Women Moving through optional levels

[flippingtogether]

DD is now entering optionals - a whole new world. To date, she has moved through one level a year, and has done so very successfully (meaning had fun, gained new skills and confidence along the way, and placed well at meets as icing on the cake).

My question is about the difference in levels at optionals and the time it takes along this path. I know it varies from kid to kid and lots of situations arise to take a kid off a path for a bit (injuries!), but for a solid L5 who should be ready to go as a (hopefully solid) 7 for next season, what then? What levels are likely to be repeated or not?

It seems getting from 7 to 8 is a do-able transition with the vault being the most difficult upgrade - bars adds the pirouette, beam the series and dismount upgrades as needed, floor upgrades won't be too tough for a strong tumbler. Is this all sounding correct?

Then getting from 8 to 9 - and 9 to 10 - those jumps just seem huge to me right now. Do strong kids typically do multiple years at 9? How big a jump is it from 8-9 - as big as it seems??
Any insight is appreciated!!

 

[gymmomtoo]

A lot of kids repeat level 8. My own DD repeated level 9. Optionals are where skills aren't the only reason your child doesn't move up--fears set in and injuries can hold them back too.

 

[Muddlethru]

I think you covered the transition from Level 7 - 8 except at Level 8 now, you can do Level 9 skills. So those skills you mentioned are the minimal requirements though you could do very well with them.

I think Level 8 is a 50/50 repeat. I don't think the jump from Level 8 to Level 9 is that huge but can still be significant. Level 9 is in my opinion a largely repeat level. The biggest difference I think is you need connection/bonuses to get to a 10 start value. Routines start at a 9.7 start value and you have to add skills and connections to get the extra .30. The biggest hurdle is getting your release from high bar to low bar (shootover, bail, pak etc). If your daughter is doing a tuck yurchenko, she can still do that but it will not have a 10 start value. I think at Level 9 it is worth 9.7 SV? Getting a 9.2 is not that difficult. Beam you need a flight series. You'll need to upgrade your beam, bars and floor dismounts from A to B, which may not be a big deal. If you've been doing some Level 9 skills in Level 8, the transition should not be that difficult.

Level 9 to Level 10 is the biggest jump. The start value is 9.5. So you'll need .50 in bonuses and the skills are limitless. Many compete L10 with the most minimal skills. But if you want to get to nationals, your skills have to at least have a 10 start value. Getting the skills does not seem that hard (I have to say my daughter showed more frustration in getting her skills in earlier levels). What I found was difficult is being able to hit 4 for 4. Since the skills are so much harder, there are more chances of falling. My daughter fell on floor, beam and bars on her first Level 10 meet. She's never fallen that many times in any one given season. I remember in the earlier levels, I was only worried about my daughter staying on beam. Now, every event needs a prayer.

 

[profmom]

Depending on your child's age, it's also the point where a growth spurt can throw everything into chaos for a few or several months. And you may not be out of the woods yet for vestibular issues. DD and one of her teammates spent a second year at L7 because of backwards trouble on beam. If you've never before seen your daughter get a skill and then lose it for a while and regain it, this might be something you experience.

From what I've seen, going from 7 to 8, the issues are most often flipping the vault and getting the pirouette on bars (there are some alternatives, but the pirouette has to come at some point). From 8 to 9, upgrading beam acro can be challenging as well as getting the release on bars. And getting to 10 -- well, that's just HARD!

Level 7 is a fun level. Good luck to her!

 

[JoyAvenueMom]

I agree that L8 to L9 seems like a HUGE leap. Lots of girls repeat L8, and it seems like fewer than half of those go on to compete successfully at L9. (They may attempt a meet or two, scoring 32AA or below, then drop down or quit) It also seems to be gym-specific. Some gyms just do a better job of getting girls to L9/10. There is also a huge drop out between ages 13 and 14. I'm sure it's related to the beginning of high school and all the new opportunities available. That seems about the time many girls would be finishing their 1st or 2nd season of L8. DD's gym says the release moves on bars is the biggest roadblock for most (not all) gymnasts moving to L9.

