MAG Age requirement changes?

[JDLA]

I've heard there are changes to the age requirements in boys gymnastics. Can someone explain them to me?

My son competed level 4 this last season. He will be 7 years old June 25th. The new cut off is June. How does it work?

Thanks!

 

[skschlag]

From what we understand, the cut off is goign to be May 31st, and you compete the age you will be on May 31st of the competition year. My ds is a June birthday as well, and I think the June 1-August 31 birthdays are not affected by the change. Basically if your son will be 7 on June 25, he will compete as a 7 yo this season.

DS teammate, who turns 14 in March next year (2017) will compete as a 14 yo all season.

That is how we understand it so far.

 

[Sasha]

Is there still no final word on whether or not this age change will apply to Future Stars (or when/how it will apply)?

Everyone in my circle who seems 'in the know' and has been sharing this new age rule still doesn't know how it affects FS...

 

[jlogym]

Does anyone know if they will change the age requirements for levels as well? I am wondering because my ds who currently competes as an 8yr old just completed level 6 and is moving to level 7. With the current system he will have to compete level 7 twice before moving to 8. With the new system will the boys still have to be 11 to compete 8? There are not many boys in his age group now I image level 8 11yr olds will be a very small group.

 

[skschlag]

I am thinking that it will still be the same age requirements for levels, or at least we haven't heard any rumors about those changing. So it would be 11 for 8, 13 for 9 and 15 for 10. Now, you can get to compete L8 as a 10yo if you do well at FS nationals.

In our state, 11 yo level 8s are pretty much the norm.

 

[skschlag]

Does anyone know if they will change the age requirements for levels as well? I am wondering because my ds who currently competes as an 8yr old just completed level 6 and is moving to level 7. With the current system he will have to compete level 7 twice before moving to 8. With the new system will the boys still have to be 11 to compete 8? There are not many boys in his age group now I image level 8 11yr olds will be a very small group.

So, how old will be under the new age cut offs? Does he get to compete next year as a 9yo or does he jump to a 10yo?

 

[2G1B]

I think that it is crazy that they haven't put the age information out. I understand holding onto the new skills and routines until nationals; but this is the sort of information that needs to be released earlier.

Does anyone remember if they held onto the information about the level changes for the girls like this? Honestly, I'm pretty sure that with that change, it was out way before the routines and I seem to remember an official list of what the actual skills would be for each level released early, just not the actual routines.

 

[skschlag]

Honestly, I kind of do think it was similar. Lots of rumors and things that were "for sure happening" but I don't remember a lot of clarity until it was officially put out. But, I dont have a girl, so I might not be remembering correctly. I do remember a lot of people at the gym being shocked by the level differences in the summer, but because of CB, I knew a little about...but that was a long time ago lol.

 

[jlogym]

Skschlag in response to your question ds will compete as a 10 yr old under new requirements so will be 11 to compete level8 (if he is ready). But seeing how this will effect most boys except those with summer birthdays I would think the group will stay mostly the same. This unfair to kids that thought they would get 2 years competing in age for nationals or those who maybe only had one year and now find themselves too old.

 

[skschlag]

Yup. Really hard on those that were a 12 yo level 8 this year and will have to compete as a 14 yo level 9 next year, or similar jumps. (13 yo level 9-15 yo level 10). I get the point behind what they are doing but not sure how the logistics will work out.

Good news is, your son will do 1 year of 7, which is very common (that is what ds did), and then gets 2 years of 8!

 

[jlogym]

Yes I am happy that it works out for my ds. He did very well at level 6 (scores of 64+). So I am hoping it continues to level 7. However in is age group at regionals this year there were only about 14 boys I image as some of them did not do very well it will get smaller for level 7 it seems by level 8 it will be very few boys.

 

[skschlag]

It is true. The age groups get smaller and smaller. And it will take some adjusting. When they revised everything 4 years ago and made level 8 a real level, that was tough on lots of boys. And they put the age requirements on 8-10. Both of those were tough. I think we had a boy that had to drop from 9 to 8 due to age, but I can't recall exactly. In a year, it was somewhat normalized.

I guess, having done this 4 years ago, I will just go along for the ride, wherever it takes us lol!

 

[rosiekat]

Yeah, my understanding (which is limited, and I have no special insider info ) is that the only thing changing for now is the age cutoff. My son will be affected, but my only personal complaint is that he could have competed last year (2014-15) as L4 instead of waiting to start till this year. That having been said, he could certainly have done fine with the skills but maybe he didn't have the maturity and it might all be for the best for him anyway. It was kind of silly anyway that he was competitive age 6 but was 7 for almost the entire school year. This change will be more accurate for him, but instead of him being an early starter, now he'll be an average starter. Whereas before he could plan on 2 years at, say, L6, now it's best for him (ideally) to only spend one year at each level. (And does anyone else feel like you always need to put disclaimers on things like this? Like, "Assuming he's still interested, and still performing as well, and not injured, and...?")

 

[profmom]

Is there still no final word on whether or not this age change will apply to Future Stars (or when/how it will apply)?

Everyone in my circle who seems 'in the know' and has been sharing this new age rule still doesn't know how it affects FS...

I have heard nothing definitive, but Region 7, which runs a weeklong camp for FS during the summer, is only secondarily registering guys who will compete as 14 year olds in JO/JE next year for the camp this summer. My son, who turned twelve last fall, has been instructed by his coach to work on the 13 year old tramp routine.

 

[lilmisssunshine]

We're also in Region 7 and my 7yo son will be competing as an 8yo next year and is attending a weekend-long FS camp in June. I assume that means he's eligible.

 

[skschlag]

This is all interesting. I can't wait to see what comes of all of this and how it all plays out. D is out of FS age now, so he will be looking, hopefully, at JE next year. Watching his progress in the past 2 weeks wtih AC and the fill-in coach, I can see what he can do with good coaching and I think he can get there. But we need some guidelines! LOL

 

[profmom]

First workshop will be at nationals in just under three weeks, so we should know more then. I'm sure to get an earful when DS's coach gets back, hahaha!

 

[samsmama]

I really hope they don't change FS... I can (sorta) see the rationale for JO, but FS season ends in late fall, right? So you'd have boys competing routines for an age they won't be for up to 6 months later! That seems tough. But, we'll see!

 

[skschlag]

First workshop will be at nationals in just under three weeks, so we should know more then. I'm sure to get an earful when DS's coach gets back, hahaha!

And then you will share it with us all

 

[2G1B]

I know that I'm happy that we had a few guys make nationals so that we can hear sooner.