For Parents Higest Xcel level an average/neighborhood girl can achieve

[Dahlialover]

Keep your opinion to yourself and let her be. She can go as far as she goes. Talent is good. But so is determination and willingness to try and work.

I wasn’t giving an opinion about her child. She asked about a hypothetical “mediocre athlete”. There are no mediocre athletes competing high level gymnastics. That’s just not possible.

 

[JPC13]

Optional level? Nope. Not a chance. Optional level gymnasts are really really good!

I don’t agree. Upper optional? Maybe. Level 6? An average, or even below average, athlete could make level 6 by 18 if they stick with it and work hard.

The only people who likely can’t are ones who are extremely injury prone — tight muscles + loose joints, hip dysplasia, severe scoliosis, etc.

 

[ldw4mlo]

I wasn’t giving an opinion about her child. She asked about a hypothetical “mediocre athlete”. There are no mediocre athletes competing high level gymnastics. That’s just not possible.

I was speaking to the OP. not you.

I didn’t quote you.

And not everything thing needs to be ”high” level, whatever you define that to be. Gymnasts go as far as they can for many reasons. Some move on at 8, some at 13, some in MS, some at HS graduation some after college. They go as far as they go.

The OP was asking about Xcel, not Elite.
Quite honestly I have no idea what you even responded. And I’m certainly not going to read it now.

 

[Aussie_coach]

To be honest, at least around here, the question is hard to answer because I’ve never know a gym with a good optional program to accept an average level athlete onto their teams in the first place. They may be able to do it, with the right work ethic and coaching but few gyms would give them the chance.

By optional level I mean level 7 in Australia, which may be a bit different to what it means in the US.

A lot of factors come together to make a high level gymnast and talent is only one of them. It can come down to so much, starting at the right time, coaching, programs, team mates, money, schooling, where you live, the list goes on forever.