 

[flippingtogether]

Depending on your child's age, it's also the point where a growth spurt can throw everything into chaos for a few or several months. And you may not be out of the woods yet for vestibular issues. DD and one of her teammates spent a second year at L7 because of backwards trouble on beam. If you've never before seen your daughter get a skill and then lose it for a while and regain it, this might be something you experience.

Level 7 is a fun level. Good luck to
her!

Yes to this!! The BHS on beam was a come and go, lost and found 2 year saga and true lesson in patience on giving things time. The original idea was she could score out of L5 and move to L7 a year ago, but then issues on beam thwarted that idea.

Fast forward a year and she had finished a great L5 year - so glad she took her time and wasn't rushed through anything - and for her the turning point in confidence was she was able to compete the BHS on beam the end part of the L5 season. It was a big milestone and something that really helped her confidence.

All this has helped set her up to have a good foundation for L7 - yes, other things will crop up I am sure, but she now knows she can work through a big fear with success. Hopefully she will be more mentally ready the next time a fear/ mental block crops up!!!

And all the info from everyone here is so helpful - great to know about the upgrades possible in L8 to get ready for 9, and to understand more about the start values for L9 and 10. (I didn't know!!)

 

[JennC4]

At our gym we have a group of girls considered "stuck" at L9. They're all high schoolers who are definitely lower 9's who I really can't see moving up to 10. But it is definitely different for every kid. My youngest competed one meets as a seven, then a season of eight. Then she competed one level 9 meet this year and finished her season as a ten. It varies for everyone but 9 is definitely the most repeated level I've seen!

 

[wallflower]

I don't think I've found the transition in the upper levels to be nearly as hard as I expected. I heard it would be and anticipated some repeating, but it really wasn't.

7 to 8 was hardest on vault for her.
8 to 9 went better than expected and she goes into the off season pretty much ready for level 10. So oddly 7 to 8 was probably the hardest for her and 9 to 10 I think will be the easiest.

 

[gymmutti]

I think it depends on how much up training your gym does. DD just finished her L7 season and is going into the summer feeling pretty good about L8 as she has been working on L8 skills throughout the season. This summer she wants to start working L9 skills if she can and clean up her L8 stuff. I'm hoping it all works out. Her series on beam for L7 (BWO-BHS) was a work in progress all season (ie., working to figure out why she kept falling off when she could land it in practice). She finally hit her series in the last two meets which I am hoping will give her some confidence going into L8.

 

[kris]

DD is still early in the optional levels as well. Just a year at 7, and one at at 8 so far. Not sure if it will be another year at 8 or move on to 9 next year. I agree with the others, when moving through optional levels, who repeats what level and why seems a lot more variable than it was in compulsory levels.

 

[gymjunkie]

The kids who do not repeat levels in optionals are ones who have the potential to compete as 10s in the first place (not every optional does). They also did not have any major injuries or mental blocks to set them back and they did not work/compete the minimum requirements when they were compulsories/early optionals. The skills that separate the 8s from the 9s need to be started by level 5 (at least in drill form). By 7, they should have many 8/9 skills/combos, even if they are not ready/allowed to compete them.

 

[wgymmom]

The kids who do not repeat levels in optionals are ones who have the potential to compete as 10s in the first place (not every optional does). They also did not have any major injuries or mental blocks to set them back and they did not work/compete the minimum requirements when they were compulsories/early optionals. The skills that separate the 8s from the 9s need to be started by level 5 (at least in drill form). By 7, they should have many 8/9 skills/combos, even if they are not ready/allowed to compete them.

Well, that sucks.

 

[SignHere]

I will second what gym junkie said. My DD competed Level 7 this year. Her bars training, for example, went like this... Started out the year competing giant - layout flyaway. Ended year competing clear hip handstand giant giant layout flyaway.

In practice, she has been doing double back dismounts and pirouettes in prep for Level 8
( since last September ). She has also been doing front Giants in practice (since last September) in prep for Level 9.

She has been doing drills for her level 8 vault for over 2 years and actually practicing her level 8 vault for 1 year.

When I see how slow and steady the coaches take these bigger skills, there is no way to do 1 level a year unless the foundation has been laid early on.