Parents Skipping Level 3

[Tmacs]

Have any of your daughters gone straight from Level 2 to Level 4? Part of me really wants my daughter to go to Level 3 and have another confident year like this year but she has consistently been at the top 1 or 2 AA with 37+. And she has all her level 3 skills especially her bars. They won't begin competing again until the end of October and I just don't want her to get bored. But I also really like her group of friends/parents in this group and would hate to lose that. I trust the coaches will make the right recommendation. Just curious if people had opinions. She's 8 1/2 and LOVES gymnastics.

 

[Seeker]

Train for L4 and make the decision closer to competition season. If she’s not ready, then coaches will have her do L3. Doesn’t make sense to make a decision now.

 

[raenndrops]

I agree. Allow her to train for L4 and they can have her compete L3 if she isn't ready closer to time.

 

[GymDadWA]

My DD went from 2 to 4 and then ended up repeating 4. Mentally going from the top of the podium to the bottom was much harder than she thought it would be. She didn't expect to win 1st but was humbled for sure. In hindsight I wish we did 3 with the option to up-train 4. None of her other teammates from 2 were able to make the jump to 4 and all ended up doing 3 (and up-trained a lot) except for her and the ones still doing JO are all in the same place today, that first year of 4 was just so hard on her. She had all the skills to do four, she just couldn't do them well enough to score very well (bent arm kip, inconsistent squat on, handstands not vertical on beam, froggy leg looking ROBHSBHS, etc.).

 

[amiandjim]

My daughter has a teammate who went 2-4 and she is doing very well honestly, scoring in the 37s this last weekend and winning AA in her age group. It can definitely be done and I don’t see the harm in allowing her to train level 4 and reassessing closer to competition time.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Level 2 and 3 are not required.

 

[mommyof1]

In my observation as a parent, L3 doesn't seem to be good preparation for L4. I would have her try for L4, even if she ends up having to spend two years there.

 

[Tmacs]

Thanks for your input. It's a long way until decision time for the coaches/us but I just was curious about your experience.

 

[cp13]

My daughter had a teammate that skipped L3. She did well in L4 but she was more middle of the pack and did not place as much than at the top like in L2. One significant difference I saw with her was that she struggled with the beam dismount in L4. She often fell the wrong way rather than making the twist. The girls who did L3 rarely had issues with the beam dismount in L4 because they had been competing it for over a year. Nonetheless, if she is capable of L4 it would make sense to move up. Keep in mind, that L4 is tough. She will be competing against girls who are in their 2nd year of L4. The scoring is a lot harder and there are a lot more elements in routines to perfect.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

My daughter was on pre-team last year, moved up in Jan and we just found out will be moving up again and competing level 4 in August. (Along with about 1/3 of her pre-team teammates) so they will be doing their first meet as a level 4. We’re all a little nervous about how they will do, as they’ve never competed before.

 

[duyetanh]

I will pray for your child to skip Level 3, as it has the worst ever floor music in terms of how it is compiled, as well as the bleeping mill circle that my kid probably cannot do to this day.
~signed a parent whose kid never hit the mill circle in level 2, skipped level 3, sucked at level 4 but didn't repeat it, and is now doing much better in optionals…..

 

[duyetanh]

My daughter was on pre-team last year, moved up in Jan and we just found out will be moving up again and competing level 4 in August. (Along with about 1/3 of her pre-team teammates) so they will be doing their first meet as a level 4. We’re all a little nervous about how they will do, as they’ve never competed before.

Trust the coaches and the process. If they feel she is ready, it's a good sign. Many gyms don't even compete level 2 anymore, and more and more seem to be getting on the "lets wait until level 4 to compete" bandwagon. As the level 2 and 3 floor music arrangements are quite annoying, I would say it's a good thing. Lol!

 

[3rd_time_around]

Aw, it’s not that bad. And in GA AAU 3, they skip the useless and horrible mill circle and jump to the high bar and learn underswing/counterswing a year sooner. USAG could take some pointers from GA AAU gymnastics.

 

[FlippinPrincess]

Aw, it’s not that bad. And in GA AAU 3, they skip the useless and horrible mill circle and jump to the high bar and learn underswing/counterswing a year sooner. USAG could take some pointers from GA AAU gymnastics.

I so wish our gym did this. I love how much it better prepares the kids for level 4. Mine is currently level 3 and that stupid mill circle......

 

[Cmumgym]

Wow we don’t even start competing at
Our gym until level 3. If our gymnasts are age turning 9 and have talent we give them all of the same hours and programs as our level 4 gymnasts. We prefer our gymnasts to be age turning 8 when competing level 3 so that by the time we have given them the skills and knowledge of additional skills if there is any puberty or growth we still have an additional 2 years to work with them. I’m comparison to a 12 year old going through puberty attempting to continue the physical motions I.e growth. Weight and height doing level 3

 

[Kelly99]

A slight variation - my 8 year old daughter competed Xcel bronze last season and decided to switch to JO. She was put in level 3 initially and that lasted all of one practice before the head coach approached me and said he was moving her up to level 4. It was absolutely the right move for her and I am so glad the coach recognized it right away. Her bronze routines had almost all of the level 3 skills, including the mill circle and beam dismount, and she was very successful. She would've been bored in level 3 and is completely jazzed about the level 4 skills and extra time in the gym. She has to catch up a little bit on some tumbling stuff but is overall right there with, and even a little ahead of some of, her teammates who competed level 3 last season. So I say trust the coaches! I know it's hard to leave the group of parents you've been with, but that's kind of how it goes - people will always be coming and going.

 

[LJL07]

My daughter went from 2 to 4. Honestly 2&3 are so similar. There is a round off back handspring and the front hip circle on the bar. The beam dismount in 3 is more difficult than 2, but is the same dismount for 4 for the most part. I do not think skipping level 4&5 is a great idea for most kids, but 3 isn’t critical.