Parents Level 7...what to expect?

[wallinbl]

The biggest surprise in L7 for me was that we never knew who was going to end up on top at any given meet or who was going to have a rough time. In compulsories, sure, maybe someone would fall off the beam, but people mostly ended up pretty close to the same order and did pretty similar routines from meet to meet. At L7, there's a lot of room for variability! The girl who topped the team for AA last time may miss her squat on, cast over on her handstand, and then freak out and miss her giant and end up with an abysmal bars score at the next meet. Fall on beam? .5 -- unless it's in the middle of your acro and you're doing the walkover-walkover and can't repeat a skill, in which case it's a much bigger hit. The one in the back of the pack adds some upgrades and bingo, there she is near the front! Orrrr bingo she gets clearance to do the half on floor she's been DYING to do and falls. DD, who has always struggled tremendously with bars, pulled off her best score ever at their last meet because she was one of only two girls to hit a cast handstand. She looked positively bewildered accepting her first bars medal ever.

That doesn't make me feel any better about booking all these flights and hotels!

 

[kandkfunk]

Congrats! I hope she has a great year!

The biggest surprise in L7 for me was that we never knew who was going to end up on top at any given meet or who was going to have a rough time. In compulsories, sure, maybe someone would fall off the beam, but people mostly ended up pretty close to the same order and did pretty similar routines from meet to meet. At L7, there's a lot of room for variability! The girl who topped the team for AA last time may miss her squat on, cast over on her handstand, and then freak out and miss her giant and end up with an abysmal bars score at the next meet. Fall on beam? .5 -- unless it's in the middle of your acro and you're doing the walkover-walkover and can't repeat a skill, in which case it's a much bigger hit. The one in the back of the pack adds some upgrades and bingo, there she is near the front! Orrrr bingo she gets clearance to do the half on floor she's been DYING to do and falls. DD, who has always struggled tremendously with bars, pulled off her best score ever at their last meet because she was one of only two girls to hit a cast handstand. She looked positively bewildered accepting her first bars medal ever.

So true profmom! Missed connections can kill a start value and the end score, especially on beam. Many of the girls on my DDs team last year had the same beam connection. One girl would get credit and another wouldn't. From the untrained eye of a parent, it was sometimes a head scratcher to understand. The difference between a missed and made connection can be so miniscule and technical.

The judges should be displaying the start value of each routine after it's completed but before the score is displayed. If you can see that start value, you'll have a good idea if minimum requirements (like connections) were met.

 

[aksaunders]

DD, who has always struggled tremendously with bars, pulled off her best score ever at their last meet because she was one of only two girls to hit a cast handstand. She looked positively bewildered accepting her first bars medal ever.

Thanks...this made me laugh out loud.

 

[mylittlemiss]

I appreciate this thread and I've been watching everyone's responses. I also have an 8 year old who will be competing level 7 this winter. She didn't get there on quite the same path as the original poster, but similar. She competed level 4 first year, level 5 second year and scored out of level 6 last spring (all before level changes). She'll start this season at the new optional L6 and then go L7 once her giants are ready. I've had my share of questions and concerns as well. She scored rather well her other seasons and I am not sure quite what this year will be like. It's all sort of new again and met by some mommy anxiety!