Parents L6 weeding out?

[beamer]

Madigym00 got me to thinking.

Why is the scoring so difficult at Level 6?

Is the aim to run out of town all the modestly talented gymnasts so that only the more talented set moves on to optionals?

I ask the question honestly. From what I have seen this year, the scoring has been fairly applied across the board (that is to say, I agree that when the top gymnast on DD's team gets an 8.9 on bars that DD's score will be at least a point lower). But I wonder if this level is meant to sort of "weed out" the weaker gymnasts so that they will be redirected to other streams.

Unfortunately, it seems that more girls quit in discouragement than get redirected.

DD (11) should repeat this level next year; I don't think she will do it though. It seems like mean ol' L6 is the end of the line for so many gymnasts. They are done before they even get to the fun stuff!

 

[MaryA]

It was my understanding that level 6 scoring is tough because it is "advanced compulsories"... the highest level you can get to in the compulsory levels and therefore scored the hardest. That said, I have to wonder if some regions score level 6 harder than others (more so, maybe, than other levels?). Because I have to say that I didn't really notice that level 6 scoring was that much harder than level 5, at least not when you consider that level 6 usually comes with an increase of hours in the gym. I can't really compare DD's level 5 scores to level 6 scores too directly, because at level 5 she was at a Y gym and at level 6 she was at a private gym, but she started at the private gym in September, so it's not like she had lots and lots of private gym time before starting to compete 6. To compare, her highest AA score at level 6 was about a point higher than her highest AA score at level 5, and I would have expected an increase due to the increased hours/better coaching/better equipment.

Also, I had been told that level 7 scoring would be "really easy compared to level 6" (because now you a "beginning optional" so scoring gets easier again) but DD is scoring just about the same as she was this time last year (low 36's) and I see in DD's teammates that they're all scoring in a similar range to where they scored last year.

I do know it will get harder from here on out as it becomes more difficult to earn that 10.0 SV.

I'm not going to say that I don't believe in the legend of the harsh level 6 scoring, but I will say that, in our region, I didn't see it to any great extent. Of course there are meets where you come away going "Wow, the (fill in the name of event) judges were really harsh today!", but that happens at every level.

 

[sglemon]

I can't comment on the weeding out, I have no idea. But I am cautiously optimistic about new Level 5 next year. The preliminary skills USAG released, shows they took away the 30 degrees cast requirements on bars. It say, " cast above horizontal" and the current level 5 dismount will also be the new level 5 dismount. The cast requirement, alone should help boost bar scores. I wouldn't tell you dd to give up yet, have her hang around the summer and see if the new requirements help her out. There is nothing wrong with repeating a level, at least she will regain some of that confidence she seemed to have lost this year.

 

[Jabba]

Bars weeds people out. It's all strength, timing and technique. A lot of gymnasts are behind on this in Level 4 & 5. By the time they get to Level 6, it's next to impossible to catch up and be ready for the big skills that follow.

But really it's all just the nature of the sport. It's not easy!!!

 

[Quadqueen]

My DD is L6, and while her scores are a little bit lower than they were in L5, not hugely so. The really low scores are really just her fault, for something like falling twice on beam!!

I do think it's going to be easier for those "repeating" L6/doing new L5 next year. Those cast requirements are what kills them on bars, so it should be easier to do well there, score-wise.

 

[Natasha]

L6 is judged more harshly around here. All you have to do is look at team scores and L6 is consistently lower than L5 and L7 scores. If you go on MyMeetScores and pull up team scores it will give you all the team scores from a particular meet in order from the highest to the lowest irregardless of level. You almost always have to scroll way down before you find an L6 team. I do think the bar scores will improve quite a bit next year with the cast angle requirement being reduced and there is also no requirement on the clear hip angle either. I do have to say the beam scores seemed to still be strong though, but floor seemed to be slightly lower, I think due to just a longer routine and more things to deduct.
As far as next year, if the new L6 is slightly easier than the current L7 then I would think most girls currently doing L6 (provided they are performing average or above) should be able to move to the new 6.

