all young girls will successfully compete in what USA Gymnastics considers the "age group" program. This program is the precursor to the Elite level of gymnastics. Little girls have about a 1:300,000 chance of making it to the Olympics but if you ask these aspiring young ladies in the age group program, many of them will tell you that their ultimate dream is to be an Olympic gymnast. Gymnastics is in the top three most watched Olympic events!
Why Gymnastics? Did you know that gymnastics develops 26 multiple intelligences in children? What's a multiple intelligence? Thank you, google. The benefits are tremendous. It's an "all body" sport that develops muscle memory, strength, flexibility, kinesthetic and haptic awareness, depth perception, socialization, discipline, organization, prioritization, internal motivation, respect and the list goes on. If you are lucky enough to find a coach who is a fantastic role model, your gymnast will also gain wonderful life lessons because coaches become pseudo-parents since they spend a great deal of time with the athletes. As gymnasts move up into higher levels they spend more and more time in the gym and often times they will spend more time with their coach than they do with their parents. Trust? Yes, it can be a scary extension but a necessary incision.
Gymnastics is the type of sport that once you commit to it, it's in your blood forever. There is no "gray area." It's very black and white in the sense that you either do it or you don't. It instills a sense of purpose and duty because the athlete works for herself and for the team. From an early age kids can learn the value of doing a "job" and a sense of duty. In this day and age parents often dig their heels in to this type of motivation however having a sense of accomplishment is a wonderful thing for a child. All of the toys and candy and "things" you can give a child could never replace or outlast for that kiddo to know how good it feels that she's done something well.

Things to Know Before You Select a Gym
If you are searching for a competitive gym, look for the following characteristics:
- Is it brightly colored and kid friendly?
- Is the staff at the front desk friendly and helpful?
- Check out the equipment in the gym - there should be 2-3 sets of bars, 4-8 beams, a full 40x40 spring floor and at least one vaulting table.
Questions you should ask:
- Does the gym compete as a USAG (USA Gymnastics) team?
- Are all of the team coaches USAG certified?
- What is the highest level of gymnast they have competing in the gym?
- How long have their coaches been at their gym and how long have their coaches been coaching gymnastics?
- Do their coaches receive continued training on a regular basis through regional or national congresses?
- Do they have any policies about children missing work-outs?
- Is your child is required to attend every gymnastics meet?
- Do they have a team handbook or an R&P (Rules and Policies)?
- Is there a liability release? (If so, make sure you READ CAREFULLY before signing)
- Is there an estimated expense sheet for the entire season?
- Is there a tentative meet schedule with estimated prices for each meet for the entire season?
- Is there a Booster club? Booster clubs are a wonderful thing when they are independent entities from the gym. ;)
- Does the gym host meets and if they do, are parents required to work at the meets?
- Are there specific requirements for how the gymnast must wear her hair during competition?
- What style of teaching do the coaches use? Do they use drills? or Is it a "go-and-throw" method (this type of gym you want to steer clear of).
- Is there a lot of positive reinforcement?
Don't be afraid to ask questions. Most of these questions won't be questions because you will know if you are at a reputable gym. If you are new to the world of competitive gymnastics, you will undoubtedly have many questions. If the coaches or administrative staff is disinclined to answer, I would find another gym. The welfare and future of your child's competitive gymnastics career is important. If you are met with hesitation in getting clear and concise answers, move on. There are great gyms in every city and every region.

The Hard Part
If your daughter has been asked to join a competitive gymnastics team you should know that you are making a life choice. It is a choice that will affect your entire family. If your gym has a team handbook make sure you read it cover to cover. Don't skim! Read it! Especially if you have to sign a team contract. Many times you will find that your tuition fees are non-refundable if your daughter quits and you have signed a contract. Do your homework. Some typical expenses you should expect are:
- Leotard fees ($150-$300 each)
- T-shirt and paraphernalia fees ($100+)
- Warm-up fees ($75+)
- Booster Club fees ($500+)
- Travel expenses
- Coaches compensation fees
- Tuition fees
- Additional equipment fees (therabands, wrist weights, ankle weights, kettle bells)
- Team event fees
If your gymnastics club offers fundraisers, participate in them because it helps ease the financial burden. Competitive gymnastics can be very expensive.
