WAG Some Thoughts on Xcel

[dmbgymnast]

I wanted to comment on another thread I was reading about xcel and huge variants in routines. Not a bash, it was a good read, but I still have some thoughts. Allow me to give some background info. Im on xcel silver right now, and I competed level 3 last year. It took me 6 months to get the full bar routine, and I never got a back handspring. My highest AA? A 35.6, at the easiest scoring meet in the state. My highest AA this year so far? 37.3. Like I said, I still dont have a back handspring, and I would never get out of compulsories. Thus, my journey into xcel began. Now, I want to say that I have some
minimal routines, and some that are harder. I dont feel that I should be penalized for being behind on some events, and rewarded for being farther ahead on others. Clean skills will usually beat poorly excecuted skills, no matter the difficulty. Perhaps it is not fair to some, but the flexibility of xcel has done more for me than I could ever ask for. It has kept me in the sport that Ive loved for as long as I can remember, and has kept me progressing. Start values shouldnt be changed with difficulty because we are all on different paths in this sport, and these paths move at different rates. I am happy for those who can compete a ROBT and FHS in silver, just as I am happy for those who do a RO backward roll, and FWO CW in silver. The competition between the two is part of the beauty of xcel, and that beauty shouldnt be altered by start values for all the different paths that we take. That is just my take on it, sorry that this was all over the place.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Great post!!!
And I'm glad you're still in this crazy sport called Gymnastics

 

[cadybearsmommy]

You're not all over the place at all! My dd is a lot like you, she was set to compete L3 and struggled with some of the skills, so switched to bronze. She competed one year of bronze and then we switched gyms and she competed another year of bronze with much improved form and did so much better. This year she is competing silver like you and holding her own nicely! Xcel is a wonderful program, compulsories are just not for everyone, but I think you can build a good strong foundation in an alternative program like Xcel as well. DD was able to score out of L4 last year and if she can score out of L5 in the next couple of years she will be able to perhaps go to optionals if that's what she chooses. She would have likely struggled for years in compulsories and perhaps got frustrated and quit before she ever got that chance going that route. I can't say enough good things about the program! And I agree with you 100% that the start values should not be changed. It's meant to be a program to retain a diverse group of gymnasts and if they started penalizing girls for not being able to do the skills that compulsories require, then they just lost the whole purpose of the program. Congrats on such a successful Xcel experience!

 

[RTT2]

Thanks for sharing this! This is my DDs first year doing Xcel Bronze and she absolutely loves it, but keeps talking about wanting to move to JO one day. I love hearing positive stories about Xcel and I keep telling her to focus on and enjoy what she's doing right now. Nice to hear how well it's going for you!

 

[Musicmama]

Thank you for sharing! I love hearing different stories about how Xcel has helped gymnasts keep going or start up in non-traditional ways.

My dd's experience in Xcel has been wonderful too It's allowed her to begin competing after being in gymnastics for a very short amount of time and at a relatively older age at which to begin gymnastics. Xcel has also allowed her to more easily move forward with skills that she's ready to move forward with while not putting a lot of pressure on her to move forward more quickly in other areas.

Even though she's likely to be moving over to JO in a few months, Xcel will always have a special place in my heart.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

That is the point of Xcel and I wouldn't let one person who is new to the sport of gymnastics get under your skin so much.

Is gymnastics equal no. But it is fair as in things are spelled out as to what the expectations are, what the deductions are.

So on beam, you fall on a cartwheel, you fall on a BHS, you fall on a BWO its a fall. it doesn't really matter what skill it is. You do them clean you get full credit.

You are going to compete against gymmies who do more hours and gymmies who do less. Repeaters newbies. Lots that is not equal. But as it is spelled out, its fair.

And fair doesn't always mean equal. It means getting what you need to succeed.

So don't worry, work your program and your own corrections and plan. Good luck.

PS I have a ton more thoughts but will continue on the other thread.

 

[Ali'sMom]

To add, My gymmie is on the opposite end. She is a L6 right now. One who cannot, and I don't think ever will again, do a BWO or BHS on beam, due to a huge fear. Too much to try and work out and keep her sane and not push her over the edge.
I like that there is a possibility that she could do Xcel Platinum next year if HC won't let her do L7 without BWO or BHS. (she might, we haven't had the full "sit-down talk" yet).

