Parents Skipping vs. Scoring Out

[gymbeam]

In light of a similarly-titled thread (as well as other random references to "skipping" levels), can someone please clarify for me what exactly can be skipped?

I thought you had to score out of all levels beginning at 4.

But, the other thread said someone can just qualify for Elite without competing 8,9 or 10. So, while not reality, could someone technically not ever compete at all and just train their "whole life" for Elite qualification?

 

[gymmomtoo]

I don't know much about Elite, but I do know you don't have to go through level 10 before attempting to test for Elite. I don't know if any of the other levels are required. I can't imagine anyone not doing ANY of them though--you wouldn't get hardly any competitions in if you did that.

As far as the rest of them go--you have to score out of every level from level 4 on, except for level 6 (and I'm unclear if that just applied to this year or is always). Some people say "skip" when they mean "compete one meet and hope to get the move up score at that one meet."

 

[gymbeam]

Right- I knew in reality no one would not compete any levels and go Elite, but just technically speaking I was wondering if it was possible.

Thanks for the reply! It does lead me to further questions, though: Why doesn't 6 have to be scored out? And why then is it even a level?

 

[gymmomtoo]

It's new this year as an optional level. Not sure the reasoning behind it. I know a lot of gyms around me didn't have any girls compete it.

 

[MaryA]

What I have heard is that we have new level 6 to prevent kids from skipping over to Xcel when they have competed up through level 5, are sick to death of compulsories, and aren't quite ready for level 7. We didn't have anyone compete it at our gym this year, but my understanding is that there is room for a pretty wide range of skills at this level... that you can get by with just the level 5 skills, but you can also compete up to and including most level 7 skills. Our gym is (according to rumor) going to compete level 6 next year. We had a lot of girls repeat level 7 this year and the thought is that it would be better for them to compete 6 then 7 rather than 2 years at 7. I also heard that we're going to compete 6 because "there were level 7's at states who could do level 9 skills." I don't know how anybody would know that, since it's not like they could compete level 9 skills at level 7, but I heard that as "our level 7's didn't do very well at states so maybe we'll try giving them an extra year with those skills." I'm glad my DD is past that point so we don't have to worry about it.

 

[raenndrops]

Why doesn't 6 have to be scored out? And why then is it even a level?

Level 6 was put in to make the transition from Compulsories to Optionals easier... It was designed to stop the "bleeding" into Xcel... Some gyms would have girls compete Xcel Platinum until they were ready for Level 7. They felt they needed a Level 6.5, so they moved all levels below down and added New L6.
It is allowable to go right from the last compulsory level (L5) directly to L7, if the gymnast is ready. If the gymnast is not ready (but has gotten the minimum score in L5), they can still compete Optional routines, by competing L6 until they are ready for L7.

The jump from New L5 to L7 is the same as the jump from Old L6 to L7... which means it is no different that what has always been an option. That is why they do not have to score out of L6.

I hope this helps.

 

[gymbeam]

Yep- that does help a ton. Thanks. (Still kinda crazy, but I think my brain is beginning to sort it out)

 

[cbifoja]

When are we going to get some kind of indication as to whether or not L6 will be required after this year?

Personally I love L6. I think it's just a fabulous introduction to the optional word without tossing a kid in over their head.

 

[Natasha]

I can't imagine that they will ever require L6 since the difficulty is not harder than L5. It just wouldn't make sense.

 

[gymbeam]

I can't imagine that they will ever require L6 since the difficulty is not harder than L5. It just wouldn't make sense.

Oh, really? That's really interesting and encouraging!
HC seems to think my DD can score out of 4 and 5 by next spring.
Knowing that 6 isn't much of a leap from 5 is really exciting.

 

[Seeker]

6 isn't a leap from 5 at all...it can actually be "easier" (a relative term) if the routines are constructed accordingly. That doesn't mean it is a useless level at all...it's the first opportunity girls have to have their own routines, develop their strengths, show a bit of their personal style, etc. It's a great opportunity for coaches to 'tune' their routines to be the best for them. Everyone who competed it this year seemed to love it.

Good luck to your daughter!

 

[gymbeam]

Thanks, Seeker!

 

[raenndrops]

When are we going to get some kind of indication as to whether or not L6 will be required after this year?

Personally I love L6. I think it's just a fabulous introduction to the optional word without tossing a kid in over their head.