The highest level of gymnastics requires what I consider a "total package athlete" to be very successful. By definition that means a gymnast has to be physically strong, mentally stable, emotionally sound and have an excellent support system at home. Kids who have a lot of fears are not good candidates for competitive gymnastics. They may be able to do recreational gymnastics but because of the nature of how skills grow, adapt and become higher, faster and more powerful, in nearly all cases, that fear will rear its ugly head and their progress will plateau. Gymnasts who don't have the "total package," who may be lacking one of the qualities I suggested, can still be successful if they are committed to being a gymnast and to continuing to make progress. In my entire career of 25 years, I have come across three of this type of athlete. Only one of them is competing at the international level right now. However, I have coached many athletes to State, Regional, Western and National titles so it is possible to be successful in gymnastics without all the perfect pieces.

The Not-So-Good
Gymnastics can be brutal to a child's body, mind and emotions. If you choose a gym that has a high rate of success, chances are, you might encounter a coach that has what I consider a "zero tolerance" policy for every child. They don't recognize that children are unique and different. They see kids as robots and expect them to perform exactly the same without regard to any outside influences. This type of coach will expect the athlete to work-out and compete when she is injured and may have unrealistic expectations. I've seen coaches single out athletes for being late to gymnastics meets by verbally berating them in front of the entire team. The last time I checked, 10-year-olds were not legally permitted to drive so in my opinion, that conversation should have taken place with the parent, not the child.
Gymnastics can also be taxing on a child's body. Statistically, the United States Elite Coaches Association has done numerous studies in reference to gymnastics injuries and how to prevent them. They are breaking ground on preventative measures and a lot of certified coaches are following suit. The problem is, it takes time to condition the body. On average, a new conditioning program should be altered every six weeks with progress being shown at the same interval. The problem with conditioning is over-use. If the coach doesn't have a well designed conditioning plan the athletes suffer. If several athletes are experiencing the same type of bodily pain, it may be due to a conditioning failure.
Visit the USECA Website at the bottom for more detailed information about the United States Elite Coaches Association.

To Compete or Not to Compete?
Competitive Gymnastics is not for everyone. It requires a sizable time commitment from at least one parent and as I stated earlier, it can be expensive. If your child is asked to be on a competitive gymnastics team and she is only four-years-old, don't fret about her age. If you are at a quality gym, they will take excellent care in teaching her properly. Most likely your young daughter will be starting out in Level 1, 2 or 3 which are really just about having fun and learning to compete. Depending on which competitive region you are in, once they hit Level 4, that's when the real competition starts. (see link below to USA Gymnastics)
Gymnastics is not the "dangerous" sport that people make it out to be. All sports come with injuries, that's the nature of competition. Competition can cause anxiety, depression, anger, frustration and pain, but so can romantic love. Kids hanker for competition because they like to feel proud of themselves and let's face it, winning is fun. If you are at a crossroads about whether or not you should allow your child to compete, find someone who was a competitive gymnast and ask them their opinion. Then start searching for the right gym!
Final thought: Don't assume that because your daughter does beautiful cartwheels in the front yard and climbs the walls that she has the talent of Shannon Miller. Allow the coaches to do the evaluating. When your daughter is asked to join the team, allow the coaches to do the coaching. They are the experts!
Good Luck!
If you have any questions, feel free to send them my way!

Helpful Links
Comments
i really really want to do gymnastics
Thank you
Kristi,thank you very much for all the information you share with us. Could you give me your email please?
This is unique.
Kristi, Thanks for responding. I sent an email to your gmail account. Please let me know if you didn't receive it.
Thanks again
Dana
Hi, I stumbled upon this article and the comments and it totally spoke to me! I am at a crossroads right now with my daughters gymnastics. She is 8 years old and has competed in level 2 last year at her first gym and is about to compete at the state meet for level 3 this year for a new gym. She isn't great but can hold her own. She's gotten 1st and 2nd on beam and consistently places on bars. She has had over 9's on vault but has always struggled with floor. She is very strong but lacks shoulder flexibility which limits her handstand bridge kickover and back handspring.
