MAG Age requirement changes?

[profmom]

Definitely not looking forward to having a newly aged up 13 year old 9 who would have had a nice year as a 12 year old 8. But it is what it is.

 

[karenity]

Well, since the age change impacts 3/4 of the kids, my son will mostly still be with the same group of kids in competition. Plus since he was level 9 13yo this year, so in order to qualify for nationals again next year he would have to compete level 10 as a 15 year old. But since level 9 and 10 are so similar it won't make much of a difference as far as skills. Plus if he does level 10 next season, he will have 4 years of level 10. ( He just finished middle school). There are so few 18 year old level 10's that this change will have more kids now in that group (wonder if this was part of the reason for the change?)

 

[skschlag]

hi and welcome! So glad to have more optional boys here!

My ds was a 13yo level 9, but he is one of the lucky ones that will be a 14yo level 9 next year. This is a good thing since he spent all last season injured.

I think it seems like right now the age groups will have more, but I honestly think in the long run it will all even out. I have seen that D's age group will be very diffferent now, but not any easier..in fact harder in many ways. But he just has to do his thing

 

[Simaril]

In the short term this is a very big deal, and may be devastating for some boys, and stressful for coaches and families. In the long term it's not a big deal, a positive change for USAG, and will work itself out.

 

[profmom]

I was at a Future Stars clinic over the weekend. USAG needs to understand that the age change is the equivalent of a tsunami, a supervolcano, a large meteor strike, a moderate black hole, and a couple medium-sized apocalypses all rolled together into one package that has UTTERLY DEVASTATED THE UNIVERSE AS WE KNOW IT.

 

[GymDad23]

New to this site, but have been following the threads for a little over a month (site's email server was down, so couldn't reply or post anything until accepted).

Just wanted to say thanks to all those for the info on the new age requirements. Learned more on here than from our gym coaches on the subject. I have a son who competed as a 10yr old level 7 last year and was itching to go to 8 this year. With these changes, he's a little heart broken, but he'll get over it. Our gym, for some reason, stopped doing future stars a couple years ago and only had one level 10 do the TS this year (all did TS a year ago, but the one this year is a HS senior and a P&G regular). There's a slight chance he could do JE 8 as he'll be 11yrs old next May, but not sure if he's ready for it....or if our gym will even attempt to push him that way. Looking at the JE 8 11yr olds at nationals this year, only 30 competed, so I don't feel all that bad. But, I'm not sure another year at 7 will be more beneficial to him than a tough year as an 8.

 

[J&A's mom]

Two years ago we had a similar situation....to repeat L6 or go on to L7. My son was fifth in the region in the all around for his first year of L6. He could do all the skills/bonuses except for two. Still doesn't have one of them....had it, then lost it. Anyway, they worked on L7 stuff even if he wasn't going to do L7 yet. I am sure your gym will do the same even if he has to compete L7 again.