Parents Can you give me some info on Level 2?

[GymnasticsMom]

In our gym, when you are put on advanced pre-school and when you complete it, HC usually decides to put the girl on pre-team or L2. If the girl was put on pre-team, HC says that they are not ready to compete, but if the girl is put on L2 then that means HC wants them competing. HC said that when DD4 turns 4, she wants to put her on the L2 team because she is ready and wants her to get the competing experience. Some L2 moms or anyone really who knows the L2 program, please inform me! DD is very excited about this!

Thanks!

 

[Billy]

My daughter just finished competing level 2 last spring. Feel free to ask away!

 

[GymnasticsMom]

Thanks Shawn! What are the skills needed for L2? Do they just have exhibitions or actual competitions? Thanks! Please add any other info.

 

[Tim_Dad]

For what it's worth: We resisted pre-team for a few years. We have some regrets knowing what we know now, but not much.

HC also said Nastia "should and could", at 6, and that's encouraging and all but in our eyes, Gymnastics to Nastia (and most kids under a certain age) was just special playtime. Sure they get to learn new things, and move to the areas where the older girls "play", but I don't see that alone as an indication of real interest in the "sport".

So I think you need to ask yourself - regardless of what HC says - Is your dd playing, or is she truely interested in the sport? That latter takes commitment from DD and you.

Are you BOTH up to that?

 

[gymnut1]

Sorry tim dad do you mean you have regrets that she did level 3 or that she did preteam or neither. Do you mind saying why? sorry to be nosy.

 

[Billy]

First let me say that my DD competed AAU, which is a bit different than USAG. The routines are similar but AAU has a few different elements. Also, with AAU, younger kids can compete (as young as 4, I think).

Anyway, DD did compete at real meets, including one out-of-town meet and a state meet. They gave scores, places and awards. As for skills:

Vault- run, hurdle to springboard, handstand on mats to flat back

Bars- pullover, cast, cast back hip circle, cast, straddle on dismount

Beam- V-sit to stand, lever, arabesque, leg swings, releve balance, straight jump, tuck jump dismount

Floor- forward roll, candlestick, bridge kick-over, cartwheel, backward roll to pike stand, split jump, forward chasse

Hope that helps!

 

[Blackie6]

Our gym doesn't compete girls until Level 4 so I am not sure about L2, but from reading about the different "pre"levels here on CB such as level 2 and level 3 it looks like a nice progression of skills to L4. Having meet experience is a plus too. My DD loves being in the gym, but seems to come apart a little at meets with the pressure and audience.

Our pre-team was 4 hrs/week and worked on some skills such as the flatback onto the mat (begining vault), pull-overs on the bars, beam work and floor skills such as back walk-overs, round-offs, handstands and an into to the famous CONDITIONING.

Good luck to your DD whichever direction she goes!

 

[CoachKat]

Our level 2 must be a little different I know that they differ sometimes state to state so I will give you ours. We are AAU as well!
Vault: Step Underswing Handstand flatback onto 8in mats
Bars: Pull Over-cast backhip circle- cast underswing or straddle on sole circle dismount
Beam: Jump to front support swing leg over to straddle sit, tuck sit v-sit step out, arebesque 3 kick steps releve lock straight jump tuck jump dismount
Floor: Forward roll to straddle stand Headstand to pike kneel arch back stand up step kick cartwheel backward roll step kick handstand step down leg balance split jump releve lock pivot turn forward chasse Salute

 

[Tim_Dad]

Sorry tim dad do you mean you have regrets that she did level 3 or that she did preteam or neither. Do you mind saying why? sorry to be nosy.

No problem. Ask anything you like! I'm pretty easy going.

The regret was that we didn't put her into L3 sooner then we did. The HC said she could do it, and encouraged it, but where we had reservations was whether we SHOULD. If we had, she'd be in L5 now instead of L3.

To us, When Nastia was 4-7 years old rec (GEM) and tumble classes were fine and met her interest levels. Switching to competitive classes meant more hours, and of course more money. We simply weren't convinced that her interest in gymnastics was based on sport, but more of play. At our gym, there is a substantial difference in cost and time commitment. Like many parents, we have a finite amout of capitol to fund our kids interests. With Nastia, it was Swimming, Gymnastics, Art classes, and Rock climbing.

