For Parents Can someone help me determine her skill level?

[HopefulTeamGymnast]

My 13, turning 14 in February DD, really wants to join the team. She's done gymnastics since 2021, and joined class in September 2022. The gym we currently attend has mostly 11-16 year olds on the team. We don't know if we'll have to wait until next year since DD says comp season has already started, but we just would like to pinpoint her level. Here's a list of her current skills on each event:

Floor

• Backhandspring (pretty straight legs)
• Round off backhandspring (straight legs)
• Standing tuck
• Ro tuck
• Ro bhs tuck
• Front tuck
• Aerial
• Backwalkover tuck
• Cartwheel tuck
• Handstand tuck

Bars

• Pullover
• Back hip circle
• Squat on (inconsistent)
• Front hip circle (inconsistent)
• Pullover on high bar
• 8 pull-ups

Beam

• Cartwheel (inconsistent, but close)
• Back walkover on low beam
• Handstand
• Full turn
• Simple jumps

Vault

• Handstand flat back on stack

With this information, I'd appreciate it if someone would let me know an estimate of what level she'd be!

 

[-GymnastOnTheVault-]

Is she going to be doing Xcel or the Developmental Program?

Floor: Level 6 or Xcel Platinum
Bars: Level 4 or Xcel Gold
Beam: Level 4 or Xcel Gold
Vault: Level 3 or Xcel Bronze

As an estimate, I would say she's probably Level 4 or an Xcel Gold - except for vault, she'll need a front handspring and a kip on bars. Or she could compete as a floor specialist in Xcel Platinum.

 

[JPC13]

Her skills are very uneven. Given the stronger tumbling, I’d think seriously about doing T&T rather than DP level 3.

 

[HopefulTeamGymnast]

Her skills are very uneven. Given the stronger tumbling, I’d think seriously about doing T&T rather than DP level 3.

Thank you for your response! We have thought about T&T a lot, and DD has shown interest in it, but unfortunately, there is only one place that hosts T&T that's around us and it's 40/50 minutes away.

 

[HopefulTeamGymnast]

Is she going to be doing Xcel or the Developmental Program?

Floor: Level 6 or Xcel Platinum
Bars: Level 4 or Xcel Gold
Beam: Level 4 or Xcel Gold
Vault: Level 3 or Xcel Bronze

As an estimate, I would say she's probably Level 4 or an Xcel Gold - except for vault, she'll need a front handspring and a kip on bars. Or she could compete as a floor specialist in Xcel Platinum.

Thank you for your response! I still need to research more on Xcel vs DP, but I think I understand the majority of it... but DD and I would need to talk more on which one she is more interested in.

 

[JPC13]

Thank you for your response! We have thought about T&T a lot, and DD has shown interest in it, but unfortunately, there is only one place that hosts T&T that's around us and it's 40/50 minutes away.

I understand. But just to calibrate your expectations, we drive an hour to my daughter’s gym. We all wish it was closer, but it’s the right gym for her.

It might be worth a one off trip to the T&T gym to see if she likes it. Honestly, I can’t imagine being a teen with solid front and back tumbling and competing a level 3 or 4 routine. Some kids seem to find the front handspring over the table scary, and a kip often takes a while to develop so it’s unclear if she could even compete level 4.

 

[Dahlia]

Is she going to be doing Xcel or the Developmental Program?

Floor: Level 6 or Xcel Platinum
Bars: Level 4 or Xcel Gold
Beam: Level 4 or Xcel Gold
Vault: Level 3 or Xcel Bronze

As an estimate, I would say she's probably Level 4 or an Xcel Gold - except for vault, she'll need a front handspring and a kip on bars. Or she could compete as a floor specialist in Xcel Platinum.

Without a kip bars is only level 3.

For an older girl, I would look at Xcel over DP. Less commitment and more flexibility in routines. She'd probably a gold unless you're gym requires a kip for gold. She could scratch vault until she learns the front handspring well enough to compete it.

If she wants to compete, I'd talk to your gym now. If they agree she can join next season, they can work on skills she needs now (working towards a kip and front handspring over the vault table for example). If they say no, then you know to look elsewhere.

 

[akariflipz]

My 13, turning 14 in February DD, really wants to join the team. She's done gymnastics since 2021, and joined class in September 2022. The gym we currently attend has mostly 11-16 year olds on the team. We don't know if we'll have to wait until next year since DD says comp season has already started, but we just would like to pinpoint her level. Here's a list of her current skills on each event:

Floor

• Backhandspring (pretty straight legs)
• Round off backhandspring (straight legs)
• Standing tuck
• Ro tuck
• Ro bhs tuck
• Front tuck
• Aerial
• Backwalkover tuck
• Cartwheel tuck
• Handstand tuck

Bars

• Pullover
• Back hip circle
• Squat on (inconsistent)
• Front hip circle (inconsistent)
• Pullover on high bar
• 8 pull-ups

Beam

• Cartwheel (inconsistent, but close)
• Back walkover on low beam
• Handstand
• Full turn
• Simple jumps

Vault

• Handstand flat back on stack

With this information, I'd appreciate it if someone would let me know an estimate of what level she'd be!

I would say around level 4 or maybe xcel silver or gold, but she would need a front handspring over the vault table and kips on bars for level four and gold.

 

[gymgal]

Xcel sounds like a great option for her since her skills are so varied based on the event and there is leeway in the level of skills she is able to use in the routines within each level, compared to DP where essentially everyone competed the same exact skills and routines. Sounds like silver at the very lowest, gold if she can get the front handspring vault. I can't remember but I don't think they need a bar kip in gold so it would just be the VT she would have to get.

And I agree with jpc about the frustration of having to compete a L3 floor routine, with the skills she has.

 

[Carly]

I would recommend Xcel as well. The routines can be customized to her skills. In DP levels 3-5, there are specific routines that must be done with very few, if any, modifications allowed.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Thank you for your response! We have thought about T&T a lot, and DD has shown interest in it, but unfortunately, there is only one place that hosts T&T that's around us and it's 40/50 minutes away.

That’s not really that far, it might be something you could do.

 

[HopefulTeamGymnast]

That’s not really that far, it might be something you could do.

We would 100% consider it, but I have 3 other children, a 6 year old and 2 one-year-olds that all go to daycare/school, and it's just a lot driving them to their own sports and appointments and going where I have to go too. It saddens me that I can't do a lot for her, so maybe when her siblings get a little older, we can try T&T out.

 

[ldw4mlo]

Given her age And skills. Xcel is the best fit.