Anon Benefits of DP

[Anonymous (3c01)]

New to this world so forgive my ignorance. DD was invited onto level 3 team from rec classes but after looking into hours, cost, etc.-not currently but as she progresses on that track-I'm hesitating. She loves gym now but I fear it leaves room for little else. And I don't want to take her down a path that proves unsustainable. She wants to join a team but at 6 y.o. is more excited about matching leos & chance to earn a spot on the podium vs. having elite aspirations. She has zero knowledge of or preference regarding program type. So-If college/elite is NOT the goal, is there still a benefit of doing DP vs. Xcel or similar lower hours/stress program?

 

[JBS]

Just depends on what you choose as a parent. I'm a coach and a parent. My wife and I put all three of our kids in the JO / DP program... oldest daughter played in the world of elite gymnastics. Xcel is not something that I am into as a parent... just not my style.

Middle daughter was going to quit gymnastics... she had no desire to switch to Xcel... she was going to do a whole different sport. She decided not to quit and still do the other sport... now she does high school track and is a Level 10.

Xcel is a great program... it's just not what I look for in a program.

 

[gymgal]

Just a word of caution - not all XCEL programs are lower hours, lower stress etc. Be sure to look into each program before deciding. Many gyms use XCEL as a stepping stone to DP optionals. There are also gyms that have DP and Xcel but they still run their XCEL program with higher hours and more competitive than you would expect.

As for whether DP is more beneficial, it really depends on the future, which you are not able to determine at 6yrs old. Right now the goal is not college but 5 years from now, she may feel very different. It would be really tough at that point to switch her to a college bound program if she has been in a less intense XCEL program.

 

[Coach Kate]

I had a great time in DP but after my experience coaching in Xcel, I love that it exists. I think it's a really good option for a lot of families and a great way to keep a lot of kids in the sport longer. I was part of a very low hours program (max was diamonds at 9 hours a week, silver and gold were 5 with an option for 7.5 and platinum was 5.5 with an option for 8) and it gave the kids a lot more freedom and flexibility.

 

[Dahlialover]

I think a well-run traditional Xcel program is the ideal option for the vast majority of gymnasts. Kids get to experience the positive aspects of gymnastics — fun, developing grit and resilience, exercise, teammates — without the massive opportunity costs that are required when kids devote their childhoods to DP. I think that 9-12 hours is the max time a kid can spend in the gym without seriously limiting their ability to have a normal childhood. There are people who say that their kids can do 20 hours of gymnastics and a bunch of other activities too but that time is coming from somewhere. The nice thing about Xcel is that a kid can alway switch back to DP if it becomes clear that that is the better choice for them. The key is to find a gym that is really invested in offering a quality Xcel program. Good Luck!

 

[Anonymous (775a)]

I'm not american, but from what I've read:
- DP can definitely have benefits aside from elite/college chances.
- Both for DP and excel it depends a lot on the programme itself.

Some benefits DP can have, from what I've read:
- More focus on foundation, which may lead to better success with skills later on and less injury risk later on. However, a good excell programme will also have that
- Can teach persistance and other important life skills.
However, a lot depends on the programme itself and your own goals and options.

Within the Excel and DP programme, you could think about:
- Will this limit any chances further down the line (if that's important to you)
For example, if you do DP at a gym that repeats every level at least once, you may not get as far. If you go to an Excel programme that's not that goal oriented you may also not get as far.
- Is the environment healthy and safe?
If you see something that's clearly wrong, leave. Coaches yelling angrily at athletes for falling on a skill for example, if you see that I'd say report it and find a better programme.
- Can you afford it?
I think you make a fair point about potential costs, though keep in mind that if costs are too high in future, you may be able to switch. I would personally say: Don't get a second mortgage to pay for gymnastics, but don't keep chances away from your child so that you can pay for weekly five star spa visits or something. (I don't expect you'd do that, but I wanted to use two very clear extremes for the example)
- Will you be able to switch to the other programme if your gymnasts ambitions grow or if it becomes too expensive?
For DP to Excell if DP becomes too expensive or time consuming: the gym would likely allow it. The bigger question is whether you'd be worried about her not wanting to leave DP because of having bigger ambitions or friends in those groups etc.
For Excel to DP: This may depend on the
- What is the quality of the programme, and what do you want to get out of it?
Especially in Excel, you can check if they generally take the programme seriously. Do they train basics well, do they produce a lot of higher level xcell gymnasts? Does that matter to you? Does it teach her the right lessons? (E.g. persistance)
At the same time, is the amount of time too much, does it still seem fun to your daughter, etc. All these things can be different in different programmes, so: if you forget the labels and look at the programmes themselves, then which offer what you'd want for your daughter?


But most importantly: don't worry too much. She's 6.
Depending on where you live, there may be gyms that would take her to xcel even if she started older, and if the choice doesn't work out there may well be the chance to switch. So don't worry too much and enjoy it. I know I listed a lot to think about, but that's just so you can pick out the things important to you. In the end, so long as it's a safe healthy gym you're not making any life altering decisions here.