I like that there are possibilities for ANY girl who wants to do gym!

 

[saddlupasb]

YOU are the reason that the Xcel program exists. It wasn't created to skirt compulsories, but to give gymnasts like you an opportunity to compete in a sport that you love.

 

[fuzi]

dmbgymnast - Thank you for your post. You are totally correct in noting how the Xcel program opens up opportunities for more gymnasts in the sport.

If we love gymnastics, and I think most of us do, we should support growing the sport and making it more (rather than less) accessible.

Keep doing you!

 

[dmbgymnast]

A follow up- this video has some really good ideas and good points about xcel.

 

[gymdog]

This kid makes some great points and the same thing kills me about those types of comments! I hope she gets into coaching ASAP.

 

[dmbgymnast]

This kid makes some great points and the same thing kills me about those types of comments! I hope she gets into coaching ASAP.

She actually does coach! She and her sister are awesome!

 

[gymdog]

Great! I think the younger they get involved the better and we need lots of coaches who can coach Xcel levels and developmental levels! There is a real need for coaches at all levels and she clearly has a passion and great knowledge of the Xcel program already at a young age.

 

[CCGymbug]

My DD did xcel last year and her scores improved with each meet. However she kept increasing her skill difficulty which kept her from being as clean (ROBH by and of season vs cartwheel, cartwheel at beginning). It was frusturating as a mom seeing how hard she worked to keep getting beaten by the cartwheel, cartwheel kid. Some teams also had all members compete the exact routine which I assume would be easier to learn and keep clean. So being a gym newbie I thought DD would find JO more fair as everyone does the same routines.
So our season started, she struggled to remember to stop on mill circle ( bars which were her best skill quickly became her worst). She struggles on beam but has started to shine on floor (not being able to change her routine constantly has improved her gracefullness (a skill that she has had to learn, she seems to be a powerhouse but has lacked in little details).
Now with all said, do I believe one is more fair than the other. No, no and no. While all girls have the same requirements, some have repeated levels even when scores were good enough to go to the next level. Some girls even 3x. Now is that because a gym is requiring a higher number or because these girls do not have a required element for the next level, I don't know. And there is always the question of how many hours each gym trains which vary widely. So basically gymnastics isn't going to be fair period and I now realized it's ok. One can really only compare herself to herself and not get caught up in what others are doing.
Having watched my DD in both xcel and JO, I really think they are both great for different reasons and trust me, several times this year I wished she had stayed in xcel but I also recognize what JO has given her the little details and finesse she needed. Would she score higher in XS? Yes I believe so but only because she would have been able to skip elements that are more difficult to execute. I believe there is alot of great talent in xcel.
My personal opinion is that if my DD has to do it over I would have strongly urged her to remain in xcel and know that optionals could be obtained either way. That said, she LOVES levels and the challenge and of course more gym time.

 

[saddlupasb]

Some of the confusion lies in semantics. Xcel has DIVISIONS, not levels. Heck, some people still say Excel. lol

 

[dmbgymnast]

Some of the confusion lies in semantics. Xcel has DIVISIONS, not levels. Heck, some people still say Excel. lol

The excel thing pisses me off to the nth degree.

 

[raenndrops]

Some of the confusion lies in semantics. Xcel has DIVISIONS, not levels. Heck, some people still say Excel. lol

Excel is a spreadsheet. Xcel is a competitive gymnastics program within USAG with 5 divisions for girls that want to compete optional routines no matter what skill set they currently possess

 

[Madds]

Excel is great the only downside is that you don't get pushed as hard ( I personally like to be pushed)

 

[Pirouette]

The level of 'pushing' will vary wildly from gym to gym and coach to coach. My dd12 is an Xcel Silver and both she and I feel she is pushed just as hard as the JO gymnasts at their gym. This is only her 2nd year (1st year was a pre-team type thing), and Xcel is a perfect fit for her. She gets to do all her best skills, have a lot of fun, and still get excellent, strong coaching.

If you don't feel pushed hard enough, ask your coaches for more - more conditioning, more time in the gym, whatever you believe will help you succeed. Do they know how you feel?

 

[sportsmommy]

Just a funny thing. My dd competes xcel. Loves it! Anyway, I work in finance, so I am dealing with excel. I wonder how dumb my fellow employees think i am when I tell them to do an xcel spreadsheet. I do it all the time from habit.