Parents is it common for level 6 gymnasts to create own beam routine?

[e'smum]

hi - new to this community. i found it while researching beam ideas for my level 6 gymnast. at her gym they create their own beam routines and while she knows which skills she wants to do and has some filler, she's not really sure how to put it all together and she needs some hand movements, ect.... she skipped level 5 so this summer was about learning the 5 routines and practicing some level 6 skills (most she had already) and doing the mobility meet.
just curious if this is how it's done at other gyms. the coaches are not giving them any direction. our first meet isn't until november so plenty of time. i asked if she wanted me to help her and she said yes. my only way to help is to google level 6 beam routines and look for ones that have bits and pieces she wants to use and try to put them all together so that it actually flows. she's actually not working on it during that time in gym b/c she isn't sure what to do (instead she works the 6 skills and is starting to work 7 skills). so i'm guessing we will have to work it out at home and write it down and then she can go do it at the gym. we have open gym on fridays from 8-9 which is great for this as well.
if your gymnast put her own beam routine together, how did you go about it? i think getting this one down will be the worst of it as she can build and change it up as she gets harder skills. any tips? i wish i could just hire the same choreographer to do her beam that is doing our level 6 floor routines.

 

[QueenBee]

Not how its done at our gym. Beam is choreographed (by coach) to be complimentary to personal floor routine.

 

[Seeker]

No, at both gyms we've been at the beam coach creates the routine for optional level gymnasts. That being said-- I wouldn't worry about it too much. Get some ideas down of what she wants to do (just watch a lot of YouTube videos of L6, but make sure it is 2013 or newer so it is under the current set of rules), and then I would hope the coach would help them finalize it. It might be kind of fun for her to have so,e input.

 

[ascarter1]

My dd choreographed her beam routine this year, she's lv 8 though. And of course, she had input from her beam coaches. They tweaked some things here and there. She had her coaches choreograph her beam routine in lv 6 and lv 7.

 

[ginnymac]

Unusual in my experience. See if she has any little parts from her floor routine. Less to remember and those parts are familiar.

 

[e'smum]

we don't have a specific beam coach but the head coach/owner's wife who is a coach is always on beam with them. she and her husband do the level 6 and ups with some help from the level 4 coach. right now there is no input on beam. i'm assuming that once they put it together the coach will tweak it. dd doesn't have her floor yet. there are 13 new level 6s and all are getting new floor routines. she was told she should get hers next thursday or sunday as she is the next one up. our choreographer is not a coach at the gym. she is a lv 10 rated judge and former elite and D1 collegiate gymnast. she did fill in for our two head coaches yesterday as they were out and dd really likes her. i've half a mind to see if we can pay her for the beam routine. i know mine isn't the only level 6 struggling. just picking a mount is stumping her. want to keep it simple though. we hosted level 6/7 states the last two years (our female head coach is the state rep for that one) and i sat with the beam judges this past april and their comments were very eye opening. one girl they were saying how she had a bunch of stuff in the routine that didn't need to be in there and how they had more to mark off/ect.... so basically get up, do your skills and make it look pretty (they loved the one that was obviously a ballet dancer at some point) and get down. at 9 and new to six, she's not sure how to do that. and i want her to make it hers with as little input from me but she's feeling lost and not working on it because of it. i was surprised by it myself.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Our gym its somewhat collabroative (sp). Coach and gymmie work together. Coach giving options to gymmie.

 

[e'smum]

the lvl 6 beam routines last year were very nice. i'm surprised they weren't choreographed. my kid is just not that creative right now - the coach that does beam with them is really good though so i trust she won't let a routine be finalized unless she's put her stamp of approval on it. thanks all!

 

[Seeker]

I would totally pay to have it done if that's an option. Like you said, there is a bit of an art form to it and a strategy to scoring well.

 

[ascarter1]

I would totally pay to have it done if that's an option. Like you said, there is a bit of an art form to it and a strategy to scoring well.

Coming from someone who has done it both ways...I agree, especially if it's your first year in optionals!

 

[gymdog]

I would totally pay to have it done if that's an option. Like you said, there is a bit of an art form to it and a strategy to scoring well.

Yeah I would just ask. My guess is they are doing it this way because a lot of parents don't want to pay and it saves money, and it's such a short routine. But if you're willing to pay, I would just ask if you can set up a private with the choreographer to work on her beam routine, or with the beam coach.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

For Level 6 I would not pay extra. Maybe level 8. L9 &L10 likely. L6 and L7. No.