It wasnt until she just turned 8 (a year ago this week) that she showed us she was very interested in gymnastics as a sport, and was willing to dedicate more time to training. This also meant giving up TWO of the other things she enjoyed. And when she was willing to pass on Art and Rock climbing classes - we knew she was serious.

 

[momof2gymgirls]

My dd is 4 and is also in Level 2. She LOVES it! Her preschool class was just not challening enough for her and she was head and shoulders above the skills that they were practicing. In our gym the girls do not compete level 2 you have to be level 3 in order to compete, level II is our preteam (although they do have an inhouse comp. for the girls at the end of the season.) The girls do learn level 2 routines and skills but once those are complete they move them on to level 3 skills. My dd already has her level 2 and level 3 routines and skills down so as soon as she is five they are moving her up. She also has many of her level 4 skills down. I know that if she was still in the preschool class that she would not have learned any of these skills. The one thing that we considered when moving her up to level 2 was the age gap. She is the only 4 year old on her team. There is one 5 year old that just moved up to level 2 and all the rest are 6 & 7. So I was concerned that she would not fit in socially. You might want to ask your gym the ages of the other girls. Luckily dd fit in great. Dd is like the little sister on their team and they are always picking her up and twirling her around. Another thing that I would ask your dd is if she wants to compete right now. If she is really excited and you feel that she is ready to compete than level II is the way to go!
Congrats to your dd!

 

[GymnasticsMom]

For what it's worth: We resisted pre-team for a few years. We have some regrets knowing what we know now, but not much.

HC also said Nastia "should and could", at 6, and that's encouraging and all but in our eyes, Gymnastics to Nastia (and most kids under a certain age) was just special playtime. Sure they get to learn new things, and move to the areas where the older girls "play", but I don't see that alone as an indication of real interest in the "sport".

So I think you need to ask yourself - regardless of what HC says - Is your dd playing, or is she truely interested in the sport? That latter takes commitment from DD and you.

Are you BOTH up to that?

She loves it! Always telling me she wants to be like the big girls and do big girl tricks and compete. When I told her she got an invite, she went bouncing off the walls happy (literally!) She is always bored in her preschool class and wants to do higher tricks. We think it is a great opportunity for her and she is all in for it.

 

[Billy]

She loves it! Always telling me she wants to be like the big girls and do big girl tricks and compete.

My DD is like that, too. She always wants to copy what the older girls/ higher levels are doing. I strongly believe that's why she has advanced so quickly. She taught herself to do kips just by watching the older girls do them and practicing a lot. Same thing with front tucks on the tumble track and into the pit. The older girls were doing them so.....

 

[GymnasticsMom]

My DD is like that, too. She always wants to copy what the older girls/ higher levels are doing. I strongly believe that's why she has advanced so quickly. She taught herself to do kips just by watching the older girls do them and practicing a lot. Same thing with front tucks on the tumble track and into the pit. The older girls were doing them so.....

Wow Shawn! Your DD sounds like she picks up things very quickly! Taught herself a kip? That is amazing! My youngest and second youngest love to watch the big girl skills and always want to copy them. DD3 always wants to know what the big girls are doing. She will be watching a floor routine of theirs and she gets in a little trouble for not paying attention

 

[Billy]

Wow Shawn! Your DD sounds like she picks up things very quickly! Taught herself a kip? That is amazing! My youngest and second youngest love to watch the big girl skills and always want to copy them. DD3 always wants to know what the big girls are doing. She will be watching a floor routine of theirs and she gets in a little trouble for not paying attention

Yep, that sounds just like DD. She'd be watching the girls on bars and miss her turn on beam because of it. Luckily, she at least got something out of it. She can do all three kips (glide, straddle and long-hang) from watching the older girls. And now she's much better about paying attention to what she should be doing, though she definitely still watches the older girls. That's why it's always been good for her to train with older/ higher level girls. She seems to really get a lot out of it.

