Parents Age requirement for level 4 - confused

[notthatmom]

As far as the age group being labeled 6-7, what may have happened is when they set up the meet in the computer system (i.e. proscore) you can set the age groups for all levels and it could be set age 6-7; 8-9; 10-11 etc, etc.... it may be that they just didn't go in and change for each level so even though there aren't 6 year olds for that level it is labeled that way because the age groups are set the same for L2, l3, l4...you get the picture.... I would't put too much thought into how they labeled the age groups.

Oh good point, that's very possible!!
And yeah, that's sound advice...don't waste the time trying to figure out age groups...because it's impossible to understand and it changes with every meet

 

[raenndrops]

It

It depends on the meet. They can be younger than 7

They CAN set the age DIVISIONS.
HOWEVER (as stated in the rule above the one you quoted), "All gymnasts must reach the minimum age for the level before competing in any USA Gymnastics sanctioned competition," so a gymnast YOUNGER than the minimum age on the date of the meet is not SUPPOSED to compete - even in an invitational (and DEFINITELY not in a state meet).

 

[raenndrops]

It was definitely level 4. On the website, mymeetscores and meet scores, they will most of the time attach an age to the division (instead of younger, older or child). The division stated 6-7.
I totally agree with the fact that my daughter could train and not compete with the level 4's, but why would they require that she have her level 4 floor skills and kip to move into a group in which she won't compete those skills for another 14 months (late fall of 2018)??
Oh well....I guess I will do as you advise and just play dumb when being told where she will wind up in fall.

It could be that they want her to practice with the L4s for the entire season so she can score out of 4 after her 7th birthday and compete L5 as a 7 year old.

 

[HoldThePhone]

Perhaps this

1. For invitationals and qualifying meets below the State Championships, the Meet Director may determine the age divisions and must publish such information in the pre-meet information.

https://www.usagym.org/pages/women/pages/overview_jo.html

Info taken from the link:
"A gymnast may not advance to Level 4 until she has completed the requirements as listed in the Entry & Mobility chart." (This chart states that the gymnast must have reached her 7th Birthday.)

"The gymnast's age for the competitive season is determined by the date of the final day of competition at the culminating championship meet for that level. Exception: The gymnast must have reached the minimum age for her level prior to entering any qualifying competition."
"For Levels 3, 4, 5, 6 & 7 - age is determined by the date of the last day of the State Meet (or Sectional, if no State meet is held)."

I think where some gyms may take liberties is using the date that State is and say it's fine, while ignoring the fact that the chart states pretty clearly you must be 7. I have never seen a 6 year old allowed to compete level 4 in our state, and they shouldn't be. There seriously should not be that big of a rush to get a 6 year old competing Level 4. Even a talented 6 year old really shouldn't be capable of fantastic scores in 4, unless they are working out more than is likely age appropriate, which is a whole other conversation.

Nowhere in the info on USAG's site does the wording indicate to me that a 6 year old can compete level 4 at any point.

 

[LJL07]

6 year olds cannot and in my opinion should not compete level 4. If you saw something like this in your gym's stats, I would imagine it was old level 4, which is now the new level 3. 6 year olds generally lack the body awareness and body control to compete 4 and score well, even if they have a kip and bhs. Not even Olympians and national team members competed 4 as 6 year olds.

 

[strawberries]

Is there any penalty if a gym just decides they want to break the rules and have a 6 yr old compete L4?

 

[HoldThePhone]

I feel like this question came up a couple years back here, and that posters daughter had a 6 year old that DID end up competing level 4 before she turned 7. I'm going to see if I can find it.

 

[LJL07]

Is there any penalty if a gym just decides they want to break the rules and have a 6 yr old compete L4?

Good question! Because it is definitely against the "rules."

 

[3rd_time_around]

I believe you have to be 7 by the date of the state meet. So for fall compulsory that would be Novemberish and for spring, Aprilish.

I was about to say this. They must turn 7 by the last sanctioned meet before the state meet. (it used to be by the state meet date, so it could be that if I've read it wrong. But definitely have to turn 7 by the State Meet.) If she turned 6 this summer, she is not old emough. They should let her compete level 3 or Xcel.