Anyway, the gym she is at now has lost 2 coaches since we started and the owner has mentioned that she plays way too much and that's part of the reason she hasn't progressed more. I know she can be very goofy and can be a handful, but I wasn't aware her behavior was such a problem. She does seem more immature compared to some of the other girls on her team and while she loves gymnastics and adores her team mates, she doesn't seem to have the drive to really commit and be super competitive. I have no delusions that she will be an elite or collegiate gymnast. Her highest AA score has been 35.65. So I'm now wondering what is the best option. Do I keep her in JO and have her try to make it to level 4(I don't think the owner has confidence that she can do it)? Do I try to have her repeat level 3 and work hard on her shoulders? But what I'm really kicking around with is letting her go back to her old gym and go to the xcel program. She would miss her friends but I don't want her constantly struggling to keep up. The time and financial commitment is also a serious factor for my child who hasn't ever gotten over a 9.2 on an event. There are gyms in my area that the girls in her level consistently get 37 and 38's AA, she just can't compete with that and it breaks my heart to watch her finish 7th at a meet out of 10 girls. The times that she has done well and placed on events the look of pride on her face just fills my heart with so much happiness for her.
I would very much appreciate any advice you can give me. Just a few years ago I never thought I'd be agonizing over decisions about what was suppose to be a fun after school activity lol
Thanks in advance
Hi I have 9 year old daughter who's been with the same gymnastic gym for about 3 years the gym barely got a competitive team going .which my daughter apart of the girls,range from 8-14 I think level 3 they all scored good enough to make state but they score on the lower end. My daughter is hardworking very driven and puts her all in anything she does. She likes her coach which is going to be barely 18,her mom helps run the gym once a week. My daughter gets frustrated because she feels like she's not doing will has only got participation awards which she finds embarrassing because her gym is last ranked in everything. She wants to be a competitive contender. Should I move her or have her stick through it with the team she has now. Gymnastics I don't know much about.
My daughter did gymnastics when she was 3 or 4. Her cousin did cheer and she wanted to try cheer. She did cheer for two and half years. We went back to gymnastics March 2017. They put her on team right away. She did level 3 Sept- Nov. She has been training level 4. She is doing level 4 next week and the plan is for her to train level 5 and compete level 5 in Sept. What can I expect for her? Her dream was to go to the Olympics. All the athletes I seen go to the Olympics move to another state or go to these gyms that have trained Olympians. I love the gym we are at. We won't be moving for her to train with a coach like Chow or anything. I know it is hard to make it to the Olympics. What about the national team?
Can my girl come
Is it free and i got a sis that 9
My 8 year old is a level 3 gymnast and doesn't like one of her coaches because once she threatened to kick her off the team for being silly while waiting in line to practice a skill. All the girls on her team have a hard time going on the day the have this coach, but especially my girl. And now she's getting very nervous before meets and talking about wanting to quit. If she decides in another year or 2 that she wants to return to usag, can she do that at another gym, if she tries out and makes the team? I know how much she loves the sport and level of activity, but her head isn't in it. I told her she needs to finish her season because she isnpart of a team, but then I am happy to have her try other sports if she leaves.
I also want her to have the choice to return to usag if she wants to, at another gym with a different coaching team.
I want to learn gymnastics
I love ot tell me if theirs space
My daughter is 2 years old and she started in July. She does a perfect cartwheel, round off, bridge and back bend kick over, 1 handed cartwheel, handstand and a press hand on her head though. They are moving her up to the intermediate class with the 6-8 year olds because they said she is bored and is ready to learn more. She is practicing her back hand spring which she does with back support. Do you think this class would be a good idea? She turns 3 in 4 months.
Can you speak more about the benefits of competitive gymnastics considering the expense it carries? My husband and I have very different opinions on this. We pay on average
Any numbers on the ratio of athletes that drop the sport because they do not compete vs kids that do compete?
Hello Ms. Sharp. My name is Samantha Williams. I have a 2.5 year old daughter who has been crying to do some type of gymnastics. She has been watching YouTube videos of young gymnast. She has been asking me for a few months now so I finally decided to look into it. What do you recommend I do first? I have googled a gym that is not too far from out home.
