WAG Practice Level 5, Compete Level 4

[lilbean05]

My daughter competed old level 4 last year and moved up to the new level 4 this year. She almost has her kip, almost her double back hand spring, and absolutely loves the new routines. She probably falls within the middle 50% of her skills ability with the other girls, some skills better, other skills worse. She is very happy, cheerful, and go with the flow--hardly cries about gym and never comes home bummed out by any of it. She loves it!

Just tonight her coach came over and mentioned that it might be better for my daughter's confidence level if she were to keep training level 4, but compete level 3. I have never heard of this before! Why would she train really hard to learn new skills but compete on a lower level? She never complains or gets sad about her scores when they are low and she really is easy going about the whole thing--I don't get why the coach would say this and trying to get more out of the coach about it in the time we had to talk didn't produce much aside from "it might be better for her confidence level".

Is this a common thing to do? Why not just compete level 4 and give it your all? I don't get it...

 

[eryes]

My daughter is in a similar situation. She has all new L4 skills, except the jump to high bar. At our new gym they continuously work skills ranging from L3-L6 in her workout group. The fact that they care less about competition and more about skill building makes me and my daughter happy. I know this gym does well regarding upper levels and college scholarships so I feel confident in their choice. So if they choose to compete my DD at new L3 until she makes the jump, I'm good and I'm hoping my daughter will understand as well.

So I think it is somewhat common.

 

[happychaos]

My daughter competed old level 4 last year and moved up to the new level 4 this year. She almost has her kip, almost her double back hand spring, and absolutely loves the new routines. She probably falls within the middle 50% of her skills ability with the other girls, some skills better, other skills worse. She is very happy, cheerful, and go with the flow--hardly cries about gym and never comes home bummed out by any of it. She loves it!

Just tonight her coach came over and mentioned that it might be better for my daughter's confidence level if she were to keep training level 4, but compete level 3. I have never heard of this before! Why would she train really hard to learn new skills but compete on a lower level? She never complains or gets sad about her scores when they are low and she really is easy going about the whole thing--I don't get why the coach would say this and trying to get more out of the coach about it in the time we had to talk didn't produce much aside from "it might be better for her confidence level".

Is this a common thing to do? Why not just compete level 4 and give it your all? I don't get it...

Well, when is your DD supposed to start competing? I would say there is maybe a small chance she could be ready if she doesn't compete until January. But she would need the kip and BHSx2 right away, so she could spend the next few months polishing. Does she have the cartwheel and handspring vault solid???

 

[Krystan]

I think it's pretty common. My dd did this previously. She competed L4 while training L5 (due to the dreaded kip!). It was the BEST thing she could have done. In my mind, it doesn't matter, progress-wise, what level you are competing, only what level you are training at. You can tell at meets that some gyms compete kids at skills they just got in time for the first meet, while other gyms compete kids at the level where they have had the skills for a while and they are rock solid on them. The latter gyms score better, but progression-wise this is irrelevant (IMO). Basically the latter group has a more advanced group of kids they are just competing at the lower level. What I'm trying to say is... I would trust the coach. Our coach would also prefer to have kids compete a level they are fully confident in. If she doesn't yet have her kip or her double BHS, I would say L3 would be the best option (especially if meet season is before December). Even after she gets her kip, it takes most kids a while to get it consistent and in good form. Same for the BHSx2. It is wonderful that they are giving her the option to continue to train with the L4 girls. She will get the uptraining she needs, stay with the same friends she's had, but still compete at the appropriate level. It's like the best of both worlds! This means your gym is treating each gymnast as an individual with her own needs and timetable, as they should.

And, oddly, it seems like my dd will be doing the same thing AGAIN this year (same level names, new levels). Even though she placed well at L5 states last year, she'll compete new L4 because she is not totally comfortable with the L5 bar skills (has them, just not well enough to feel good about it). This was her choice. She is training with the same girls (most of whom are competing L5, some L4) so will get the uptraining, and may switch later in the season or skip L5 next year if she progresses with the group.

