WAG "Training" a level vs. being in a level...

[l.c.o]

I think that sometimes this custom might vary some from gym to gym... That said, to my DD, she is "training" a level until she's competing it, at which time, she "is" that level.

But that can vary. Some gyms might have set customs of, say, only repeating a level once. So in that case sometimes I think you can "be" a level whilst "training" it.

She's been told she's competing L7 next year (annual move up/summer groups sheet was not ambiguous). But she's still missing a skill or two her gym requires, so she's definitely still training the level... Even though she's also training some skills higher than L7. So if asked, I'd say she's training L7+, though I do think that's pretty customary...

 

[gymbeam]

TECHNICALLY- the athlete IS the level they LAST competed at.
so training Level X is to give the child a guide as to what they are working for, or ideally where they should be. Its a bit different for optionals....
Parents like this to for their egos......Its nice to say 'my DD finished L4 and is training L7', or also to know how much the monthly bill will go up. We have a couple of kids who love to go around saying they are training L8, ( but they dont have giants...) ...We have a few L7s that are training L9 but the kid and the parents are clueless and are fine with whatever...................There are so many variables.........

I have a L6, working on L7 skills..... and I pray all goes as the coach is planning....above all i pray for HEALTH.

the modifier "training" is just a quicker way of saying " i have successfully competed level X and met the minimum score required to move up, but i'm still working skills for the next level and won't be absolutely sure what i'm competing until X date"

and to the bolded, its not parents who came up with this at our gym- that's how the coaches actually distinguish training groups... so that's how the kids refer to themselves... so thats what we parents echo.

they also sometimes call themselves "wanna be level Xs" versus "training Xs"

 

[MILgymFAM]

When people ask me what levels are my girls, they get a different type of response based on which of my kids they are asking about- even though they're both "training" L7.

For my ODD I usually say she's "no level", "level-less", or "who knows". I don't want to give the impression she will compete L7, which she IS training, but she did score out of L6 and her current gym doesn't compete L6.. So it's kinda L7 or nothing, but that's an awkward answer that I avoid. If pressed I say she's training 7.

For YDD I just say she's a L7. She will be that for next season (her gym has never had a kid repeat a level below 8 for two whole seasons that I've ever heard), so even though she's yet to compete a meet at 7 it's kind of an understood.

 

[cadybearsmommy]

For us I consider DD the next level when she is moved into the new training group, and my monthly bill (and her hours) go up lol!!! At our gym, that is in the summer. Some gyms don't switch training groups until fall. But I feel like if I am paying for a certain level than that's the level I'm going to refer to her as, after all it's painful to watch that higher priced invoice show up in my email the first couple of months (I owe HOW much?? ) so might as well get something good out of it! LOL!

 

[Committed]

For us I consider DD the next level when she is moved into the new training group, and my monthly bill (and her hours) go up lol!!! At our gym, that is in the summer. Some gyms don't switch training groups until fall. But I feel like if I am paying for a certain level than that's the level I'm going to refer to her as, after all it's painful to watch that higher priced invoice show up in my email the first couple of months (I owe HOW much?? ) so might as well get something good out of it! LOL!

LOL! Unfortunately that wouldn't work at DDs gym. Once you do a level, you go up training hours. For instance, first year L7s do less hours than the L7 repeaters/new L8s.

 

[profmom]

By the time they are into optionals some, you should think of them as training skills rather than levels, though some skills are strongly associated with levels at some gyms.

 

[cbifoja]

By the time they are into optionals some, you should think of them as training skills rather than levels, though some skills are strongly associated with levels at some gyms.

Definitely. My DD will be a first year L9 in January but she has told me that she already has some L10 skills. We talk more about bonuses and connections than we do levels. But I just can't even think of telling someone that she is "training L10". It is so far away to me since she hasn't even actually competed past L8 yet.

 

[AgingHippie]

In the situation above we would say training L9 because that is the level she is expecting to compete. I think most kids are training a few skills that are levels above what they are planning to compete but are not necessarily training that level.

The level 8 vault is the perfect example. DD is learning that now but training L7.

 

[gymmomtotwo]

"Training x" is the actual name of the groups on our practice schedule from the end of season until final testing. It is not based on parent ego or someone thinking how great their kids are. It is not a term used to inflate where you are in skills. It means you are training to get skills for those particular levels, and is what you are aspiring to be in the next level. So for the most part most kids start out after their season with a few new skills, and then work to get more new ones. There is no guarantee that just because you are a "Training 8" that you will be one, but they put you in that group because they think you can probably do it.

 

[mariposa]

My daughter doesn't use training level X to refer to herself. She did 2 years of 8 and is hoping to do level 9 in the spring, but she still says she's a level 8. She won't call herself a 9 until she competes as a level 9.

 

[raenndrops]

So since DD is a brand new level 3 as of the beginning of summer, I guess I don't really understand why some people say "my DD is training level X", or "she's a level X".