 

[Gymmommy71]

DDs L6 scores are lower than they were in L5 - about 1.5 to 2 pts AA. I'd say this is true for her entire team. Like others have mentioned, bars is what is hitting her AA the hardest this year compared to L5. She's doing pretty well on floor (even though they score really tough on it too), decent on beam (the dismount is hurting her a bit compared to L5) and decent on vault.

Although DD isn't going to be weeded out based on her scores (she easily got her mobility and state qualification scores (they are lower in our state for L6 than they are for L5...haha...now I understand why)), emotionally it is an eye opener for some of them.

I think L6 has taught my DD that just because you can physically do a routine w/o falling, stopping or a major mistake doesn't mean that the judges are going to hand you a 9. She has learned that you need to be spectacular form-wise and really hit *all* of the requirements if you want a good score. I think judges may have let certain things slide more in L5 than they do in L6 (like my DD never really had great casts on bars in L5...and she'd still consistently get in the high 8's, but this year in L6 they are slamming her for it)...

The good thing is that the possiblity of optionals next year is a strong motivation - DD has dreamed of having her own floor and beam routines since she first started gymnastics...hopefully she'll be able to get there .

 

[iwannacoach]

The scores go down because the required positions have higher standards and deductions. The weeding out thing not so much, but there will come a life moment for many of the kids, where they realize their limits in the sport and decide that the going is getting rough. That can happen at level 6 and beyond, and it does.

 

[UnoMas]

I would say that L6 seems to be scored harshly around here. At one meet, DD got 3rd place on bars with a 7.95...I think 1st place might have been a 8.1 at that meet. She has a decent bars routine, but has trouble with all those cast angle requirements like a previous poster said. Generally there are very few 36AA's, and I have seen 34's win 1st place more than once. I have been surprised at the harshness of the beam and floor scores as well! My DD has not had a good season on beam (lots of falling) but teammates who have stayed on without major wobbles/errors have really been scored roughly as well.

I have to give DD credit for keeping a decent attitude this year. However, I can most definitely see why kids get discouraged and quit. One thing I have learned about DD this year is that she truly loves the sport. I mean, she HAS to in order to keep going and working hard and looking up and seeing 7's on the scoreboard! (not all 7's, but more than a couple...that has never happened to her before in any season!)

 

[JBS]

Why is the scoring so difficult at Level 6?

...because L6 sucks.

Is the aim to run out of town all the modestly talented gymnasts so that only the more talented set moves on to optionals?

No...L6 just sucks.

L6 is a really good level to skip.

 

[Pineapple_Lump]

Wow! I love how you all get so upset about your level six. Harsh scoring is applied to every child in programs that use FIG deductions. Don't blame the level, just work at being a better coach/gymnast. Do you really want a kid who can just hit horizontal on a cast in level seven?

 

[Aussie_coach]

It seems like a bit of a crazy way of doing things. Should the same deductions not be applied for all levels?

When kids start gymnastics they have no idea of what a good score is, and them it is taught to the, by giving them 9.5's in level 4 when really they are just not losing all the points they should, then all of a sudden it's get serious time at level 6 and what was a 9.5 is now a 7?

why not take those real deductions in the first place, it will all be relative. Perhaps the kids will all end up scoring 3's and 4's in level 4. But so would most of the kids, and maybe a 5 would take 1st place. Why set them up to think they should be getting 9.5's at such an early age?

it leaves nothing to strive for.

 

[my4buffaloes]

Sometimes I think the weeding out happens as the kids that aren't that in love with the sport or that aren't that determined to continue will drop around this time. I am not sure, but I do know that Level 6 sucks! I thought my dd would quit, but she stuck with it and now half way through the level 7 season she is finally gaining her confidence back. It took about 9 months for her to feel good about herself after the beat down of level 6. It has been hard and sad to watch. But she is being rewarded now with awesome scores and some 1st places here and there. But if we could change something about gymnastics it would be to skip level 6.