Bottom line, I would not call this a "move down", I would call this an opportunity. All skills progress into other skills, so only good things can be gained by perfecting the basics. There is nothing more heartbreaking than watching a L5 meet (now it's L4) where a girl misses her squat-on or kip 4 times in a row because she wasn't ready. Let her have a successful season and more than likely she will keep up her progress with the other girls. Good luck!

 

[Krystan]

Oh, and another note about the routines. They are almost the same, just with different skills thrown in! Much easier to switch levels at the last minute. On the USAG website I saw a chart listing the specific differences in the L3,4,and 5 beam and floor routines. I just noticed you said she "loved the routines". So this could be helpful for her.

 

[flippingtogether]

I'd say for many gyms, this is very common for kids to repeat levels even when working to madter higher level skills, when (1) they do not have the skills they need solidly and consistently (and polished) for the next level, and (2) when the coaches determine what level will give the gymnast confidence and the greatest chance for success.

What I have observed in this sport is that there is a fine line - really a delicate balance - between repeating a level and building the foundation for what is needed to move ahead, and challenging a kid and pushing them to master and compete higher level skills. And no 2 kids will have the same path with the same milestones, it seems.

Our meet season started in earnest this last weekend. I am so thankful to be at the gym we are at. Our coaches make sure gymnasts are in the level the need to be - and as parents, the best thing we can do is trust the coaches (ask questions to understand respectfully, perhaps....) - but trust the recommendations of the coaches.

It is so painful to see unprepared kids compete - for everyone. But especially for the kids who are going through the competition underprepared. My heart broke watching a couple of the scenes that were unfolding around me. It is much (MUCH) better to repeat a level and be solid, than to move up with only a partial arsenal of skills.

As someone wisely told me, kids should be so well prepared for competition that if they show up only giving 70% of what the can do (ie have an off day), they are still successful.

 

[flippingtogether]

Ok, Krystan, our minds must think exactly alike!! We must have been typing at the same time

 

[lilbean05]

Thank you all for your feedback! Yes, she is fantastic at the handspring vault and has the beam cartwheel nearly down pat. Competitions start in November--I am guessing it is this kip and the X2 handspring that have the coach thinking she should compete on the lower level for now. She would keep practicing with her friends in Lv 4 (old 5), but just not compete with them. I am afraid this would actually hurt her confidence (make her think that she isn't good enough to compete with everyone else) but I might be wrong. If it is a common thing to train high but compete at lower, then I guess we can give it a shot. She did really well last year, so I guess I am just surprised. I just want her to feel good about what she is doing--I don't want her to take it as a total blow to her confidence, which I think is the opposite of what the coach is looking to do.

 

[Krystan]

I thought the same thing about my dd 2 years ago, but she did so well at competitions, and enjoyed being a role model for the newer L4's, that it was great for her confidence. And she lost NOTHING by doing it. Last year in L5, though she was one of the only first year L5's (all the others repeated the level anyway), she scored better than most of them. In fact, after she decided to compete L4 (they gave her the choice and she knew she wasn't ready), some of the other L5's were jealous because they weren't feeling ready either! I would think that, if you ask her, she must realize she's not ready to compete L4 if she doesn't have the skills. I hope it works out for her!

 

[happychaos]

Thank you all for your feedback! Yes, she is fantastic at the handspring vault and has the beam cartwheel nearly down pat. Competitions start in November--I am guessing it is this kip and the X2 handspring that have the coach thinking she should compete on the lower level for now. She would keep practicing with her friends in Lv 4 (old 5), but just not compete with them. I am afraid this would actually hurt her confidence (make her think that she isn't good enough to compete with everyone else) but I might be wrong. If it is a common thing to train high but compete at lower, then I guess we can give it a shot. She did really well last year, so I guess I am just surprised. I just want her to feel good about what she is doing--I don't want her to take it as a total blow to her confidence, which I think is the opposite of what the coach is looking to do.

