MAG Region Championships not allowing some to compete

[profmom]

It's not so much that the rules are designed to help elite track kids, it's more that the kid who started competing at age 6 and tracked all the way through FS into JE into elite is the modal gymnast around whom the age-based program is designed. But that's not the modal gymnast.

 

[skschlag]

Originally I think they weren't going to let them compete last year but because people weren't informed I think they let them but changed it for the following year (this year)- I guess the coaches forgot that this was discussed.

Just so sad to not follow the USAG rules. I thought we had to follow them, but could add more in if we wanted, but not take away.....

 

[jenjean70]

Just so sad to not follow the USAG rules. I thought we had to follow them, but could add more in if we wanted, but not take away.....

I don't know....I only learned that there was a world outside of region 3 that did things differently from this group. It would be nice if things were uniform across the board.

 

[skschlag]

I don't know....I only learned that there was a world outside of region 3 that did things differently from this group. It would be nice if things were uniform across the board.

True. And USAG did set guidelines on how postseason is supposed to go. I think they encourage regions to go above and beyond that, but not to take away.

 

[ArmyMom]

I don't know....I only learned that there was a world outside of region 3 that did things differently from this group. It would be nice if things were uniform across the board.

You can say that again! Having competed in 3 different regions already I can say for sure I wish everyone would do things the same!

 

[2G1B]

I get not wanting boys competing as younger than they actually are, but I think that it is crap that the change makes some compete as older than they actually are for the entire season (my son's birthday is the very end of May). I wish they would just go to what the girls do and stop the whole "out of age" crap for kids who aren't even trying to go elite. Last season, at 13, my DD was competing in age groups against 17 year olds on the girls' side. It was just how the ages fell. For JO just take the number of boys per level, say how many you want per age group, and then divide accordingly. Easy.

 

[skschlag]

I get not wanting boys competing as younger than they actually are, but I think that it is crap that the change makes some compete as older than they actually are for the entire season (my son's birthday is the very end of May). I wish they would just go to what the girls do and stop the whole "out of age" crap for kids who aren't even trying to go elite. Last season, at 13, my DD was competing in age groups against 17 year olds on the girls' side. It was just how the ages fell. For JO just take the number of boys per level, say how many you want per age group, and then divide accordingly. Easy.

either way ,someone is competing against kids 11 months older than they are at this point. And I doubt they will do what the girls= do. If anything, I can see it going to birht year (all 2002s compete against each other, etc).

 

[acam1103]

It's not so much that the rules are designed to help elite track kids, it's more that the kid who started competing at age 6 and tracked all the way through FS into JE into elite is the modal gymnast around whom the age-based program is designed. But that's not the modal gymnast.

Got it. Yes, definitely not the model. It doesn’t even make sense given everything that seems to be a known with regard to when boys peak as gymnasts, etc. just don’t get how anyone thought it was a good idea - clearly it helps no one and limits many in a sport that already doesn’t have tons of kids.

 

[acam1103]

either way ,someone is competing against kids 11 months older than they are at this point. And I doubt they will do what the girls= do. If anything, I can see it going to birht year (all 2002s compete against each other, etc).

We went to a meet last year where they did it like the girls side. Parents SPAZZED OUT. But I have heard of several meets now in the southeast (don’t know which region is which outside of 7) using similar age groupings. I really wish things were more standard.

Future Stars switched to birth year this year and I will say I find it odd that my son competes against different sets of kids in FS vs JO now.

 

[skschlag]

We went to a meet last year where they did it like the girls side. Parents SPAZZED OUT. But I have heard of several meets now in the southeast (don’t know which region is which outside of 7) using similar age groupings. I really wish things were more standard.

Future Stars switched to birth year this year and I will say I find it odd that my son competes against different sets of kids in FS vs JO now.

Region 8 does the age groups like the girls a lot. I get it....but I don't like the 10 kids per age group thing. Especially for big travel meets. I like seeing how he stacks up against the national competition...which for mine will be 16yo L10s. (one of D's best friends is a 16 yo L10 that will be 16 in May. He is one of the top kids in our region!)

