WAG Level 4 to level 8?!?!?

[ayyyrial]

Pretty rare to be able to pick up all those skills in one year, even if they have been uptraining, but there's always an exception to the rule. For example, Daiane dos Santos started gymnastics at age 12 and won gold at Worlds at age 20, also getting the piked double Arabian named after her. Some kids just pick stuff up...there was a girl on my team who was able to do pretty much all the Level 5 and some Level 6/7 skills within a year after starting gymnastics.

But it's also hard to tell from summer training what skills will be going in for competition season. For example, a lot of girls work their first flipping vault into the pit/onto soft mats for a whole season before actually competing it. Or (for example) you will see a kid who has a BWO-BHS on beam but the rest of their events put them solidly at L5.

Everybody - parents, gymnasts, sometimes coaches - get excited when someone on the team starts training a new skill but there's a lot of work between making a skill and having it competition-ready. I think the amount of time and work between making a skill for the first time and being able to do it consistently, under pressure, without much warm-up is probably a big factor that separates athletes who advance through the levels quickly.

 

[Livlovestoflipandfly]

My daughter jumped from level 4 to level 8. As an 8 year old, she competed level four for the 2015-2016 season, tested out of 5 at the end of the season when she turned 9. She skipped Level 6, did 2 meets at the start of the 2016-2017 season as a Level 7 and then they moved her to Level 8. It is a bit crazy having been through it but it is possible!

 

[Committed]

My daughter jumped from level 4 to level 8. As an 8 year old, she competed level four for the 2015-2016 season, tested out of 5 at the end of the season when she turned 9. She skipped Level 6, did 2 meets at the start of the 2016-2017 season as a Level 7 and then they moved her to Level 8. It is a bit crazy having been through it but it is possible!

Just curious.... did she get her flipping vault that quickly?! That's impressive. DDs gym almost exclusively sticks with yurchenkos & the girls do drills for a few years before really training them. No flipping vault = no L8.

 

[MinnieGymMom]

Just curious.... did she get her flipping vault that quickly?! That's impressive. DDs gym almost exclusively sticks with yurchenkos & the girls do drills for a few years before really training them. No flipping vault = no L8.

I think she did drills for about 2 days and then moved them to the table. After that I guess she just went ahead and flipped them (into the pit of course)

 

[LJL07]

I think she did drills for about 2 days and then moved them to the table. After that I guess she just went ahead and flipped them (into the pit of course)

Drills for two days and moving them to the table sounds kind of absurd to me. And unsafe. But I am certainly no expert--just a parent. I'm with Committed that the timing and technique of this vault usually requires quite a good bit of time to be spent on drills and timers to be able to perform them safely and consistently

 

[INgymdad]

My 9yo DD competed level 4 this year, did a quick level 5 test out and is planning on going level 7 next year but has just about everything to compete 8. She has her yurchenko as well. There is no way I would have imagined at the beginning of the season that she would be where she is, but can tell you it's completely possible. Now I don't expect her to go 8 this year nor would I want her to, but I'm sure she could.

 

[Seeker]

I think skipping levels "seems" like a great thing when you're lower level and getting that quicker bump up often feels like it will be good for the gymnast. I would caution anyone in that position to really think it through in terms of the why and think about your individual child -- their strengths/weaknesses, their personality, age/long term aspirations, etc. Going from any compulsory level to 6 or 7 is always going to be a simpler task than going from anything below 7 to 8/9/10. The jump from 7 to 8 is often difficult even without skipping!

Ask any first year L8 parent how much fun it is watching Vault -- it can be truly terrifying. That is the one event that you really need to be careful and not rush development. It's hard to get the numbers in training wise if you skip/condense levels. In that case, choosing a lesser value vault for that first yr would be wise -- FHS, 1/2 on, etc. Gives the gymnast the competition experience and more time to lay the groundwork for a solid and safe flipping vault.

My daughter "skipped" a level a few years back and while she managed it, it wasn't really fun nor was it a wildly successful year. Sure, she had the skills, but having a skill in isolation or into the pit isn't the same as it being competition ready. Unless you're chasing Elite, were a late starter or have some other reason, I'd be skeptical that the skipping will get you to your end result any quicker. And it may frustrate the gymnast enough that the end result is an unhappy child retiring sooner than expected. Just be mindful and realistic in approaching these decisions. Sometimes it makes sense and works well andnother times it's a disaster-- I've seen both. Most of the time, it's predictable.

 

[LJL07]

I think skipping levels "seems" like a great thing when you're lower level and getting that quicker bump up often feels like it will be good for the gymnast. I would caution anyone in that position to really think it through in terms of the why and think about your individual child -- their strengths/weaknesses, their personality, age/long term aspirations, etc. Going from any compulsory level to 6 or 7 is always going to be a simpler task than going from anything below 7 to 8/9/10. The jump from 7 to 8 is often difficult even without skipping!

Ask any first year L8 parent how much fun it is watching Vault -- it can be truly terrifying. That is the one event that you really need to be careful and not rush development. It's hard to get the numbers in training wise if you skip/condense levels. In that case, choosing a lesser value vault for that first yr would be wise -- FHS, 1/2 on, etc. Gives the gymnast the competition experience and more time to lay the groundwork for a solid and safe flipping vault.

