Full spin on beam deductions and all about GB WAG programmes

[Flossyduck]

Faith, things are changing at our gym. Can't say too much, but wider opportunities are opening up . Also someone said that there are plans to allow girls to do compulsories out of age. I have heard that too, but understood that it will be a limited 'out of age' ie. up to two years. But it's all still good!

 

[Iwannabemargo]

That's cause you are " ooop north " lol, lovely and sunny here today - but a wicked wind

Sent from my CnM Touchpad 9.7 using ChalkBucket mobile app

 

[Flossyduck]

Keep it that way please Margo. We will be over your way for our summer hols. Maybe lose that wind, cos we'll be camping.... thankyou kindly. BTW, they've had hail in London town and many parts of the country today

 

[bogwoppit]

SO whilst we have this awesome, and informative, UK systems thread going. Can you ladies (gee I assume you are all ladies) help me with something that I am mixed up with? I see there are grades 14, 13, 12, 11 etc and I hear people talking about competing grade 6, 5, 4 and I also hear people saying Novice in some regions can look a lot like Grade 5 or 4. Can anyone explain who does the 14, 13 11 grades as opposed to the other options? What is the difference? Is one more comp/rec oriented? Are there training hours restrictions. In Quebec girls cannot train more than 9 hours a week until the reach the L5/6 skill level, hours are capped to keep the playing field level. Though girls do not compete here until the year of their 9th birthday, so lots of time to uptrain.

 

[rd7]

^^^^

I'll make a start

Grades 14-9 are regional club grades
Grades 8-5 are National grades (very good but not elite track)
Compulsory Levels 5 - 2 are elite track in age. You must pass level 2 to move up to Espoir, Junior, Senior Elite.
Levels 7-2 (and then Challenge) are county/regional levels, modified out of age FIG. Challenge is scored as FIG and there is a chance to move to National elite competitions if a certain level is reached.
Not sure about Novice, Intermediate etc as we don't have them here but I assume they are roughly the same as our county/regional levels above.
Each region decides there own requirements for these types of competitions. Grades are set by BG.
Then there is county and regional floor and vault competitions with different requirements again and some restrictions.
And then General Gymnastics have their own levels for non-artistic gymnasts where hours are restricted.

(The grades system used to 6-1 but that has changed now to 14-5)

Hope that helps

 

[bogwoppit]

^^^^

I'll make a start

Grades 14-9 are regional club grades
Grades 8-5 are National grades (very good but not elite track)
Compulsory Levels 5 - 2 are elite track in age. You must pass level 2 to move up to Espoir, Junior, Senior Elite.
Levels 7-2 (and then Challenge) are county/regional levels, modified out of age FIG. Challenge is scored as FIG and there is a chance to move to National elite competitions if a certain level is reached.
Not sure about Novice, Intermediate etc as we don't have them here but I assume they are roughly the same as our county/regional levels above.
Each region decides there own requirements for these types of competitions. Grades are set by BG.
Then there is county and regional floor and vault competitions with different requirements again and some restrictions.
And then General Gymnastics have their own levels for non-artistic gymnasts where hours are restricted.

(The grades system used to 6-1 but that has changed now to 14-5)

Hope that helps

Very informative, thanks a lot. Are there any restrictions on training hours at any level? Can gymnasts skip grades/levels? Can gymnasts move between systems, both up and down? SO compulsory levels are where I would see R&C? Does R&R exist in the regional or club grades.

 

[bogwoppit]

SO Margo, Flossy, Faith.. what levels do your girls compete? Jenny I don't think you have a kid competing, so I didn't include you. Just trying to work out the differences. Here you can compete regional, provincial or national. Both my girls did regional and provincial. They were able to move back to regional when they got older to reduce their hours to 9 a week.

 

[Galadriel]

Far as i know range just for compulsory. I am past it and ready to be put out to pasture though!

 

[Faith]

:deepbreath:

nationally, there are two streams. "Elite", which is compulsory levels. You start at compulsory level 4, age 9 in year of competition, then progress one per year until espoir, which is two years age 12 and 13, then junior at 14 and 15. Compulsories are held regionally, with those who get a certain score progressing to national finals if they wish.

Some regions also do compulsory level 5 (and 6, and even 7 for 6 year olds), but that is up to them. There are no national finals.

club grades are for club level gymnasts. Starts at grade 14 for 8 year olds, and progress again yearly. They are much simpler than compulsory levels. I think, from grade 8 and above there is a national final, so kids who maybe aren't elected material get to compete nationally.