Really it's about the skills, that is where time and effort is better spent.

 

[berrisweetness]

Did they change rules and you have to do mobility meet for L6?

 

[Seeker]

Did they change rules and you have to do mobility meet for L6?

Not to my knowledge. But many gyms score their kids out of 5 and compete a full season of 6.

 

[e'smum]

Did they change rules and you have to do mobility meet for L6?

my gym used to skip level 6 and go right to 7 but now they skip level 5. the first year they did it, they did it mid-season so they girls just scored out at a regular meet. last year they went to a couple of mobility meets in the summer. this year, they just had a judge come to the gym and the meet was for our girls only and they did it during a practice. it was super low key - best meet ever! we didn't know scores until the end and all the girls made it. they only needed a 31.5 if i remember correctly. this way they are done with it and can concentrate on getting their 6 routines down. i don't know if you can just skip without doing at least one meet in that level. if someone hadn't made it, there was a plan for a mobility meet in september or the option of going to our first meet and using that to level up to 6.

 

[e'smum]

Yeah I would just ask. My guess is they are doing it this way because a lot of parents don't want to pay and it saves money, and it's such a short routine. But if you're willing to pay, I would just ask if you can set up a private with the choreographer to work on her beam routine, or with the beam coach.

i would happily pay if it takes away any stress she is feeling to figure it out on her own. i'll ask when she does her floor routine next week but the choreographer is a teacher IRL and may be doing other gym's floor routines as well so she may not have the time plus she is still creating and teaching our girls. our coaches do not do privates unless absolutely necessary. she has her skills and some ideas. she just needs guidance putting it all together with a couple of suggestions of dance movements.

 

[raenndrops]

hi - new to this community. i found it while researching beam ideas for my level 6 gymnast. at her gym they create their own beam routines and while she knows which skills she wants to do and has some filler, she's not really sure how to put it all together and she needs some hand movements, ect.... she skipped level 5 so this summer was about learning the 5 routines and practicing some level 6 skills (most she had already) and doing the mobility meet.
just curious if this is how it's done at other gyms. the coaches are not giving them any direction. our first meet isn't until november so plenty of time. i asked if she wanted me to help her and she said yes. my only way to help is to google level 6 beam routines and look for ones that have bits and pieces she wants to use and try to put them all together so that it actually flows. she's actually not working on it during that time in gym b/c she isn't sure what to do (instead she works the 6 skills and is starting to work 7 skills). so i'm guessing we will have to work it out at home and write it down and then she can go do it at the gym. we have open gym on fridays from 8-9 which is great for this as well.
if your gymnast put her own beam routine together, how did you go about it? i think getting this one down will be the worst of it as she can build and change it up as she gets harder skills. any tips? i wish i could just hire the same choreographer to do her beam that is doing our level 6 floor routines.

At our gym, all the optionals choreograph their own beam routines. Some L6s pick their poses from the Level 4 or Level 5 routine. Others pick some from their floor routine.
Idea for your daughter:
Mount near one end, a pose, full turn, tip toe back 2 steps, another pose, step, step, leap, jump, another pose, acro skill, pose or balance skill, get to position for dismount (grapevine or half turn or something), dismount.

 

[Gymmom0403]

Before we switched gyms this spring my dd always choreographed her own beam routine. She did her level 7 and level 8 routines. She had input from coaches but was free to do what she wanted. We did find that in level 8 she was missing items or didn't have a balance of dance and a to which caused issues. By states and regions we had figured that all out and she was 2nd in state and 3rd in regionals.
Our new gym did have a choreographer do her level 9 routine. She really likes that she had someone "in the know" do the choreo. With all the connection bonuses etc getting a 10 start value may have been hard on her own.

 

[dbean]

Not how its done at our gym. Beam is choreographed (by coach) to be complimentary to personal floor routine.

Our gym does the same (starting in Xcel Gold).

 

[e'smum]

so i was talking to her main coach tonight about her floor routine choreographer private on sunday (yay!) and mentioned that dd said she wanted to use a pose from the routine on beam and come to find out that was the coach's idea. lol. from our quick conversation it sounds like at some point she's going to take control and help clean it up. she's also been "coaching" dd on beam routine in a way that dd didn't realize (ex.- dd was taking several steps before her BHS b/c she didn't have a pose so her coach told her to just put a pose in there - this will end up being her floor routine pose). i feel much better after this little impromptu conversation! i hate to bother the coaches and they are out on the floor with the upper levels when i pick up and i don't go in with her at drop off - too busy with the rec classes.