NDP age questions

[Ex member]

I am new to NDP grades, I have read a little about WAG Grades 14 and about and have seen that there is a minimum age of 8 in the year of competition (Jan 1st. to 31st Dec).

My oldest dd is working towards her disability NDP grades in April, it is National NDP grades and the minimum age is 9 in the year of competition for Grades 10 and 9 according the this Disability Handbook (you can also see what they have to do in each level by reading the Disability National Development Plan Womans Artistic Hand Book) thats available on line from British Gymnastics, the NDP's start at Grade 10 and goes down to Grade 1 (mainstream standard).

The WAG side of the NDP grades do a floor exercise with music, beam, vault and bars and range and conditioning.

I thought that I was begining to understand some of this and I see differences come up like this.

What is the difference between Grade 14 and above and National NDP grades?

What are these Grades really like, is there is 1st, 2nd and 3rd like other competitions.

 

[Frase]

I don't have any experience of disability grades so unfortunately have no way of knowing how they compare. I'm happy to share (what I remember of) my dd's grade 14 experience.

There is bars, beam, floor, vault and range and conditioning. There is a mark at which you pass and a higher mark at which you receive a distinction. I seem to recall you have to achieve a certain mark in range to pass your grade (ie if you score high enough in 4 apparatus but get not the required mark in range you would not pass).

I also believe that things are done slightly differently in each region but in ours there is no progression from grade 14 (in age) to any kind of national final or suchlike. Top 3 medalled, next 4-6 got flower that was it. The certificates were forwarded at a later date.

When I was trying to remind myself of what 14 entailed I found the document below. It may not be completely up to date but it certainly matches my recollections as well as matches the skills of the grade my dd is currently working towards. The deductions are certainly interesting to know!

hinckley-gymnastics.tripod.com/webonmediacontents/Girls%20grades%20routines.pdf

(hope this works - wasn't able to post the link)

Like I say, I don't know how this compares to disability grades but hope it helps nonetheless.

 

[Ex member]

Thanks, I will have a look at the link you posted later.

I think I read in the Disabilited handbook that the NDP's are National as there is not enough to make up reginal NDP's and anyone can qualify to do National NDP as long as they meet the age requirement, they hope to add reginal qualifying when there are more taking part.

If you are interested in what the Disability NDP entails I can put the link here (if it is allowed) and you can see what they have do per level.

 

[Flossyduck]

Disability gymnastics is classed as a separate discipline under BG and I guess from what you have posted above, they have their own grading system which is likely to be quite different to that of WAG. I can't comment any further, as I don't have any experience of it.

The WAG grades have been discussed a few times before and I think if you read through the first thread on the UK forum (under spin deductions) you'll find a lot of useful information. In brief they are as follows:

The grades are all classed as ndp (national development programme), which basically means that they follow the nationally devised routines and skills and marking system to ensure that gymnasts across the country are being judged against the same criteria for progression.

14-9 are ndp regional club grades. Usually competed from the year you turn 8. Grade 14 and 13 have four pieces plus range, 12-9 don't have range. No national final. You don't have to compete them all or start at the beginning, you can skip so long as you are the minimum age..

8-5 ndp national club grades. Usually competed from the year you turn 10. These are harder, with more difficult skills. All four pieces plus range for all of them. The top four from each region progress to a national final. You can skip and can start at any grade, so long as you are the minimum age.

4-1 ndp compulsory levels. Competed from the year you turn 9 (level 4). These are the hardest. All four pieces plus range for all of them. The top four at each region progress to national final. Apart from level 4, you have to pass them in order to move on to the next level and you can't skip - eg. you can't take level 2, without passing level 3 and so on.

There's some cross over of skills - for example the higher regional grades have similar skills to the lower national grades and the lower levels have similar skills to the national grades. That's very simplified though, as the skills are progressing towards slightly different goals.

Read the thread in UK forum as I haven't covered all the detail here...

Hope that helps

 

[Ex member]

My oldest dd will do Disabilities Grade 8, they are working in whatever Grades they can currently cope with and build from there, they didn't have to start on Grade 1o but there is an age limit for the higher Grades 8-12 years old for Grades 8-3 and 13 and over for Grades 3-1. I think this year is the first year anyone from the club is doing Disability Grades.