WAG Understanding the US streams

[Mrs. Puma]

That is why Region 6 wants a division above Diamond or an "Open" subdivision in Dimond for former L9/L10.

Are they trying to be more similar to USAIGC, which I believe has 6 levels? I know they start with copper, but I believe an IGC Gold would be a little more advanced than an Xcel Gold...I don't know much about IGC but it's fairly popular in Region 6 I think..just a theory!

 

[Deleted member 18037]

but it's selfish and could be dangerous. The reason for the mobility score is to make sure the gymnast can safely compete at the next level by demonstrating mastery of the skills at their current level. Imagine if gymnasts could compete wherever they or the coaches wanted them too, regardless of age or skill? It would be chaos.

How does a score prove what a gymnast can do and do safely? Please explain.

It is not the score, its doing the skills well that prove it. Really do you honestly think coaches would rushing to have a Level 4 skill kid chuck L7 skills at a meet just to be there. And seriously with a minimum score to advance of 31 it really doesn't demonstrate competence across events. You have a stellar vaulter not so stellar elsewhere and boom they advance. Doesn't mean it is a wise decision.

So glad our gym doesn't pick a score to hang their hat on. If you can do the skills safely and competently your score will be OK and up you go. You get a 38-39 but cant do the next level skills oh well no advancing for you.

Again what stick in my craw is the L8 competing L6 because there is no forced move up.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

IGC has Copper 1. Copper 2 (broken out by skill but considered one level) . Bronze, Bronze Diamond used at state and higher (so higher scoring Bronze get their own group and are not in with new lower level Bronze kids so if you score higher then 35.8 in 2 meets at Bronze you move to Bronze Diamond), Next is Silver, then Gold, then Platinum, then Premier.

You can enter at any level if your coach deems you have the skill for this level.

There are also maximum move ups to prevent "sandbagging" so a score of 38 is mandatory move up.

My daughter did Silver this year. It was a gym/parent decision. She would of done well in Bronze Diamond, almost certainly hit maximum score out or darn close. Not quite ready for Silver (the jump in skills and range is pretty wide). So to Silver she went worked her skills, got them by end of season but placed meh and clearly has growth in this level ...... Other girl on her team, high end of the skills for Silver, finally hit her max score out (not out of the gate but hit it), next year its Gold for her. Again if you are doing max skills for the level and scoring 38s its time to move on.

The point is the coaches level them appropriately be it JO/IGC/Xcel that is what matters.

 

[rocky]

Thanks everyone. So being more rec focused, does Xcel/IGC have much higher participation numbers than JO? Would most gyms put all their rec gymnasts in XCel/IGC or would they have another non-competitive rec program?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

IGC doesn't have nearly the numbers that JO/Xcel has

And I wouldn't consider IGC/Xcel rec. Its pretty competive.

Rec gymnasts really don't compete or do local meets not a part of any organization.

Xcel/IGC have States and Regional/National meets. At "lower" levels then JO. So you can do these meets "rec" and you will get beat by some pretty good gymmies.

 

[munchkin3]

Rocky- it would depend on the gym and their philosophy. Some gyms are much more focused on rec and XCEL, and others on USAG.....some gyms do BOTH. I am not sure on the actual numbers....you would need someone on the inside to tell you the actual USAG registered numbers of JO vs. XCEL..... I have no idea which currently has more athletes.
You need to check each one out, check the hours and cost, and then ask parents! Some XCEL folks feel they are second class citizens and get lesser treatment......

At our gym, we have a good XCEL program with a completely different set of coaches. They do significant hours, but less than JO. They compete at ALL XCEL meets, and went to regionals this year. We also have a competitive JO program, and a home school program, each with a different set of coaches. I would say the programs are run totally separate and only come into contact in the halls or at parties.....never in the gym.

The rec classes feed into more specialized classes and usually, once a child goes through beginner, intermediate, and advanced rec classes, they would move into XCEL, JO or even trampoline, or rhythmic etc.....

 

[raenndrops]

Are they trying to be more similar to USAIGC, which I believe has 6 levels? I know they start with copper, but I believe an IGC Gold would be a little more advanced than an Xcel Gold...I don't know much about IGC but it's fairly popular in Region 6 I think..just a theory!

Apparently, there are some gyms in Region 6 that have L9/L10 girls that want to make the switch to Xcel (maybe to have more time for other activities or something), but they would have to seriously water their routines down… L9 and L10 can do D and E skills (within Limits for L9) and Diamond is only allowed 1 D skill per event and NO E skills.
By adding another division OR adding an "Open" Sub-division in Diamond, these girls would not be competing against someone doing MINIMUM Diamond routines (which are very similar to L7 routines in requirements).

 

[raenndrops]

Rocky- it would depend on the gym and their philosophy. Some gyms are much more focused on rec and XCEL, and others on USAG.....some gyms do BOTH. I am not sure on the actual numbers....you would need someone on the inside to tell you the actual USAG registered numbers of JO vs. XCEL..... I have no idea which currently has more athletes.
You need to check each one out, check the hours and cost, and then ask parents! Some XCEL folks feel they are second class citizens and get lesser treatment......

At our gym, we have a good XCEL program with a completely different set of coaches. They do significant hours, but less than JO. They compete at ALL XCEL meets, and went to regionals this year. We also have a competitive JO program, and a home school program, each with a different set of coaches. I would say the programs are run totally separate and only come into contact in the halls or at parties.....never in the gym.

The rec classes feed into more specialized classes and usually, once a child goes through beginner, intermediate, and advanced rec classes, they would move into XCEL, JO or even trampoline, or rhythmic etc.....

