Parents Age/Level and Path they took to get there

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7 - preteam
8 - Xcel Silver
9 - Xcel Gold

She's now working to score out of 4/5 and move to L6 in June assuming she gets her flyaway. This is not our request to "skip" levels. It's how our gym does it - Gold serves as a "pool" for optionals, some stay in Xcel, others move to L6.
 
Let's see...
Climbing over furniture: 9mos-1 1/2
Mommy & Me classes: 1.5-2.5
Rec gym: 2.5-5
Rec gym + Level 1 and "fun meets": 6
Moved out of state, switched gyms....Bronze/Level 3: 7
Gym closed, switched gyms again: Level 4: 8
Scored out of level 5 (thank you! No evil demented clown music for a whole season!!)
Level 6: 9
PANDEMIC!!
XP: 10 (gym only did xcel during the pandemic)
Level 7: 11
Level 8 (this year): 12

She starts high school next year and is petitioning (with a bunch of her friends) to start a high school team. Not sure what next year will bring.
 
We are both coaches so our kids started gymnastics ASAP and all did a full line of preschool classes (and a lot being thrown up in the air and flipped around when they were babies).

First Daughter
  • L3 (Current L2) - 5 years old
  • L4 (Current L3) - 6 years old
  • L5 (Current L4) - 7 years old (did 3 meets)
  • L6 (Current L5) - 7 years old (just mobility)
  • L7 - 8 years old
  • TOPs (did ok as a 9 year old)
  • L8 - 9 years old
  • TOPs ("A" Team as a 10 year old)
  • L9 - 10 years old
  • DIC camps & Hopes (did both for a few years)
  • L10 - 11 years old (this is here 7th year as a L10)
  • Signing with Air Force today!
Second Daughter
  • L3 (Current L2) - 5 years old
  • L4 (Current L3) - 6 & 7 years old
  • L4 (Current L4) - 8 & 9 years old
  • L5 - 10 years old (just mobility)
  • L7 - 10... 11... 12 years old
  • L8 - 13 years old
  • L9 - 14... 15... 16 (this will be her 3rd year of L9... but doing great... having fun)
Son (goes to the club next door... so we do not coach him... Dec. 31st b-day)
  • L4 - 5 & 6 years old
  • L5 - 7 year old
  • L6 - 8 year old
  • L7 - 9 year old
  • L8 - 10 & 11 year old (this year)
Ok... there it is... we think that is pretty much correct.
 
We are both coaches so our kids started gymnastics ASAP and all did a full line of preschool classes (and a lot being thrown up in the air and flipped around when they were babies).

First Daughter
  • L3 (Current L2) - 5 years old
  • L4 (Current L3) - 6 years old
  • L5 (Current L4) - 7 years old (did 3 meets)
  • L6 (Current L5) - 7 years old (just mobility)
  • L7 - 8 years old
  • TOPs (did ok as a 9 year old)
  • L8 - 9 years old
  • TOPs ("A" Team as a 10 year old)
  • L9 - 10 years old
  • DIC camps & Hopes (did both for a few years)
  • L10 - 11 years old (this is here 7th year as a L10)
  • Signing with Air Force today!
Second Daughter
  • L3 (Current L2) - 5 years old
  • L4 (Current L3) - 6 & 7 years old
  • L4 (Current L4) - 8 & 9 years old
  • L5 - 10 years old (just mobility)
  • L7 - 10... 11... 12 years old
  • L8 - 13 years old
  • L9 - 14... 15... 16 (this will be her 3rd year of L9... but doing great... having fun)
Son (goes to the club next door... so we do not coach him... Dec. 31st b-day)
  • L4 - 5 & 6 years old
  • L5 - 7 year old
  • L6 - 8 year old
  • L7 - 9 year old
  • L8 - 10 & 11 year old (this year)
Ok... there it is... we think that is pretty much correct.
Congrats on the Air Force signing. That's amazing!!!
 
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DD started rather late, so here goes
Rec (Lvl 1) 5-6 Then quit
Rec (Level 1)- 9 yrs/4th grade
Rec (Level 2)- 9 yrs/4th grade
Preteam (Lvl 3/very basic 4 skills)- 10 yrs/5th grade
Xcel Silver- 11 yrs/6th grade
Xcel Gold- 12 yrs/7th grade
Xcel Gold- 13 yrs/8th grade
Xcel Platinum- 14 yrs/9th grade (but she's competing gold at the first meet just since she's juuust getting all the platinum skills)

Goals: Xcel Sapphire or Level 8. And college club team, or possible acro and tumbling.
 
