WAG Level 6 Floor - Tumbling

[CoachMeg]

Just a quick question to parents/coaches - do your level 6 gymnasts compete 2 tumbling passes on floor or 3? I have coached levels 3-5 for the past few years at my current gym; however, we just hired a new coach that will take over pre-team and level 3. So I am now coaching levels 4-6. I couldn't be more excited!

This past season was the first year we competed level 6s, and all of them competed 3 tumbling passes. Their previous floor coach felt that it was important to prepare them for level 7 where they will all be doing 3 passes. I totally agree that it will prepare them for the endurance of the routine...however, I feel like giving them only 2 passes will improve their score because they will have less skills and therefore less deductions. Most of the gymnasts from Level 6 State Floor Winner videos on YouTube only compete 2 passes.

Ideally, I would like them to compete a ro-bhs-back tuck & a front-handspring front tuck for level 6, that way they just have to add a layout for level 7. I already have half of them doing that right now, but I can always just have the others do a punch front for the first couple of meets if they don't get the front-handspring front tuck in time (although we have 5 months until the first meet).

I'm going to run this by the HC and previous level 6 floor coach today in a meeting and would like to see your input. Obviously the pros of 3 passes are: better endurance, preparation for level 7. But 2 passes would give them a higher score and allow them to up train higher tumbling on the side without the pressure of putting it in a routine.

Most of our 6s this past season scored an average of a 9.1-9.2. We had one meet where a couple of them scored 9.5's but I think the scores were slightly escalated as they only placed around 3rd or 4th, with 1st and 2nd place being between 9.7-9.8.

Thanks!

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

DD did 9 meets this season as a L6, and I don't remember EVER seeing a 3-pass routine at L6. All of our L6 compete 2 passes. Most of them BHS, Back Tuck, but a few competed the LO. My dd competed LO until her severs flared up, and then switched back to tuck. Most of them also competed the FHS, Front Tuck, although I think a couple just had the front punch. There might have been a front pike or two...our gym sways towards upgraded skills but must be super clean. Scores ranged from 9.2 to 9.6 most of the time, with occasional lower or higher. Also, most gyms in our area only compete 2 passes at L7 as well for the same reasons.

 

[pt coach]

We do two passes for level 6, and almost always for level 7. Less deductions. We also have level 8s doing 2 passes (and scoring very well) and a few years ago had a level 9 with two passes (and 10.0 start value). Sometimes less is more

 

[GymCMLA]

Most of the highest scoring L6 here had 1 tumbling pass and an isolated FT. That being said, our gym did 3 passes all year. ro-bhs-BLO, FHS-FT, RO-BHS-BT. Then for state, they went to 2 passes and cut their music off (just shut it off) scores went up without the 3rd pass, but it looked kind of tacky and was a little hard on the girls sensing that discrepancy in "do it all getting ready for L8" and "why aren't you scoring better" and "here, lets just turn off your music and cut out half of your routine for state".

 

[gymmutti]

DD did 2 passes for L6: ROBHSBT and FHSFP. In L7 she stuck with 2 and upgraded BT to BLO and FP to FLO. It worked well for her for reasons you mentioned (spent time on upgrades for next level and allowed her to stay clean during competition.

 

[chalkbowl]

Two passes for level 6 & 7: RO BHS Layout and FHS FT (or pike depending on the kid).

 

[Lisbeth]

Our gym does not compete L6, but our L7s did only 2 tumbling passes this past season.

 

[gymdog]

Only two for those who did level 6, but three for level 7.

 

[wallflower]

Our 6's only do 2 passes. My DD is a level 9 and she only does 2 passes. I was worried about it but have not seen any issues with scoring. She has scored in the 9.6+ range for most of her meets and won floor several times.

I'm not sure I really buy into the endurance argument I've read here so many times. You can train for endurance and still compete less passes. She had never competed more than 2 passes and was able to do a 4 pass routine for a different meet and did just fine.

 

[tuckfull]

Our gym requires 2 passes for Level 6 and 3 passes for Level 7. Since they keep the same music/routine for both levels, the Level 6 routines are choreographed with a spot where the third tumbling pass will go when they get to Level 7. Most girls do a RO-straddle jump, or similar, which is replaced with a RO-BHS-LO at Level 7.

At what level are 3 passes required?

 

[CameraShy]

Our 6s do 3 passes - ROBHS layout, FHS FT, ROBHS BT.

I've always just assumed it was to prepare them for L7.

 

[titanic]

I've coached up to level 8 and they've always done two pass routines.

Someone like Allyse Ishino competed NCAA with only two passes and still had a 10.0 sv so it's possible to go every level with just two.

 

[All Chalked Up]

Level eight with two passes- front pike front layout, and back full. It can be done

 

[raenndrops]

L6 = 2 passes
L7 = 2 passes (and possibly a single acro - punch front or aerial)
L8 = 2 or 3 passes
No endurance needed... just because music CAN be 1:30 doesn't mean it HAS to be 1:30. Just like in L6, it CAN be 1:15, but it could be shorter.

My YG competed Xcel Gold... Music CAN be 1:00 ... a lot of girls had music 0:50-1:00. YG's music was 0:38. She got in her 2 tumbling passes, her dance, and all the other requirements... and I wish I would have made it even shorter so she didn't have as much "extra" time for extra deductions.

 

[LizzieLac]

We do 3 passes in both L6: BHS-BT, FHS-FT/FP and BHS-LO. Our girls all score over 9.0 with the 3 passes. It has made the transition to 7 and 8 so much easier.

 

[GymRays]

3 passes

 

[wandrewsjr]

2 passes... can't recall seeing a 3 pass routine in my state since the level was invented. About 3/4 of level 7's also do 2 passes.

 

[HannahGS]

I did L6 last year and scored 9.4-9.6 with front pike and ROBHS LO.

 

[CoachMeg]

Thanks everyone! That's kind of what I already thought about the 2 passes but I just wanted some backup before I brought up the idea to the other coaches.