 

[Anonymous (b544)]

We've been in both Xcel and DP at two different gyms. One gym used Xcel in place of compulsory (DP levels 1 thru 5) and the other had two distinct tracks. At both places, the cost was relatively the same, hours the same. So it's not always a cost/hours savings. In our experience, Xcel is way, WAY more fun for the gymnast. As others have noted, if your kid has serious talent they are going to be able to move to DP as they progress if they want. My child has moved back and forth between Xcel and DP without challenges, but each gym has different philosophies on that. At 6 years old, I'd focus on enjoyment over anything.

 

[Anonymous (4ecf)]

In my experience, those who look down on Xcel or don't like the program have not been in a gym where Xcel is done well. It is a FANTASTIC program and allows a lot more flexibility as well as quality coaching when done right.

The only benefit I see to DP over Xcel when young (i.e. would be in the compulsory levels) is that some gyms that offer Xcel do not focus as much on form in the Xcel program as they do in the DP program. A good gym will focus on form in both programs and at gyms that do this the two are interchangeable in the younger years. Like others have said, a gymnast with talent at a gym with a good Xcel program will be prepared to enter DP later if they so desire.

If you're unsure and your daughter wants to have fun but also have the team experience, start with Xcel. She'll probably be a silver. If she loves it and gets serious, then talk to your gym about DP if it works for you and your family. If she loves it and loves Xcel, stay there.

 

[Anonymous (4814)]

My daughter attends a gym where they treat Xcel and DP the same. Same coaches just usually lower hours for Xcel the mentally is you get the same coaching it just may take you longer to get there. With that said as a parent I did not like Xcel. We only competed bronze but the disparity in the level of difficulty allowed seemed very unfair. You are not going to tell a 6/7 year old do this easier skill so you will score better. For example round of back hand spring on floor in the same as a round off backwards roll. Squat on dismount on bars is equal to push away dismount. I know people like to emphasize the tailoring but just throwing out another perspective.

 

[Anonymous (85c3)]

I'm in a gym with both xcel and dp. Same hours for comparable levels, slightly lower coaching quality, same monthly tuition. Don't know cost for meets. I'm the only one in my level (platinum) so I train with the level 7s and yeah, better coaching changes a lot.

 

[rd7]

Generally it's easier to transfer from DP to Excel than it is to transfer from Excel to DP (at the same skill level) so maybe let her try the level 3 team and take it from there?

 

[Anonymous (f919)]

If she truly doesnt care much, i would pick what I'M more comfortable with. At my daughter's gym level 3's practice 12 hours and level 4 16hours. Compared to 4 hours for bronze and 6 hours for silver.

If she's just happy to compete and doesnt have the dream of being the best. Go with what's easier for your family and what you think she would prefer better.

My daughter is 4 and on preteam/TOPs. She will tell you she wants to be the best gymnastics girl when she grows up. I think the DP route will be best for her. My husband and i also agreed that we will allow for to go as far as she would like.

 

[Anonymous (f919)]

Xcel is a great program... it's just not what I look for in a program.

Just curious, why do you prefer DP?

 

[Anonymous (fad2)]

My DD has done both Xcel and DP. I will strongly echo the parent who talked about skill disparity. It’s a big gap between skills and it’s confusing for little ones. I also think it makes it difficult to transfer to the DP if your child chooses that path. They may be amazing at a few events but never pushed in one.

I did not like Xcel for my daughter. That being said it makes a lot of sense and is a wonderful program for some kids. I see girls who struggle with bars but love to tumble and they seem to thrive in Xcel. It seems that older girls do well in Xcel but that might be because we didn’t see a lot of younger ones in our region.

In our situation starting in DP was the right choice. The age groups were narrow so my daughter competed with girls close to her age. She has good form and foundation. She can easily transfer to Xcel if she wants to be less committed.

IMO level 3 is a good place to try DP.

 

[JBS]

Just curious, why do you prefer DP?

As a coach or as a parent?

 

[Anonymous (f919)]

As a coach or as a parent?

As a parent

 

[JBS]

As a parent

My wife and I were both gymnasts. The Xcel program didn't even exist when we did gymnastics... still doesn't for men... at least not in our state. If one of my kids wanted to do Xcel... that would be fine... but I wouldn't start them that way.

It really all comes down to my beliefs as a coach. Ages 5 to 10 are very important in gymnastics.

 

[Anonymous (f919)]

My wife and I were both gymnasts. The Xcel program didn't even exist when we did gymnastics... still doesn't for men... at least not in our state. If one of my kids wanted to do Xcel... that would be fine... but I wouldn't start them that way.

It really all comes down to my beliefs as a coach. Ages 5 to 10 are very important in gymnastics.

Thanks! I have heard the younger years are really important before.

 

[moogacat]

I think it very much depends on the gym, the program, and your family. My daughter came to competitive gymnastics relatively late at age 10, after years in rec. She had a lot of "advanced" skills on bars and floor, but was woefully behind in other areas, especially vault. Plus our family was at a point where the time and financial investment of JO/DP was functionally impossible. Xcel was perfect for her and us- it allowed her to continue to do some of her more advanced skills while her development in other areas caught up, and it kept us from getting overextended financially. Plus her gym invested in Xcel and had a good program- if her gym didn't support Xcel like it should have we might have made different decisions. My daughter did eventually move over to DP once in high school, and has largely stayed there as a level 9 other than one brief detour back to Xcel. She's getting ready to graduate as a level 9 and join a D1 Acro & Tumbling team.

This is all to say there's no one way, and there's a lot of variables for each family situation and gym.