Your article was really helpful, specially saying that all sports have their injuries. We'll my 7 yrs old is been in gymnastics for two yrs. She loves it. Her routine is getting more n more intense. And practising a back kick over she felt on her head n hurted her neck. She is good now but for a few seconds of terror i wondered if is worth it. Seeing her face like she was paralized.....the most terrible nightmare. But she doesnt want to quit. I know is me making the decision.... but is nothing easy....
I would love to compete
like it a lot.
I really needed help I always feel bad about doing thing but what you said might help me
Hi. Can you explain the L10 bars requirement? I heard there is a single bar release requirement. Or can all the flight elements by bar to bar? Thanks very much.
Thanks for sharing the information. Really I don't know the play name but today I am clear.
Gymnastics is the best game of Olympic play ground. I hope day by day increase of player Gymnastics program.
Can you outline the difference in AAU and Team Levels?
Thanks. My daughter is pre team and just four and it is time to commit. I am not a gymnast and so making this decision when she is young seems early, Your info helped. Knowing it is not super competitive at this age is nice. She is in a very awesome gym with an awesome coach and she loves it, I just want her to keep loving it!
This article really helped me with my library research report
My daughters just started gymnastics. They are 3 and 5. My oldest turned 5 a few months ago. Is two days a week too much for a 5 year old? She would go every day if she could. The gym only offers 1 day a week for 3 year olds.
I enjoyed this article and the information you provided. I wish I had found it three years ago. My daughter has competed for 3 years and simply loves the sport. However, as a family we have become exhausted with the time and financial commitment. We have spent comparable to three years college tuition. I wish gyms would offer a recreational program that allows girls to learn skills at a competitive level. They don't seem to exist in Florida. Any ideas for the enthusiastic gymnast that doesn't want to put in the 15+ hours of training a week?
Thanks for the article. I am very interested in your opinion and hope that you can help me out in this dilemma.
In your observation, how many years does it take to train from L9 to L10 and make it to JO National and place? Is one year realistic?
In your observation, are colleges interested in more years of L10 experience over fewer years but good performance in competition? I am asking as I see many college commits with many years of L10 competition but not necessary archiving high scores until later years, but yet colleges are choosing them over 1 or 2-year L10s who might have done similarly well in a shorter time frame. It seems so partially because they get committed early in Freshman year and no spots are left for later bloomers. What is your opinion on that?
Lastly, would you recommend scoring out L9 and going straight to L10 so as to get one more year of L10 on the resume and get started on recruiting efforts, even though this can possibly be a pretty good L9 year and the L10 results probably won't be stellar? I worry waiting another to start would mean end to college gymnastic dreams.
Thank you for your insights.
I do competitive gymnastics, I am 11, and I won gold in the state finals this artical is really fun to read!
thanks so much for takng the time do give us so much info!
my daughter is 7 in level 2 and has her 1st state competition coming up here really soon. we just found out that it will be held on the same Sunday she has a special church presentation she has been working on for months. my question to you is, how important is the state competition? if she opts out will it hurt her going forward? are there points she gets from state? or does it qualify her for anything ? she pretyty much comoeted everyother competition so far.
Can you start gymnastics at 11 and still go to the Olympics
Thanks for your post. Great stuff. I have a 6 year old daughter who has been asked to join a competitive team. She loves gymnastics and even we asked her whether she wanted to try other sports she says she wants to stick with gymnastics. As a parent, I think I must support her and she should give it a try since she wants to do it. My concern is the amount of hours training.
i want to compeet
Don't understand the judging ,seems the bigger an older girls don't get judged fairly as the smaller ones. Every competition I have gone to seems the host sites girls always gets better scores than the visiting teams . This is unfair judging . I have enjoyed going to the competition very much but I am losing interest in going with the judging going the way it has.