 

[mimi]

I'm glad that our gym only does one meet at level 6. We watched a friend of ours from another gym gut her way through level 6 this past season and I felt really bad for her. She is a talented gymnast, but because of the pickiness (for lack of a better word) of level 6, she saw some really low scores and I think it is going to take a while for her to get her confidence back. I agree with one of the posters who said it should be a little more consistent all the way through the levels. Seems like level 6 hits some kids like a slap in the face...

On a slightly separate note, what do you all think of the cast requirements for the new level 5? I know that score-wise it will be better, but is it a good idea to not increase cast/clear hip requirements when the ultimate goal for them in the not so distant future is to get the cast/clear hip up to handstand? Isn't it a different motion to get it up to handstand, especially on the clear hip? Just thinking out loud...

But yes, back to the original post--level 6 is a bear in our region, and I'm sure it does weed people out.

 

[kayjaybe]

I know my dd isn't doing as well in L6, but there are others on her team that are still getting scores in the low 9's on all events. So I'm not sure the scoring where I am is that much harder. My dd just isn't doing as well this year, but that I think is really her performance, not tougher scoring. (Her leaps on floor are really bringing her score down, I think. She just isn't getting big enough splits on them.)

 

[gymgal]

It seems like a bit of a crazy way of doing things. Should the same deductions not be applied for all levels?

When kids start gymnastics they have no idea of what a good score is, and them it is taught to the, by giving them 9.5's in level 4 when really they are just not losing all the points they should, then all of a sudden it's get serious time at level 6 and what was a 9.5 is now a 7?

why not take those real deductions in the first place, it will all be relative. Perhaps the kids will all end up scoring 3's and 4's in level 4. But so would most of the kids, and maybe a 5 would take 1st place. Why set them up to think they should be getting 9.5's at such an early age?

it leaves nothing to strive for.

Great points! As long as it is across the board, it is all relative. And as long as the coaches/gymnasts have numbers to strive for (L4, a *.* is what you are striving for), the motivation is still there. The more I think about it, the more I like it... Do other countries score this way? If so, why don't we?

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[gymgal]

...
On a slightly separate note, what do you all think of the cast requirements for the new level 5? I know that score-wise it will be better, but is it a good idea to not increase cast/clear hip requirements when the ultimate goal for them in the not so distant future is to get the cast/clear hip up to handstand? Isn't it a different motion to get it up to handstand, especially on the clear hip? Just thinking out loud...

This will take care of itself in the new level 6, where the height requirements will be. I think it is good because it gives the girls a full year of doing the casts and clear hip (in new 5) without having to worry as much about the height. It's really a numbers game (as in lots and lots of reps) to gain the strength and confidence to get to those heights. For those gyms who uptrain a lot, its not an issue but for those who just train the level they are in, it is really hard to get the numbers in just one season. I think its a good move and I think gymnasts will be more prepared for those height requirements in the new 6.



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[LizzieLac]

Not sure what I think. I don't think the scoring in my region is all that tough for level 6. But I do not support overly easy judging either. Actually, my biggest pet peave about this sport is the inconsistent judging/scoring - meet to meet and heck, session to session.

So if judges feel they need to score easy to make it palatable for the gymnasts, then that is another problem with the sport beyond how the requirements are listed.

 

[AlexsGymmyMom]

In a couple weeks my DD will do her 1 and only Level 6 meet! She has been dreading it! They have been told so many horror stories about Level 6 that she is more than a little worried! Plus she is doing it in 2 weeks as well as just now learning the routines! She has not done compulsaries for 2 years now.(X-Cel). Should be fun to watch! NOT!

 

[gymmomtoo]

I think scoring is tougher in level 6 because the requirements are tougher. A cast that worked for level 5, just isn't high enough to meet the standards of level 6--and, thus, incurs a deduction. Every level has girls weeded out--that's just normal as you progress in higher skills that not everyone is going to be able to do it.