Can anyone advise on gymnastics club?

[Notwithittoday]

Dd is 8 and has been going to same gymnastics since she was 4. It’s quite a large private club but there’s never been any displays or shows dd has been involved in. Yet I see their Instagram and Facebook updates where they have girls younger than dd in costumes and doing shows. She did one competition which was videod online last year which they said was regional and she got first place in two parts. We did have COVID obviously when she didn’t go but she’s been straight back to it. She’s very keen and has a bar at home and practises. She’s been watching a lot of gymnasts on you tube snd the olympics and keeps pestering me about doing more. I never did gymnastics so have no experience. Im not looking for her to be an Olympian but I’d like her to make progress and enjoy something she’s interested in. As far as I can see she seems good and is very light and flexible so I don’t think it’s an ability issue. I asked if there was other classes available or if she should do more and they said they would look into it in the new year. Speaking to other mums in the same class their girls aren’t doing anything either. I’m wondering if the girls I’m seeing on their social media are relatives/ friends of the owners or what? Does anyone have any advice?

You'd have to ask them directly whether the girls you see are friends or relatives or what. Tell them your daughter wants to do those things and see what they say. Be very careful with this sport - there are still lots of dodgy practices and coaches around...not sure if you saw the stuff last year about all the abuse scandals. Do they let parents watch practice and are they open about training methods?

Speaking to the club is really the only way forward then you know what you are dealing with and can decide to move her if you want more focus on competitions etc.

@megustalacerveza

You'd have to ask them directly whether the girls you see are friends or relatives or what. Tell them your daughter wants to do those things and see what they say. Be very careful with this sport - there are still lots of dodgy practices and coaches around...not sure if you saw the stuff last year about all the abuse scandals. Do they let parents watch practice and are they open about training methods?

No not in the slightest and they stopped parents watching in the viewing gallery with COVID. They’re still operating a no parents beyond drop off at the door type policy,

@Notwithittoday ah yeah...covid makes it tricky because there are now legitimate reasons not to want parents standing around. Were you able to view before that?

Just asked my daughter who is a British gymnastics apprentice coach and Sounds like your dd is in a standard recreational class and most likely the other girls will be in squads which requires hours and hours of training and conditioning. She advises speaking to the club manager/head coach and seeing what other opportunities are available for your dd and if there is or when there will be trials/tryouts for squads/display teams etc.

[quote megustalacerveza]@Notwithittoday ah yeah...covid makes it tricky because there are now legitimate reasons not to want parents standing around. Were you able to view before that?[/quote]
Yes we were. You make a good point though. I’ve read some of that material now. Thank you

@lazylockdowner thank you for asking. This sounds about right. I’ll have to my big girl pants on and ask. I just don’t want to come over pushy parent but I genuinely don’t know how it works and it’s not apparent through their website etc

They generally give you "the nod" and ask your kids to be in squad directly, and then squads range from a couple of hours a week to 20!!

Off topic OP but what bar does your daughter have at home? My friend's girl is a gymnast and I'd love to get her something like that for Christmas.

Dd did gymnastics for a while and there are recreational and competitive classes. Recreational is generally only a couple of classes a week while competitive is insane. She did rhythmic rather than artistic so it wasn't as intense - 9-12 hours a week rather than 20-25 hours a week. What usually happens is the kids that show potential are invited to try out for the competitive but it's certainly worth while asking about their pathway. It sounds like she is recreational. Normally, anyone doing competitive would be doing it by her age but obviously covid has messed up the normal progression

@Mnusernc

They generally give you "the nod" and ask your kids to be in squad directly, and then squads range from a couple of hours a week to 20!!

There’s no way I’d want her doing twenty hours or anything like. It would just be nice for her to get a few certificates to encourage her. They did mentioned a ‘growers’ group that girls would be invited to next year. Not sure what it is though

There really is a sharp divide between rec and squads. How many hours does she do?

Many gymnasts are doing 8-10 hoirs by that age and more if in a "good" squad. These will be the ones you see in the pictures.