 

[Cheryl]

May B-day here as well. He was a late starter so that he would have had to go from Level 6 to Level 8 to stay "in age" when the age rules changed. I had asked why not just let him do Level 8 as a 13 year old (even though he would he would have been 12, because there was no way he was qualifying for nationals anyway, and was told there weren't that many boys competing). Since he was always been sort of in the middle skill-wise - this year he is 8/9 and would have to be Level 9, he's doing JD again.

I think JD works well for some gyms like ours, that use it for kids who got stuck in the age crunch. We don't even have boys in 7 or 8 anymore. Some kids who did Level 8 last year are now doing JD. It doesn't work so well for kids whose gyms either don't do JD and have to level kids up to fit the age groups, or for kids who are trying to do gymnastics as a second sport, because there is still the same issue of the boys who are training the same skills and hours as JO are winning everything.

I don't understand the strictness of the age grouping maxes, it definitely seems to hurt more boys than help them. I think having the same age groups for 8-10 as they do in JD - (11-14, and 15-18) would eliminate some of the disparities for boy's growth/physical development but allow more boys to stay on the same JO track they thought they were on when they started.

And its really unfortunate that a Region would make the same parameters apply to Regionals as Nationals. By definition, Nationals are for the top boys, so why not just keep regional qualification score based and stop trying to structure the sport around the top 10% rather than the 90% who are never going to be elite gymnasts.

 

[Curlyfry7]

Region 8 does the age groups like the girls a lot. I get it....but I don't like the 10 kids per age group thing. Especially for big travel meets. I like seeing how he stacks up against the national competition...which for mine will be 16yo L10s. (one of D's best friends is a 16 yo L10 that will be 16 in May. He is one of the top kids in our region!)

Hmmm...not that I have been in MAG long, but we are in region 8 and I haven’t seen this at all yet. (We are in NC, if that matters) I honestly would prefer it....I feel like it helps, at the lower levels at least, keep kids competing against kids more their own age. In my Dd’s level, in all but the smallest meets, the girls in her group are within a few months of her age. Right now, my younger DS is 7 (July birthday) and ends up competing many times against kids potentially almost 2 years older than he is, because they use the 7-8 y/o grouping. And my oldest, who is 12, and level 5 because they have only been doing gymnastics for not quite 1.5 years, already feels some of the effects of being “old” for his level.

You wouldn’t think it would be this hard to come up with a better solution!

 

[skschlag]

Hmmm...not that I have been in MAG long, but we are in region 8 and I haven’t seen this at all yet. (We are in NC, if that matters) I honestly would prefer it....I feel like it helps, at the lower levels at least, keep kids competing against kids more their own age. In my Dd’s level, in all but the smallest meets, the girls in her group are within a few months of her age. Right now, my younger DS is 7 (July birthday) and ends up competing many times against kids potentially almost 2 years older than he is, because they use the 7-8 y/o grouping. And my oldest, who is 12, and level 5 because they have only been doing gymnastics for not quite 1.5 years, already feels some of the effects of being “old” for his level.

You wouldn’t think it would be this hard to come up with a better solution!

Maybe it is mostly Florida. They always seem to have a ton of age groups.

 

[Curlyfry7]

Maybe it is mostly Florida. They always seem to have a ton of age groups.

I had thought they might be a possibility....when we checked out their state meet results last year while preparing for regionals, I couldn’t figure out how they had their groupings.....NC’s are straight “7 y/o” “8y/o”.....etc.

 

[skschlag]

I had thought they might be a possibility....when we checked out their state meet results last year while preparing for regionals, I couldn’t figure out how they had their groupings.....NC’s are straight “7 y/o” “8y/o”.....etc.

LOL, Most of time in our state is the straight USAG age ranges.....so..7-8, 9-10. Never any smaller than that!

 

[Curlyfry7]

LOL, Most of time in our state is the straight USAG age ranges.....so..7-8, 9-10. Never any smaller than that!

The single age age groups were only at the state and regional meets....all the rest were the USAG ranges.

