WAG Level 3 or Xcel Silver

[Mommyo2az]

Looking for opinions/thoughts on Level 3 vs. Xcel Silver. DD will likely compete one or the other. We are in a region where Xcel Silver is used by some gyms (including ours) to replace compulsories. But, part of me thinks there may be some benefit for her doing Level 3. (focus on shapes, positions, etc) Skills wise she has all Level 4 skills (minus kip!), so Silver may be better for her continuing to train those skills?

 

[Firefly]

In our gym, JO girls are held to much higher standards concerning form, shape etc. They are also subject to more intense conditioning. I have found that, as you said, there is benefit to the compulsory program. You can't "work around" your weaknesses. You have to improve them. That will make for a stronger gymnast in the end, IMHO. Now, it sounds like your gym might be different if they're using Xcel instead of compulsories. I'd just make sure they're planning to focus on developing the whole gymnast instead of just picking out strengths to focus on in her routines.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Our gym does both as in our girls do both. And they have the same high expectations for both.

If your gym uses Xcel in place of compulsories I would imagine they have the same expectations.

Xcel vs Silver. Higher level skills can be done. So you can have a routine that includes the high bar with out a kip. Level 3 just low bar with a mill circle they will never do again

They also can have a custom floor routine in Xcel which is always fun.

I think its more important to uptrain and condition, regardless of the level JMO.

 

[z2akids]

I don't really understand why a gym would use both tracks to get to optionals. Dd's gym has both JO levels and xcel, but generally they are separate tracks (although there is some movement between them). So, in DD'S gym, if a girl wants to compete optionals, I would suggest competition compulsories, not xcel.

If both tracks are used equally to get to optionals, I honestly don't know which I would choose for DD. If they are both being used to get to optionals als, I would expect them both to focus on form and cinditioning, etc.

 

[raenndrops]

I hate the Xcel Silver Vault, but if the only L4 skill she is missing is the kip, I would go for Xcel Silver... as long as they are as form focused as they are in L3. In our gym... Xcel and JO Levels are treated equally. They practice together, condition together... attention to form is equally important in both.
With competing Silver, she can continue training her L4 skills and even compete them (except vault). She could even "uptrain" some L5 skills to compete.

It all depends on your gym and how they treat Xcel!

Good luck with your decision.

 

[Mommyo2az]

I hate the Xcel Silver Vault, but if the only L4 skill she is missing is the kip, I would go for Xcel Silver... as long as they are as form focused as they are in L3. In our gym... Xcel and JO Levels are treated equally. They practice together, condition together... attention to form is equally important in both.
With competing Silver, she can continue training her L4 skills and even compete them (except vault). She could even "uptrain" some L5 skills to compete.

It all depends on your gym and how they treat Xcel!

Good luck with your decision.

YES! This! Sounds a lot like our gym. We sort of have 2 Xcel programs - one is lower hours, less commitment (as intended) and the other is really JO track girls who just quite aren't at a level yet (like my DD missing kip). The 2nd group train more and IMO are held to higher expectations.
You are right, I'm silver she would probably have the ability to up train more and include new skills as she gets them. But on the flip side, they score so well in Xcel doing "easier" skills - where is the motivation to do more or harder skills?
Aargh, I feel like we are between a rock and a hard place this year!

 

[z2akids]

YES! This! Sounds a lot like our gym. We sort of have 2 Xcel programs - one is lower hours, less commitment (as intended) and the other is really JO track girls who just quite aren't at a level yet (like my DD missing kip). The 2nd group train more and IMO are held to higher expectations.
You are right, I'm silver she would probably have the ability to up train more and include new skills as she gets them. But on the flip side, they score so well in Xcel doing "easier" skills - where is the motivation to do more or harder skills?
Aargh, I feel like we are between a rock and a hard place this year!

So, your DD'S gym has JO levels plus 2 separate xcel teams? Do you have any idea why they have 3 separate tracks with 2 designed to lead to optionals?

