Parents Age/Level and Path they took to get there

[gymgal]

Neither does mine, and it is pretty rare. Definitely not something that "normal" kids do. Even the "normal talented" ones seem to just skip one of 5 and 6.

Agreed. I would say skipping just 5 or 6 is more the norm across the country. there will always be gyms that go from 4>7 but definitely not the norm

 

[rlm's mom]

Agreed. I would say skipping just 5 or 6 is more the norm across the country. there will always be gyms that go from 4>7 but definitely not the norm

DD just skipped 4 > 7 last year, but will be repeating 7 this year as she spent part of the season injured and isn’t fully ready for 8. No rush though, she’s little.

So going the fast track doesn’t always end up being faster.

 

[Dahlia]

Parent-Tot Classes - 12months - 2 years old
Pre-preschool with gymnastics integrated - 2 years old
Rec - 3-4years old

Gym change (the rec program had no skill progression and a coach quietly suggested dd had potential and we should look elsewhere)

Preteam - 5 years old
L2/Preteam - 6 years old
L2/Preteam - 7 years old

Gym change (previous gym was verbally abusive, thank God I found out and could move her!)

L3 - 8 years old
L3 - 9 years old
L4 - 10 years old (season cut short by covid and lots of gym closures due to government mandates spring-fall)
L4 - 11 years old
XG - 12 years old
XP - 13 years old

From here, who knows? She's happy and that's all that matters to me!

 

[evla]

This has been an interesting read, especially because we're in Australia so often the ages are a bit older per level here. Plus our levels don't fully match up skill wise from watching video's. But here are my girls anyway:

DD1
2.5-5.5 - Rec gym
5.5-6 - Level 1
7 - Level 2
8 - Level 3 (first comp year)
9 - Level 4 (covid no comps)
10 - Level 5 (covid no comps)
11 - Level 5 (levels 4-7 in our gym repeated for their first comp season since covid)

She is now training Level 6 and 5-7 comp season starts in June next year just after she turns 12. But she has all her level 6 skills, she is just perfecting them plus has some level 7 skills already.

DD2
4.5-6 - Rec gym
6 - Level 1
7 - Level 2
8 - Level 3 (covid no comps)
9 - Level 4 (first comp year)

She is now training level 5 and 5-7 comp season starts in June next year just after she turns 10. She has most of her level 5 skills already though but they do need much improvement before comp season!

 

[drwho42]

My DD started at 3 with rec.
Moved to Pre-team at 8
Xcel Silver at 9
Xcel Gold 10
Level 5 @ 11
Currently Level 6 @ 12 yo - almost L7

 

[Rose7777]

My daughter just turned 16 and is a sophomore. She’s an Xcel diamond.

Kindergarten- Kindy class
Grade 1&2- two levels of preteam
Grade 3- bronze
Grade 4- silver
Grades 5&6- gold
Grades 7&8- platinum
Grades 9-10 - diamond

She’s cut back on days to do school sports so I’m not sure if she’ll hang up her grips, continue and stay diamond, or continue and do sapphire. She’s still having fun, though, so we will see…

 

[ReluctantGymMom]

We've had a weird path...

Preschool gymnastics - age 4
Preteam - age 5 (invited to team, I declined)
Level 1 - age 6
Level 2 - age 7
Level 3 - age 8
Level 4 - age 9 (scored out)
Level 5 - age 9 (scored out)
Level 6 - age 9
Level 7 - age 10

She went from 3 - 6, it was a real weird year. Level 3 season got pushed later into the season because of Covid, and 2 weeks after states she scored out of 4, then 2 months later she scored out of 5, and a few months later competed 6.

 

[luvballa34]

2019-2020Age 3.5 Kindergarten 2
2021AGE 4. Level 1 rec
2021 AGE 4.5 Level 2 rec
2022 AGE 4 & 10 month -5 Preteam Level 1
2023 AGE 5.10 Team Level to be determined

 

[mcaggie]

DD1:
L2 - 7
L3 - 8
L4 - 9
L5&6 - 10
L7 - 11
L8 - 12

DD2:
L3 - 7
L4 - 8
L5&6 - 9
L7 - 10

Gymnastics are too dangerous for us. Consider to switch to diving.

 

[GymMama3908257]

3 Years old: Preschool Class
4 Years old: Pre-team
5 Years old: Level 2
6 Years old: Level 3
7 Years old: Level 4
8 Years old: Level 5 (scored out- covid time)
9 Years old: Level 7
10 Years old: Level 8
11 Years old: Level 9-10/ Hopes
Goals: Stay healthy and loving the sport!

 

[catchingupmom]

DD was one of the atypical ones who skipped a lot, not at our prompting, but she's enjoyed being challenged. Before gymnastics, she was a early mover and climber but she had no flexibility, and no sport experience that crossed over like dance.

recreational classes (1 year) - age 10 invited by a fried
development class/pre-team (1 year) - age 11
Level 2 (1 year) - age 12 moved to level four in last month of program
level 4 (1 year) - age 13
COVID age 14 practices ran for a small portion of the year
Level 6 (1 year) - age 15
Level 8 (this year!) - age 16

She'd love to do college gymnastics but may take a couple of years doing courses at a local university while still training and see if she could still get a scholarship later, however I'm not sure if that is possible. Starting late was a huge disadvantage for that, but I don't know if she would have stuck with it if she had started young like most people do. Either way she loves her sport and wants to continue as long as possible.