Finally there is each regions own competitions. I think regions are trying to bring them roughly in line with compulsory levels, so what used to be novice is now level 5, intermediate level 4 etc. minimum ages are the same, but there are no maximum ages. They aren't compulsories either, they're the voluntary equivalent. Obviously at the comp I went to, there isn't much difference skill wise between the elite compulsories and the regional equivalent.

as for who competes what, it's largely up to individual clubs. Ours doesn't compete grades, much like some us clubs don't compete until USAg level 5- they don't see the point of the lower levels and get on with up training. Then you might as well go straight to the optional regional levels than work on the set skills for grades. Some clubs like the progression and the chance to compete nationally. There are no hours restrictions for wag as far as I know, but I think there's a maximum of six hours for floor and vault comps.

clear as mud?

 

[rd7]

Club grades 14 & 13 and National Grades 8-5 include R&C, club grades 12-9 don't.

All the compulsory elite grades have it as far as I know.

You can compete regional/county as well as regional/national grades, I don't think there is any restriction on hours for these levels.

You can compete Floor & Vault as well as the lower county levels (6 and 5) in our region but it may differ in others.

General Gymnastics is seperate and you cannot compete if you have competed WAG at any level, unless you have been out of competition for 2 years or more.

 

[bogwoppit]

Far as i know range just for compulsory. I am past it and ready to be put out to pasture though!

Some of this thread makes me feel like I have completely lost touch with UK gym, that is why I am taking a moment to pick peoples brains!!

 

[bogwoppit]

RD7, thanks again. Very, very illuminating posts and a must read for any UK gym parents. It certainly lays it all out and shows that despite being a tiny country the differences can be quite big. I think I will be referring back to this thread a few times.

 

[Faith]

I think it differs between regions. Here you can't compete compulsory and regionally. You can compete grades and regional levels. If you want to step down from compulsory to regional you must get written permission. You must also get permission to move from wag to f&v, you can't compete both.

dd will compete novice/ level 5. She'll stay there until she scores out, which is unlikely due to the very high move up score...

 

[rd7]

It's outrageously complicated isn't it.

In one way I like it because it gives so many options to the gymnasts, from elite to nearly elite and down to advanced rec level, all under the WAG umbrella.

On the other hand it would be so much simpler to have a uniform system across the country that everyone understands and works towards like they do in the US.

 

[rd7]

No you can't compete compulsory (elite) and regionally - you can compete Club or National grades and regionally though.

 

[Flossyduck]

'Elite' levels. Level 5 the year you turn 8, 4 the year you turn 9, 3 the year you turn 10, 2 the year you turn 11 or 12. Then espoir, junior, senior. You don't have to pass level 5 or 4 to move on, but you do have to pass level 3 to progress to level 2 and you must pass level 2 to qualify for British champs at espoir. The compulsory level is in spring (ie. you Must pass) Voluntaries are Autumn and don't have set moves so a chance to 'show off'. Compulsory and voluntary both have national finals for top 4 in each region. Competed in line with age structure, so you can switch in or out up until level 3, then your options are limited. I can't do para's so apologies.... National grades 8 up to 5. Any one can be competed from the year you turn 10. These are for talented gymnasts, but not elite level. They are regional and then top 4 to national final. You can enter at any age above the minimum and yes you can skip/ enter at any point. You can then enter espoir, junior or senior challenge cup to qualify elite at that level and enter the British champs. Regional club grades 14 (year you turn 8) up to 9. These are easier and only result in a regional final, no national final. You can enter out of age and can skip/enter at whichever grade you want, so long as you meet the minimum age for the year. Some clubs also do levels out of age. Some clubs offer all three, some only grades, one or two only elite levels. I don't believe there is a cap on hours - whatever is appropriate. I know nothing about novice, rec or other regional programmes. Oh btw, there is range for all elite levels, all national grades and club grades 14 and 13.

 

[bogwoppit]

SO many options, but head spinningly dizzy making!!!! Our Canadian system is pretty uniform, the USAG one makes a lot of sense, but since being on CB I have learned that USAG is just one of many option. Check out Mason Dixon league, AAU, excel etc etc. SO many ways to skin a cat eh.

 

[bogwoppit]

Flossy I cannot do paragraphs either, pain in the bum.

 

[rd7]

^^^

That!

See, between us we know quite a lot, think we've just about covered it

 

[bogwoppit]

Flossy when you say voluntaries do not have set moves, do you mean that they have to do a certain number of A's, b's and c's?? Like USAG optionals?? I have seen the compulsory grades routine with the 3 flicks and front headspring etc.