Parents Question for parents of "young" L4's

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UnoMas

Proud Parent
Hi all

Quick question...How long did it take your "young" level 4 (5, 6, 7 years old) to really learn the L4 beam and floor routines?

My little DD (just turned 6) just started level 4 this week. I am not as concerned with the skills, I think she will get them just fine...but all the tiny, detailed arm movements and dance elements...WOW. She got to "try" her floor routine with the music and words tonight and it was quite interesting! Not that I expect her to know her routine in a week, but all the details seem a lot for a little 6 year old brain!

Anyone who wants to share how long it took their little L4's to really "get" the details of the beam and floor routines...I would love to hear your experiences. My older DD was a older 7-8-9 year old L4 so it was totally different for her!

Thanks!:)
 
Don't worry. It always looks a mess when they start! lol. :) Believe me, over time and repitition, they get so good at the steps they could literally do them in their sleep!! It took my daughter maybe 6 practices to have the steps down to all the apparatus routines(she just turned 7). A month later, I can really see that all the nit-picky details are coming too. I think by Sept, when she competes, she will have them spot on. Your daughter will, too. The coaches know what they are doing...they've taught many a gymmie before!
 
I think it varies heavily on the child. I've seen 6/7 year olds from the same gym, same program perform totally different routines, one knowing all the little details and the other not so much. Some kids just get things quicker than others. Abby's best gym buddy at her old gym is very good at memorizing routines, etc, learns them from just watching. Her other friend at her gym now, who is VERY talented skill wise, has struggled with the little things and remembering the routines. While her skills look great, she loses a lot on the little things and forgetting sometimes.

It is so much to remember really. I think the majority of young gymmies struggle with all the little details. Some do well with them though.

I think it also depends highly on the program. Some gyms DRILL the details in over and over. Abby has never been at that kind of gym. Her old gym was very inconsistent, one coach saying one thing, then another saying "no, do it this way", she was very confused. The gym she is at now, they don't focus overly on the details, but enough so the girls score well. They uptrain year round and don't seem to drill in the routines like some gyms do.
 
We are experiencing the same thing right now. DD is only 5 and won't compete this year due to her age, but is on the level 4 team. They just started learning routines and it does seem harder for her than the older girls. She seems to get the general idea, but she's kind of a mess. When I meet new parents at the gym and they say, "Oh which one is your kid?" I always say, "The one that looks like a mess." LOL. DD is out of earshot so it's all in good fun.

Personally I think it's adorable when you see the little ones competing and they are unpolished. They look so precious because they are trying so hard.
 
ellabella,

You are right about how cute they look when they are unpolished. The videos of Abby when she was first competing are priceless. And I am always drawn to the little ones that look like she did back then. :D
 
It is hard for some to learn choreography, but they get it eventually. My dd's first level 4 meet she forgot half the floor routine. It was a total deer in the headlights situation. She really left out nearly half the skills. The judges gave her a 5 something. She laughed afterwards, so it all worked out fine.
 
DD was a "very" young level 4 last year. She started Level 4 right after she turned 5. She could have competed that December but it was not polished. She would have been pulling mid 8's had she been able to compete. At age 6 she was very polished pulled great scores. 37+ for her first year competing. She is AA state champion, beam champion, and floor champion.

I would not worry about how they learn. It all falls into place the more they do the routines. If she has the skills she can perfect the routine closer to competition.

We are moving to level 5 and DD has all of her skills and now is working on making them pretty to put them into the routine she she worked on off and on for level 5. Don't worry she will do just fine. Age isn't really a factor as I have learned this year. DD had the highest team score every meet of the season and she was the youngest to compete this year.
 
There are just way too many variables. Some comes competition ready (due to a number of possible reasons). Some takes up to 2 years or more. I have one of each of my own.

Also, FWIW, 5/6/7 yo is a normal age to start L4 for most gymnasts.
 
Sunshine at 6, really worked for about 5 months to get the routines really well, but now her 2nd year at L4, she is able to perfect them. Good Luck
 
Sunshine at 6, really worked for about 5 months to get the routines really well, but now her 2nd year at L4, she is able to perfect them. Good Luck

Thanks! Yes, I fully expect to have 2 seasons of L4 for my little one! It will be cool to see the difference from one year to the next!:)
 
You will be shocked at the differences between one year and the next. I did a comparison video of Abby her very first level 4 meet and her best level 4 meet and it was a huge difference!
 
Hi all

Quick question...How long did it take your "young" level 4 (5, 6, 7 years old) to really learn the L4 beam and floor routines?

My little DD (just turned 6) just started level 4 this week. I am not as concerned with the skills, I think she will get them just fine...but all the tiny, detailed arm movements and dance elements...WOW. She got to "try" her floor routine with the music and words tonight and it was quite interesting! Not that I expect her to know her routine in a week, but all the details seem a lot for a little 6 year old brain!

Anyone who wants to share how long it took their little L4's to really "get" the details of the beam and floor routines...I would love to hear your experiences. My older DD was a older 7-8-9 year old L4 so it was totally different for her!

Thanks!:)

My DD is now a L7 and turned 13 just on Sat. when she was a L4 she was 7 and she knew all the routines in a week or so but they were far from beautiful LOL. to get it to something with some quality to it - it took the summer to get rid of frog legs, bent arms and legs and to be intime with floor music.
 
Thanks! Yes, I fully expect to have 2 seasons of L4 for my little one! It will be cool to see the difference from one year to the next!:)
You might be surprised as they practice that she doesn't do 2 years at L4.
 
We are in the same place. My DD has the skills but doesn't have the focus yet, so it is going to just take some time.
 
Just to echo what others have said, my dd had just turned 6 when she started competing Level 4. She had all the skills and she knew the routines, but it took her probably three or four months of repetition to get the little details of the floor and beam routine and stop being so wobbly on beam. It just takes the little ones longer to pick up the fine details, but they get it eventually and by the time Level 5 rolls around you will be amazed at how quickly they learn the new routines.
 

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