"Rocky- it would depend on the gym and their philosophy. Some gyms are much more focused on rec and XCEL, and others on USAG" … Your use of USAG here is incorrect… what you mean is JO because, as we know, JO and Xcel are both USAG programs.

As for numbers, I don't have those figures, but I do know the following about Xcel:
approximately 35% growth in Region 1 this past year
approximately 30% growth in Region 2 this past year (Approximately 650 gymnasts participated in the Washington State Championships. They are pursuing a Regional Invitational Meet.)
approximately 22% growth in Region 3 this past year (There will be a Regional Invitational in Colorado)
approximately 23% growth in Region 4 this past year (Approximately 3500 athletes competed in their various State Meets and 2445 qualified for the Regional Championships.)
approximately 24% growth in Region 5 this past year (Platinum and Diamond had the biggest increase. Over 1100 gymnasts participated at Regionals over all divisions.)
approximately 27% growth in Region 6 this past year (They have over 1000 athletes in Platinum and Diamond… for @Mrs. Puma , they are concerned with difficulty restrictions.)
approximately 22% growth in Region 7 this past year (They will hold their first Regional Invitational in 2017… this is usually a pre-cursor to a "real" Regional Meet.)
approximately 27% growth in Region 8 this past year (mostly in Gold and Platinum Divisions as more gymnasts stay in Xcel longer. 4200 gymnasts qualified for Regionals and 2400 are entered.)

 

[rocky]

Are the region numbers (eg region 6) just a gymnastics thing? Or do other sports use these too?

 

[fuzi]

Are the region numbers (eg region 6) just a gymnastics thing? Or do other sports use these too?

It's just a gymnastics thing. USA Gymnastics has broken the country up into 8 regions. Other sport governing bodies may break the country up in different ways.

 

[MILgymFAM]

It's just a gymnastics thing. USA Gymnastics has broken the country up into 8 regions. Other sport governing bodies may break the country up in different ways.

And it's not even all of gymnastics. Just xcel/jo. T&T has different regions (one of my DDs is region 1 and one is region 2), so I wouldn't be surprised if there are different ones for acro or rhythmic too (do they even have regions?).

 

[skschlag]

And boys have 9 regions!

 

[sce]

And it's not even all of gymnastics. Just xcel/jo. T&T has different regions (one of my DDs is region 1 and one is region 2), so I wouldn't be surprised if there are different ones for acro or rhythmic too (do they even have regions?).

Boys regions are different than girls too.

 

[Sneezyone]

4. Athletes may not skip any level (exception...Level 6 may be skipped, see below). They must advance one level at a time by scoring the minimum mobility score at any USA Gymnastics sanctioned competition (Exception: Levels 1-3 do not have a mobility score).5. A gymnast may not advance to Level 4 until she has completed the requirements as listed in the Entry & Mobility chart.

Is there a policy re: kids who've been competing modified FIG overseas and move back to the states? DD is working a lot of crazy new skills, a big jump up from L6, her last USAG level. It would be a shame for her to compete L7, maybe even 8, when we get back.

 

[munchkin3]

"Rocky- it would depend on the gym and their philosophy. Some gyms are much more focused on rec and XCEL, and others on USAG" … Your use of USAG here is incorrect… what you mean is JO because, as we know, JO and Xcel are both USAG programs.

As for numbers, I don't have those figures, but I do know the following about Xcel:
approximately 35% growth in Region 1 this past year
approximately 30% growth in Region 2 this past year (Approximately 650 gymnasts participated in the Washington State Championships. They are pursuing a Regional Invitational Meet.)
approximately 22% growth in Region 3 this past year (There will be a Regional Invitational in Colorado)
approximately 23% growth in Region 4 this past year (Approximately 3500 athletes competed in their various State Meets and 2445 qualified for the Regional Championships.)
approximately 24% growth in Region 5 this past year (Platinum and Diamond had the biggest increase. Over 1100 gymnasts participated at Regionals over all divisions.)
approximately 27% growth in Region 6 this past year (They have over 1000 athletes in Platinum and Diamond… for @Mrs. Puma , they are concerned with difficulty restrictions.)
approximately 22% growth in Region 7 this past year (They will hold their first Regional Invitational in 2017… this is usually a pre-cursor to a "real" Regional Meet.)
approximately 27% growth in Region 8 this past year (mostly in Gold and Platinum Divisions as more gymnasts stay in Xcel longer. 4200 gymnasts qualified for Regionals and 2400 are entered.)

Yes! Correction noted....

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Boys regions are different than girls too.

Yes. NY is Region 6 for girls, 7 for boys.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

Yes! Correction noted....

I feel like a lot of old school coaches still say USAG when they mean JO. I just translate it in my head lol

 

[Gymmommy71]

Re: the talk of people skirting level qualification rules - I really do not think that happens in my area - that stuff is taken very seriously, and always has been for as long as my DD has been in this sport (and she's been at multiple gyms). I have personally never heard of any gymnast just jumping in at a level w/o meeting qualification scores at prior levels for their systems. And if someone can't get the qualification score for a state meet, etc., they stay home - happens all the time. That really would be awful if people weren't checking that stuff - I can't imagine that they aren't in my state just cause of how by the book all the area gyms seem to be though.

 

[Gymmommy71]

I feel like a lot of old school coaches still say USAG when they mean JO. I just translate it in my head lol

I still say that myself as a parent . I also often still use the term "old level 5" to describe level 4 .

 

[Mrs. Puma]

I have personally never heard of any gymnast just jumping in at a level w/o meeting qualification scores at prior levels for their systems

I believe you, and like many other things in this sport it varies drastically by area I'm sure, but I know for a fact that it does happen unfortunately.