Parents Upper Xcel practice hours?

[Amanda]

Can anyone give me an idea of what type of hours a girl might practice in Xcel gold, platinum, or diamond? I know there is likely a big range. Just want to get a ballpark. Just thinking about future options. . .

Thanks!

 

[MILgymFAM]

My DD’s team has platinum and diamond with a choice of 12 or 16 hours per week. They let her train 8 when it was all that worked for her.

 

[Greatlakesmom]

This year our platinums and diamonds are going 12 hours. Our golds are going 9 or 10. In years past, our platinums and diamonds have gone a maximum of nine or 10 hours.

 

[amiandjim]

At our gym, Xcel maxes out at 9 hours.

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

During the school year our Golds can go 11 or 15 and our Platinums go 12 or 15. I believe our coaches will let girls go less if asked. There's just an understanding that progress will be slower. Some are headed to JO after and some just wanna continue in Xcel, so that influences it too. Our hours are at the high end of the range for Xcel in the area.

 

[moogacat]

Our gold-diamonds can practice up to 10.5 hours a week (minimum of 7 hours) with regular Xcel practices. My daughter does a total of 11 because she does one practice a week with the optional gymnasts that overlaps and gives her an extra .5 hour, along with the other diamonds.

 

[kendo348]

Our Golds do 10 but Platinum and Diamond only do 5-7. I’ve wondered why the hours drop as it seems counterintuitive. Maybe there’s the most demand in Gold, and after that the girls reach an age where most have other priorities? I’ve been curious how they attain the harder skills of higher levels with a drop in hours. My best guess is maybe they leave the daily conditioning expectations as homework, and focus only on skills at gym to maximize that time? Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

 

[Sk8ermaiden]

I have seen a gym here that does something similar, and it seems that after Gold (actually I think for them it is Silver), they pull most of the girls over to JO. The ones that are left must be either the ones they won't take to JO or who don't want to go. The gym dominates at the lower Xcel levels and does not do particularly well at the higher ones.

 

[MILgymFAM]

Our Golds do 10 but Platinum and Diamond only do 5-7. I’ve wondered why the hours drop as it seems counterintuitive. Maybe there’s the most demand in Gold, and after that the girls reach an age where most have other priorities? I’ve been curious how they attain the harder skills of higher levels with a drop in hours. My best guess is maybe they leave the daily conditioning expectations as homework, and focus only on skills at gym to maximize that time? Does anyone have any thoughts on that?

That does seem counterintuitive and I’m not sure I would feel comfortable with that. Five hours for diamond would be, at best, maintenance only. You couldn’t safely learn hard new skills at those hours, i don’t think.

 

[MUTigerMom]

Our gym has a range of hours for each level.
Gold- 7-12
Platinum & Diamond- 7-15

We love the flexibility it offers as we head into middle school.

 

[Tulip811]

9hrs for all xcel levels at dds gym.

 

[SMH]

All Xcel practice 8 hours max at our gym.

 

[Amanda]

Thanks for the replies. That gives a good idea! I definitely would not be comfortable with a gym for Xcel that dropped the hours for the upper levels.

 

[Aussie_coach]

There is nothing like Xcel here in Australia. But for what it is worth, we allow our older girls to reduce their hours, if they need too. Once the pressure of school and other aspects of life start to build up, if we didn’t allow flexibility for these older kids they would have to drop the sport altogether.

 

[Pirouette]

Silver = 8 hours
Gold and Platinum = 12 hours

Xcel at our gym is great for kids like DD16 (training Platinum), who has had to miss some practices this past month or so due to high school cross country. She also misses due to track & field in the spring, but since that is after States, it isn't as troublesome. Sometimes the coaches will allow her to come in on an unscheduled day to help keep up.

 

[mls529]

6 for both gold and platinum. I wish it was more for platinum. We are an Xcel only gym

 

[CoachJess]

Our Platinums and Diamonds currently practice 9 hours per week. In the past they’ve had the option to practice 12-13 hours.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

There is nothing like Xcel here in Australia. But for what it is worth, we allow our older girls to reduce their hours, if they need too. Once the pressure of school and other aspects of life start to build up, if we didn’t allow flexibility for these older kids they would have to drop the sport altogether.

I can totally see this. Mine is at that age..... We have a number of kids who go less hours at the end of the school year, after our season, because they are playing a spring sport. Or cut back on Saturday practice to do other things. Nice to have the option rather then quit the sport.

 

[Amanda]

I can totally see this. Mine is at that age..... We have a number of kids who go less hours at the end of the school year, after our season, because they are playing a spring sport. Or cut back on Saturday practice to do other things. Nice to have the option rather then quit the sport.

I generally agree. IT's one of the reasons I am looking at Xcel as my daughter enters high school next year. But I guess I am concerned when the Xcel hours are already quite low. I think I would want to at least see an option for going more hours for Platinum/Diamond. It's hard for me to imagine that these levels could be done all that successfully at 5-7 hours a week (which was the example given in one of the earlier replies.) I would guess that a certain amount of conditioning would be needed to do the level of skills required by these levels without injury.

 

[Aussie_coach]

It can also be really difficulty to compare hours. What one team get get done in 6 hours might be what another team can get done in 12.

So many factors come into play mainly the ability of the coach, but also team size, gymnast age, gymnast temperament, apparatus availability etc