Xcel PreTeam Try Outs

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CTSharpie05

Proud Parent
My 8 yo has been doing rec gymnastics for 10 months. Her coach pulled me to the side a few weeks ago and asked why I had not signed her up for team tryouts. I had advised time comittment and she likes to do other sports. I was offered to let her tryout for Xcel Preteam. Tryouts are this Sunday.
Here are some of her skills: Casting (pretty far back), pullover on bars (unassisted), back walk over, back kick over, handstand, cartwheel, round off, backbends, front handsrpings, lots of different rolls, split jump on beam, 1/2 turn on beam, pretty good balance on beam, vault into a front handspring (legs not quite straight enough yet), she has the splits down, and she is consistently the strongest girl in her rec class.
Do these sound like skills that would put a girl in xcel preteam? Maybe even the first level of Xcel team? We are region 5 out of Fishers, IN. I know she is very talented but she would be heartbroken if she did not make it. TIA
 
Well, Xcel bronze isn't that hard, it doesn't have to be anyways. Pullover, cast, back hip circle cast away could be a bar routine. But we don't know how demanding your gym is and if they will let gymnasts perform the bare basics. I would let her try out, IMO she has a lot of chance to make it
 
Yes, those are skills that any gym around here would put on their Xcel bronze team (with a caveat on how clean those skills are.) Certainly she should make preteam. If the coach approached you and asked her to try for the JO team, I would feel fairly certain she would make the Xcel team. Teams differ everywhere, but almost universally, if both teams are in the same gym, Xcel is much easier to get into.
 
Her skills sound more than sufficient for the first level of Xcel (Bronze) at most any gym. Certainly pre-team. I suppose there could be some cut-throat-picky Xcel programs out there (anything is possible), but Xcel, by design, is supposed to be more inclusive of a variety of talent levels, ages, abilities, and physiques.

I think she will rock the tryout!

My daughter started in Rec, then Xcel Preteam (at age 7). She had fewer skills than your DD, but was quite strong (pull ups, sit ups and such were very easy). After only a month, though, she was invited to Bronze to compete (theoretically) just 4 months later. She kinda crushed it in that level, so instead of competing Bronze, she then was moved to JO. She is now a JO optional at age 10.

Go for it!
 
Coaches perspective here: When I ask a family to bring their child to tryouts, it's because I think the kid has what it takes. Occasionally, when I get to evaluate the kid closer, I'll see that they are missing a key skill or two and not move them to team or pre-team at that time, but then I can provide specific feedback on what they need to work on to move up in the future. When I invite a kid, they almost always end up in our pre-team or team classes within the next 6 months. The worst that happens is probably, "She isn't ready yet and needs to work on x, y and z."
 
Tryouts are over. She did good. Not sure it was good enough though. There were several older girls there who looked like they had actually been on JO before. We should know the results in a week.
Let us know when you find out! And if she didn't make it, they will at least tell you what she has to work on and she has an even better chance of making it next year!
 
Fingers crossed that there is an opportunity for her :)

Personally, I think gyms should welcome any motivated athlete into the Xcel stream (barring coaching capacity concerns), even if an athlete needs extra time on pre-team (or Rec, if that serves as suitable pre-pre team) at first. A motivated, hard-working child with even a modest amount of athletic talent can almost always achieve a Bronze skill level in a year or two, and often higher. Xcel is supposed to be inclusive. So if for any reason they aren't looking to take her on now, that's ok, as long as they do give you feedback on what she needs to work on, and are willing to work with the Rec coach if needed to build the requisite skills or strengths before the next tryout.
 
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Tryouts are over. She did good
that's exciting, thanks for sharing.

Cograts, as long as she did her best that's all you can ask

My dd is trying out for team in a few weeks. I know all gyms do this different but If you don't mind me asking, what did they do for the tryout? Were they told in advance what the tryout would entail? It would be helpful if I could give my dd an idea of what to possibly expect.
 
that's exciting, thanks for sharing.

Cograts, as long as she did her best that's all you can ask

My dd is trying out for team in a few weeks. I know all gyms do this different but If you don't mind me asking, what did they do for the tryout? Were they told in advance what the tryout would entail? It would be helpful if I could give my dd an idea of what to possibly expect.

I can only tell you what they do at our gym: they basically run it like a team workout and see how they do. Lots of conditioning, flexibility, and strength work, make it nice and boring and see if they keeping working and attending. Some skills in there, too, pretty much they run a lot of drills and make notes on how the kids do. This is for recreational kids moving up, though (to either developmental or Xcel, usually). Once they are on team track (developmental) they don't really have another try-out, just continued assessment.
 
My dd is trying out for team in a few weeks. I know all gyms do this different but If you don't mind me asking, what did they do for the tryout? Were they told in advance what the tryout would entail? It would be helpful if I could give my dd an idea of what to possibly expect.

Not my experience, but from someone who posted try-outs on YouTube. They were just doing skills to see how far they were and also try to learn newer things and perfect them, see how well they apply corrections i think.
 

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