Hello, I love all the advice you are giving....I'm hoping I can get the same. My daughter just turned 11 years old and is in level 5 team. She has been in gymnastics since 3 years old. Never really had a chance to "miss it" I guess. She is not the kind of kid with the "talent", skills don't come easy for her...I believe she was invited to team because she is an extremely hard worker. The gym she was in got too intense, she was not one of the "favorites" (many of you moms probably know what I mean by that) so she was falling behind very fast. I finished the year there (contract) and moved her to another gym. Since she fell behind, her confidence was extremely low. We decided she should stay at the same level for another year, so she could gain confidence. She built confidence throughout last year, she made states for the first time (ever). She placed 5th at a couple of meets which made her feel good (normally she would not place or place even lower). So this year she went up to level 5. She is doing well in the gym, but after 2 meets she has not made states yet. She is also starting to say things like "I'll never make states" or "I work so hard and still I can never get first, second or third place" . She has good coaches in this gym, although once in a while she'll hear a comment from a coach that says "maybe you should be a level 4" ....I notice the coaches sometimes put her to train with the level 6's and she seems to freak out every time they do that....she almost seems to shut down...and although she tries, is very scared of trying the new skills. I think the coaches see something in her, last year, her scores were the 3rd best of her team at almost every meet. They say she's holding back and I believe that too. She says she likes gymnastics, but she doesn't practice at home at all (most parents say their kids do). She always says she doesn't want to quit...but I don't always see her excited about going to the gym...however, while she's in class, she is always smiling and happy. She only cries if a coach yells at her (and that is very rare, since she's always working so hard...). So it is very hard for me to figure out how to boost her confidence in gymnastics. Her highest score was a 34.8 last year. The highest she has ever placed at a meet is 5th place. I'm afraid she will quit only because she feels she's working her hardest at the gym and still she can't win or place 2nd or 3rd. We also try to do about 1 private a month sometimes 2 if I can afford it...but lately the coaches have been so busy that I haven't been able to get a private for over a month. How would you advise me on handling this situation? I have no idea what to do at all!!! Any advise would be very helpful.
P.S. My apologies for the lengthy message...but I'm trying to give you as much info as possible....
We had an issue with a coach and the strictness of the rules for our daughter at age 5 in a level 3 class. We told the gym we would like to pull her out of but they reminded us that we signed a 1 yr contract. Would this contract hold up in court?
I have posted on here before and I love following this. My daughter has been in gymnastics for 15 months she made tag team but unfortunately we had to move before it started. When we moved to other town we just kept her in a normal class now they moved her to USA team level 3. She loves it but I'm concerned as to whether it was the right choice to skip tag she has never been to a meet before do you think that it's a good idea to skip that step. Her classes went from 2 days a week for 50 minutes to 2 1/2 hours 5 days a week. It's an adjustment I just do not want to get tired of it. Both gyms she has gone to says she is natural so I don't want her to get worn out
Gymnastics is fascinating and so is your hub. Good article.
My daughter is 6 years old and competing USAG "new" level 3 this year. This is her first year doing routines or competing at all. She does really well but seems to fall to the bottom of the "extremely talented group". The coaches are getting ready to pick for TOPS and it is apparent she is not in the picking. She only trains 7 hours a week and largely competes against other young TOPS girls who train 12-16 hours a week. At her first meet she was 8th out of 20 and at her second meet she was 5th AA (35.825) out of 14. Do the coaches when looking to move gymnasts up look at their consistency in competing? There are 11 girls in her age group at our gym and only 2 girls score better than her (both are over a year older and 1 is repeating the level). She gets disappointed to not get 1,2 or 3rd but it is hard to compare someone who trains twice as much or someone who has already done this level once. Is it possible anymore to go elite or hopes without first being in the TOPS program? It is extremely difficult know that your child is on the cusp of the more fast paced program but not quite there. Any advice on what to do or expect or how to deal would be appreciated. Thanks!
Hi and thanks so much for responding.
I will sit back and wait until the next season. I'm one of those mom's who has a lot of questions, and sometimes doubts. But I'd rather be well informed then not informed at all. But not to the point of where I don't want the coaches feeling like they're not doing their job. I know that they know what they're doing. Well her coaches at least. I just hope that I'm making the right move by keeping her here. I know every mom thinks that their daughter is talented, but mine really is. Her coach even acknowledged it. It's just hard to sit back and see her bored :( But I'll be patient and wait for the season to end, and see what happens next.
