Parents switch from xcel to JO?

[gymbeam]

Thanks balanced mom- reading quickly on my phone and got confused.

 

[twinmomma]

DD (8 1/2) made the switch from Xcel bronze to JO in the same year. When she was asked to be on the Xcel team, the coach recommended she go to L3 instead. DD had only JUST started gymnastics and was terrified of the intensity, having never ever competed anything before other than a season of rec soccer. She was 7 at the time. She's incredibly strong, not so flexible. She had a great Xcel season, and even did well in regionals. We knew halfway through the season she would be moving to the L3 team immediately after Xcel season ended - she was more advanced than our Xcel team was going to be able to push her. And she'd caught the bug - she wasn't afraid of the intensity anymore.

We warned her, the judging is harder, the competition is stiffer. The expectations are higher and her flexibility is going to cause deductions, so it may not be medals at every meet. The skills are a lot harder, and she didn't have much time to rise up to them. Xcel Regionals was in April and our L3 intersquad was mid august, and there had been ZERO uptraining on the Xcel team. Literally, she had been doing the same "pullover, cast, dismount" bar routine for close to a year. We had no idea what to expect.

First meet, she ended up 8th all around. And she was delighted. She got a couple of medals and was so proud of herself. She had a great season - not one where she was top of the podium every meet, but solid, consistent. She took 5th at State AA. She's got major challenges ahead in working on flexibility. But she's happy. She isn't a kid who has to be the top of the podium. Don't get me wrong, the couple of first places she got this season made her very happy, but she's not disappointed when she doesn't get that.

I guess my point is a) your DD is not too old. We have 10 and 12 year old L3s. Our gym is hoping to fast track some of our girls to L5 this off season, especially some of the older girls, but ultimately you see girls of all ages at competitions; and b) What have you got to lose? We moved DD to JO because we wanted her to have the best opportunity to go as far as she could achieve (whatever that means for her) and Xcel doesn't give her that - in our particular area. I know Xcel is much more prevalent in other areas. Our current gym pretty much has Xcel Bronze and Silver.

Speaking as the parent of a kid who has made the switch, she's much more challenged which makes me much happier. I would rather her work her tail off for 5th place than skate through Xcel and get 1st. In our area, Xcel just isn't as competitive.