MAG Tell me about Level 8 Junior Elite

[Never You Mind]

Yesterday, my 11-year-old son's coach talked to him about doing Technical Sequences and competing as a Level 8 Junior Elite. My son is not always the best at explaining things, and I know my partner and I will have a chance to talk to the coach soon and ask him questions, but I'd love an overview of just what this looks like. How will it affect his competition season? How does a male gymnast qualify for elite?

This isn't a question about whether he should do it, or whether he can do it. I'm really looking for nitty-gritty details about how it works, which I haven't been able to find. Sort of a "Mens Junior Elite 101." Explain it to me like I'm five.

 

[profmom]

At most meets, it will make no difference. He'll just do his regular routines and compete with everyone else. While the program is labeled JE, it's very different from the girls' world, where elite is a whole separate stream. Basically, your coach wants your guy to be able to do L8 as an 11 year old because he's terrific. In order to do L8 at 11, he has to be in the JE stream at states and regionals (and possibly nationals). Otherwise he'd have to wait until next year to do L8.

There's a separate set of routines called technical sequences that he will have to learn. He will probably only compete them a few times. In our state, they have to do them once before states. JEs then compete these routines in addition to their regular optional ones at states, regionals, and nationals. They are compulsory routines scored very strictly on form out of a 10.0 SV. Some of the skills in them are tempo BHS on floor, giants on pbars, and a toe on and a blind change on high bar. The vault is a Yama****a. At nationals, the scores on these routines are added to the scores for the optional routines to determine event winners and AA results.

Someone can probably find the techs and link to them so you can see what the routines are like. Good luck to your guy!

 

[skschlag]

Nice explanation J!

It is exciting. It used to be that 11 yo could just be L8, but last year that changed. Most meets, there will be no difference, as he will just compete L8 optional routines with his teammates. Big meets (Like J said above and like BlackJack, etc) will have a 2nd day of routines for JE boys to do their technical sequences. I am sure you could search on youtube for L8JE technical sequences and routines and watch some.

Has he done Future Stars at all? If so, he probably has everything ready to go in the TS.

My guess is your dds had a really great L7 season last year and rather than repeat, they are looking at L8! He can do JE this ear, and keep going with it, or do JO the next year. It isn't like "elite" for girls where you cannot change later.

Good luck to your boy!

 

[Jard.the.gymnast]

Are the tech sequences for L8,9 and 10 the same?

 

[skschlag]

No. There are tech sequences for 11-14 yo and for 15-18yo

 

[Never You Mind]

Thanks, this is helpful. I've been aware of the JE stream at some major events--some of my son's teammates have done it in the past. I didn't think it made much difference during the regular season, but wasn't sure.

 

[sce]

All the info you ever wanted. http://www.ncbga.com/doc/2016-2020jo-complete20170728.pdf