 

[Mommyo2az]

So, your DD'S gym has JO levels plus 2 separate xcel teams? Do you have any idea why they have 3 separate tracks with 2 designed to lead to optionals?

Well, officially there are only 2 entry points to team. Xcel (fewer hours), or JO. But, there is this strange thing that happens to some JO girls before level 4 or 6 They are not quite ready for level 4 (or level 6) and they will compete Xcel for a season. But these are JO girls, so they still do JO hours. So, well to answer your question, there is only 1 Xcel team but the girls come from different places (and yes, I know you are thinking, this must lead to other issues - yes it does!)

 

[raenndrops]

YES! This! Sounds a lot like our gym. We sort of have 2 Xcel programs - one is lower hours, less commitment (as intended) and the other is really JO track girls who just quite aren't at a level yet (like my DD missing kip). The 2nd group train more and IMO are held to higher expectations.
You are right, I'm silver she would probably have the ability to up train more and include new skills as she gets them. But on the flip side, they score so well in Xcel doing "easier" skills - where is the motivation to do more or harder skills?
Aargh, I feel like we are between a rock and a hard place this year!

The motivation to do the harder skills has to be intrinsic. They have to WANT to do the harder skills... and do them cleanly, to demonstrate that they are competition ready skills AND they can score well with them.
I understand not doing harder skills if they are sloppy, but a perfectly clean RO BHS BT scores the same as a clean RO BHS. It's just that a sloppy skill, whether easy or hard, scores as a sloppy skill should.
Ex... my YG competed Xcel Gold. On beam, her full turn and acro were not there. She did not compete them. She placed 2nd on beam TWICE, even with a 9.0 Start Value. She was beating girls who were competing both MINIMUM skills and MAXIMUM skills. The girl who beat her (a teammate) competed a BWO and a Cartwheel and a 180º split jump and a straight jump with a 1/2 turn. She was cleaner than YG on most of her skills (and the higher Start Value didn't hurt, lol... she beat YG by 0.6). The girls that were sloppy, even with a 10.0 SV did not beat YG.

 

[Seeker]

How old is your DD? If she is young, I'd lean towards having her do L3. It will make her stronger and she should do well competitively which can boost her confidence. If she's older, the Xcel option may suit her more as she'll be able to spread her wings a bit with optional style routines.

 

[Mommyo2az]

She is 8, will be 9 during the competition season. I guess that falls into the young category?

 

[UnoMas]

I would tend to go with Xcel Silver in your DD's situation, if for no other reason than you not having to listen to L3 music 5,000 times.

 

[Jogymnastics1]

i started silver with out a bh and now i do a ro bh bt. started with hs on beam and now i have a bw. so i moved up 2 levels on the same level. xcel is good for getting skills.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

I would tend to go with Xcel Silver in your DD's situation, if for no other reason than you not having to listen to L3 music 5,000 times.

And there is that

 

[Max]

I found once they get to team it is as much about skills as it is about them being with girls they enjoy. If JO is where eventually she will land then I would leave her there so she stays with the same group. If she is going to get the same up training then better for her not to have to go back and forth. However, if the plan is Xcel then I would go that route. Beyond movement from the groups of can they it is hard on the girls. They make good friends on whichever team they are on.

 

[raenndrops]

I found once they get to team it is as much about skills as it is about them being with girls they enjoy. If JO is where eventually she will land then I would leave her there so she stays with the same group. If she is going to get the same up training then better for her not to have to go back and forth. However, if the plan is Xcel then I would go that route. Beyond movement from the groups of can they it is hard on the girls. They make good friends on whichever team they are on.

In some gyms, the girls train together. In our gym, all the girls are there at the same times and stretch together and they have a lot of intermixed groups.
OP said that the girls who use Xcel as a "not quite ready for next level" option still do JO hours, so are probably still there with their group... at least some of the time.
Also, her DD has all L4 skills except the kip. Therefore, the L3 group may not have many girls she would continue to compete with over time. Groups change... some girls repeat while others move up. Others make a lateral move for good.