Bog,
I am probably not as knowledgable as others on this board, but here in NJ while their is an age restrictions such as L4 being age 6 by states and L5 you have to be 7, many gyms know how to work around those rules. Some gyms with talented younger ones hold them in L4 (age 6 and 7) and then seriously uptrain so that when they turn age 7 they go and do L4 states, hit up the L5 season and do states again, and then can test out of L6 and go right to L7. All within a years time. There is also the TOPS program that adds training time onto regular practice for strong and talented gymies. And, recently our gym started doing a mornning class for the Hopes program which is a pre-elite sort of program that would uptrain the girls while allowing them to go thru USAG levels and yet be eligible to compete on the international level. Forgive me if I am wrong on that but one of my DD's teamates does this program and that's some of the info I got from the mom. So, talented youngsters have some different choices.
And, that team/gym I mentioned in the parent forum that does 28 hrs a week with their L4 team? They seriously uptrain their girls to do USAG L7 skills as well, meaning giants on bars, difficult vault skills and more difficult floor skills. So, they will probably Do quick season of L5, testr out at L6 and also go right to L7 if they last that long.
Just wanted to add too that we had a new L4 this year and she was only 5. She was going to comptet with us at a meet for "exhibition" only meaning her scores would not count, but at the last minute they wouldn't let her. They did let her vault at the very end and allowed her to go up to the podium where they gave her a participation ribbon. She could not compete until after she turned 6 end of Oct. By then she missed 2 sectionals, couldn't make the 3rd because she has 2 other higher level sisters competeing that weekend and didn;t go to states. She will train with us towards L5 for now and then go and do L4 season in Sept and then maybe L5 with us. The timing for her was just bad with her B-Day and now she has to wait, but at least she will be moved right on up and not wait two full seasons like we did, LOL