I do want to ask a question though. As far as you saying I should be patient but attentive. Can you elaborate on that for me please? I know what attentive means, but I'm asking in reference to this. Am I being attentive to my daughter, like being there for her and her needs? Thanks again! :)
P.S. I created an account, so my name shows as TrinisMom w/ the Georgia location.
Hello. I'm not exactly sure how I came across this, but I'm SO glad I did. My daughter really began gymnastics when she was 6 (summer of 2011), and was doing a Hot Shots class. They then moved her to Level 2/3 in the winter of that year (she was 7 at the time). I'd gotten a new job (Feb of 2012), and because of the hours, it got to be a bit overwhelming for her. And right before she was able to test for Level 4 (Mar/Apr 2012), she quit. I was disappointed, but I listened to her and let her. She watched the Olympics and got inspired again, and went back to that old gym in August of that year. She wanted to start at the rec class, but they watched her during the "play/rec" time, and suggested she go back to Level 2/3. She did, and stayed in that level for a month and a half, and was asked to join Level 4 (Oct 2012 - she'd just turned 8). Unfortunately, because of when she came into the team, she was unable to compete. The next year is when they changed the levels, and unfortunately, they were going to make Trinity go back a level (Level 3). I understood but didn't, and I wasn't pleased because I felt that would set her back.
We relocated to a Region 8 state (Georgia), and she's now on Excel Silver. I didn't and still don't really understand this Excel thing, but I feel as if my daughter is too skilled for Silver. She competed in her first meet in December, and scored a 38.20 A.A (Vault - 9.750, Floor - 9.525, Bars - 9.575, Beam - 9.350). I truly think and feel my daughter needs to be challenged, or she's going to get bored. And I don't want her to. I composed all of her events and made a video of it, and posted it on Youtube. Someone did comment and asked if they were gonna move my baby up to Xcel Gold this month. I sent a screenshot of the msg and sent it to her coach in an email, as well as some questions. I saw you mention something about the Xcel program being for gymnast who are lacking, in so many words. But my daughter isn't. Her coach did speak to me about my email, and explained that my daughter could compete Xcel Gold now, but his goal is not to put her in Gold when the meet season is over. He wants to put her in Level 5. I'm trying to be patient and sit back and let them do their job, but I feel like my baby isn't being challenged :( She'll watch the optional levels during practice do a flip (roundoff back tuck for instance), and come home and do it until she masters it (which she did). The gym is a great gym. The owner of her old gym has a friend who's a coach in GA and this gym came recommended because of how well they do at meets. A couple of other gyms also recommended this gym, prior to her committing to the gym. Should I just sit back and be patient and wait and hope they move her up? Is there a method to this madness? Any advice would help.
P.S. Sorry for being so long winded. I'm just so elated to see a blog from a coach that is sharing such wonderful info, and actually giving feedback. Thank you so much!!! :)
Hi
My daughter is in nj usag gymnastics level 3. She is 7 years old (but competing as an 8 year old b/c her birthday is in December). She has been practicing 11 hours per week and works very hard. Recently she has told me when she is not doing exactly what the coach says for example wiggling on the balance beam (which she does try not to do) they tell her to "get away from them". She also gets told to do v-ups when she wiggles on the beam. She is now reporting that she does not want to do this next year and wants to do usaigc instead. I do not see her moving to olympic levels, but what is your take on this track for girls. She is one of those kids...who can get stunts quickly like her mill circle and backhandspring..but her quality is not there. She places only in the top 50% each meet, usually falling 1/2 way in...for example 12th our of 24, or 8 out of 16 girls. Her overall scores fall in the 35's. She has 2 girls on her team who constantly get first and I think she is also discouraged because of that. Just not sure if I should encourage her to stay or move to usaigc...where in her opinion the girls have more fun?