Sure, it might be a bummer to find out she is repeating and her friends are moving up. But in the long term her confidence will soar when she realizes she can work hard and achieve her goals, and be successful. This will be a good thing for her, especially since she stays in the same training group, and will still train L4 skills.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

My DD sort of did this last year, competed old 4 but practiced with the 5/6 group twice a week. She's getting ready to compete new 4 this year and is spending time polishing skills she had for the last year and already has most of her new 5/6 skills. So even though she was sad last year to repeat old 4, she totally rocked it and won a ton of meets, and now is setup to do the same this year, then score out of 5 and get into optionals.

 

[gymjunkie]

Yes, it's more common to do what your coach is recommending than to send a kid into competition when they are still learning their skills. There are many benefits to having a gymnast train at a higher level than they actually compete.

 

[Aussie_coach]

This really is the idea of training, it makes a lot of sense. In the gym you should be working on all of the following.

1. Skills you are not yet ready to learn that you are doing drills for so that when you are ready to learn your body knows what to do (2-3 levels above your competition level)
2. Skills your are learning and working on mastering which you will compete in the future (skills 1-2 levels above your competition level)
3. Skills you can already do and are perfecting (current level and level above)
4. Skills you are competing which you have mastered to the highest level.

 

[gymboymom]

I think it is a good idea. The gyms we have been at like the kids to have their skills by move up time (June). I like he mentioned the possibility to you now, and not right before the first meet. But I am also thinking this might give her the motivation to work really hard on these 2 skills right now and give her enough time to polish them up.

 

[GymBee97]

My daughter competed old level 4 last year and moved up to the new level 4 this year. She almost has her kip, almost her double back hand spring, and absolutely loves the new routines. She probably falls within the middle 50% of her skills ability with the other girls, some skills better, other skills worse. She is very happy, cheerful, and go with the flow--hardly cries about gym and never comes home bummed out by any of it. She loves it!

Just tonight her coach came over and mentioned that it might be better for my daughter's confidence level if she were to keep training level 4, but compete level 3. I have never heard of this before! Why would she train really hard to learn new skills but compete on a lower level? She never complains or gets sad about her scores when they are low and she really is easy going about the whole thing--I don't get why the coach would say this and trying to get more out of the coach about it in the time we had to talk didn't produce much aside from "it might be better for her confidence level".

Is this a common thing to do? Why not just compete level 4 and give it your all? I don't get it...

Its done all the time. If the skills aren't yet perfected, the child's confidence is low, they show fear, etc. There are a lot of reasons to do this. My DD is practicing L9 but will be starting comp season competing L8 because some of the L9 skills are not the best form etc and it will bring down her score. coming in near the bottom can be a big destroyer of confidence. If her skills look better as the season goes on she will compete L9 instead.

 

[gymmiemom]

My DD is going to be doing the same thing. She competed old L3 last year and has been training new L4 all summer, but the kip just isn't there yet. So she will start the season as new L3 and if the kip comes move up to L4 mid season.

She was a little disappointed, but feels better about the fact that she can still train with the L4 group. I think it's a good decision on the coaches part for my DD. good luck to your DD!

 

[Bajanswife]

Our gym does this as a matter of course. Training groups are put together on the basis of several factors, not just likely competition level, and each gymnast competes at the level that makes the most sense for her. It means that we usually have at least 2 competition levels training together in the same group, and gymnasts move up whenever they are ready, regardless of when in the season it is. A gymnast never feels "stuck" in the level they start the year off in, especially if they are improving and gaining their skills quickly. And there is no shame in competing down until you are really ready to move up.

 

[Committed]

Our gym wont let a gymnast onto a team level (after May try outs) unless they have all of the skills.
Are there any other girls on the team that is in the same position as your daughter?