Xcel Regionals

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pinklemonadeliz

Proud Parent
I have a question.... Our gym is fairly new to the Xcel program (first competition year for our team) - there seems to be some confusion regarding qualifying for regional competition (Region 1) in April.

The team rep & coach are under the impression that the only qualifier to go to States (norcal) is to compete in 2 meets during the season and that qualifying for States automatically gets you to Regionals.

Maybe xcel is totally different than JO, but shouldn't there be a qualifying score at each level (meets to States & States to Regionals)?

I'm looking at this from a booster club perspective as my kiddo is a JO gymnast, but we need to be prepared to send coaches to higher level meets (financially) & if all a gymnast has to do is compete in 2 meets to get to regionals, this could get expensive quickly.

Anyone have an insight on what must be done to qualify??

Thanks!!
- Liz :)
 
I just did a little Googling and what you said appears to be correct. We are in region 8 and we have the same rules - participate in two meets to go to state and participate in state to go to regional. From personal experience - I would try to find out a little more about where it will be held and whether it a good location in terms of other gyms participating. In region 8, the number and variety of gyms really depends on where the meet is held. Ours this year was in MS and very few gyms competed ( compared to how many are in the region). Same for the year before in Florida. When it was held in nc, which is more central to many of the states in the region, there was a wider array of gyms and states.
 
We compete Xcel and are in Norcal,Region 1, sent girls to Regionals last year. Last year you had to compete in 2 regular season meets to go to States and anyone competing at states qualified for Regionals. The top 6 AA at each level at states(bronze,silver,gold,platinum,diamond) made up the Norcal State team for that level and competed in the State team sessions. Those that weren't on a state team competed in the "all-star" sessions. The state team session was a great experience for our girls.

States this year will be in Sacramento, regionals in Vegas.

In reality, setting the states Q score at 32, like for levels 7 to 10, would not make much if any difference in the number of qualifiers.
 
If it was my club I would set a score if they wish to receive funding. So in Wandrewsjr case you might only fund those who qualified to the state team, and the others are welcome to go as all-stars at their own expense. It seems silly to have regional competitions for what is more of a recreational league of competition. I know many clubs don't treat it like that, but I am sure that was the intention of the program.
 
My older dd's gym uses xcel plat. as a bridge to 7 and they only get to go to regionals if they score a 36. The gym I coach at will be sending girls to xcel gold and platinum as it will be their 1 big meet of the season. All other meets are small and local.
 
Our Region also only stipulates that you have to have competed in a meet to qualify to go. However, the top 6 from States get named to the state team to compete at regionals. So, our Booster Club pays for coaches to go only if it is on the state team. otherwise if parents elect to attend they are responsible for their travel fees as well as the coach. Fortunately Xcel Regionals this year are local so we won't have to worry about it.
 
If it was my club I would set a score if they wish to receive funding. So in Wandrewsjr case you might only fund those who qualified to the state team, and the others are welcome to go as all-stars at their own expense. It seems silly to have regional competitions for what is more of a recreational league of competition. I know many clubs don't treat it like that, but I am sure that was the intention of the program.

Yep, Regional competition for little 5 year olds competing Bronze (which is equivalent to USAG L2 and L3). Makes NO sense to me!
 
Only paying for those that make the state team or a gym settings it's own qualifying score is reasonable. But 36 sounds a little harsh. 2 of our gymnasts got 35's at states, and went on to win their age group at Regionals with high 36's.:)
 
Yep, Regional competition for little 5 year olds competing Bronze (which is equivalent to USAG L2 and L3). Makes NO sense to me!

What usually happens in adds gym is that girls with older sisters commit sine they have to go anyway ad then others at that level follow suit because they don't want to miss out. Also, if the event is within a couple hours from home, its not much difference than a state meet in cost and time.
 
Thanks everyone - I knew you'd all have the answer!

Coming from a JO mindset, it doesn't seem like much of an honor to make it to states or regionals if all you have to do is just participate. I get that it's more of a rec program but you'd think there would be some sort of qualifying score to at least let the girls who are doing really well and scoring well feel like they've accomplished something. Admittedly, qualifying scores - even at the JO compulsory level - are fairly low and don't weed out that many but at least it gives you some sort of bar to reach for.

Luckily, our booster club does not pay for the girls themselves to go to any meet, but we do pay the coaches wages and all travel expenses for all meets so sending two coaches from northern california to las vegas for regionals when all someone had to do is participate to get there seems kind of expensive and unnecessary. We have our girls scheduled in fairly local meets for the season to keep costs down but this kind of defeats the purpose. I could totally justify it if we had girls on the state team because not everyone makes it - but just because they show up... notsomuch :-/
 
Like another poster said, you can look at it like the one "travel" meet of the season for the Xcel team, since all other meets, including states are local. And I think they don't set a score mostly for planning purposes, since states is only 2 weeks before Regionals. Most Xcel families would not be willing to make a last minute costly trip to another state for Regionals(while most level 8/9/10 families would be willing and used to doing this). But many Xcel families would be willing to do one destination meet per season if they can plan ahead, so it's set up that way.

Just a side not about setting scores as a bench mark - you must get a 34 at Norcal States to qualify to Region 1 8/9/10 championships. Last year there were 329 girls at states. Of the girls who competed all 4 events, only 22 didn't get the 34 Q score. That is a 90 percent+ qualifying rate. When you look at is that way, I don't think Xcel, a program that is supposed to be more inclusive, having a 100% qualifying rate is that out of bounds.
 
I guess maybe I'm just looking at it in the wrong way.... and maybe it's because Xcel is so new to our gym so we have no experience with it.
 
You could just email Donna Franzini or Cassie Rice about this in Region1.

I know of a few gyms that didn't go to Regionals because of travel, costs and the fact that they didn't think or value that their girls go to Regionals despite what was necessary to make it worth to them.

*Shrug*

I see it as go and have fun. But I look at Xcel differently and don't end up getting caught up with it too much as I work in the JO program generally.
 
- you may want to sit down with the owner/hc to see if they have expectations for going to regionals especially since it is so new to your gym.
 

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