Thanks for your reply. Turns out, they have revised their policy and team manual. Now there is just a one month deposit required in addition to 30 day notice. That seems more reasonable to me. Something else has come up now and I am not sure how to feel about it. We just completed the level 3 season (former gym)and are on trial at this new gym. We were told that they would like her to stay on level 3 for now to build her strength and master some skills. She qualified for Texas South State last month (former gym) so I don't think we are too far off track. With that said, she has the opportunity to improve and be re-evaluated for level 4 in the Summer. Needless to say, we are disappointed and I am afraid my daughter will be really discouraged. She has already been on level 3 for a year and she is bored with the repetition so far and other kids will be moving up and she won't. She is already the oldest (10 years old) on level 3 and now that will stand out even more. So my concern is, is this a right fit for her? She loves the gym, is a hard worker, but its such a huge commitment. I want to be realistic about it and not just shell out $500 a month to "just see" . We went from being great gymnast at a gym we were not happy with to not measuring up at a great gym. Is it common for girls to repeat levels? Is 10 years old too old in the gym world for level 3/4 ? Any insight is appreciated. Thanks!!
Hello! We are considering joining a great gym with a strong program. Everything seems like a good fit, but after a 30 day trail, we are expected to financially commit for 1 year. For no reason ( illness, injury, dismissal, move, etc) are we allowed to withdrawal without continuing to pay. Is this a normal expectation?
krsharp05,
I will first like to thank you for this article, it is truly inspiring to me. I am the mother of a four year old who is on Team Level 1, training for 2 hours, twice a week . Everything that was mentioned in this article is true to the "T" and is more than helpful!! However, I will like to ask you for your advice.
My mother and I sit and observe my daughter each class. Being that she is 4, the only child, and won't be in Kindergarten for another year (late birthday), I am finding it difficult for her to stay focused and show any further progress. In fact she is regressing from when she was on pre-team.
Her team coach is very hard on her (more so than any other team member). Being that she is the youngest on the team, I will think that she would have a little more patience with her. There is another little girl on her team who is 5 but seems to be treated much nicer by the same coach. The reasons that I have concluded for this treatment is:
1. My daughter is not taking directions/corrections and applying them,
2. My daughter likes to play around instead of watching the girls in line before her to determine what is next, utilize their corrections, and learn from their mistakes,
3. I yell out to the floor a lot to tell her to tell her to get focused or to pay attention. I even give her corrections when her coach is focusing on other team mates when she is doing something wrong,
4. Being 4 she constantly looks at me for approval, which, leads the coach yelling at her numerous times throughout the 2 hour classes to not "look at mom" "turn your head" "stop looking over their". At times she is not even looking at me, she is looking dazed in what I call "la-la land".
With this being said, what should I do, switch gyms and start fresh or what? How do I repair the relationship with her coach?
As I have mentioned several times, my daughter is only four and I do not want her to lose her love for the sport (which she is starting to do). Nor do I want this treatment to continue. At this age, I think that gymnastics should be fun, yet challenging. So if I have to choose a challenging gym, versus, a fun gym that is only semi-challenging, which one should I choose?
Any help will be greatly appreciated, thanks.
I genuinely appreciate this article. My 6-year old daughter has been invited on team at two different gyms and I've been struggling with how to properly consider and analyze this choice.
I realize this next question is completely out of the box: Is it possible for a gymnast to take private lessons at a gym (or gyms) and compete AAU and/or USAG without being part of a team? Thank you. ~mtt
I am a new gymnastics parent and my daughter is moving up fast. Our goal is to be on a competitive team one day. Just just moved to the pre-team today. I was wondering if they place in the meets do they receive money or just medals. I have heard how expensive it can get and so I was not sure but that would help with expenses if they do. And thank you so much for this, I have had many questions and you have helped me so much. Thank you.
My daughter loves gymnastics and has recently moved up to a level 6. She is 8. However her gym does not have a pit nor do they have a standard trampoline. Are these essential for mastering skills? thanks for the advice!
Thank you so much for the advice, the gym is going exclusively to Excel and that is the only reason they want her to switch programs. I feel the same way that the rec league is just not the same. We have decided to switch her to a gym that will offer the JO program as she has not by any means hit a plateau and is still growing quickly.
Hi, My daughter started gymnastics a little late she is 11 and a level 5 she can do many of the level 6 and 7 skills as well and LOVES gymnastics. Her first year competing was last year and her first meet was her lowest score and it was an AA of 31.5 Her gym is now wanting to go to the excel program and would like her to switch from USAG JO but I am horribly torn about doing this I feel like it is limiting her before she has the chance to reach her full potential would you give me your opinion.
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Hi, this was a great article, thank you!
