Parents 2 years in and i still feel like a newbie

[NYG]

Hi all, I'm the Father of a lvl 5 Gymnast and I still feel lost in this crazy sport. I thought I understood the simplest part of this, which would be the levels 1-10 + Elite, except there is no lvl 6 it is pre-op? The gym we're at just finished up Nationals and they had banners for gold and platnum levels which I have no idea what that is. Is there levels within the levels? If there is some kind of guide to learn what skills are called within a level would be helpfull as well. As of right now, when I talk with my kid, she will tell me what's she's working on, like baby giants, I tell her "great job" get home and you tube it so I can get a clue. I have few thousand more questions but this would be a great start if any of you guys could help me out.

Oh, last thing why does everyone call their kid "DD"?

 

[wallinbl]

DD - delightful/devoted/d(whatever) daughter
DS - same thing, but son

Prep Op is substituted in place of level 6 at many gyms around here. The consensus in our state seems to be that level 6 scoring is very tough and is discouraging to the gymnasts. Prep op allows them to get their own routines, which they really like, and get better scores at meets, which means they're less likely to quit. Our gym would probably do level 6, except for the fact that most other gyms do Prep Op instead, so going to a level 6 meet often meets competing against yourself.

 

[MaryA]

Prep Op (known as Excel in some states) is separate from the "levels." It is different from state to state. We have beginning, intermediate, and advanced prep-ops, but some states have bronze, silver, gold, diamond levels. It's supposed to become more standard from state to state starting in August of 2013 which I think will solve the program's identity crisis a bit.

Prep Op is used differently in different gyms. Some gyms use it as a bridge between the compulsary levels (up through level 6) and the optional levels (starting at level 7). Others use it "in place" of level 6, for the same reasons wallinbl lists above, though a gymnast will still have to compete at at least one level 6 meet and get her mobility score to move up to 7. The scores you get as a Prep Op/Excel don't help you move up in the levels. The two streams are totally separate.

Scoring in Prep Op tends to be easier, and the girls get to have their own routines from the very beginning. In general, Prep Op groups tend to practice fewer hours than the upper levels of Junior Olympics. At our gym the prep ops practice 10 hours a week, with the option of three additional hours, while our level 6's (just to give you an example) practice 14. At our gym it is a fun option for girls who want to stay in gymnastics but who still want to participate in other activities and/or don't want the kind of hours/commitment required from the JO stream. In my experience, girls in the "levels" move into prep op more frequently than girls in prep op move back into the levels, but again, it's different at other gyms.

I'm not sure if I made it clearer or just more confusing...

 

[Deleted member D3987]

Hi all, I'm the Father of a lvl 5 Gymnast and I still feel lost in this crazy sport. I thought I understood the simplest part of this, which would be the levels 1-10 + Elite, except there is no lvl 6 it is pre-op? The gym we're at just finished up Nationals and they had banners for gold and platnum levels which I have no idea what that is. Is there levels within the levels? If there is some kind of guide to learn what skills are called within a level would be helpfull as well. As of right now, when I talk with my kid, she will tell me what's she's working on, like baby giants, I tell her "great job" get home and you tube it so I can get a clue. I have few thousand more questions but this would be a great start if any of you guys could help me out.

Oh, last thing why does everyone call their kid "DD"?

hey there, NYG. welcome to Chalbucket. check the link below to your own state. go thru all the various other sub-links on your state website. very helpful and informative. not all states run the same, so this will help you In New York. cheers!

Home Page

 

[2020vision]

Prep Op philosophy seems to vary from coach to coach. At our gym, Prep Op is not used to get to optionals more quickly, but rather as a "holding pattern" for those gymnasts who either don't have the drive, talent, or desire to put in the hours required of our optionals program. Parents can get upset when their gymnast is moved from 5 or 6 to prep op rather than moved up to 6 because it means that the coaches have decided that the gymnasts isn't ready for either the harder scoring of 6 or not ready to move to optionals. Every now and then a gymnast will move from Prep Op back into JO, but not very often.

 

[NYG]

Thanks for all the replies.

2020vision, That's interesting on the prep op, I'm not even sure this gym offers level 6 on it's own. It appears, though I could be wrong, this gym goes lvl 5, Prep Op/excell, lvl 7 and so on. I think it's more along the lines of how Marya explained it. I would ask the coach but my kid is a first year lvl 5, not sure how it would come off if I'm asking about a lvl past my child. I don't want to come off as if I have some grand plan for my kid, when really I just want to understand how all this works.

Dunno, I didn't think anyone would get the "NYG", nice catch. I'm no longer in NY, I'm stationed in Oklahoma City with TACAMO at Tinker AFB. I've navigated through the USAG website, but it's not helpfull IMO or it's operator error. I will see if I can find the same site for OK.

 

[gymgal]

NYG, here the link for OK.
http://www.okgymnastics.org/

It's fine to ask the hc/owner about the next level. You're just trying to get a better handle on a new concept. What your gym is doing - substituting xcel for L6 - is becoming more common.

And YouTube is great for learning about gym skills. My dd is a L7 and uptraining higher level skills. I'm OK with lower level skills but these more advance skills that I can't pronounce, nevermind spell? - I have been finding myself youtubing for information quite a bit!

Welcome aboard, BTW.
Sent from my ADR6400L using Tapatalk 2

 

[Deleted member D3987]

although Oklahoma is in region 4, it is not listed with prep-op/excel being done in that state. but review the link below from USA Gymnastics and click on the other states in "region 4" and that should give you an indication of what's to come.

:: USA Gymnastics :: Xcel Programs ::

 

[NYG]

Thanks for everyones help. I will talk with the coach next time I'm at the gym and see exactly how it all works there. Though we will probably be in Norfolk or Virginia Beach this time next year so we get to do this all over again.

 

[MeetDirector]

it isn't often that I am close to being qualified to pose a correction to a post by Dunno, but Oklahoma is in Region 3 right along with us and Texas.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

lol! ya think i'd/should know that? i'm an idiot...it was right there for me to read also. lol! not to mention i should know where everyone is...

and here you go:

http://www.okgymnastics.org/rules-and-policies/okusagpolicies/prep-optional

 

[GymBee97]

DD = darling daughter, dear daughter

Don't feel lost Ive been doing this with son then DD for 15 years now and there are areas that I still don't understand. With the changes coming in 2013 - YIKES - we will all be lost for a few more years .

Gold and Platnum levels sounds like the Prep Op/Excel program which is a USAG gymnastic program but seperate from the Junior Olympic (JO) program (Levels 1 - L10) and is sperate from the Elite program. All do gymnastics but are different programs with different guidelines. Since you said your DD is L5 you are in the JO program.

Alot of gyms skip L6 have the girls do Prep op and then come back to L7. None of the gyms in my area do this but I have heard of gyms in other areas that do. Sounds like your gym may be one that does this if there are no L6 gymnasts.

YouTube is a great place to see what these skills are - My dd says a name of a skill still can't remember which flippy tumbly thing she is talking about LOL