@megustalacerveza
www.amazon.co.uk/Gymnastic-Horizontal-Training-Adjustable-Expandable/dp/B07MYFGZDD/ref=asc_df_B07MYFGZDD/?hvlocphy=9046581&linkCode=df0&hvptwo&psc=1&hvnetw=g&hvadid=463343614517&hvpone&hvlocint&hvpos&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl&hvqmt&tag=mumsnetforu03-21&hvtargid=pla-845741563663&hvrand=8521505827749003638
It’s this one but she also has a folder or floor beam that might be a more reasonably priced present.

I can really recommend a trampoline vlub though if she is interested? They are often keen on gymnasts, you can start later (competitive gymnasts are often chosen by 6 and almost impossible to get into late.)

Trampolining doesnt have rhe insane hours and a better competition structure that means you ca compete at different ages.

Thank you all for clarifying. I think I get what’s going on now!

@WoodenReindeer

I can really recommend a trampoline vlub though if she is interested? They are often keen on gymnasts, you can start later (competitive gymnasts are often chosen by 6 and almost impossible to get into late.)

Trampolining doesnt have rhe insane hours and a better competition structure that means you ca compete at different ages.

I will look into this. She loves her trampoline

If you do do say she's a gymnast Nd maybe interested in competing and ask for "try out" which should stop you being stuck in 1-2 hour a week rec groups if that's not what she wants. My daughter has loved it!

Thank you for the tip

It’s worth looking at all the different types of gymnastics, not just artistic, eg rhythmic, aerobic, TeamGym, trampolining, acro. Sometimes your nearest gym will not be the best for your discipline and you will need to travel. Make sure the gym is BGA accredited. Have a look at the BGA website. Your gym should be able to explain the different pathways it runs and how a child moves along it.
As per PPs, recreational is normally 1-2 hours per week, although some kids take a couple of recreational classes each week to increase their hours as otherwise it’s hard to improve.

But competitive gymnastics will require longer training hours. At a regional competition standard, you should expect around 4-5 sessions per week (15+ hours), national standard 5-7 days a week (25+ hours), international daily training (30+++ hours). Just an FYI - as this is a serious commitment and you may wish to consider if this will work for you and your family before you go too far down this road.

In terms of what you should do, if your gym is the best in your area for her discipline, stick with it, they know what they’re doing. Look at increasing your DD’s training hours by adding another recreational class or 2. If there aren’t extra classes at your gym, there’s no rule that says she can’t attend classes at another gym as well. And find out when she will next be assessed and what the next steps are. Is there a particular level/ skill your DD needs to achieve before moving up? Then you can set your DDs expectations on timelines and also help her focus her training goals (a very useful life skill for all gymnasts).

She's defo in the rec classes not the competition squads. The photos are the squad gymnasts. At the gyms we we to they would approach you if they thought your child was good enough. At 8 they are prob doing 6-10 hours a week. Ask the coaches

I think clubs can be a bit different with when they move kids into development/competitive squads. COVID has also meant things have been a bit different. You need to talk to the coaches.

Gym clubs can have the reputation of being fantastic if you are in the development/competitive squad but not so for the recreational classes.

DD’s club is great at communication but her cousins’ one, not so much.

It always seems like such a shame that there isn’t as much in between the one hour a week rec classes and doing crazy hours in squads. We’re in a rec class and that is where we’ll stay but I wouldn’t mine doing 3/4 hours a week. We’d have never been able to do the hours needed for any more than that.

@Bunnycat101

It always seems like such a shame that there isn’t as much in between the one hour a week rec classes and doing crazy hours in squads. We’re in a rec class and that is where we’ll stay but I wouldn’t mine doing 3/4 hours a week. We’d have never been able to do the hours needed for any more than that.

I’ve been very naive I think. I didn’t know it worked like this. Feel sorry for dd. I should have got her into something else

Don't feel sad for her, I feel sad for the kids training so much, it's such a hard life for them. One class a week is brilliant for fitness and flexibility and you're not tied into their hours. You can do other activities and she'll be nicely rounded. There are hundreds of these little girls training insane hours every year and there's only been one gymnast in the last decade that's been a household name. It's the only sport that's competitive really young and it's easy to feel disappointed if your kid isn't progressing but you've done a great thing by taking her and keeping her fitness up so don't feel down hearted. Also, even in squad it may not look like they're making progress as they're not somersaulting, but they're still building up the foundations safely, so you can still expect her to make progress as she gets older.

My DD is in the lowest hours squad and it’s 5 hours a week. They have kids doing much more. It takes over your life.