My daughter is 9 and has recently moved up to level 5, she will compete this weekend to hopefully score into level 6 before the down grading of the levels this year. Her coach is very good and recently relocated with her fellow coach husband from the gym where Aly Raisman trained at.
Our problem is very similar to a prior poster, the coach coaches by fear and intimidation and compliments are rare. Threaths were common until I (hopefully)put an end to it (as in "get out of my class","you can go back to the level you came from") , I explained that the threats only made my daughter shut down and want to quit.
My daughter loves gymnastics and has natural talent for it, my concern is that she does want to slow down in order to try other things, and I think her fear of her coach is at the root of that. She is currently going 16 hours a week (4 days) which her coach feels is not enough. This gym is the only gym I'll be able to take her to due to time restraints, and I am worried that she will not be welcomed back if she takes a "break". They coach with heavy emphasis on conditioning, many times using 3 of the 4 hours on it, the girls condition with ankle and wrist weights and my daughter has muscles I could only dream of. I like that she is getting stronger, but it makes it hard for her to enjoy her practice. Most of the girls are crying during conditioning and if any of them fail, they all have to repeat their movements. She is terrified to ask to use the bathroom or to get a drink, she also complains of chronic stomach pains prior to practice (I usually ignore this as stress pains). She is very flexible and the coach will often lift her legs over her head and place her butt on her head when she lays on her stomach, hyper extending her back, this is a move that causes her back pain later that day. When questioned the coach proclaims that she knows what she is doing.
I have been her biggest supporter at home, her dad (my ex) disagrees with the coaching and wants her to quit, I am getting tired of the constant pep talk to get her back to each practice, should I continue to push in the hopes that she will overcome her fear of the coach? Or should I let her take a break so she can decide what to do?
I am sorry this is so long, I have sacrificed a lot for her gymnastics, I work nights so I can take her there and get school work etc. done, her younger sister has lost out on continuing gymnastics as I can only afford one in competitive team sport. I do not want this to be about me though, she truly loves the sport and I feel that she would regret it later if she did quit. She will be a tall girl and I have no olympic aspirations for her, I do want her to be the best she can be though.
Thanks, -A
Constant blogger really enjoy your thread and I’m always looking forward to the newest post. ^.^ Keep up the great work. I’ll be checkin’ up!
This is kind of a random question. We recently competed in an event and the meet director made a special allowance for my dd. I asked our gym for the meet director's address so that we could send a thank you card and the coach happened to walk by, heard me ask, then yelled at me and told me it was inappropriate for an athelte's parent to contact a meet director for any reason. Is this true? It was not a big deal, just a nice gesture on the director's part and we wanted to return in kind.
Oh, no the coach said "don't do that or you will break your neck" and all the other stuff i mentioned. I had already emailed the owner and am planning to meet with her. Not sure if we should have the coach present but I would think it would be helpful.
Sorry my message was misleading, I can see how you would think that! Still, what do you think about the comments?
Hi, My daughter has a coach similar to Sharon's (earlier post) daughter it sounds like. I would like to clarify if some of the things the coach says is inappropriate. I have never been in competitive sports. DD is in 5th grade, on level 5. According to DD, coach rolls her eyes, tells her she is going to break her neck if she does so and so, asks the kids if they have an attitude and tells them they are not trying hard enough and therefore are wasting their parents money.
I feel like it is wrong but am afraid of being the overbearing mother enabling her child to whine. This coach is only 19 or 20 years old and i suspect no training of working with kids. Other parents complained last spring and the owner 'talked' with the coach. Things were better for a while but seem to have gotten bad again. My daughter is sensitive, but has no complaints about her other coaches or teachers for that matter. Any guidance would be appreciated. Thank you.
I have been a huge fan of gym since when i was 4 it is a great achievement to what you've do to other kids life
Just had gym end of year awards.
In past years awards gold silver bronze were given out based on years comp results. We have anew girl who has a gymnastic gift she is in the overs category so has medal wise done better than the younger ones but points wise not so well. I understand the coaches wanting to encourage her on. But end of year competition results had my daughter 6 points above her and another unders girl 1 point up yet said child took silver. Am I being obsessive or should I voice my concerns.
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