WAG There are hardly any L5's in my area! Why?

[wgymmom]

DD had her first L5 meet yesterday, and there were 7 total girls for that level - 3 of which were DD and her teammates. I have been looking at other gyms we have competed against in the past for L5's and I can't find what the girls are doing. I can't even see if they have done a score out meet (unless that meet isn't on mymeetscores). What's going on? Is everyone just skipping out? Are they going to L6 or L7? (I am not finding many L6's either.)

We are doing the whole season as 5's. With the 3 girls who scored out of 4 yesterday, we will have 6 L5's on our team. I'm just wondering if we will be our own competition all year!

 

[hearts_and_stars]

I've noticed the same thing down here as well (though our compulsory season is almost over). DD's friend competed 5 all season and there were never more than 60-70 girls at a meet (counting both 5A and 5P)...Given that we are in southeast Texas, this is quite surprising to me. I've thought about cross-checking names from last year's 5 to 6/7, but optionals season hasn't yet started....

 

[mariposa]

In our area the "power gyms" for the most part are still competing 5. Our gym is a middle of the pack gym and ask of now, haven't had any level 6s. It's been a mix from the bigger gyms as to whether they are competing 6. But at States, there were just a little less L6, than L7s. The year my daughter did old level 6, there were over 100 level 6s. Last year, new level 5 had about 2/3 of that. So I think so gyms opted for L6 for sure. It will be interesting to see this year how it all turns out.

 

[BarCoach]

It looks like in my state there were more level 6s than 5s at States. Hoping that's not true this year. This is my 4th year coaching my group. They get better every year so I'm hoping for some good competition.

 

[2G1B]

Our gym has decided not to compete level 5. Girls will score out and go to 6 or will do a year of Xcel gold and then score out next year and go to 6. Several gyms in our area are doing the same thing.

 

[sfts]

Last year in my state, there were roughly equal numbers of 5s and 7s at States, but only about 2/3rds as many 6s.

I don't know what months your season runs, but perhaps some gyms are just not quite ready to start yet?

 

[wgymmom]

We do Oct.-Dec. compulsories, but some of the powerhouse gyms send their girls to September meets.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

Old level 6 and new 5 have always had smaller numbers. No worries, it's hard! Freehips, BWO or BHS on beam, back tuck on floor, and the............. DREADED FLYAWAY. I am sure your state meet will have plenty of competition.

 

[Natasha]

Our state hasn't started competitions yet, but back in the old numbering of levels, L6 always had a much smaller group than L5 or L7.
If girls have done a score out meet, it may not be on mymeetscores, especially if it was an in-house meet where they brought in judges. It is also possible that some L5's just aren't ready yet for meets if this was an early in the season meet for your location.

 

[wgymmom]

Our state hasn't started competitions yet, but back in the old numbering of levels, L6 always had a much smaller group than L5 or L7.
If girls have done a score out meet, it may not be on mymeetscores, especially if it was an in-house meet where they brought in judges. It is also possible that some L5's just aren't ready yet for meets if this was an early in the season meet for your location.

Ah, I didn't think about in-house meets.

 

[sce]

Our gym has decided not to compete level 5. Girls will score out and go to 6 or will do a year of Xcel gold and then score out next year and go to 6. Several gyms in our area are doing the same thing.

Why?

 

[2G1B]

Why?

They did level 5 last year and actually did really well; but have said that since we do the lower level compulsories, by that point they are ready to have the girls move past getting the text error deductions. They want to take the girls and start pushing them to optionals and routines that work to each kid's strengths. This is actually a pretty common route in our area. Gyms that use Xcel as a low hour option are at a disadvantage because the two top gyms in our area use it as their fast track program and only do score outs for compulsories for their top girls.

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

Our gym does L5 and skips L6. Our coaches have said they believe it to be an important level that prepares the girls well for optionals. The rival gym does the opposite, scores out of 5 and goes straight to L6 from 4. Don't know their reasoning, but I do know that our gymnasts as a whole seem better prepared for higher level gymnastics.

It will be very interesting to see how this season goes and what the other gyms in our state/region end up doing. There are no other serious gyms in our immediate area so we won't know until meet season.

 

[LizzieLac]

We do all levels - coaches believe it allows for the most flexibility for the individual gymnasts.

 

[sce]

They did level 5 last year and actually did really well; but have said that since we do the lower level compulsories, by that point they are ready to have the girls move past getting the text error deductions. They want to take the girls and start pushing them to optionals and routines that work to each kid's strengths. This is actually a pretty common route in our area. Gyms that use Xcel as a low hour option are at a disadvantage because the two top gyms in our area use it as their fast track program and only do score outs for compulsories for their top girls.

Wasn't the purpose of adding new level 6 to get to gym to stop using Xcel in this way?

 

[2G1B]

Wasn't the purpose of adding new level 6 to get to gym to stop using Xcel in this way?

I suspect so; but the gyms in our area continued doing it. Last year our gym used Xcel as intended; but they couldn't compete, so this year they changed the plan.

 

[gymbeam]

Our gym uses xcel until level 4 for everyone, but they have separate teams. One they know will stay xcel and one they know will go JO. The teams go to different meets all season and the ones that are on JO track don't get taken to state and regional so as to not gobble up all the awards from their xcel team that trains less hours.

After a full year at silver, the girls on JO track will score out of both 4&5 in the following year so they don't stick around those two levels long.

 

[3LittleGymmies]

One thing that I have observed is that for the gyms who are just flat out not doing 5, it's either 4 or 6 - and in gyms like ours where the expectation at 6 is that you're doing much more than just the minimum, you'd have to stay back in 4 if they weren't confident that you could do 7 competitively the following season. I suspect that some gyms are also pushing girls from 4 to 7.

 

[cassafrass]

DD's gym is also scoring out of 5 and doing Xcel gold for those not prepared for 6. Maybe the move up score out of 5 should be higher? Many of those planning to test out of 5 are planning to test out of 4 as well. Basically the girls' primary focus is Tops not even JO competition. So the plan is last year level 3 this year level 6 for a whole slew of girls.

 

[GYM0M]

DD's gym is also scoring out of 5 and doing Xcel gold for those not prepared for 6. Maybe the move up score out of 5 should be higher? Many of those planning to test out of 5 are planning to test out of 4 as well. Basically the girls' primary focus is Tops not even JO competition. So the plan is last year level 3 this year level 6 for a whole slew of girls.

I think they try to get the TOPS girls out of compulsories quickly because it is almost impossible to perfect the TOPS routines and the compulsory routines. The degree of skill is just too much, IMO. (DD went from new 4 last year to L7 this year).