Parents proposed compulsory skills for 2021-2029

[Gymmommy71]

I'm surprised they're replacing the FT. My DD is a weak front tumbler and it took awhile to get her to figure out how to front tuck nicely.

Perhaps they're trying to make more of a difference between L5 & L6?

If my DD was never forced to do that FT at a young age in compulsories, I think she would have been so screwed for front tumbling in optionals. She's had beautiful ariels her whole life and I'm sure would have scored much higher doing that instead, but forcing her to work on/perfect the front tuck was very important. Maybe they are hoping that will get worked on in L6 like you said though.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

I'm surprised they're replacing the FT. My DD is a weak front tumbler and it took awhile to get her to figure out how to front tuck nicely.

Perhaps they're trying to make more of a difference between L5 & L6?

I'm not 100% sure but I think you can already compete an aerial instead of a front tuck in L6. You can also do ROBHSBHS instead of ROBHSBT. In many ways L5 requirements are technically harder then L6 (except bars of course.) But most gyms require more than the bare minimum for L6.

 

[gymmomx2]

I'm not 100% sure but I think you can already compete an aerial instead of a front tuck in L6. You can also do ROBHSBHS instead of ROBHSBT. In many ways L5 requirements are technically harder then L6 (except bars of course.) But most gyms require more than the bare minimum for L6.

I don't think you need any front tumbling at L6 right now....

My DD cannot do a good running front tuck but she does a beautiful FHS FT. I think the new rules would work for kids like her. Thankfully she didn't have to do L5 since we are in Canada and none of the levels are mandatory

 

[Committed]

I'm not 100% sure but I think you can already compete an aerial instead of a front tuck in L6. You can also do ROBHSBHS instead of ROBHSBT. In many ways L5 requirements are technically harder then L6 (except bars of course.) But most gyms require more than the bare minimum for L6.

Right. I'm thinking that the L5 floor requirement looks easier. Plus, this is just compulsory changes, perhaps optionals requirements will change too.

I just think that the current forward tumbling passes build up to higher level tumbling. I rarely see aerials in floor routines (aren't those A skills?), but I see tons of front pikes and front LOs.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

Right. I'm thinking that the L5 floor requirement looks easier. Plus, this is just compulsory changes, perhaps optionals requirements will change too.

I just think that the current forward tumbling passes build up to higher level tumbling. I rarely see aerials in floor routines (aren't those A skills?), but I see tons of front pikes and front LOs.

Yes, if I do see aerials in a routine they are usually added more as a dance element, not as a requirement. My dd did compete one as a skill in Xcel Silver, the landings were kind of ehhhhh lol but when she did land it, it was very pretty.

 

[raenndrops]

Handspring over the mat stack sideways, does not seem more progressive to me that the handspring to flat back. Learning to keep the body tight and straight in the flat back position will help the power of the vault develop in the long run, inwould say going sideways over the vault is going to end up with a lot of kids just arching over.

Here we have the girls do a handspring to flat back over the actual vault table, with mats stacked to the same height as the table.

Very interesting that they are going from a handspring vault for 4 levels (4, 5, 6 and 7) to going to timers after just one level on this vault. My guess is the new move up score of 34 in level 4 is related to this. Since they are not going to have kids spend so many years on this vault they want to make sure all gymnast master this foundation properly before moving on.

I am not a fan of replacing the handsprings tomtwo feet with handspring step outs. It does not seem as impressive and it is safer to teach skills with a two foot landing first before teaching step out skills. Two feet absorbing a landing builds in more margin for error when developing landings. A lot of super Flexi kids will just be doing fast walkovers rather than real handsprings.

Not a fan of the aerial being able to replace the front tuck in level 5, the front tuck is a staple in developing tumbling, especially in this day and age where there is so much front tumbling.

Here are some of my observations.
We have our girls do this AFTER they have competed the flatback vault for a year… in preparation for going over the vault table. It is a lot softer if your back hits the soft mat stack than when it hits the hard vault table - it helps them get the distance needed considering on the flatback, there is "a line you must not cross with your hands" and some girls don't get anywhere close to the line.

Xcel Silver competes this vault, with the mats stacked to the same height or a little higher than the table.

Lol, YG can't do a FHS to 2 feet. She has always done it to a step out, even when she tries to go to 2 feet. But she also can't do a FWO - go figure.

We have a girl on our team that started her season of Xcel Gold with a fast FWO-FWO and a fast FWO-RO as her acro series until she was able to do the actual FHS-step out.

I agree with you on pretty much everything… but I HATE the Xcel Silver Vault (hated it even more before they required the mats to be at least as high as the table).

 

[raenndrops]

I'm surprised they're replacing the FT. My DD is a weak front tumbler and it took awhile to get her to figure out how to front tuck nicely.

Perhaps they're trying to make more of a difference between L5 & L6?

But in L6, they can do an aerial or a salto… forward, backward, or sideward. So it is more like less of a difference?

 

[Gymmommy71]

Aerials can't count as the "salto" in a L8 two salto pass right? Like if a kid did a front aerial into a round off back handspring layout/tuck, that wouldn't meet the requirement, or would it? Or what about two front aerials in a row?

And also for L7, you couldn't do a front aerial front aeriel for that forward tumbling requirement - correct?

My DD has always understood that a salto means two feet for the landing. Is she correct?

 

[Lyddie27]

Aerials can't count as the "salto" in a L8 two salto pass right? Like if a kid did a front aerial into a round off back handspring layout/tuck, that wouldn't meet the requirement, or would it? Or what about two front aerials in a row?

And also for L7, you couldn't do a front aerial front aeriel for that forward tumbling requirement - correct?

My DD has always understood that a salto means two feet for the landing. Is she correct?

For level 8, no, aerials can't count. The wording is very specific:

1. One Acro series w/ 2 saltos OR
   
   2 directly connected saltos (same or diff.)
   
   
2. 3 Diff. Saltos (not aerials) within exercise
   

For level 7, however, aerials are fine:
2. A direct connection of 2 or more forward acro elements with flight – one must be a salto or aerial

As to your last question, I'm tempted to say yes, but I'm not sure how to classify something that takes off of one foot but lands on two, like a front toss.