WAG Confusion about Optionals...

[Committed]

How old is she?! My 7 year old is almost 48 inches! Is she going to be too tall? Still new to all this....

Haha! My 7yo is 52" and doing just fine!

 

[Mrs. Puma]

That is awesome!!!! I love these success stories! Good for her ​

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Haha! My 7yo is 52" and doing just fine!

oh good! I'm 5'7'' and I don't think she'll be quite that tall, but she certainly will be taller than the average gymnast.

 

[MILgymFAM]

oh good! I'm 5'7'' and I don't think she'll be quite that tall, but she certainly will be taller than the average gymnast.

My DD is 5'6 and growing. It's pretty funny to see her around other gymnasts!

 

[Chalky]

This is what she is slated to compete this season:
Vault: Front handspring; Working Tsuks and Yurchenkos (sp?)
Bars: Kip, cast handstand, clear hip (no handstand as HC said that's level 8, but she can do it pretty consistently), kip, squat on, kip, cast handstand, giant, giant, layout flyaway
Beam: BWO-BHS (or BHS-BHS if she can get it consistently by season), 1/1 turn, split jump-split jump combination, BHS (yes, she has 2 of them in her routine), front tuck dismount
Floor: switch leap-wolf jump combination, layout, front handspring-front combination (maybe changed to front-front--HC hasn't decided which one she thinks is more consistent).

I think it all would qualify as competitive for level 7 (depending on how well she executes), but HC wants her to compete level 6 for confidence.



It may have been...since we did not have any level 6s last year, I'm relying on what I was told by friends at another gym. I certainly hope the front hip circle no longer counts for level 6 as it is a level 3 requirement.

 

[Chalky]

Hearts, those skills that you listed, are what my old L5 (L4 under new system) were working during and after their L5(L4) season, and also back tucks on low beam, gainer d/mnts etc. I don't hold kids back, but also it is nice to have kids who are prepared for their current level, so that we have time to up train. It's a great incentive too

 

[hearts_and_stars]

So...DD got her bar routine from HC (we've been speculating for weeks as we've seen her working a basic routine inserting skills she is training here and there, but nothing firm from HC until tonight)...HC still has not said whether she will compete 6 or 7, so I'm throwing this out to those of you who know optionals routines far better than I...

Kip
Cast handstand
Clear Hip Handstand
Kip
Squat on
Kip
Cast Handstand
Giant
Giant
Layout Flyaway

(It doesn't matter to me what level DD competes so long as she is happy, but as a parent I don't much care for the uncertainty of the whole matter. Nor can I see a valid reason for HC not telling her which level she will compete)

 

[kandkfunk]

Looks like level 7 to me, although it still could be competed at level 6. That routine is way above what we would see for 6 around here and definitely a very common level 7 routine.

 

[sce]

I think that just encourages doing level 5 and then going to 7. To me, making level 6 routines that are "easy" (yes, I know this is all relative) makes level 6 unnecessary. We should have left the system the way it was. It just makes no sense to me to have level 6 routines that have nothing more difficult than level 5...for my kid.

The limits sounds like a good idea. It should encourage going from 5 to 7. The purpose of level 6 was to bridge the gap for those not ready for 7.

 

[htimcj]

That was a basic l7 routine around here.

 

[3rd_time_around]

Just throwing this out there as we had a very similar issue over the summer.

Our former gym ( family relocation out of state ) sets the levels for the girls shortly after state and rarely ever does that change. My DD competed level 4 last season and was placed level 6/7 depending on which skills were achieved. Fast forward to right before we moved. All girls with the exception of 2 girls ( mom'a a coach at the gym and other is a "favorited" family. All 3 sisters have always had special treatment from gym owner. Started many years ago I guess! Anyways!) were told they would be competing level 4 again. One coach was overheard saying that the upcoming level 4's needed "some help" so let's keep last years at 4 again. Those new 4's are struggling while the other girls are blowing them away. As they should since they are level 7 trained gymnast who will be competing level 4 again. The gym does not do level 5 or 7.

