Mobility between the Levels

The specific mission of Buckeye Gymnastics is to develop happy, healthy, and confident children. One way in which we can help meet this demanding goal is to place the gymnasts at the Level where they can be happy, safe, and confident. What this means is that every gymnast must be able to perform the skills and routines required at a given Level comfortably. The skills should not be at the edge of or beyond her ability Level. We can never ask or expect our athletes to perform skills or routines in a competition which they cannot perform consistently in practice. Therefore, we strive to compete our gymnasts at about 75-80% of their current skill Level.

This means that if the girls are competing at Level 6, they should have mastered all the Level 6 skills and should be training some Level 7 skills in practice. Likewise, a gymnast competing a full twist on floor should be able to perform a one and a half twist in practice. We are not going to advance any gymnast to the next Level until she can safely perform all the skills required of that new Level.

We do not want to be in a position in which a gymnast is advanced only to discover that she was not ready and cannot compete successfully.

The gymnasts will advance when the coaching staff thinks they are ready to advance.

If you desire a general rule of thumb for knowing when a gymnast is ready to advance, look at the all-around score. A 36.00+ all around score, achieved at least twice during the season, combined with the ability to perform all or most of the skills required at the new Level, probably indicates a readiness to advance to the next Level.

The entire coaching staff meets to determine the advancement of the athletes. While the standard noted above is a strong indicator, the ultimate standard is that the coaching staff agrees that the athlete is ready to compete successfully at the higher level. That is the standard.

How Parents Show respect for Buckeye Gymnastics and Our Beautiful Sport

Parents play a huge role in the development of a successful gymnast. Your role is every bit as important as that of the gym or of the coaches. It is also every bit as difficult. That is why we welcome your presence at every practice, at every team function, and at every competition. We try to be very family friendly and oriented. We want your input and your support because we want your child to succeed. Here is what you can do to help your daughter or son achieve his or her dreams.

On the physical side it is your job to insure that your young athlete gets enough sleep, gets enough of the proper kinds of food and drink, gets to and from the gym on time, has the proper clothing and equipment, and receives proper instruction from knowledgeable and caring coaches.

The emotional side is just as important. It is your role to provide unconditional love, encouragement, and support. Your support is not based on whether she made her kip in practice that day; your support is not dependent on her scoring a 36.00 in the all around; and your love is not conditioned on her somehow making you look good by being the best in her group, on her team, in her state, or in the country.

It is through performing these tasks that you show your respect for your gymnast and the effort he or she is putting into their sport. Any more or any less does a disservice to your child and will limit their opportunity for success.