All-Star 4-year-old Cheerleader To Be...

[queenie]

The convo about privates going on in here makes me think of something I posted before in another thread about privates. It bears repeating again here as people start equating more $$ spent on privates to skills:

The biggest thing with privates is the quality of the session not QUANTITY of privates.

The more focused the child, the better the private. The more organized the instructor, the more "bang for your buck."

Yes! Totally this! My HB was at cp's private yesterday and he said "wow, you can sure see the difference in how she responds to this coach." The fact that HE noticed the difference in coaching sure says something.

 

[CheerBank]

So, those of you that spend x amounts of $$$ on skills... Was it because your child wanted to do privates and tumbling classes because they really wanted to learn the skills, or was it because there was pressure from coaches that they needed to have those skills? Or maybe a bit of both?

Cp is 14. I don't think we've ever felt pressure from a coach to take privates. She took them when she was younger (maybe 3rd and 4th grade) to get her tuck because the gym she went to then did not have any tumbling classes (which sounds crazy now that I look back) and she really wanted that tuck. She did not start with privates again until mid 6th grade to get her layout (she asked to do them) and now does them intermittently when she really wants to focus on getting or refining a new skill. Her current gym concentrates on tumbling and gaining new skills mainly during May and June (our off season lol) as well as throughout the summer, and she currently takes one tumbling class a week in addition to her team practices. In our eyes that tumbling class really is not optional because she should always be working on her tumbling. I pretty much let her tell me now when she wants to do a private, though, because this way I know that she is the one who is motivated to work on whatever she feels she needs. And if she doesn't do one for a few weeks, I view it as more $ saved in my wallet.

I know it's hard to take a deep breath, step back and let the skills progress on their own, but it's really better for your own health in the long term to just enjoy what your cps are doing now rather than to worry about what they're seemingly not doing or what team they could be on the following season if they gain XYZ skills. My cp is in her 9th season of cheer and still loves it as much as she did back when she was on a Mini 1 show team.

 

[cheer25mom]

So, those of you that spend x amounts of $$$ on skills... Was it because your child wanted to do privates and tumbling classes because they really wanted to learn the skills, or was it because there was pressure from coaches that they needed to have those skills? Or maybe a bit of both?

My kid is a "slow learner" with tumbling, and just does not progress from tumbling class alone. It takes the one on one for her to " get it" and even then it was a year to a BWO and anther before she got her BHS.

 

[vannahlexis]

So, those of you that spend x amounts of $$$ on skills... Was it because your child wanted to do privates and tumbling classes because they really wanted to learn the skills, or was it because there was pressure from coaches that they needed to have those skills? Or maybe a bit of both?

I took classes bc I wanted to get the skills. I wanted to be in the routine, so I had to lol it was definitely a lot of doing it for myself and doing it for my teammates/coach.

 

[SheCheers]

So, those of you that spend x amounts of $$$ on skills... Was it because your child wanted to do privates and tumbling classes because they really wanted to learn the skills, or was it because there was pressure from coaches that they needed to have those skills? Or maybe a bit of both?

My Cp is pretty self directed in what skills she wants. She puts an enormous amount of pressure on herself. The only "pressure" she's received from coaches is when they're clearly able to see that she can physically do something, but doesn't yet believe she can. We've found over the years that the no nonsense "are you kidding me, just do it. :::insert eye roll:::" coaching approach works for her. She has also been choreographed with skills into routines that she hasn't quite gotten yet, with the assumption that she'll have those skills come nationals. Which, I'd imagine is a bit of pressure, but it was never actually stated "you must have X by January".
So... As @Kris10boo said before, we never paid for many privates, still don't. It's definitely cp driven/directed what happens. And she gets most of her new skills at open gym where she has the freedom to work on whatever the heck she wants and if she's not "feeling it" (her words) she can do something else.

 

[123jump4!]

This was my reasoning for the private(s) for CP6. I realized they are not learning new tumbling skills at practice. She wants to learn new tumbling skills. So I had the choice between tumbling class or privates. I chose privates because it's more flexible and only a little bit more expensive. When I was watching I thought "She's going to tell me she doesn't want to do this again" because the coach (a college cheerleader) was working her HARD! But she came out beaming and saying she loved it, so it was a total success. She's been practicing drills at home too that the coach told her to do. I'm not putting any pressure, in fact I told her to stop practicing and play with her sister before it's bedtime...

 

[queenie]

My CP (7) loves privates too. She loves the one-on-one coaching. And at our gym, they don't practice tumble during practice so the only way to practice tumbling is to either go to open gym or book privates.

 

[123jump4!]

My CP (7) loves privates too. She loves the one-on-one coaching. And at our gym, they don't practice tumble during practice so the only way to practice tumbling is to either go to open gym or book privates.

I know, I remember you said that before and it did encourage me to go ahead and try one...

 

[FlexyTumblerMom]

So, those of you that spend x amounts of $$$ on skills... Was it because your child wanted to do privates and tumbling classes because they really wanted to learn the skills, or was it because there was pressure from coaches that they needed to have those skills? Or maybe a bit of both?

W/ the exception of when CP was in compulsory gymnastics and actually needed to have very specific skills to perform in her routines, I don't think a coach has ever pressured her to get a certain skill by a certain date. My CP does privates because she wants to get extra work on her own "goal skills" that aren't always worked in regular tumbling classes, and those can change over time and it's fine w/ me. I leave it pretty much up to her re: what she wants to work on in her privates.