 

[Ty’s Dad]

D1
Levels 3-5 - 8
Level 6 - 9
Level 7 - 10
Level 8/Hopes - 11 (Covid year)
Level 9/Hopes - 12
Level 10/Jr Elite - 13

D2
Preteam - 6,7,8 years old

 

[amlfbaba]

XB - 6
XS - 7 - this is the year we started seeing the serious potential and really started wondering...
XG - 8 - 2020, COVID, 4 meets - no State, Regional. 1AA in 3/4 meets
XP - 9
*She came through Xcel but she and a few in her group were trained as JO-track- Never more than 12 hours though*
L7 - 10
L8 - 11/5th grade -- Gym switch, ~40% increase in hours.

As I say to friends - both in gym community and out -- "Time is on her side. It's all down to Desire and Health - we'll see."

 

[XcelMom08]

Started age 9

9-13 Rec Classes ; Two In House meet (Scoring 9's) and 7th grade- Made Middle School Gymnastics Team (loved every minute of it)

Asked Gym is what she would need to make team - she was too old; sought and found this AMAZING forum and asked for some suggestions/guidance and then.....

13 (Grade 8) - Switched gyms ; Made New Gym Team as Xcel Silver
This will be her first year competing and we are so exicted!!

Goals : Fun, Club Gymnastics maybe? She is quite an age later start but having fun!

In hinden sight : Wish the other gym was more open about qualifications to make Team (age based w/ skills) ; would have moved her after the 1st In-House meet if I would have known

But we live and learn and she had a great foundation that she is brought to the new gym.
Very exicted to see where this season takes her.

 

[Whyhellothere]

7 - level 2/3
8 - level 4
9 - level 4/5
10 - level 7
11 - level 8
12 - level 9

I think

 

[JBS]

Asked Gym is what she would need to make team - she was too old; sought and found this AMAZING forum and asked for some suggestions/guidance and then.....

13 (Grade 8) - Switched gyms ; Made New Gym Team as Xcel Silver
This will be her first year competing and we are so exicted!!

Go ChalkBucket!

 

[Finaille]

Preschool gymnastics- 2-4
Recreational classes- 4-5
Pre-Team- 5
Level 3- 5-6, pulled out right after 6th birthday because she did not have the maturity, but thankfully this was 2 months before COVID lockdown
Went back to level 2 rec before lockdown- 6
Took a year and a half off

Returned to level 2 rec at 7
Level 3 rec- 7
Xcel Bronze- 8

I wish I had put her in Xcel first or had kept her on preteam… but regardless she is scoring consistent 35s in her AA with Bronze and will likely get bumped to Silver next year.

 

[PeanutsMom]

Age 4: Toddler classes
Age 5: Junior TOPS (but quit after 6 month lots of pressure and conditioning very few skills
Age 7: Level 3
Age 8: Level 4
Age: 9: Level 5
Age 10: Level 6
Age 11( COVID) : Level 7
Age 12 -- Major back injury kept her out the gym for nearly 4 months : Level 7
Age 13: Xcel Diamond --giving her options with skills on beam and vault. Likely will be an event Specialist because vaulting scares her (it puts the most impact on her back)


She is training 9 skills on beam, 8-9 skills on bars and hoping to make Sapphire if it becomes available in our region (2). College is not on her radar. She hates pressure and is finding XCEL is a good fit. She was at a super competitive gym where she was told she wasn't good enough on a regular basis despite being floor and bar winner often (just not all around) and she wasn't getting new skills fast enough (she is super cautious and won't just chuck a skill like some girls will). Harsh coaching and an injury nearly made her quit, but a gym change and a program change has brought the love of the sport back.

 

[RTT2]

Age 4: Toddler classes
Age 5: Junior TOPS (but quit after 6 month lots of pressure and conditioning very few skills
Age 7: Level 3
Age 8: Level 4
Age: 9: Level 5
Age 10: Level 6
Age 11( COVID) : Level 7
Age 12 -- Major back injury kept her out the gym for nearly 4 months : Level 7
Age 13: Xcel Diamond --giving her options with skills on beam and vault. Likely will be an event Specialist because vaulting scares her (it puts the most impact on her back)


She is training 9 skills on beam, 8-9 skills on bars and hoping to make Sapphire if it becomes available in our region (2). College is not on her radar. She hates pressure and is finding XCEL is a good fit. She was at a super competitive gym where she was told she wasn't good enough on a regular basis despite being floor and bar winner often (just not all around) and she wasn't getting new skills fast enough (she is super cautious and won't just chuck a skill like some girls will). Harsh coaching and an injury nearly made her quit, but a gym change and a program change has brought the love of the sport back.

What a great update! Wonderful that she's so happy with the path she's on now!

 

[TGRI08]

Started recreational classes at age 7. We didn't know anything about team but she was invited to try out (at another gym location) at age 9. Team accepted her to start as a training level 4.

Age 10 - Level 4
Switched gyms
Age 11 - Level 5/ Level 7 (same season)
Age 12 - Level 8
Age 13 - She's about to start competing as a level 9 in January