1st grade: signed my shy daughter up for a rec class as this is the first thing she asked to try independently. Took her to an open gym after her first class and she stayed by my side nearly the whole time because I wasn't allowed on the floor with her.
1st/2nd grade: Pre-team until Covid shutdown, after which she took a few months break due to illness.
3rd grade: Joined a new gym January 2022 and completed level 4 last season.
4th grade/currently: Will complete level 6 this season (with a level 5 score out).
It all seemed to go so slow at first, and then all of the sudden, here we are. She states her goal is college gymnastics, but I don't ask. I feel like the harder skills are coming up more quickly now, and I want her to feel healthy and happy and have joy without feeling pressure from the adults around her. She's developed some skills quite rapidly, and I appreciate that her gym didn't push her to go from 4 to 7. I know this works well for some kids, but her brain needs time to catch up with her body.
 
I started gymnastics at 8 years old
Rec 1 year
Pre team 1 year
skipped level 3
Level 4: 1 year
skipped level 5
Level 6: 1 year
Level 7: 1 year
Level 8: 1 year
Level 9: (current)
I'm currently 14 yeas old and my goal is to do college gymnastics.
 
I just read all of your poster.. I noticed that some slip level 5 into level 6 some slipe level 4 into level 5. Can do it??
My DD.... I tried to remember.. lolzzz
2 or 3 years ---mommy and me gym
4 years funny gymnastics
5 years----pre-team
6 years----level 2
7 years---level 3(COVID19)
8 years---level 3
9 years---level 4
10 years---level 5

Just consider if how can she deal with it and try slip into level 7?? if possible? because COVID 19 cause her late one year.
 
We are both coaches so our kids started gymnastics ASAP and all did a full line of preschool classes (and a lot being thrown up in the air and flipped around when they were babies).

First Daughter
  • L3 (Current L2) - 5 years old
  • L4 (Current L3) - 6 years old
  • L5 (Current L4) - 7 years old (did 3 meets)
  • L6 (Current L5) - 7 years old (just mobility)
  • L7 - 8 years old
  • TOPs (did ok as a 9 year old)
  • L8 - 9 years old
  • TOPs ("A" Team as a 10 year old)
  • L9 - 10 years old
  • DIC camps & Hopes (did both for a few years)
  • L10 - 11 years old (this is here 7th year as a L10)
  • Signing with Air Force today!
Second Daughter
  • L3 (Current L2) - 5 years old
  • L4 (Current L3) - 6 & 7 years old
  • L4 (Current L4) - 8 & 9 years old
  • L5 - 10 years old (just mobility)
  • L7 - 10... 11... 12 years old
  • L8 - 13 years old
  • L9 - 14... 15... 16 (this will be her 3rd year of L9... but doing great... having fun)
Son (goes to the club next door... so we do not coach him... Dec. 31st b-day)
  • L4 - 5 & 6 years old
  • L5 - 7 year old
  • L6 - 8 year old
  • L7 - 9 year old
  • L8 - 10 & 11 year old (this year)
Ok... there it is... we think that is pretty much correct.
great job.. my area did not offer HOPes program...
 
Daughter:
Rec: age 4-5?
L2: 6 yo
Skip L3
L4: 7 yo
Test out L5
L6: 8 yo
Will be competing L7 at 9 yo this season. She did TOPs as an 8 yo and made TOPs A Camp
Goal: College gymnastics, D1, dreams of Olympics and "being the best gymnast in the world"

Son:
Rec: a few months at 7 yo
L4: 8 yo (ages in "competition age")
L5: 9 yo
Future Stars 9 yo division
L6: 10 yo
Future Stars 10 yo division, plus FS Nationals, made FS camp
L7: 11 yo
L8: 12-13 Junior Elite division
FS 12 yo division, plus FS Nationals, made FS camp
Junior National Team
Will be competing L9 this season as 14 yo.
Goal: College gymnastics, Olympics -- sometimes wants to be pommel horse specialist
 
