WAG Upgrades

[John]

As DD's season is winding down I have noticed that DD's level 7 team is working more upgrades more regularly. As we are still relatively new to the USAG I was wondering how the upgrade process worked form gym to gym.

It seems that DD is working some upgrades that surprised me.

 

[profmom]

For both sides, while upgrading takes a back seat to perfecting routines during the comp season, if a child has the routines well in hand, some time is generally devoted to working new skills or skills that aren't yet in the routines in periods between meets. My DD is currently working on a new beam acro (her season will end in mid-March) and my DS still has a few skills he'd very much like to get into his routines this season before the end. Some of this for him will depend on whether his season ends in early April or in May. For him, he has been putting a little more time into the "almost within reach" skills and less time into the "maybe next year by states if it all goes well" skills as we move toward the high-stakes part of the season. As an XCel Diamond, my DD has 10.0s on every event but would like to upgrade next year for fun. My son moves to L10 next year, so he will for sure need to upgrade his dismounts on most events and hopes to add at least some difficulty on all.

You'll find that as they move along, the skills get harder and it takes a longer window of opportunity to get them, make them consistent, and get them into routines. While most gyms will do most of the intensive skill work in the off season, it doesn't make sense for optionals to confine it entirely there. My son, for instance, has been working on early drills since last fall for the Tkachev on high bar that he would love to compete next year, but probably won't until 2019-20.

 

[MILgymFAM]

My DDs gym works upgrades year round. She’s been working on her L7 skills this whole season and even a couple she wouldn’t use until L8. The way they do it is that whenever there is more than a week between meets they use the first two practices after a meet for upgrades. They also get to work upgrades when they’ve completed their assignments in regular practices. So if my DD does ten stuck routines with time to spare in a rotation she can move on to new skills.

 

[John]

My DDs gym works upgrades year round. She’s been working on her L7 skills this whole season and even a couple she wouldn’t use until L8. The way they do it is that whenever there is more than a week between meets they use the first two practices after a meet for upgrades. They also get to work upgrades when they’ve completed their assignments in regular practices. So if my DD does ten stuck routines with time to spare in a rotation she can move on to new skills.

Thi is exactly what I am seeing and hearing from DD. Finish the assignments get to do upgrades. I was shocked, maybe dumbfounded, to see her doing BHS LOSO on the high beam last night.

Thanks, I would love to hear from everyone.

 

[mignonone]

When my girls finish their assignments successfully, they are allowed time to work on higher level skills. DD2 worked on pirouette after pirouette until I was dizzy last night.

 

[aerials]

At the two gyms my dd has been at optionals seem to work upgrades almost all year because they can somewhat incorporate them in to their routines. Sometimes her coaches have them just do routines during meet week but sometimes not. Compulsories not so much, so they usually stuck to the routines.

 

[ayyyrial]

Also, training for many optional-level skills starts years before the athlete would be expected to compete them. With OP's example, training for BHS-salto on beam would probably start in level 7 or 8 with drills on lines, floor beams, and pads, for gymnasts who have a strong BHS on beam. But if a gymnast is picking up a skill quickly, coaches might decide to work towards a competition-ready environment faster. Side aerials on beam also come to mind as something that some gymnasts pick up easily and wind up having way before they'll be expected to compete, especially shorter kids with good active straddle flexibility. I think this happens a lot on beam because not a lot of equipment set-up is required for drills, and learning new skills rarely requires learning new technique (e.g. by the time you learn a BHS on beam, you've been doing a BHS for years already).

 

[John]

@ayyyrial nice points thanks.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Always on going and going on. At least one day a week during meet season or more, unless its a meet week. Then its just their current routines and passes.

They have been working tsuks for over a year. Twisting on the tumble track, Standing BTs............. And I'm sure other stuff, those are just the ones this dopey parent knows about.
And then there are the drills as ayyrial says.

 

[sce]

Thi is exactly what I am seeing and hearing from DD. Finish the assignments get to do upgrades. I was shocked, maybe dumbfounded, to see her doing BHS LOSO on the high beam last night.

