Women More 6's, less 5's

[FlippinPrincess]

I'm noticing a lot more level 6 gymnasts in our area compared to level 5. Our gym uses 6 only if a girl is just not quite ready for 7 but coach doesn't see the benefit of repeating 5 for that child.

This year I am noticing quite a few gyms in our area that have no 5's and a lot of 6's (looks like they had their girls do 1 score out either at the end of last season or beginning of this one.) Is it becoming more common to move girls to optionals sooner or is our area just an anomaly?

 

[GymMamaX3]

This has been the trend in our area for a while, but now this year it seems like there is an uptick in 5's for the first time since they reconfigured the levels.

 

[OrchidZ]

I've noticed some of this too. When the levels change first happened, I saw a lot of 5/7 in back-to-back seasons or year-on-year (or at least trying; dropping a kid back to 6 if absolutely necessary). Now I see more 'score out of 5 and move to 6 in January.' I'd guess gyms are just trying different things to see what works best for them. Granted, I have no real visibility into any of the decision making, etc. This is just casual and sporadic observation.

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Level 3 and 5 are both diminishing in our area (Minnesota), level 4 is huge. Many gyms don't compete level 3, most compete level 4 and then score out of level 5. I'm so happy my daughter did a complete year of 3, 4 and 5.

 

[FlippinPrincess]

Level 3 and 5 are both diminishing in our area (Minnesota), level 4 is huge. Many gyms don't compete level 3, most compete level 4 and then score out of level 5. I'm so happy my daughter did a complete year of 3, 4 and 5.

Do you think 5 made a big difference for her? In the past, I've read on here that 5 is so good, especially for bars (finding it helps more later on.) I guess that's why I was a little surprised to see so many gyms scoring out and opting for 6 instead. I know they made some changes to 6, so maybe it doesn't matter as much? (My daughter is level 4 so I don't really pay much attention to the higher levels.)

 

[FlippinLilysMom]

Do you think 5 made a big difference for her? In the past, I've read on here that 5 is so good, especially for bars (finding it helps more later on.) I guess that's why I was a little surprised to see so many gyms scoring out and opting for 6 instead. I know they made some changes to 6, so maybe it doesn't matter as much? (My daughter is level 4 so I don't really pay much attention to the higher levels.)

They were all super important for her overall development. But definitely 4 and 5 were the most important.

 

[Greatlakesmom]

Not many gyms seem to compete level 5 for an entire season in our area, including ours. Our gym has girls go straight to level 6 or 7 (after scoring out of level 5) after one or two seasons of level 4. My DD is doing a second year of level 4 this season as she was not ready to compete level 6. But I feel level 5 would have benefited her more this season instead of a second year of level 4.

 

[Amanda]

It seems like our gym might be moving to having the younger girls compete a season of 5 but allowing the older girls to move to 6 after a score out. We used to score everyone out of 5. I can see real benefit to competing 5 if you are younger and have goals for high levels/college. I am super thankful my daughter was able to move to level 6 with a score out. She's 13 and really just wanted to make it to optionals. Plus she managed to develop serious mental blocks on back tumbling after scoring out of 5 and she thankfully has options for working around it right now. It seems like she scored out just in the nick of time! Thankfully she is pretty strong on bars which I think might be one of the main advantages to a season of 5. I don't think she missed much there. But again, our goal is a happy, confident level 6 gymnast at this point!

 

[PeanutsMom]

There are several gyms in our area that go straight from 4 to 7. We have had many kids come to pair gym because we have traditionally done 3,4,5 and 6 then 7. It’s a huge jump from 4-7 and that’s what the gym closest to us does. They test out of 5 and skip 6 altogether. I know my kid wouldn’t have been ready for that, so I am glad for the slow and steady pace. I think it’s just coaches preference. The neighboring gym has lots of young 9/10s but many are only competing 2/3 events and are often injured while our gym has older 9/10s but fewer injuries. I think it just depends on the gym.

 

[amiandjim]

Almost no gyms in our state compete level 5, so the few gyms that do, end up simply competing against themselves. There were are 70 level 5s at state last year, I think? There were 468 level 4s and 377 level 6s for comparison sake.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

Hmm, here in TX, in 2019, there were 399 level 5 gymnasts at state and 467 level 6. But since you have to qualify for state, that's not necessarily an accurate picture of total gymnasts.