My DD was evaluated and placed level 7 at new gym. She is currently in limbo as to where she will compete since she has been struggling with a mental block on her giants.

I like the idea that your DD coach wants her to walk into a meet confident. But what I don't like about gyms who do this is how it makes the girls feel. They have trained hard on the new skills and now are dropping back. In what could have been our case, from an optional to a compulsory again. And don't get me started on how I feel about knowing the reason behind what our FORMER gym is doing it. Didn't know it worked like that! Slowly learning!

Everyone MUST compete level 5 at least 1 time and achieve a mobility score. Surely you mean that they are not skipping right from 4 τo 7? Also, Level 6 is not a required competitive level, so what's with the emphasis on it by all these gyms? It IS for girls not ready for 7, that's all. (I can link proof if needs to show it's not required. But level 5 is required).

 

[3rd_time_around]

I think that just encourages doing level 5 and then going to 7. To me, making level 6 routines that are "easy" (yes, I know this is all relative) makes level 6 unnecessary. We should have left the system the way it was. It just makes no sense to me to have level 6 routines that have nothing more difficult than level 5...for my kid.

For my DD, the plan is to start at 6 and move to 7 mid-season because she is struggling on beam. Her single BHS, let alone a series, is highly inconsistent and it took her a year to even be able to do an ugly one on a high beam. But her floor is beautiful and bars are really coming along. Should her coach put her in 7 where she will be lucky to get a 7 on beam because she can't do the BHS series? Or should she "upgrade" her level 6 routines to provide a challenge. I can tell my DD would not want to win a level 6 beam event doing a CW...

There is no one size fits all on this topic.

Level 7 does not require a BHS series on beam. They can still do a BWO-BWO series. As a matter of fact, a clean BWO-BWO series will score better than a sloppy BHS series. They do need the BHS on beam, but it does not have to be in a series. Series with flight is required at Level 8.

 

[gymgal]

Level 7 does not require a BHS series on beam. They can still do a BWO-BWO series. As a matter of fact, a clean BWO-BWO series will score better than a sloppy BHS series. They do need the BHS on beam, but it does not have to be in a series. Series with flight is required at Level 8.

I realize the poster was commenting on her dd's bhs but wanted to clarify - they don't need a bhs on beam at all. they need a flight skill. most fulfill that with a bhs but there are other options, namely a roundoff or a fhs

 

[GYMMOM29]

So....DD was told by HC yesterday that even though she has all her level 7 skills and is training the level 8 skills, she will be competing 6 this season. DD was heartbroken. She was told by her coach that she wants her walking into optionals meets knowing the meet will be a piece of cake. I'm not sure I agree with this approach, but it is not my decision. She is disappointed, but she has made her peace with it (and is resolved to show her coach that she made a mistake by keeping her back a level).

I think she also feels a bit cheated since 6 is virtually the same as 5 and DD did very, very well as a 5 last season (mostly scored high 37s) and she feels like HC is making her 'repeat' 5. She is also a little confused since HC told her the only restrictions on 6 and 7 are no 'C' skills, so she will essentially be competing all her level 7 routines. (Do they get bonus for doing so?) I know very little about optionals as this is our first year here, but is this a common practice? Is there a subliminal motivation for the coach to down compete (for lack of a better phrase) a gymnast (other than getting her on podium)?

I don't want DD to get discouraged or de-motivated because she now sees no point in pushing the level 8 skills since she won't be able to compete them for 2 more years...

Anyone else ever deal with this type of situation? If so, how did you handle it? (DD is not quite 11 and we live in the Houston area...not sure if those details matter).

My apologies if I sound like a complete newbie here, but I really know nothing about optionals progression.

So....DD was told by HC yesterday that even though she has all her level 7 skills and is training the level 8 skills, she will be competing 6 this season. DD was heartbroken. She was told by her coach that she wants her walking into optionals meets knowing the meet will be a piece of cake. I'm not sure I agree with this approach, but it is not my decision. She is disappointed, but she has made her peace with it (and is resolved to show her coach that she made a mistake by keeping her back a level).