Wow

 

[Aussie_coach]

We have the kids work upgrades year round too. I feel that working o. New skills for a few months the. Stopping for several month to do nothing but routines is going to make it very difficult for your gymnasts to progress as far as they can in the sport.

 

[CanAmGymMum]

That's an impressive upgrade for a level 7! Every now and then, I see one in level 8, but not often. For us, it's common to continue to work upgrades all year long but routines come first during our competitive season. The more proficient you are with routines, the more time you have for upgrades.

 

[John]

I believe she does it better than BHS BHS. Maybe fewer body parts to get on the beam. I know her coach was filming her. Maybe DD has a video somewhere.

 

[TumbleTimes4]

My DD is just level 3, but they typically focus on upgrades in the summer and a mix of upgrades and routines in the fall before competition season, depending on how clean the routines for their current level are. During the Spring comp season, they mainly work routines, but if the routines are clean and there is more than s week between meets, they work upgrades to keep the repetition from becoming boring. We are halfway through comp season and DD’s coaches have been very pleased with her routines and progress, so she has been invited to start training with the level 4s one day a week to start getting her ready a little early for next year. She got to work cast handstands and BWOs on beam last week and was thrilled with it. Not as exciting as a BHS LOSO (which is awesome btw!) but still a pretty big deal for a level 3 to get to start training the skills “the big girls do.”

 

[John]

While she is proud to do BHSLOSO it seemed peculiar to work something so far above her level. That is why I wanted to hear what others see at their gyma. I am proud of her she seems fearless, for now. I do worry she will get her hopes up and assume she can skip levels. She has so much refinement that is still required. I am glad she is having fun.

 

[wandrewsjr]

The great thing about optionals is that upgrades can be worked in on some events even if others still require more refinement. BHS/LO can be competed at level 8, even if upgrades aren't quite ready on other events.

 

[John]

The great thing about optionals is that upgrades can be worked in on some events even if others still require more refinement. BHS/LO can be competed at level 8, even if upgrades aren't quite ready on other events.

I didn't think it was allowed. Thanks for the information.

If anyone cares to see.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v723qcoy9heez45/Video Feb 12, 8 06 38 PM.mov?dl=0

 

[gymgal]

While she is proud to do BHSLOSO it seemed peculiar to work something so far above her level. That is why I wanted to hear what others see at their gyma. I am proud of her she seems fearless, for now. I do worry she will get her hopes up and assume she can skip levels. She has so much refinement that is still required. I am glad she is having fun.

It's not really that far above her level. It is unusual but not unheard of. Many girls go from a bwo-bhs directly to a bhs-blo, though it is usually L8 to L9. This is what dd did. Competed the bwo-bhs in 7/8 because she hated the bhs-bhs.

It also depends on how your gym is run. If they want the girls solid in the skills for a year before they compete them then now is the time to work on the LO. She may have just gotten it faster than they anticipated, which is great! As far as skipping levels, maybe but she would need these kinds of upgrades in all events. L9 bars is very hard for most girls, so unless she is a natural bar worker, it would be unlikely to skip L8 b/c she would need that year to train her high/low release (unless she is already doing that as well)

 

[SMH]

Someone take pity on me and explain what BHSLOSO stands for? I just have a level 3 we haven’t gotten to skills with so many letters yet.

 

[gymgal]

I didn't think it was allowed. Thanks for the information.

If anyone cares to see.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/v723qcoy9heez45/Video Feb 12, 8 06 38 PM.mov?dl=0

She is looking good! and should be proud of herself!!! but she has a long way to go on this. While she is on the high beam, the mats are stacked as if she were on a low beam. That gives them a lot more confidence and usually takes a long time for them to move those mats away (at least that has been dd's experience)

ETA: I was not intending to critique her here. I was just calming any anxiety you may have about her skipping levels. She likely will need this L8 year to perfect that series. And that is perfectly fine and expected.

but yes, a LO is allowed in L8. One acro C is allowed. Most who do one do a back tuck but I have seen the LO on occasion, usually from those who go on to compete a triple series in future years.