 

[MuggleMom]

Personally I am thankful my daughter didn't have to do 5 she is not a strong compulsory gymnast but is doing well in Level 6. We had some girls do quite well going from 4 to 7 as well. I think if the gym does a good job of preparing you and takes the individual gymnast into account its not a problem to skip 5. I know people think 5 is critical for bars success but for many of our girls (both level 6 and 7) bars is one of their stronger events. I just hated compulsories for text errors. I am also likeing optionals because if a girl is having a tough time you have options for skills that can take some of the pressure off.

 

[2G1B]

Several years ago my DD did one L5 meet and then just competed 6. It is really common in R8. In fact our state meet had barely any L5s last year.

 

[SMH]

Only a handful of gyms in our state ( Region 5) compete a full year of level 5. But most of them then skip 6 and go straight to 7.
Our gym does one level 5 score out meet and then level 6.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Our gym stopped doing level 5 this past year, we have a big level 6/7 team this year, plus around 30 girls that just finished level 4 in the fall and are training for 6/7 next year. (With a score out this fall)

 

[Fina]

Our gym used to do the L5 year to L7 and skip L6. Now we score out of L5, do one year of L6 before L7. The changes to the Vault in L6 two years ago was the reason. I was glad mine only needed to score out of L5 rather than do a year of it.

 

[Freddy's Fred]

Almost no gyms in our state compete level 5, so the few gyms that do, end up simply competing against themselves. There were are 70 level 5s at state last year, I think? There were 468 level 4s and 377 level 6s for comparison sake.

We competed 5 and 6 and then scored out of 7. I think it was totally worth it to compete 5.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Our gym puts kids where they fit.

Mine did L5, some of her L4 team, scored out of 5 and did L6.

Mine stayed L5 specifically because her bars needed it. And she is now a much more solid bar kid.

They all met up again in L7. The L6 girls repeated L7, mine only did one season. And by states that year she outscored them all at L7. With the exception of 1 of the 6 kids. My kids bars are stronger then most of them. All of them are now L8/9s.

There is also how it fits the for the gym. Do they want a bigger team at one level. Are they able to manage meets, with 2 smaller levels, where it perhaps adds a session to their weekend. Do they have the coaches to do that? Are the added costs worth it? Do they feel the kids will be more successful at one level vs another? Will there be enough competition at the level? Is it about keeping the kids interested because they get their own music? Many factors in play.

It's a marathon. And those middle choices don't really matter as long as they get the training they need. Our coach for years has consistently said, don't worry about levels, its about skills..... And when I first learned mine was the only one staying L5. I went and watched practice (which I rarely do) because I was like mine is the only one staying 5. And yes my kids bars were simply not ready. The coach was and is correct.

 

[cogymmom2dd]

Level 5 is not popular in our area.
Most gyms use it as a score out level after a season or 2 of level 4 and then they go straight to level 6.
DD1 did neither. She did level 3 and had an awesome season, state champion. She started level 4 practices the summer after level 3. Our gym owner moved her up to level 6 practices shortly after (no level 5 team) because she said she seemed bored at practice and when she gets bored with something, she disengages and isn’t motivated. After that summer, she felt as though level 4 would be remedial for her, as she had been practicing up and had all of the skills needed for level 6 except a Consistent clear hip on bars. She put her on XCEL Gold and she was able to basically compete all of the level 4/5 skills in that season and was able to progress her skills and change her routines as she mastered new skills. By the end of the season, she had her clear hip and flyaway dismount on bars, was a regional qualifier. After that, she did a score out meet for 4 and 5 all in the same weekend and placed in all events for both. She then did a ‘full season’ of 6- she did 3 meets, was sick for one and then season and state meet were cancelled but will be doing 7 this season.

 

[momofsushi]

L5 is not popular here also. There was 5 girls in the age groupe of my daughter and a lot of L4. She did L5 and and L7 ( Had a rough Time With bars and vault In L7). Most of her team mate did L4 and they L6.