Women Prep-op Xcel in Florida

[Leekelhank]

I recently moved my daughter to a new gym. They do prep-ops (Xcel?) before moving on to optionals. It seems like every gymnast does it at this gym. However, I am a bit confused as to the purpose of this? Why don't they just move up in the levels? This gym has fabulous gymnast come out of their gym, so I trust that what they do, works. I just want to know the theory behind it. I though Xcel (Prep-op) was for gymnast who wanted an alternative to USA Gymnastics due to affordability, age, or fear of certain skills?

 

[raenndrops]

That is the point of Xcel... but in the past, some gyms used it in between Old L5/6 and L7. They would have a girl compete L5, score out of L6 and compete Xcel until they got the skills for L7.
This year, USAG changed the levels and added new L6 (to alleviate the "need" for gyms to do this).

If your new gym is doing this, are they also competing new L6? Some gyms have chosen NOT to compete L6 - because it is too easy (not even a jump series on beam... only 1 beam acro... on floor, one acro series 3 elements - with or without filght - and with or without hand support... and the second acro can be an isolated salto or aerial or a 2nd series).
If they are having someone compete Xcel, I hope they are at least competing Platinum since that is like in between L6 and L7... with an easier split jump/leap requirement on beam and no deduction for a cast that doesn't reach handstand (as long as it is above horizontal).

 

[gymgal]

Florida is in Region 8, which for several years, has had many gyms use xcel/prep-op as a path to optionals, testing out of the JO levels (old 5 and 6) when ready. if your gym is successfully training optional level gymnasts, they obviously have found a system that works for them. My dd did this and she is now a competitive level 8. She competed the xcel levels instead of JO, just scoring out of 5/6 at one meet when she was ready.

most of the country uses xcel as an alternative program, but the description on the USAG site says (or did say; I haven't checked in a while) that it can be used as a supplement to the JO program to provide optional experience to gymnasts in the off season.

 

[Leekelhank]

Florida is in Region 8, which for several years, has had many gyms use xcel/prep-op as a path to optionals, testing out of the JO levels (old 5 and 6) when ready. if your gym is successfully training optional level gymnasts, they obviously have found a system that works for them. My dd did this and she is now a competitive level 8. She competed the xcel levels instead of JO, just scoring out of 5/6 at one meet when she was ready.

most of the country uses xcel as an alternative program, but the description on the USAG site says (or did say; I haven't checked in a while) that it can be used as a supplement to the JO program to provide optional experience to gymnasts in the off season.

That is exactly the way they use xcel/prep-op. And yes, they have very successfully trained optional gymast who have turned around and had very successful NCAA careers. So I guess my question is, do they do Xcel for one season then straight to 7, or do they do xcel then have to go back to 6? Is Xcel used in place of a level to move up quicker, or does it actually add a year to your gymnastics career?

 

[Leekelhank]

Florida is in Region 8, which for several years, has had many gyms use xcel/prep-op as a path to optionals, testing out of the JO levels (old 5 and 6) when ready. if your gym is successfully training optional level gymnasts, they obviously have found a system that works for them. My dd did this and she is now a competitive level 8. She competed the xcel levels instead of JO, just scoring out of 5/6 at one meet when she was ready.

most of the country uses xcel as an alternative program, but the description on the USAG site says (or did say; I haven't checked in a while) that it can be used as a supplement to the JO program to provide optional experience to gymnasts in the off season.

So, if they do XCEL, they would still have to score out of JO levels 5/6 to move on to 7? Is that right? Sorry, I am just trying to understand. My daughter just finished competing level 2, and is not about to compete level 4 just to score out. She really has optional skills, but my understand is that she cannot skip 4 and has to score out of 4 and 5. However, our coach told us the next step after 4 is prep and I wasn't sure what that would mean. I fully trust the new gym, they are marvelous coaches. I could not be happier with them. I just haven't been around the gym long enough to bombard them with my questions. LOL!