 

[mllea2]

Thank you for the replies.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I think where some gyms may take liberties is using the date that State is and say it's fine, while ignoring the fact that the chart states pretty clearly you must be 7. I have never seen a 6 year old allowed to compete level 4 in our state, and they shouldn't be. There seriously should not be that big of a rush to get a 6 year old competing Level 4. Even a talented 6 year old really shouldn't be capable of fantastic scores in 4, unless they are working out more than is likely age appropriate, which is a whole other conversation.
.

This

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Regarding age ranges. If the computer program is designed for a "range"

Then it is likely a range must be entered. That would explain 6-7.

 

[MILgymFAM]

It's funny- we know a 5 year old (6 this month) who is an amazing little gymnast. She competes T&T (which shouldn't be allowed??) and rhythmic. She is also on a JO preteam. She was moved to the L4 team at the beginning of the summer to train. She'll compete L3 apparently this year, then next year the plan is to have her do 4 and 5. Her form is really nice on floor- better than most of the older girls on her (pretty good) team. I've never seen her vault, but she's got solid L5 skills on bars and beam too. It's crazy to me that she can't compete at all and a year and change later will likely be a L7..

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

I feel like this question came up a couple years back here, and that posters daughter had a 6 year old that DID end up competing level 4 before she turned 7. I'm going to see if I can find it.

Yes there was but I think it was old level five and the child competed the level in IGC or AAU or similar while she was six and then repeated the level as a JO the following year. Basically the same routines run under a different body without the age requirements.

 

[HoldThePhone]

Yes there was but I think it was old level five and the child competed the level in IGC or AAU or similar while she was six and then repeated the level as a JO the following year. Basically the same routines run under a different body without the age requirements.

We might be thinking of different ones, I think I remember the poster even, but can't find the actual post. Search isn't going back far enough. Oh well.

 

[duyetanh]

We definitely know of one, my kid follows her youtube channel. Did the new level 4 at 6 years old. The mom posted it...it wasnt a secret. I remember saying this on an old post. The child i am referencing is not training level 10 at 10 yrs old

 

[raenndrops]

We definitely know of one, my kid follows her youtube channel. Did the new level 4 at 6 years old. The mom posted it...it wasnt a secret. I remember saying this on an old post. The child i am referencing is not training level 10 at 10 yrs old

I also saw one where a girl did meets at Level 4 at 6 years old. She competed in her first meet in March 2014. She was still 6 until mid-April. Then she had a couple of meets at 7 years old before States. Funny enough… her 2 meets at 6 years old don't have results available on Mymeetscores (meets were both listed but no results submitted) or MSO.

 

[CuriousCate]

Haven't read all the replies but we have DEFINITELY been at a meet with a '6-7' age group for level 4. There were NO 6 year olds though. Only 7 year olds, not sure why they kept the 6-7 category.

Our gym told us as long as they are 7 by states meet (December 1-3 for us) that they are eligible to compete the season. That would mean that for meets leading up to states, there could be 6 year olds competing level 4. Beyond that rule, though, I don't know how a 6 year old could compete unless the meet is not USAG sanctioned.

 

[CuriousCate]

They CAN set the age DIVISIONS.
HOWEVER (as stated in the rule above the one you quoted), "All gymnasts must reach the minimum age for the level before competing in any USA Gymnastics sanctioned competition," so a gymnast YOUNGER than the minimum age on the date of the meet is not SUPPOSED to compete - even in an invitational (and DEFINITELY not in a state meet).

ooh. well that wipes what I was told right out!

 

[MeetDirector]

Is there any penalty if a gym just decides they want to break the rules and have a 6 yr old compete L4?

It's a sanction violation if they compete in a sanctioned meet. There are monetary penalties on the meet director for sanction violations. The rules are clear - minimum age to compete, period. Nobody under age would compete in my meets.

As for the scoring software, it can be set for anything; it is rule-agnostic. I could label award groups with fruit names if I wanted to.

I do believe the USAG meet entry system checks ages of entered gymnasts and won't let an under-age gymnast be entered in a meet. I still check everything manually; something about not trusting the software.