What's the difference? If you're "training" with the level 4s, does that mean come meet season you will compete with them? Or do you train with a higher level and then compete at the level where you will have all the skills?

Since my DD isn't competing yet (since it isn't meet season) should I be saying she is training L3, or do I say "she's a L3"?

Does it even matter? Help a mother out

At our gym, from the day after Championships in mid-March thru the end of July, we have no levels. We have skill groups. In August, levels will be decided. However, if you will be competing for the Jr. High team or Optionals, we have them pick their music as soon as possible (April-June if possible). For Jr. High, we try to keep it to 1:00 or less unless the girl will definitely be L6+ or Xcel Platinum.

Coach is not making decisions before that because too much can happen in the summer.

 

[Azgymmiemom]

My kids will adamantly say, they are training their level. They will not be officially a level until they successfully compete it. Both are " training" level ten.(One boy, one girl) One competed 8, one competed 9 last season. If anyone asks me what level they are, I say, they are hoping to compete 10 next season.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

In our gym you are training a level if you are working the skills but don't have them all. The official decision is made in August.

If you have your skills for the next level at the end of season you are officially that level.

So when our group went from 3 to 4, they were training 4 as pretty much all of them didn't have all their skills at the beginning of summer.

This year they are all ready to go for L5, some are training 6, and some are L6.

 

[z2akids]

I come at this from a different perspective. DD is expected to repeat L4 this coming season. This is a decision that she is coming to agree with and one with which I agree. Her gym appears to be attempting to make a fundamental change with sone if the girls from competing your highest skills to competing solid skills while training higher level skills more than they have in the past. The HC seems to be hoping to gain some competitiveness with the top gyms. So DD is an L4, but she is training bhs on beam working toward bhs bhs, chs on bars and baby giants and giants on straps, etc. I anticipate that is all goes as planned, she will score out of 5 at an in house meet next summer and then quickly move from 6 to 7. We don't refer to her as "training 7" but she will tell people, if asked or if excited about Gym, what skills she is has on her own (not polished yet) and what skills she hopes to have on her own in the next few months.

 

[Committed]

I come at this from a different perspective. DD is expected to repeat L4 this coming season. This is a decision that she is coming to agree with and one with which I agree. Her gym appears to be attempting to make a fundamental change with sone if the girls from competing your highest skills to competing solid skills while training higher level skills more than they have in the past. The HC seems to be hoping to gain some competitiveness with the top gyms. So DD is an L4, but she is training bhs on beam working toward bhs bhs, chs on bars and baby giants and giants on straps, etc. I anticipate that is all goes as planned, she will score out of 5 at an in house meet next summer and then quickly move from 6 to 7. We don't refer to her as "training 7" but she will tell people, if asked or if excited about Gym, what skills she is has on her own (not polished yet) and what skills she hopes to have on her own in the next few months.

In this instance, I would say she IS a level 4. In your scenario, she won't compete 6 or 7 for a year and a half.

 

[gymbeam]

In this instance, I would say she IS a level 4. In your scenario, she won't compete 6 or 7 for a year and a half.

i agree. our girls call themselves training a level UNTIL they either find out they are moving up or find out they are repeating and then they ARE that specific level until the end of that meet season and then it begins again...

 

[AgingHippie]

That is how are gym does it as well and they actually name the groups that way. Right now we have L5's that will definitely compete 5. Training 5/6, level to be determined by Sept. and training 6/7's also to be determined by Sept. That being said they are all up training in some manner beyond the highest level in their group name. Although dd is training a few 8 skills, there is no chance she will be compete 8 next season (thank goodness).

 

[z2akids]

In this instance, I would say she IS a level 4. In your scenario, she won't compete 6 or 7 for a year and a half.

I agree. I guess my point is that ghe skills thst you are trainjng does not necessarily designTe tour level. I would never say my DD is training 7 just because of the skills she is working. Even though there is a small chance that, if shw really has a breakthrough summer, she could mkvd to optionals, I still don't consider her to be training 6 or 7, etc.

 

[mom2newgymnast]

My dd competed level 3 last season which ended in December. From December until last month she was still considered a level 3, but there entire team was working on level 4 skills and assumed to be moving up. So we would say they were level 3's training level 4. Last month they were officially moved to level 4, so now I call her a level 4, even though they don't start competing until September.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Uptraining is different then training level x

Training level x is when you are between seasons and your level has not actually been officially decided.

Our girls are coming off L4, they will be L6, any girl in my daughters group who is missing a 6 skill is training 6, they are all also up training and drilling L7 and 8 stuff.

Bottom line is she is what her coach says she is. We have a conservative coach. If the coach says they are Trained it means she hasn't decided yet, if she calls a kid level x that is what they are. She pretty much wouldn't say a level if she wasn't a 100 percent sure they will be competing that level (only an injury would change it)