Is L8 typically a repeat level?

[Muddlethru]

Based on your personal experience, or what you've seen or done in your gym, is it more common place to repeat L8? At our gym, L4 is typically repeated, L5 is usually just one year, L6 is a mixed of scoring out (skipping) or doing a full year. L7 is more repeated than not. All our L8s are on their second year. I know most our L9s repeat and L10s just stay there until they graduate. I am most interested in L8s. Do kids more than likely reoeat L8 and what are the biggest or most common stumbling blocks? Thanks.

 

[gymnastbeth]

I repeated level 8 because of an injury, but it is definitely the most repeated level in my gym, with the exception of level 5. Especially because of the jump from 8 to 9, and the age girls are usually at in level 8 is prime burn out age.

 

[Gymdad2]

Yes, in my experience, L8 is often a repeat level. But then, so is L9. Skills are really getting hard by the time you get to these levels.

 

[B Gymnast]

All of the level 8's we have had in the last couple of years have repeated. At my gym most people repeat every level with the exception of a few (I've never repeated, but I'm sure I'll repeat level 8.) The gap between level 8 and 9 just seems so big!

 

[gymdog]

I would say almost every girl I know on a JO/NCAA track did two years of L8 or two years of L9. Most did two years of both. It's going to be a little different going forward in the next two seasons and a lot of changes were made to L8 when they restricted C level acro. When I did L8, I competed a 1.5/1.5 punch front on floor, double back off bars, back tuck on beam. Back then that was "competitive" for a L8.

 

[CamSeawind]

No level is really a repeat level at my gym. Occasionally we have girls repeat optional levels but not often. It seems that level 8 would be a common level because of the large skill jump between levels 8 and 9 (toe-hect, release, bar dismount, floor tumbling, beam series and dismount), but my friends are repeating 9 after just barely getting their skills during season, so really I have no idea. I haven't ever repeated a level, only skipped level 5 and almost skipping level 7 (darn kip cast handstand), so I really have no personal experience to add. I've watched our compulsory gymnasts and level 5 seems to be a common repeat level, but I don't really see how people repeat compulsory levels, they're so easy...

 

[GetaGrip]

Level 8 is a really big repeat level at my gym. Everyone so far that has competed w/ us has done 8 twice, usually because of the big skill jump. Our gym really likes people to have 10.0 SV's, so you need to have the big skills to do level 9. I can see why its such a repeated level though. If you think about it, you can do level 8 to where you barely meet the requirements, or you can be a level 8 with almost level 9 skills. Also, my gym allows people to occasionally pass off a level in one meet if they really have the skills, but its not common.

 

[Panda-girl's Mom]

It seems very common for girls in daughters gym to repeat level 8. I think level 9 is very difficult and most need that extra year.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

too many variables.

 

[Sunobo]

I've watched our compulsory gymnasts and level 5 seems to be a common repeat level, but I don't really see how people repeat compulsory levels, they're so easy...

They may seem easy to you but many kids have issues with mastering some of the skills. My dd loves gymnasts and competing but it doesn't come easy for her. She took 3 years to finally get her front hip circle on bars so she spent 3 years as a level 4 and then 2 years as a level 5. She doesn't have the polish that lots of kids do and her tumbling skills lack power but she loves what she is doing. Thankfully she has been at gyms that recognize her determination and allowed move ups based on skills and not scores or my dd would probably have never made level 5 and would have quit the sport.

 

[Granny Smith]

In my dd's gym it a case-by-case basis. My dd repeated L8, but had majority of her L9 skills to go L9. She ended up repeating L8 because "mentally" she wasn't ready for L9. She needed a confidence yr. When she started her 2nd L8 yr, she was killing the competition because she was doing her 2nd yr of 8 after all the rule changes and so many of the gyms had pushed up L7 girls to L8 and they weren't really ready. L8 now might be easier than before, but it's all about clean, strong routines and most of the competition for my dd did not have the clean, strong routines. She was gaining confidence with every meet. We could easily see Regionals for her, then she broke her foot. She ended up not finishing the season and was out for 4 months. She came back strong this season as a L9 and although has had her ups and her downs, she is definitely having her ups at the right meets and is having great success.

My point is even if the skills are there for a level, it might not be the right time to move them up - there are so many factors that go into moving up at the higher levels. Trust the coaches, they know what they are doing (95% of the time, wink-wink!)

 

[Geoffrey Taucer]

In most cases, yes. The jump from 8 to 9 is HUGE -- much more so than the jump from 6 to 7 or 7 to 8.

 

[flipper's fan]

At level 8, it seems to me that staying on level 8 for more than one season isn't "repeating" but continuing. In compulsory gymnastics, you are doing the same thing again which is definitely repeating. But my DD and some of her teammates continue on level 8, add new B skills into their routines, and change their routines and also work on the level 9 skills. (Not to mince words, but to add perspective...)

 

[cher062]

Any level can be a repeat level. In our gym if you don't have the skills necessary to compete the next level then you will repeat the level. I'm hoping DD gets her L8 skills now that states for L7 is over and she will be training 100% L8 for the summer. If she doesn't have the L8 skills she will compete L7 but train L8 until she gets them well enough to compete L8. The coaches she has are very confident if she continues to work like she has that she will compete L8. that premiss is for all levels. Our current L8 girls we only have 2 of them at that level one is a first year L8 and one is a 2nd year level 8. both are going to try to get L9 skills for the summer but usually around end of July they will know where everyone stands.

Ive seen girls at other gyms do L8 for 3 years. I think the jump to L9 in general has harder skills.