16 years old/6th year level 10

Age 6 - level 3
Age 7 - level 4
Age 8 - level 5/7 (did both in the same year)
Age 8 - level 8
Age 10 - level 10 (scored out of level 9), also started Hopes this same year
Now, as a junior in high school she is starting her 6th year in level 10. Committed to OU to join in summer, 2024
 
I just read all of your poster.. I noticed that some slip level 5 into level 6 some slipe level 4 into level 5. Can do it??
My DD.... I tried to remember.. lolzzz
2 or 3 years ---mommy and me gym
4 years funny gymnastics
5 years----pre-team
6 years----level 2
7 years---level 3(COVID19)
8 years---level 3
9 years---level 4
10 years---level 5

Just consider if how can she deal with it and try slip into level 7?? if possible? because COVID 19 cause her late one year.
Many kids/ gyms go from level 5 to 7... L6 is a nice in between level but not necessary. L6 can be skipped if the gymnast earned a 32AA or higher in L5.
 
Many kids/ gyms go from level 5 to 7... L6 is a nice in between level but not necessary. L6 can be skipped if the gymnast earned a 32AA or higher in L5.
Going L4 -> L6 is pretty common, and it seems equally common for kids who aren’t ready to skip 5 to go L5 -> L7. In either case you end up a 7 two years after competing 4.

I’m fact, at my daughters gym the 5s and 6s train together because most of them were on the same team the previous season and are just slightly asynchronous in their skills
 
Love seeing everyone’s path! My gymnast is not very far into her journey but so far:

Age 5: Rec/Adv Rec
Age 6: Invited to preteam/took most of the year off due to covid
Age 7/8: Xcel Bronze season
Age 8/9: Xcel Silver Season
 
Going L4 -> L6 is pretty common, and it seems equally common for kids who aren’t ready to skip 5 to go L5 -> L7. In either case you end up a 7 two years after competing 4.

I’m fact, at my daughters gym the 5s and 6s train together because most of them were on the same team the previous season and are just slightly asynchronous in their skills
I know every gym and region is different, but it was kind of the opposite at our gym, at least a few years ago when my daughter was that level. It wasn't a matter of not being ready to skip 5. Our gym felt that 5 was an important level and also provided the best competition. Most of the weaker gyms in our area skipped (scored out of) 5 because the scoring was considered harder in 5 and went 4 to 6. But our gym felt like competing 5 was better long term and so no one competed 6.

I think competing level 5 is starting to go out of fashion in our area/region though and now a lot of the bigger/more competitive gyms, including ours, are heading towards competing 4, scoring out of 5 and competing 6 all within the same competition year (we have a fall compulsory and winter optional season) and then competing 7 a year after 4. I'm not sure I'm a fan.
 
I know every gym and region is different, but it was kind of the opposite at our gym, at least a few years ago when my daughter was that level. It wasn't a matter of not being ready to skip 5. Our gym felt that 5 was an important level and also provided the best competition. Most of the weaker gyms in our area skipped (scored out of) 5 because the scoring was considered harder in 5 and went 4 to 6. But our gym felt like competing 5 was better long term and so no one competed 6.

I think competing level 5 is starting to go out of fashion in our area/region though and now a lot of the bigger/more competitive gyms, including ours, are heading towards competing 4, scoring out of 5 and competing 6 all within the same competition year (we have a fall compulsory and winter optional season) and then competing 7 a year after 4. I'm not sure I'm a fan.
I think that’s a fair assessment. It seems like in my region 4->7 is the ideal but that most kids can’t manage it. Then 5 versus 6 comes down to skills — probably beam and vault but I’m no expert.
 
I will say our area doesn't have that fall compusory spring optional thing going on so you dont have kids really going 4-7 in the same year essentially (It would be 4 one year and then 7 a year later after a big summer of uptraining) and even that isnt super common unless they really have the talent to pull that off. We had 2-3 girls do that a few years ago but not really since then.
 
I will say our area doesn't have that fall compusory spring optional thing going on so you dont have kids really going 4-7 in the same year essentially (It would be 4 one year and then 7 a year later after a big summer of uptraining) and even that isnt super common unless they really have the talent to pull that off. We had 2-3 girls do that a few years ago but not really since then.
Neither does mine, and it is pretty rare. Definitely not something that "normal" kids do. Even the "normal talented" ones seem to just skip one of 5 and 6.
 

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