~*~ Stick It! A thread for Gymnastics Parents ~*~

[OceanStateKelly]

"When does your gym require sign up and deposits?"

Our gym has a reg fee (ins payment for the gym) in Aug/Sept and I think thats the same time USAG has there fees too. Deposits not sure what that would be, I pay monthly 340.00 for the gym and then in Aug I'll start paying for the meet/coaches traveling fees for the up coming season. Don't know how much that'll be yet, last year it was 1375.00 and with gas prices it'll go up I'm sure.
I think our first meet is in Oct, in house Judges Cup.

 

[TwinkieMama]

I've got two DD8 practicing level 5 competing Level 4 next year and DD10 Level 6 next year.

Welcome! I got all excited because I thought you had 8 year old twins and I wanted to ask how that was working out.

Sorry! My post was confusing I only have 2 in the sport.

My problem they are completely different girls. DD10 is about 55 lbs absolutely no body fat with 6 pack abs and DD8 is probably around 75lbs and taller built like a russian wrestler, no waist.

I hear you. I have twin DDs age 6 who are very different. One is tiny and pure muscle. She is also naturally a hard worker who focuses. Her sister is taller, more graceful, not quite as strong and one of those perfectionists. If it can't be perfect, why bother? She is the one most likely to cry during gymnastics. They have been placed in different levels of the pre-team for the first time starting in June. One will go M/W 4:30-6:30 and the other T/H 4:30-6. I am hopeful this will allow them both to blossom. (They were in the same kindergarten class this year)... However I hope I can ask to have them back together (in the higher class) by Sept. I have been told that they both have the skills for the more advanced class but that class is requires focus/work ethic so they don't think the other one is ready.

Any thoughts or advice would be welcome!

 

[dis4me]

Welcome! I got all excited because I thought you had 8 year old twins and I wanted to ask how that was working out.




I hear you. I have twin DDs age 6 who are very different. One is tiny and pure muscle. She is also naturally a hard worker who focuses. Her sister is taller, more graceful, not quite as strong and one of those perfectionists. If it can't be perfect, why bother? She is the one most likely to cry during gymnastics. They have been placed in different levels of the pre-team for the first time starting in June. One will go M/W 4:30-6:30 and the other T/H 4:30-6. I am hopeful this will allow them both to blossom. (They were in the same kindergarten class this year)... However I hope I can ask to have them back together (in the higher class) by Sept. I have been told that they both have the skills for the more advanced class but that class is requires focus/work ethic so they don't think the other one is ready.

Any thoughts or advice would be welcome!

We had twins on our team at level 4 who were very different. One was ready to compete and the other wasn't. Mom held them both back. THey wound up leavign the gym but I heard that the one wound up quitting. I hope your dds do well. Now that they are separated maybe it will push dd#2 to have some fun without the stress of having to try so hard to keep up with " natural" sister.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Welcome! I got all excited because I thought you had 8 year old twins and I wanted to ask how that was working out.




I hear you. I have twin DDs age 6 who are very different. One is tiny and pure muscle. She is also naturally a hard worker who focuses. Her sister is taller, more graceful, not quite as strong and one of those perfectionists. If it can't be perfect, why bother? She is the one most likely to cry during gymnastics. They have been placed in different levels of the pre-team for the first time starting in June. One will go M/W 4:30-6:30 and the other T/H 4:30-6. I am hopeful this will allow them both to blossom. (They were in the same kindergarten class this year)... However I hope I can ask to have them back together (in the higher class) by Sept. I have been told that they both have the skills for the more advanced class but that class is requires focus/work ethic so they don't think the other one is ready.

Any thoughts or advice would be welcome!

I wish had had some sage advice but my DD10 just 2 weeks ago was asked to leave the floor because she couldn't stop crying. She lost her back walk over on the beam (focused on Level 5 skills). The older coach would spot her but the younger HC refused saying she'd done it in the past without spotting so just do it. DD10 started crying and couldn't calm herself down.

DD10 is a focused hard worker but DD8 is a natural slacker. She's there to have fun with her friends and really needs to be leaned on. If DD10 got yelled at like DD8 (who shrugs it off) it would be over.

I just wish the two coaches would be on the same page. It is a mother/daughter coaching team and the HC is the daughter who is very hard on them, the bad cop. While the mom, who owns the gym, is much easier on them.

I'd always gotten the impression that they make us sign up for teams in Feb, even though the year ends in May so they know who to focus their time and attention on to get them to stay.

 

[SkylarsMom]

We don't really "sign up" each year once the girl is on the team. States are in April. As soon as states are over, the HC/O meets with each mom/dad and tells them what level their DD will be on for the new season. May 1st is when they start practicing with their new team.

 

[MaryKatesMom]

We don't really "sign up" each year once the girl is on the team. States are in April. As soon as states are over, the HC/O meets with each mom/dad and tells them what level their DD will be on for the new season. May 1st is when they start practicing with their new team.

How big is the team?

Ours is pretty small and they only go up to Level 7.

Congrats on all of the great scores!

 

[dis4me]

How big is the team?

Ours is pretty small and they only go up to Level 7.

Congrats on all of the great scores!

What happens after level 7 do you have to change gyms?

 

[SkylarsMom]

How big is the team?

Ours is pretty small and they only go up to Level 7.

