Parents Level 6? Level 7? Prep Op?

[BRB]

What are your thoughts on these levels? It seems that around here, the gyms do things differently after level 5. Some do level 6. Some do "Prep Op" (am still not 100% certain of what this consists of). Some do level 7.

What are the disadvantages of going from level 5 to level 7?

Am trying to educate myself on this.

Thanks!

 

[gym law mom]

Thing is on the way from L5 to L7, the gymnast still has to learn the L6 skills/routines and do at least 1 meet to get a 31AA to "score out." To me there are alot of important skills to be mastered at L6 that are the foundation for doing well at the optional level---good strong clear hip circles, baby giant, flyaway off high bar, bwo/full turn on beam, ro-bhs-bt on floor. Some coaches like to skip a full season of L6 because it has the reputation of being a tough scoring level and they don't want to lose alot of girls.
Personally I think my gymmie did much better as a L7 because she did do 1 season of L6. Prep opt seems to vary from state to state as far as required skills etc. so you might have to do some reaseach on what is required in your state if the program is offered(not every state does it).

 

[MaryA]

Our gym (a YMCA with limited practice hours) does level 5, then at least 2 years of Prep Op (in our state beginning prep op has level 5&6 skills, intermediate prep op has 6&7 skills, and advanced prep op has 7&8 skills, so our girls usually do beginning and then intermediate) and then they compete at one meet as a level 6 and move on to level 7 (we don't have anyone above a level 7 now, but we should have a couple of 8's next year). This works well for our gym because prep op teams (at least around here) tend to be an option for girls who want to compete but don't want to be practicing 15-20+ hours a week, so it puts our girls on a more level playing field, competing against girls who have a similar practice schedule.

However, looking at the websites of some of the gyms where we've competed this year, many teams do 2 years of level 5. One team in particular, I noticed, has their 2nd year level 5's attending both level 5 practices and level 7 practices. They don't have a level 6 team at all... they just skip right to level 7. They must do at least one level 6 meet... whether they do it at the end of their second year of level 5 or at the beginning of their first year of level 7, I don't know. Our girls struggle with level 5 so much as it is (every year it's the same... look at the scores of the level 3's, 4's, prep ops, 7's, and they're all comfortably in the mid 30's... but the level 5 scores are struggling to get into the 30's. I remember thinking last year when my DD was flying through level 4 with great scores that it wouldn't happen to her, yet low and behold, here she is... highest score so far this year has been a 31.7), that it makes it hard when they're competing against 2nd year level 5's who are training level 7, but it is what it is.

I don't know what the coach will do next year. Our current prep ops are a lot older than our current level 5's. And it looks likely that only about half of our current level 5's will get their move-up score (31). So whether she'll keep them all for a second year at level 5 (which I would be O.K. with as long as there is some up-training going on), tries to do level 6 with the ones that have the move-up scores (seems unlikely, as coach has said that she HATES competing level 6), or moves some or all of them to prep-op (they don't have to have a move-up score to do prep-op, though they'd have to get it at some point if they ever want to move beyond prep-op), I have no idea. The reason why I'm rambling on (and probably not answering your question at all) is because at the moment I'm very curious as to what the HC is thinking about doing next year, but I'm resolved not to bug her about it until after both the USAG season is over and the highschool season is over (she's also assistant head coach of the hs team) because I'm sure she doesn't have a single spare brain cell to deal with my wonderings!

 

[Megley]

This seems to be a popular topic on Chalkbucket. I think the disadvantage of going from Level 5 to Level 7 is that it does not give much time to get the Level 7 bars skills. It's hard to go from doing the Level 5 routine to doing freehips, giants and a layout flyaway in only the few months one normally has to train between seasons. My dd is struggling with Level 7 bars this year and I think a year of Level 6 to work on Level 7 bars would have been immensely beneficial to her. As it is, she is going to wind up repeating Level 7 or Level 8 anyway so she will wind up in the same place as if she'd done a year of Level 6 before moving to Level 7 and I feel like she would be having way more fun and success if she had that Leve 6 year under her belt.

 

[flipper's fan]

The key here is whether the gymnast learns the skills, not whether they actually compete at level 6. It's a tough level to compete because there are many more deductions than level 5, and then the scoring is different for optionals than compulsories. Some kids are excellent compulsory gymnasts and struggle with optionals, some struggle with compulsories but do very well as optionals. Prep op is a good place for some kids/ coaches to figure that out. Typically, kids who do not compete a season of level 6 still learn and practice all of those skills while they are competing level 5 or preparing for level 7.

 

[NotAMom]

Based on what I've seen, with next to no exception, strong L6s make strong L7s. Same thing cannot be said about strong L5s "skipping" L6. As already mentioned, except for the few who can capably whip through the ranks in flying colors (who without a doubt score far higher than the required 31.0), these kids will likely end up being at the same spot in L7 or L8 in a year or two. That is assuming the kids who skip L6 haven't already quit due to disappointment in their scores at L7.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

I quess it depends on the gymnast. A girl from daughters gym did this and she is really talented and doing well except in bars. I know my daughter is having a tough time in level6 but she is nowhere ready to do level 7. But I think if she ends up repeating 6 I think she will just get really frustrated because she seems to hate the level 6 floor routine. I think doing prep is a nice option because they get their own routines. Bottomline at daughters gym it is basically up to the coaches so unless you are at a gym that gives you choices you may just have to go with what they feel is best. I also think if they really love the sport it does not matter what path they take. I have seen as many girls quit in7 as 6 even when they were doing well. My daughter is doing really well with the level6 bars so I am hoping everybody is right in saying this will help her when she becomes an optional, this is what her coach told me and it seems like a lot of the responses keep refering to this.

 

[NotAMom]

Like I said, there are exceptions. And, many of them are fast tracking to elite anyway. There are really no other way to get there.

Also, while it's true that the parent and/or the gymnast may not have a choice as it's mandated by the program, many (not all) can always pick another gym. But, what you said is true. It's not all black and white. When it comes down to it, the level of success and longevity in the sport all depends on the gym and the child. What I (and others) have said is only a general pattern for the majority.

As for your daughter, Panda-girl's Mom, good for her. She will kill at L7 bars, especially if she is already hitting chs and working on her chhs.

 

[10.0]

I often wondered about this as well. Our gym does not do 6 we do prep optional and mod optional (no clue what the difference is as I don't coach them) I thought this was good because the girls often get bored after several years of compulory (we do it from level 2) and it keeps them interested.

But I noticed our optional girls are not as polished as other teams and they are often perp ops or mod ops for 2-3 years before level 7 as they just don't have the skills. As soon as you get both your kips (low and high bar) and a round off back hand spring you move to mod or prep op. Actually I watched a meet a couple weeks ago and the teams with level 6 seemed really good and and their optional girls seemed good and well prepared.

The routines are like level 5.5 routines an example beam requires a full turn, most kids do a cartwheel and dismount with a front tuck off, the leaps and jumps are level 5. Vault is still front hand spring but you can use an aero board so no different than 5. Bars is kip, front hip, squat on, long hang kip, toe on dismount or underswing dismount. The only difference is floor they do require a back tuck and a front tuck.

But these kids work on their prep op routines and never uptrain so they never get clearhips, handstands, fly aways, back walks overs on beam etc. basically things they need for level 7. So long story short I changed my mind and unless you have a gymnast that is being fast tracked and has the skills or does not want to do level 7 (too many hours or whatever) I don't think skipping level 6 is a good idea.