MAG Divisions within levels

[RTT2]

I'm new to MAG and finding many differences from WAG. Someone just told me earlier in the week that there are different divisions within levels. My son is just starting at 4, and I was told there is a division 1 and 2. Is that true all the way through MAG? Are there more than two divisions in some levels? And, which is considered more difficult- 1 or 2? Is it age based? So much to learn!

 

[Outlast]

There is Division 1 (with bonuses) and Division 2 (w/o) in Levels 4-7. There are also 2 Divisions in JD.
Link Removed
This may help if you are willing to read through. Page 2 explains the divisions.

 

[RTT2]

There is Division 1 (with bonuses) and Division 2 (w/o) in Levels 4-7. There are also 2 Divisions in JD.
Link Removed
This may help if you are willing to read through. Page 2 explains the divisions.

Thanks! Is JD sort of like Xcel for girls? DS is doing JO and I don't think his gym has JD, but I'm pretty clueless at this point so not sure.

 

[RTT2]

Oh wow, just starting to read through the pdf and just discovered optionals don't start until 8 for boys!

 

[Madden3]

What Level do optionals start for WAG?

Anyway, JD is NOT like Xcel. There apparently is an Xcel program for boys (called Xcel) but I have no idea how many gyms offer boy's Xcel.

JD is an optional routine program for boys 11 and older who for whatever reason do not "fit" age and skill wise into the optional JO levels, or at least do not fit there as all around gymnasts. At out gym, the JD boys often practice with the JO optionals. Boys can and do move in and out of JD from JO. The way our coach explained the divisions in JD to me, JD 2 is for kids who are "optional age" (11 and up) but generally have compulsory level skills, and JD 1 is for boys with Level 8-10 skills. But in both divisions the kids create their own optional routines.

JD started just a few years ago, when they began having upper age limits for the JO optional Levels and at the same time, dramatically altered the "age in" date, because those changes threw many boys off their expected Level progression. But JD also opens opportunity for gymnasts working back from an injury, or who struggle more with certain events or skills and excel in others, who took time off from the sport, or who started "late." When JD started it had no divisions. Putting divisions in JD has made the program more useful and attractive and I think more gyms will be adding JD as time goes on.

Divisions in compulsory levels are as described above, one with bonuses competed, the other with no bonuses competed. Ideally, (I assume) division 2 encourages gyms to focus longer on clean, strong basics rather than pushing early for lots of bonuses and still do well at meets.

 

[RTT2]

What Level do optionals start for WAG?

Anyway, JD is NOT like Xcel. There apparently is an Xcel program for boys (called Xcel) but I have no idea how many gyms offer boy's Xcel.

JD is an optional routine program for boys 11 and older who for whatever reason do not "fit" age and skill wise into the optional JO levels, or at least do not fit there as all around gymnasts. At out gym, the JD boys often practice with the JO optionals. Boys can and do move in and out of JD from JO. The way our coach explained the divisions in JD to me, JD 2 is for kids who are "optional age" (11 and up) but generally have compulsory level skills, and JD 1 is for boys with Level 8-10 skills. But in both divisions the kids create their own optional routines.

JD started just a few years ago, when they began having upper age limits for the JO optional Levels and at the same time, dramatically altered the "age in" date, because those changes threw many boys off their expected Level progression. But JD also opens opportunity for gymnasts working back from an injury, or who struggle more with certain events or skills and excel in others, who took time off from the sport, or who started "late." When JD started it had no divisions. Putting divisions in JD has made the program more useful and attractive and I think more gyms will be adding JD as time goes on.

Divisions in compulsory levels are as described above, one with bonuses competed, the other with no bonuses competed. Ideally, (I assume) division 2 encourages gyms to focus longer on clean, strong basics rather than pushing early for lots of bonuses and still do well at meets.

Optionals start at level 6 for girls. The progression for boys seems more flexible and reasonable.

 

[Madden3]

The progression for boys seems more flexible and reasonable.

#2 tries harder.

 

[skschlag]

Optionals start at level 6 for girls. The progression for boys seems more flexible and reasonable.

Very much so. No score outs for one. Kids can skip and move around as they are ready. There are only age restrictions at the optional levels. It is very flexible! My son has been every level in there!

 

[Cheryl]

Divisions within the compulsory levels are between boys who did bonuses and boys who did not. When my son started compulsory, there were no divisions, you could do bonuses on some events and not on others depending on your skills.

For 2016-2019, they added divisions in cumpulsory and revised the age limits down for qualifying for nationals, while simultaneously making at least 50% of the boys a year older. The current system assumes boys will start competing at 8 in Level 4, which for many is really age 7, and not repeat a Level in order to be in Level by 8 to remain “in age”. Unfortunately this paradigm doesn’t work for many boys.

So JD was created. Some gyms are embracing it, others not so much. Our gym pretty much puts most kids in Level 9 or 10 or JD. Once they get to Level 10, they can be anywhere from 15-18. I’m hoping in the next revision, I think after this season, they either adjust the upper age limits for 8-9, or move the age back to the original cutoff date so that many boys are not aged out.