Congrats on all of the great scores!

Thanks. We're really proud of her.

Each level has around 10-12 gymnasts, I think. Right now we go up to L6 and then we have a few prep-op 2 and prep-op 3 girls. The gym is kind of rebuilding right now, though. They lost several girls to cheerleading last year.

And btw, DD just got her cartwheel on the balance beam and her front hip circle. Woo hoo!!!

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Thanks. We're really proud of her.

Each level has around 10-12 gymnasts, I think. Right now we go up to L6 and then we have a few prep-op 2 and prep-op 3 girls. The gym is kind of rebuilding right now, though. They lost several girls to cheerleading last year.

And btw, DD just got her cartwheel on the balance beam and her front hip circle. Woo hoo!!!

Congrat's on the front hip circle! It was a bit of a hump for my DD8, a fork in the road. Get it or your done. So with a few private's sprinkled in and a bit of tears, she got over the hump.

 

[SkylarsMom]

Congrat's on the front hip circle! It was a bit of a hump for my DD8, a fork in the road. Get it or your done. So with a few private's sprinkled in and a bit of tears, she got over the hump.

Good for her! I'm glad she was able to work through it. Perseverance is where it's at when it comes to gymnastics.

 

[mom2kazkids]

DD 7 got her front hip about a month ago at the end of practice, she then "lost it" for a few weeks, but now is getting it 2-3 times out of 5-6 attempts each practice for the last week. Now to make the mill circle consistently.

Barb

 

[holbear]

This is a long thread and I haven't read near all of it.. but was wondering. Does anyone's daughter take rhythmic gymnastics?

 

[carone0318]

This is a long thread and I haven't read near all of it.. but was wondering. Does anyone's daughter take rhythmic gymnastics?

I am not a 100% sure, but I do not think so - most are artistic.

 

[SkylarsMom]

Now she has a new "hump" to get over. They've introduced grips. At first DD liked them but now she says bars aren't "fun" anymore because of the grips. I asked her if she thought it would be better once she learned to use them. She said yes and agreed that this is just a rough patch that she'll get past. We're going into practice early today to talk to the coach and see if there's anything we can do to make the grips more comfortable for her (they're rubbing a raw spot on her hand).

 

[MaryKatesMom]

Grips are like catcher's mitts on professional baseball players. They need to be worn in and are very personalized after a few weeks. You can't interchange them among girls.

Perseverance is one of the best things about the sport. It has absolutely taught my daughters to pick themselves up and try again. Really one of the best life lesson's gymnastics has given them.

My DD10 "lost" her back walk-over on the balance beam for a few weeks. It was getting to the end of the season and they were only working on the Level 5 stuff and nothing on Level 6. She had a crying jag so bad she called me to pick her up, I said no, she couldn't pull herself together enough to stop crying and cried for another hour and 1/2 until the end of her session. I got a talking to from her coach, I couldn't tell her she was exhausted from a soccer tournament. That doesn't go over well.

Later the coach realized one of the assistants was spotting her all the time and now she couldn't do it without being spotted.

Anyway, by the end of the week she had it back without spotting.

our motto "Respect all, fear none."

 

[judykay53]

I just found this thread and I haven't read all through it. This is going to be interesting and helpful.

A little background: My grandson is 10 and a little guy and has always had a problem with his size. Of course, he has been called every name in the book at school. In the classs pictures, it is really obvious. He has never been interested in any sports. Every season we ask him "Do you want to play soccer, do you want to play baseball" The answer is always a big fat "NO". Earlier in the year , out of the blue, he said I want to do gymnastics. Boy did we ever jump on that. So here is the answer to the questions:


How old was your child when they started gymnastics? 9

What level are they at now? Level 4

Do levels 1/2/3 compete in your area/state? Don't think so

When is your "season"? He was just put on competition maybe the beginning of May. I think it coincides withe the school year August thru May

Do you have other kids? Are you juggling their activities too? Oldest grandson (12) plays soccer. youngest (6) was taking drum lessons for a while but not now. I think we had one night off during the week.

Our gym is a small gym and has been owned by the same family since day 1.
He goes 3 hours per week now and when competition starts up he will go to 6 hours per week . I know he is getting a late start but he really looks forward to going each week and that is all that matters. And, boy, did he ever love those tumble monkeys at WDW last week!!

I know this thread will really get going when competitions start up. I look forward to it.

 

[missypie]

Just FYI, the national championships start today. I think it's on TV 4-6 EST on Saturday (NBC, I think.)

 

[mom2kazkids]

FYI - My dd is in the current USAG magazine (May/June) in the Faces in the Gym section. She's the one doing the split holding her back leg in the black & white leo. She's toward the bottom of the page on the right! She's very excited..

Great job, I just saw this post and went and found DD magazine.

Barb

 

[mom2kazkids]

DD can add another new level 4 skill to her gotten list. She did her RO BHS on the floor last night at practice herself without spotting. She just needs to get consistency and clean up her mill circle, the cut back after and her vault then she has all the level 4 skills.

Also on Memorial Day she was doing back walk overs on the low beam with the fat pad on and the 8 inch mats on either side of the beam, but she did them with no spots and got both hand and feet on the beam.

Barb

 

[carone0318]

Sounds like she has most of her level 4 stuff and is uptraining - how exciting!