I think she also feels a bit cheated since 6 is virtually the same as 5 and DD did very, very well as a 5 last season (mostly scored high 37s) and she feels like HC is making her 'repeat' 5. She is also a little confused since HC told her the only restrictions on 6 and 7 are no 'C' skills, so she will essentially be competing all her level 7 routines. (Do they get bonus for doing so?) I know very little about optionals as this is our first year here, but is this a common practice? Is there a subliminal motivation for the coach to down compete (for lack of a better phrase) a gymnast (other than getting her on podium)?

I don't want DD to get discouraged or de-motivated because she now sees no point in pushing the level 8 skills since she won't be able to compete them for 2 more years...

Anyone else ever deal with this type of situation? If so, how did you handle it? (DD is not quite 11 and we live in the Houston area...not sure if those details matter).

My apologies if I sound like a complete newbie here, but I really know nothing about optionals progression.

Hearts_and_Stars - I definitely would be pushing for Level 7 this year since your daughter seems to have all the skills. My daughter is currently training 9 (11 years old) and went through level 6 and 7 before the level changes. She did level 6 and 7 back to back (Fall and Spring). Currently, most of the girls who competed Level 4 in Fall 2013 will most likely be doing Level 7 this upcoming optional season. So in basically a year they have tested out of both 5 & 6 and will be competing 7. However, there maybe girls who will compete level 6 if they are not ready for level 7. Our gym does not really have many girls compete level 5 or 6; it is really only used for the girls who are not ready for level 7.

Also, another thing to consider is her long term goals. My daughter definitely wants to get a college scholarship for all the years of hard work. My concern would be that if she spends too much time at the lower levels unnecessarily, she may not get to level 10 until later in high school. This would definitely affect the scholarship options. Many girls in our gym are verbally committing when they are sophomores and at that point have had a year or 2 of level 10 behind them. Also, the biggest jump in levels seem to be between 8 and 9. I have seen some girls who have repeated level 8 because they weren't quite ready (bars seems to be the biggest jump). Also, injuries can slow your progression as well as fears. As the girls get older, it seems like fears can become more of a problem. So the more big skills they can learn at an younger age, the easier it will be to progress.

Therefore, I definitely would not want my daughter competing Level 6 if she was ready for Level 7.

By the way, we are in Texas as well. Good luck! Hope it all works out for you and your gymmie!

 

[hearts_and_stars]

I'm pretty good friends with a coach at another gym and he told me to push HC to compete her 7 this season and then jump to 9 next season. I don't know if this is something that is done on a regular basis, but he acted as if it was. I have also been told the biggest jump in optionals is from 8 to 9, so I'm not sure what to make of what he said. I think DD can be competitive at 7, but HC prefers to move at a snail's pace (I know at some point I will need to find another gym, I'm just not certain that would be in DD's best interest during the jump to optionals). She is training 8 skills right now on all events, but I don't think she has started any 9 (I'm not even sure what to look for there, but I don't see her doing the same thing the girls older than her are doing) so my concern was that she would effectively be an 8 (having all the 8 skills somewhat solid) and competing as a 6. HC wants her on podium and she would undoubtedly get there as a 6, but that will get very old very quickly for DD. She wants to win, she just doesn't want to walk into a meet knowing she's going to win because her coach is down competing her (and she knows it would not really be right to compete against girls who are legitimate 6s--it's not much fun beating girls in that manner).

Bars does seem to be the event that slows a lot of girls down, but bars also happens to be DD's best event. HC does not coach the compulsory girls, so I'm fairly certain she didn't fully know what she was getting when DD moved teams. I'm hoping, in that instance, that DD will be able to compete 7 and move on from there.

As far as her long-term goals, she (like most little girls with stars in their eyes) wants to go to the Olympics. But she also wants a college scholarship. I'm discouraging neither, though one is obviously more doable than the other. She is in 5th grade right now and wants to do the College Bound (?) camp in between 10th and 11th grades. Having talked to parents whose girls have done this camp, they say she is ahead of schedule (I took that to mean she would easily be level 10 before her sophomore year), but I don't know much about that either...

