L7 and L8

[GymGirl1311]

Can someone PLEASE explain to me what the difference is between Level 7 and Level 8... I've heard a lot of people saying that there is a HUGE difference.. But I've also been hearing that they are really really similar and Level 7 is just getting you prepared for bigger competitions?!

 

[Empowered]

For the the girls at my daughter's gym they are required to compete L7 with 2 cast handstands and clear-hip handstand, so adding the half turn and extra giant to get the 10 L8 start value is hardly ever an issue.

On floor you generally see a full and there is the double salto front pass, but again, just haven't seen many girls have an issue there either. By the end of L7 most of the girls are competing fhs-fp or fhs-flo, so adding the front tuck to the end of that isn't that hard. Plus they train fulls the entire L7 year so picking that up isn't difficult either.

So what it boils down to is vault, vault and more vault. Some girls, especially the younger, smaller ones are just not ready/able to flip a vault yet. Fear issues on beam can be an issue, but they can also be worked around. We had a L8 state champ who just did the bwo-bhs flawlessly and added difficulty elsewhere for her score.

So it always seems to end up facing the vault square in the face. At my daughter's gym you cannot compete a fhs or any form of twisting fhs for L8, so if you can't flip one, you don't move up.

 

[flipflopcrystal]

like i said in the other post about changes to optional levels. make yurchenko and tsuk timers an element and have them land them on their back onto the level 4 mat. Would be easy to judge i.e. height off the vault table, body position as they miss their feet, landing position on their back. Perfect for safety and progression.

 

[iwannacoach]

IMO the multi-level system is a result of near revolt that started in the late 70's early 80's. There was only one compulsory (class III) level, and two compulsory/optional levels (class II & classI) where the athletes woulkd perform compulsory routines as well as optional routines, and then the elite program. Many coaches felt the "one size fits all" class III level was established with routines too easy to challenge kids that were poised for optionals, while others complained class III was too hard for entry level team gymnasts. Many coaches with accelerated programs would try to "alter" some of the key developmental elements to compliment a child's training toward the Class II Level. The governing body responded by pulling sanctions for meets where altered skills had been performed as a means of controlling the situation, but IMO found they were fighting an up hill battle.

As these struggles were taking place at the Class III level, a collection of coaches complained that there first and second year class II's were being dominated by third and even fourth year Class II's at competitions. Many of these coaches tried to compensate by abandoning the compusory routines for their first year Class II's, as well as their "weaker" second year Class II's, which then made these participants ineligible for state and regional championships.....If you guessed it resulted in a "black market" state championship for the "optional only" Class II gymnasts, you deserve the "back seat" coach of the year award. Mayhem reigned supreme for about four years until U.S.G.F. president (ask dunno) Mike Jacki personally called coaches in every region to ask for solutions and suggestions on how to reshape the age group program.

This gave rise to a system that included a novice (class IV) level, altered the Class III level to include the option a competing compulsory AND optional routines with reduced requirements and restrictions with repect to difficulty, and validated the Class II optional only concept. So let's all give that man a robust ovation wherever (help me dunno) he is, as it was his willingness to accept change that allowed us to evolve into the current multi-level program. Since the current program evolved from the three level system to allow a variety of "sizes", I would answer you by saying each level is a practical and incremental step between the level "below" it and the level "above" it. In the case of level 7 compared to eight?......the level 7 requirements to reach a score of 10.00 are fewer, with "inappropriate skills" that don't receive credit as well as restricted skill that if included in a performance will result in a 00.00, while the 10.00 requirements at level 8 are more various, more difficult, and fewer skills are restricted. So if I have satisfied you with this history lesson, I'd like to go back to re-living another glorious moment in history I've witnessed in my life time. The invention of rocks!!!!


P.S......I just noticed my "post to like ratio" has dropped below 3 to 1, so how 'bout a little love?

 

[Esoteric]

Related more to iwannacoach's post and not OP's question-

I started competing in Class III in '80 or '81- and did both compulsory and optionals. Back then you had to be 9 yo to compete, but class III compulsory skills were very similar to current level 6 skills. I never knew they added a class IV. I am pretty sure my old gym was not on board with that. dd's assistant coach told me she competed in the old class level as a Class V. I thought she was out of her mind. When I stopped competing in '86 (I think,), to the best of my knowledge there were still only 3 "classes", both compulsory and optional, then pre-elite, then elite. I wonder if some regions opted out of the additional classes, or if my gym was just not participating in anything other than the 3 classes- but I do not recall a 4th or 5th class. I was in the New England + New York Region, for what it is worth. In fact, in the late 80's I assistant coached my gym's "pre-team" which consisted of skills similar to current level 4 & 5.

 

[Natasha]

The difference between L7 and L8 really depends on what your gym requires for those levels. If they only require the minimum skills needed for L7, then the jump to L8 is large. For example, if they can compete L7 with 2 clear hips above horizontal on bars and no giants or casts to HS, then they have long way to go to get to L8. However, many gyms require giants or Clear hip handstands and most require cast handstands. In that case the move to L8 is small. The same for beam- technically you can fulfill your series with a cartwheel-cartwheel and have a round-off for your acro in L7, but most gyms require more. Also, it depends on what the gym requires for L8 as well. Some gyms are okay with HS vault at L8. It may also depend on where you live and how competitive your state is in general.
So yes, depending on your gym the levels are really similar OR they are worlds apart.

 

[GymGirl1311]

Thanks guys! And by the way it sounds it sound like L8 will be a small step.. I just really need to focus on vault.. Does anyone know what the requirements are for L8 vault?!

 

[Natasha]

Again it depends on your gym. Different vaults at L8 have different start values. For instance, a FH starts at a 9. I believe a Tsuk pike is a 10 and a tusk tuck is like a 9.7 or 9.8. Some gyms may require a vault with a 10 start value to compete, others may not.