 

[Cheer Dad]

So, those of you that spend x amounts of $$$ on skills... Was it because your child wanted to do privates and tumbling classes because they really wanted to learn the skills, or was it because there was pressure from coaches that they needed to have those skills? Or maybe a bit of both?

Some of CP's privates were because the gym we were at didn't have a coach that could work advanced tumbling so we used an outside instructor.

 

[Onfire381]

A lot of this is tied to parental obsession with Level 5.

Everyone is chasing a full.

What they fail to realize is:

1. There are a very select few gyms with Y5 teams to accommodate your 8 year old should she actually get her full so young. Depending on where you live; there's nowhere for her to cheer at her level.

2. Pushing skills so early leads to burn out. If you are doing practice 2x/week, privates on non-practice days, and flyer class on weekends in FIRST GRADE, that is not making for a well-rounded life that needs to include kid things, like just coloring and doing nothing. You can also CAUSE your kid to mental block because they just become so stressed and overwhelmed that they just can't do it.

3. Not every kid is going to end up Level 5. There are kids who (gasp) age out at Senior 3 or 4. Their cheer careers are just as fulfilling as their Worlds team counterparts. Really.

4. Tumbling alone does not a Level 5 cheerleader make! Sure, your 3rd grader has a full, but is she capable of basing or flying at that level? What about jumps? Can she perform in dance and pick up choreo like a Level 5 athlete needs to do? There are other factors to consider!

Yes! Thank you. My CP has been cheering for 7 years now. I don't think at age 16 she will ever be above a level 4. She has had injures the past 2 years and has a standing tuck but is scared of running tumbling as this is how she injured herself both times. She has solid level 4 stunting skills and is used as a side base, main base and back in several stunts. I have not pressured her to get her running tumbling back and she is happy just doing what she does for high school and all star.

 

[cheer25mom]

Yes! Thank you. My CP has been cheering for 7 years now. I don't think at age 16 she will ever be above a level 4. She has had injures the past 2 years and has a standing tuck but is scared of running tumbling as this is how she injured herself both times. She has solid level 4 stunting skills and is used as a side base, main base and back in several stunts. I have not pressured her to get her running tumbling back and she is happy just doing what she does for high school and all star.

It makes me feel good to hear this. My CP is probably going to be one of the kids that is level 2-3 forever. She is not a gifted athlete. She has to work for every skill she gets, and I don't know how much farther that will realistically take her. I figure as long as she is enjoying it, the level doesn't matter. It is good to hear of other CP's who are enjoying just being on the team and throwing the skills they have!

 

[123jump4!]

CP4's class started on backbends today. And toe touch on the tumble track. The coach is really good and super positive. CP loves it. Great. I was just being impatient.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

Honestly, "gym rat"-ing did more to get my kids' skills than anything and it's hard to do that when they're young.

As far as "gym-ratting" goes, whether it helps gain kids skills really depends on the type of "gym-ratting" they're doing.

There is Good Gym Rat who is at open gym every day actually working for the entire 2 hours. Asking coaches who are there for tips, getting tips from more experienced friends, and are generally "in the zone" for most of the time working on skills. I am not generally a fan of kids being in the gym when it's not open gym or practice/private/class but these kids don't bother me.

Then there is the Annoying Gym Rat who is at open gym everyday for 2 hours, is all about "getting her full" but in reality, for a 2 hour open gym, she spends:

20 min - taking a selfie in her new sports bra and bow she just got.
30 min - talking to that boy she likes.
10 min - stretching while talking.
10 min - in the restroom
20 min - getting water after having not actually tumbled yet.
10 min- shooting youtube vids of her and her friends being silly on the tumble track.
5 min - actually throwing tumbling.
10 min - watching people tumble and being like "omg I want to get that sooooo bad."
5 min - saying how bad she wants abs.

These are the kids whom I have to personally walk up to and tell them that they need to either be working on skills or leaving because they are being distracting and taking up space from the kids who are actually in the gym, you know, WORKING.

 

[CheerBank]

As far as "gym-ratting" goes, whether it helps gain kids skills really depends on the type of "gym-ratting" they're doing.

There is Good Gym Rat who is at open gym every day actually working for the entire 2 hours. Asking coaches who are there for tips, getting tips from more experienced friends, and are generally "in the zone" for most of the time working on skills. I am not generally a fan of kids being in the gym when it's not open gym or practice/private/class but these kids don't bother me.

Then there is the Annoying Gym Rat who is at open gym everyday for 2 hours, is all about "getting her full" but in reality, for a 2 hour open gym, she spends:

20 min - taking a selfie in her new sports bra and bow she just got.
30 min - talking to that boy she likes.
10 min - stretching while talking.
10 min - in the restroom
20 min - getting water after having not actually tumbled yet.
10 min- shooting youtube vids of her and her friends being silly on the tumble track.
5 min - actually throwing tumbling.
10 min - watching people tumble and being like "omg I want to get that sooooo bad."
5 min - saying how bad she wants abs.

These are the kids whom I have to personally walk up to and tell them that they need to either be working on skills or leaving because they are being distracting and taking up space from the kids who are actually in the gym, you know, WORKING.

And don't forget the gym rat whose mom drops her off at 10am on a Saturday for a 2pm private and picks her up at 6. That's my personal favorite.