 

[skschlag]

I thought they could start L4 at 6? That was the age when my son started gym.

Also, I think if they move the ages at all, it will be to birth years, but only time will tell. I am so glad that we only have to deal with 1 more quad! We have been through 3 already...each one has had its great points and its not-so-great things.

 

[sce]

I thought they could start L4 at 6? That was the age when my son started gym.

Also, I think if they move the ages at all, it will be to birth years, but only time will tell. I am so glad that we only have to deal with 1 more quad! We have been through 3 already...each one has had its great points and its not-so-great things.

This new update says that that can compete level 4 if they are 6 by the May cut-off. So there will be 5yo level 4s this year.

 

[skschlag]

This new update says that that can compete level 4 if they are 6 by the May cut-off. So there will be 5yo level 4s this year.

That is what I thought. I didn't think it encouraged 8 yo to compete L4..

 

[krc]

One of the realities of dealing with boys is the very different growth rates. Walk the halls of any junior high and you'll see what I mean. That is the primary reason for having different choices (tracks) in our system. At 11-12, you can be a L7, L8, JD1 or JD2. At 13-14 you can be L8, L9, JD1, JD2. In these age brackets, equally aged boys can be vastly apart on the maturity spectrum. It would be very poor planning and coaching to try and put them all together in one competitive stream. No matter what age cut-off you pick, the kids 11 months removed from that cut off, will have a significant advantage over the others. Thus different tracks to accommodate different kids. (This age-selection bias happens in all sports BTW, not just gymnastics)

KRC

 

[skschlag]

One of the realities of dealing with boys is the very different growth rates. Walk the halls of any junior high and you'll see what I mean. That is the primary reason for having different choices (tracks) in our system. At 11-12, you can be a L7, L8, JD1 or JD2. At 13-14 you can be L8, L9, JD1, JD2. In these age brackets, equally aged boys can be vastly apart on the maturity spectrum. It would be very poor planning and coaching to try and put them all together in one competitive stream. No matter what age cut-off you pick, the kids 11 months removed from that cut off, will have a significant advantage over the others. Thus different tracks to accommodate different kids. (This age-selection bias happens in all sports BTW, not just gymnastics)

KRC

Thanks KRC...you explain this so well. It is true how different it is. we found L9 to have the widest discrepancy in growth rates! D looked like a giant in L9! But it does start to level out. I keep hoping that we can let go of the age ranges and just do gymnastics! it is what it is......(and yes, I know, my son was one of the lucky ones that did not get aged up.)

 

[jenjean70]

Divisions within the compulsory levels are between boys who did bonuses and boys who did not. When my son started compulsory, there were no divisions, you could do bonuses on some events and not on others depending on your skills.

For 2016-2019, they added divisions in cumpulsory and revised the age limits down for qualifying for nationals, while simultaneously making at least 50% of the boys a year older. The current system assumes boys will start competing at 8 in Level 4, which for many is really age 7, and not repeat a Level in order to be in Level by 8 to remain “in age”. Unfortunately this paradigm doesn’t work for many boys.

So JD was created. Some gyms are embracing it, others not so much. Our gym pretty much puts most kids in Level 9 or 10 or JD. Once they get to Level 10, they can be anywhere from 15-18. I’m hoping in the next revision, I think after this season, they either adjust the upper age limits for 8-9, or move the age back to the original cutoff date so that many boys are not aged out.

Our gym refuses to do JD....

 

[sce]

Our gym refuses to do JD....

We have no one doing it at ours but I don’t know why.

 

[skschlag]

Our gym refuses to do JD....

That is really sad

 

[Cheryl]

At our gym of about 50 boys, about 6 are Level 10, 4 are Level 9, 15 are 4-6, and the rest are JD 1 or 2. No 7’s or 8’s this year. All the 7’s from last year and all but 2 of the 8’s are JD. The Level 9’s are all 14. Don’t know why they do it this way, but JD is the default.

 

[skschlag]

At our gym of about 50 boys, about 6 are Level 10, 4 are Level 9, 15 are 4-6, and the rest are JD 1 or 2. No 7’s or 8’s this year. All the 7’s from last year and all but 2 of the 8’s are JD. The Level 9’s are all 14. Don’t know why they do it this way, but JD is the default.

HOly cow...that is like almost 1/2 your team!!

We have 2 L10s, 5 L9s, 4 L8s, 11 JDs, 0 L7s, 10 L6s, 15 L4s, and 18 L5s

 

[skschlag]

HOly cow...that is like almost 1/2 your team!!

We have 2 L10s, 5 L9s, 4 L8s, 11 JDs, 0 L7s, 10 L6s, 15 L4s, and 18 L5s

We only have L6 D1, but I think of the 5s we have 9 D1, 9 D2. 4s I think it is 5 D1, 10 D2.