 

[GymnasticsMom]

Yep, that sounds just like DD. She'd be watching the girls on bars and miss her turn on beam because of it. Luckily, she at least got something out of it. She can do all three kips (glide, straddle and long-hang) from watching the older girls. And now she's much better about paying attention to what she should be doing, though she definitely still watches the older girls. That's why it's always been good for her to train with older/ higher level girls. She seems to really get a lot out of it.

That actually sounds like me when I was younger. I used to watch my siblings and cousins all the time. How is your DD doing in L5?

 

[Billy]

That actually sounds like me when I was younger. I used to watch my siblings and cousins all the time. How is your DD doing in L5?

She's doing fine. She's only been at it for about a week but it's going well. She has almost all of her skills (except vault), has the full bars routine and is starting to learn the beam and floor routines. Thanks for asking.

 

[GymnasticsMom]

She's doing fine. She's only been at it for about a week but it's going well. She has almost all of her skills (except vault), has the full bars routine and is starting to learn the beam and floor routines. Thanks for asking.

That darn vault! Does she like it better than L2? I bet she really likes to learn the harder skills. My L4 is having trouble with the vault too. She can't seem to get her heels over quick enough so she ends up piking.

 

[Billy]

That darn vault! Does she like it better than L2? I bet she really likes to learn the harder skills. My L4 is having trouble with the vault too. She can't seem to get her heels over quick enough so she ends up piking.

Vault has always been her weakest event. She doesn't like committing to falling flat (the L4 vault). She gets up into the handstand but then tends to walk on her hands and collapse rather than fall over backwards. She hasn't really tried the L5 handspring vault much but the few times she's gotten to try it, she's really liked it, much better than falling flat (there's video of her first attempts on our youtube channel). I actually think the L5 vault is going to be much easier for her than the L4 vault.

Actually, the vaults are not all that different between L2 and L4. For AAU it is the same vault just progressively higher. At L2 they vaulted onto 3 stacked mats, 4 mats for L3 and then over the vault table onto stacked mats for L4.

And you're right. DD's all about learning new and harder skills. That's her favorite part of gymnastics, even better than winning medals! She told me last night that she's going to do a giant at practice today! I told her she really should wait for her coach to help her with that and not to try doing it on her own.

I'll bet your little one is so very excited, especially if you've got an older daughter at L4, too. Does the little one really look up to big sis and want to do everything she does?

 

[Billy]

Oh! It just occurred to me (I'm a little slow these days ), if you go to our youtube channel, there's lots of videos of DD's level 2 meets. You can get an idea of the required skills.

 

[GymnasticsMom]

Vault has always been her weakest event. She doesn't like committing to falling flat (the L4 vault). She gets up into the handstand but then tends to walk on her hands and collapse rather than fall over backwards. She hasn't really tried the L5 handspring vault much but the few times she's gotten to try it, she's really liked it, much better than falling flat (there's video of her first attempts on our youtube channel). I actually think the L5 vault is going to be much easier for her than the L4 vault.

Actually, the vaults are not all that different between L2 and L4. For AAU it is the same vault just progressively higher. At L2 they vaulted onto 3 stacked mats, 4 mats for L3 and then over the vault table onto stacked mats for L4.

And you're right. DD's all about learning new and harder skills. That's her favorite part of gymnastics, even better than winning medals! She told me last night that she's going to do a giant at practice today! I told her she really should wait for her coach to help her with that and not to try doing it on her own.

I'll bet your little one is so very excited, especially if you've got an older daughter at L4, too. Does the little one really look up to big sis and want to do everything she does?

I looked at your channel and showed little DD what to expect. She was amazed and excited that she will be able to do all that Your DD sound very much like mine, especially my younger two. I will come to watch L4 practice and see DD3 be doing giants on strap bar! I was a wreck LOL. DD4 and DD3 are almost like the followers of DD 1 and 2. They love it when they get told how to do a harder skill at home by their big sisters. DD4 and 3 really look up to DD1 and 2 in gymnastics. DD3 will go on bragging, " my sisters are level 6 and 7!" and all her L4 friends will be in shock. When is your DD's first meet?