 

[skschlag]

The single age age groups were only at the state and regional meets....all the rest were the USAG ranges.

yeah..we don't get those for state and regionals ever!

 

[Curlyfry7]

yeah..we don't get those for state and regionals ever!

Hmmm....I wonder why the variation? I don’t feel like it was group size in any way. My youngest was only 6 last year, and there were only 6 boys in his age group at state, and only 4 in the region (although regionals are affected by the numbers of boys allowed per state for each division , so was a bit skewed for this youngest group as it was a lot less likely for the absolute youngest boys in the level to score in the top 25 total scores in the level in order to qualify. Only 2 6 y/o’s from our state qualified for regionals....some states only had a few boys qualify at all, much less any from thethese group

 

[krc]

Hi Everyone,

Just to make the point that the USAG age groups for awards are minimums. Meet directors can (and should) subdivide if numbers warrant. As a general rule of thumb, I will go out approx one-third up to 15 places and then subdivide the group. I also try to be a little more generous with the younger kids. Sometimes I will subdivide a single age if necessary (12 yo L6's! - older and younger.) Remember that the age groupings are merely a label. It doesn't change who anyone is actually competing against.

Regarding the original post, eliminating the 13-14 8's and the 15-16 9's from regionals does seem a little harsh. Sometimes the "older" kid can safely perform "slightly more basic" routines at the corresponding age group in the next level up - but maybe not be in the medals. So what is more important: Being in the right age group, or being successful? It's probably a different answer for each kid. In my experience, most boys would rather struggle in the correct group, than win in group B. These kids are pretty aware of where they are in the pecking order. With the proper encouragemnet and realistic expectations, they can grow, gain skills and experience w/o being shunted into a "lower" group than they need. If JD is challenging, then that is appropriate. Or JO or JE, what ever they need. To be honest, I feel a 13-14 yo who isn't up for L9 would be better served at JD. And similarly, a 15-16 L9 can do L10 - the rules/ req's are virtually the same. An older L6 to JD to L9 is not a bad path imho.

It's a busy gymnastics weekend- Good luck to all!

KRC

 

[ArmyMom]

Hi Everyone,

Just to make the point that the USAG age groups for awards are minimums. Meet directors can (and should) subdivide if numbers warrant. As a general rule of thumb, I will go out approx one-third up to 15 places and then subdivide the group. I also try to be a little more generous with the younger kids. Sometimes I will subdivide a single age if necessary (12 yo L6's! - older and younger.) Remember that the age groupings are merely a label. It doesn't change who anyone is actually competing against.

Regarding the original post, eliminating the 13-14 8's and the 15-16 9's from regionals does seem a little harsh. Sometimes the "older" kid can safely perform "slightly more basic" routines at the corresponding age group in the next level up - but maybe not be in the medals. So what is more important: Being in the right age group, or being successful? It's probably a different answer for each kid. In my experience, most boys would rather struggle in the correct group, than win in group B. These kids are pretty aware of where they are in the pecking order. With the proper encouragemnet and realistic expectations, they can grow, gain skills and experience w/o being shunted into a "lower" group than they need. If JD is challenging, then that is appropriate. Or JO or JE, what ever they need. To be honest, I feel a 13-14 yo who isn't up for L9 would be better served at JD. And similarly, a 15-16 L9 can do L10 - the rules/ req's are virtually the same. An older L6 to JD to L9 is not a bad path imho.

It's a busy gymnastics weekend- Good luck to all!

KRC

Well I wanted my son to move to 9 this year but coach refused saying the jump from 7 to 9 was too big.... nothing I could do. Like I said he will be back on track next year as a 14 year old level 9. When we got to the RD761 meet yesterday I expected to find a tiny group of level 8 13-14 year olds competing since that is the group they are cutting but boy was I wrong! 32 of them! My son tied for 1st so he was happy. Coach says almost all of his routines (minus Pommel) are level 9 routines so it stil baffles me that they held him back ‍ I guess I am just the mom... what do I know... I try not to cause too much trouble