L6 will never be required. It was designed for girls not yet ready for L7. Some girls ARE more than ready for L7 - some are just waiting to turn 7 so they can score out of L4 and L5... but have been training for L7 (think upper level TOPS training for 5-6 year olds). Others have their BHS on beam in L5, can do the other required L7 skills, and are just READY for it.
I love L6 too. We have girls on our team that were low scoring old L6 (think just barely minimum scores), but who have scored multiple 9s in this new L6.
We have 4 L6 on our team ... as Old L6, they scored season bests of 31.725, 31.000, 32.900, and 31.475. In New L6, the same girls have scored season bests of 34.900 (with beam and floor in the 9s), 35.675 (with beam, floor, and vault in the 9s), 36.675 (with beam, floor, and vault in the 9s), and 34.200 (with beam and floor in the 9s... and her best bar score was in a meet where she flew off the bars twice... but managed to regrasp the bar with one hand the 2nd time and they gave her credit for a clear hip... that was the 2nd meet of the year and needless to say, she was a little scared of bars after that.) One of these girls will be moving to L7 and the rest will stay L6 until their bars catch up with the rest of their events.

 

[skschlag]

I only have a boy, but our girls' coach was just talking about how 6 was going to be a required level next year. I have no clue, but she was talking to a group of parents about it.

 

[raenndrops]

I only have a boy, but our girls' coach was just talking about how 6 was going to be a required level next year. I have no clue, but she was talking to a group of parents about it.

Maybe they are going to require it at their gym. USAG has repeatedly said it is not going to be required because it was a level just put in for the girls that need the extra time to get ready for L7.

 

[skschlag]

nah..our gym doesn't require any extra things that USAG doesn't require. Doesn't matter to me, but she did say that it was only optional this season. But I am not a coach, and can ony go on what she says.

 

[raenndrops]

Another good thing with L6 is that gymnasts are allowed to go back and forth between 5 and 6 in the same season... They could compete at L5 and L6 in the same meet (as long as they are in different sessions). L6 is actually easier in some ways than L5, so it wouldn't be hard to "score out" if they did make it mandatory, but that isn't the plan.
In L6... a solid floor routine could be basically the L5 routine, but leave out the FHS-FHS and make sure there is a B skill in it. ... On Vault - FHS works ... on Bars - Kip - Clear Hip - Kip - Cast Squat - Kip - Cast - Back Hip - Underswing - Flyaway ... and on Beam - Mount, Split jump, Cartwheel (or BWO or BHS or Roundoff), Full Turn, an extra B for good measure, throw in another jump or a leap or a balance, and an A Dismount.

 

[skschlag]

i'll have to tell our coach. She might be happy then. I did find this, which does make it seem like it was just for this season, so I can see the confusion! They should probably clarify that!! LOL! (Again, always glad I have a boy and don't have to worry about scoring out of levels!)

Q: If my gymnast is a Level 5 right now, how can she enter the new Level 6 next year?
A: Level 6 is an optional level in 2013-2014. Currently, in order for that to happen, your gymnast would need to obtain a minimum of a 31.00 AA score in both Level 5 and 6 compulsories in the 2012-2013 season to move to the new Level 6 optionals. If the score is attained in Level 6 compulsories, she also has the option to move to Level 7 optionals in the 2013-2014 season.

 

[raenndrops]

i'll have to tell our coach. She might be happy then. I did find this, which does make it seem like it was just for this season, so I can see the confusion! They should probably clarify that!! LOL! (Again, always glad I have a boy and don't have to worry about scoring out of levels!)

Q: If my gymnast is a Level 5 right now, how can she enter the new Level 6 next year?
A: Level 6 is an optional level in 2013-2014. Currently, in order for that to happen, your gymnast would need to obtain a minimum of a 31.00 AA score in both Level 5 and 6 compulsories in the 2012-2013 season to move to the new Level 6 optionals. If the score is attained in Level 6 compulsories, she also has the option to move to Level 7 optionals in the 2013-2014 season.

That was for placement this year from last year's levels. That is why a bunch of gyms had score out meets... but then AFTER that, USAG made more changes - Allowing the back and forth between New L5 and New L6 (they do need a 31.0 in L5 first)... and requiring a vertical HS in L3 and a few other tweaks that were more minor. They were still making changes up into September, lol. The plan was always to have New Level 6 as a skippable level... but not really to allow gymnasts to compete both levels 5 and 6 back and forth all season.

 

[LizzieLac]

I know nothing, but... what does that mean it would be required? You would have to get a mobility score at 6 to go to 7? And you could not go from 5 to 7? This would make sense ONLY if they changed the requirements of level 6. Right now, the requirements are not any more difficult than level 5 so it would be a pointless level to force kids to compete in. If they did this, I'll bet it would result in even more "scoring out" meets to get past it and then it would lose any value that it currently provides. It would be a lot of "churning around" with the same skills at two levels.