My daughter "skipped" a level a few years back and while she managed it, it wasn't really fun nor was it a wildly successful year. Sure, she had the skills, but having a skill in isolation or into the pit isn't the same as it being competition ready. Unless you're chasing Elite, were a late starter or have some other reason, I'd be skeptical that the skipping will get you to your end result any quicker. And it may frustrate the gymnast enough that the end result is an unhappy child retiring sooner than expected. Just be mindful and realistic in approaching these decisions. Sometimes it makes sense and works well andnother times it's a disaster-- I've seen both. Most of the time, it's predictable.

Like x1000!!!! Take it from a mom with a child who skipped level 3 to go to 4 and then 5&6 to go to 7. It's a great ego boost. But it will come to a head eventually. The mental component is so important. It gets HARD at level 8 and so on. No one just "gets" a solid yurchenko in a week. And if your child isn't going elite, there is really no point in speeding through the levels. Uptraining is great, but competition ready is something else!

 

[INgymdad]

I don't disagree, but I think you have to find an even balance between success and challenge. In my DDs case she competed her first year at level 3 (taking 2nd at state) and then tested out of level 4 at the end of the previous years season (with a score in the 37sAA) but the coaches wanted to work with her on locking down some of the fundamentals of skills before having her move on. (specifically, she bent her arms during her kip) This last season she had a successful level 4 season (taking first in every meet she competed in and at state with a score in the 38sAA) She had been working some upper level skills through the whole year so when she tested out of Level 5 at the end of this season she did so with a BHS on the beam even (again with a score in the 37sAA. If I didn't believe she couldn't be successful at going level 7 next year I wouldn't entertain the idea, but I feel like this year was part of the build up when last year she could have easily been pushed up before she was ready. I've trusted her coaches even when they wanted to "hold her back" last year when she could have gone on, so I really trust their direction for her. She's excited about it. If I saw something of concern coming from any of it I would speak up, but watching her work the skills and seeing how solid and confident she is on them I can't convince myself that there's any reason for me to get in the way. She's 9 and has more than enough time to continue to grow so to me It's not about rushing her at all.

 

[Seeker]

@INgymdad -- your example fits perfectly into what I posted above. Skipping levels below L8 is a far more doable endeavor for most than anything above that. Competing a full year at L7 will be great for her while she works higher level bar skills and the vault.

Of course there are exceptions to every norm (hello Simone!), but it would be the very rare gymnast that could learn a competition ready flipping vault in a few months.

 

[LJL07]

@INgymdad -- your example fits perfectly into what I posted above. Skipping levels below L8 is a far more doable endeavor for most than anything above that. Competing a full year at L7 will be great for her while she works higher level bar skills and the vault.

Of course there are exceptions to every norm (hello Simone!), but it would be the very rare gymnast that could learn a competition ready flipping vault in a few months.

Yep! It's all fun and games through level 7! Especially if the bars come relatively easy. My daughter had a couple of "off" meets but had a great time doing 7 and was very successful. I just would not recommend skipping over level 7 unless it is a super duper rare case. Now some gyms will allow them to do the FHS vault or alternatives and compete level 8 til the yurchenko is competition ready. Our gym will not allow that. It's yurchenko onto the hard landing or nothing. I'm just learning as I go, but there is a rhyme and reason to these progressions.

 

[ascarter1]

As some of you might know, it is very common to have a yurchenko and then it suddenly disappear. My dd had a beautiful one last summer, grew a few inches, had a serious injury, was out from January until April, and is now working to get it back! Level 8 vault is brutal!

 

[Ms.Pak-Man]

Apart from all the arguments presented already against large jumps, I'd like to add the child also has an increased chance of mental blocks and fears when rushed too quick. The brain is a tricky thing, and it is by far better to slow down now, than fight mental blocks and fear later. Numbers/repetition can't be truly skipped, as while you can do a specific amt of numbers, doing those numbers over 3 months, as opposed to 3 days makes a big difference in the brain saying this is safe. And conditioning is a big issue when rushing the littles through compulsories. Sure they can do a beautiful xyz skill, but they are likely compensating somewhere to get the strength, not visible to the eye (unless a PT or similar). Too much of this overtime (when not balanced with added, thoughtfully planned, conditioning hours) will result in injuries. Anyone with kids or athletes on a "fast track" should have a plan for how to accomplish the goal safely, what the risks are, and what the alternatives are. Also ask "why?" What's the end game? Why are they taking the risks and rushing this athlete?

 

[Livlovestoflipandfly]

Just curious.... did she get her flipping vault that quickly?! That's impressive. DDs gym almost exclusively sticks with yurchenkos & the girls do drills for a few years before really training them. No flipping vault = no L8.

She did have her Yurchenko. It took her a couple of meets before she felt comfortable competing it, however. She would do one vault a front handspring and then one Yurchenko. She was piking it by the end of the season. She is very quick to pick up new skills!