 

[Quadqueen]

Going from 7 to 9 and scoring out of 8 is seen very rarely around here. Level 8 is typically a level that is repeated, not skipped.

 

[gasrgoose]

(I know at some point I will need to find another gym, .

^^^^^^^^
My 2 cents is you will later regret not moving her now. I've seen it alot. I also realize it is much easier said than done.

 

[profmom]

When is the first meet? The coaches here sometimes wait a while to make level decisions, and there's so little difference between 6 and 7 that waiting until a month before the meet or even less would not be a big deal.

I'm confused because on the one hand you seem to be on board with the coaches' plans for your daughter's progression but on the other you don't trust their decision about the level to compete her. I know that the "what level" question produces a LOT of anxiety for parents, but honestly as long as she is progressing skill-wise and you trust the coaches to continue her progression, I think you would probably want to have a very good and concrete reason for pushing them to compete her at a level other than the one they think is most appropriate. From what you've reported, it sounds like she's doing well and has what she needs for L7, but we aren't her coaches and we don't know what the skills look like. It sounds like you really need to have a sit down with the coaches and ask them what is up. If you are really opposed to her competing L6 to put the last bit of polish on some skills that she could be competing at L7, the coaches should know that as they are making decisions, but you should also be prepared to offer them an argument as to why you think this is problematic. I would say it sounds like you're worried it will slow her down, but you also say she's skipping L8, so that would be a wash. But bottom line -- as Gasrgoose suggests, if you have this much distrust in the gym's plans to progress her, then shop for a new gym that you can trust.

Somewhat unrelated: I think just in general we should all worry less about what level skills our kids are training and just be concerned that they are progressing. My daughter's a L8, but she's training L9 skills on floor and bars and will continue to do so throughout the competitive season. Some of her teammates are working on beam connections and floor combos that they could use at L10. My son, who's headed into his first year of L6, is doing skills on pommel horse that he cannot compete until he is at least L9 because of the way the rules work. But what matters is, for instance, that once she's doing a decent 1.5 twist, it makes sense to work on cranking it around twice (or more). If a boy is having great success with false scissors, he should progress to working on scissors, even if like DS's totally awesome little teammate, competing that skill is at least four years away according to the rules. It doesn't mean that the kid is sandbagging or competing under level because he (DS's brand new L6 teammate) could put together a great L8 routine on PH and a credible L9 routine. It just means that his coaches are doing a good job of moving him forward. As DS's exceptionally wise coach once said, "Gymnastics is what you do in the gym. The meets are just for your parents." If a gym is doing a bad job of progressing kids because they are doing too much sandbagging at meets, eventually it will come back and bite them in the butt, because the gymnastics part of it won't be fun anymore. And that's what matters and will keep the kid in the sport for the long run. And we as parents should facilitate this by helping the kids to keep the focus on the gymnastics.

 

[Lynn]

Everyone MUST compete level 5 at least 1 time and achieve a mobility score. Surely you mean that they are not skipping right from 4 τo 7? Also, Level 6 is not a required competitive level, so what's with the emphasis on it by all these gyms? It IS for girls not ready for 7, that's all. (I can link proof if needs to show it's not required. But level 5 is required).

In my original post, I put the gym does not compete Level 5 and 7 but I meant level 5 and 6.

The 2 girls who moved up both competed Level 4 last yr. One of the 2 girls did a level 5 meet for move up score last yr but competed level 4 the remainder of the season. the other will do that the same weekend she is supposed to compete her first level 7 meet. Our old gym has limited coaching staff and in order for them to not have to attend multiple sessions they feel it's better to compete those girls at Level 4 then push them up to 7 next season. Nothing in between.

I hope that makes sense. At the new gym, they judges have already been brought in and the girls who needed to score out of level 5 have already done so. DD looks like will be doing Level 6. Still dealing with a mental block on giants.

 

[my4buffaloes]

I think if the HC won't compete her level 7 this year then it is time to look at other gyms NOW. level 6 is not designed for someone training level 8 skills. I also agree that level 8 is almost never skipped and frequently repeated.