 

[gymgal]

That is exactly the way they use xcel/prep-op. And yes, they have very successfully trained optional gymast who have turned around and had very successful NCAA careers. So I guess my question is, do they do Xcel for one season then straight to 7, or do they do xcel then have to go back to 6? Is Xcel used in place of a level to move up quicker, or does it actually add a year to your gymnastics career?

It's hard to answer your questions because every gym is different. Your HC would be able to explain how they go through the levels though. You could also probably find out by looking on mymeetscores for gymnasts in your gym and see what levels they have done throughout the years. For dd, she competed rookie (which was part of the original prep-op program), silver and platinum before going to 7. But everyone/gym is different. However, for the gyms using xcel exclusively in the lower levels, they are likely doing one xcel level per year/season for bronze, silver, gold, platinum in place of 2-5/6, maybe skipping 1 0r 2 levels depending on the gym's intent. For the gyms competing the lower JO levels (2-4) and then switching to xcel, this would be more like what raenndrop mentioned, where a lot of gyms have used just one excel level (usually platinum) to either replace 6 in the past or as an extra year of competition for the girls who needed more time before competing 7.

 

[raenndrops]

So, if they do XCEL, they would still have to score out of JO levels 5/6 to move on to 7? Is that right? Sorry, I am just trying to understand. My daughter just finished competing level 2, and is not about to compete level 4 just to score out. She really has optional skills, but my understand is that she cannot skip 4 and has to score out of 4 and 5. However, our coach told us the next step after 4 is prep and I wasn't sure what that would mean. I fully trust the new gym, they are marvelous coaches. I could not be happier with them. I just haven't been around the gym long enough to bombard them with my questions. LOL!

They would have to score out of New 4 and New 5... New 6 is NOT a required level, so technically, the gym COULD have her do L4 (or score out) ... then train Excel Platinum while preparing for a score out meet for L5.

I know of a girl this year that scored out of New L4 and L5 in the same meet. There are not a lot of differences in the routines (by design). She also competed L6 (with L7 ready routines on beam and floor) in the same meet, lol. It only cost her parents $240 for that meet and they had to be there for 3 different sessions, but she did well. Once she gets her giants consistent, she will be moving up to L7.

 

[gymgal]

So, if they do XCEL, they would still have to score out of JO levels 5/6 to move on to 7? Is that right? Sorry, I am just trying to understand. My daughter just finished competing level 2, and is not about to compete level 4 just to score out. She really has optional skills, but my understand is that she cannot skip 4 and has to score out of 4 and 5. However, our coach told us the next step after 4 is prep and I wasn't sure what that would mean. I fully trust the new gym, they are marvelous coaches. I could not be happier with them. I just haven't been around the gym long enough to bombard them with my questions. LOL!

Yes, she has to score out of 4 and 5. L6 is not a required level. It sounds like he is talking about what raenn said - where the gym is substituting L5 (old 6) for xcel, likely platinum if she is already training L7 skills. But the best thing to do is just ask for more clarification.

 

[wallinbl]

Most of the gyms in Florida that do this go from old 5 to Xcel to 7. Under the new levels, it will likely be new 4 to Xcel to 7. Old 6 had difficult scoring that many gyms felt was discouraging to the gymnasts, and would cause some of them to quit. From what I've heard, they expect new 5 to be the same way. I don't think many are looking at doing new 6.

Some gyms go that route, and some will go from new 4 to 7 in one year (compulsories are in Fall, so there's 12+ months until they would finish 4 to starting 7). They will often do a single 5 meet in fall to score out and move up. There are few that do this with a full season at 5 in fall immediately before 7 in spring.

They all get there, and there are quality gyms that choose each different path (and some good ones in this state that do AAU for compulsories before switching to USAG for optionals).

 

[Leekelhank]

Oh my gosh, thank you all so much! After looking at my meet score, I realized that what you all are explaining is exactly what happened. So prep was used in place of level 6. So now I totally understand. Thank you all so much! We are so excited to be part of this gym, I fully trust that the system they have in place is an excellent one, I just needed to understand exactly what prep-op/excel is.

Thanks so much