Coaches what do I do with this new group?

[twisting007bigflip]

Preface:

I have this new group or "team" of 5 and 6 year olds. There are 7 of them - all super talented with muscles popping out of their muscles. They are amazing and so much fun. I picked them out of thier classes at the beginning of summer to train Level 3 and 4 and then compete level 3 starting in december (at non-sanctioned meets). We worked skills, basics, conditioning, flexibility. They can all chin-up pull over x 5+...leg lifts until the cows come home (not leg lifts like you see in TOPs, but just hanging from the bar using good form)...they can all cast above horizontal, mill circle, fhc. They can all L4 vault and score between 8.9 and 9.3...5 of them have straddle presses from the floor. They are having a little bit of trouble holding handstands (balancing)...They all have all three splits, but only 3 can oversplit and only on their "good" leg. The only level 4 skill that this group is missing is the roundoff back handspring dismount on floor - because I haven't trained it yet.
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So, what I'm wondering is if I should bother teaching this group routines? Honestly, with the exception of the back handspring they should all be able to do level 4 and score well. And since december is still 2.5 months away, maybe we can have back handsprings by then - so they could do level 4.

But maybe I shouldn't bother with Level 4 at all with this group? Maybe we should just forget about level 4 and go right to training Level 5 skills and see what happens when they are of age?

The owner just keeps telling me that I can do whatever I want with this group. One of the other coaches thinks that we should start a TOPs team/group with them, one of the coaches thinks that I should just start training them for level 5 and 6...I'm kind of leaning more toward doing what I've been doing and competing level 4 but still uptraining...

thoughts?

 

[Linsul]

That is awesome, congrats on the group and all they can do! I would totally go level 4 with them and teach the routines. They're so young that level 4 would serve as a great introduction to competition if not a challenge in skills. For sure I'd go with level 4 with the option to uptrain. I'm just starting to teach level 4 routines to my pre team group, I'm substituting the round off bh for chasse step leap, cartwheel step-in and backwards roll to pike position. They're currently doing bh and snapdown drills, but no round off work yet in favor of cartwheels still.

 

[Aussie_coach]

They sound like a really great group to coach. They are very young and competition and routines can be an issue for young kids. Often they do want to compete because they want to wear the team leotards and get medals and trophies like the big girls. But kids this young would rather be learning skills than spending months learning and perfecting routines.

Level 4 winners are not always the most talented but often the ones who can slow down and point their toes the longest.

Perhaps just do a few meets at level 4 and focus more effort inot level 5. I would not bother with level 3.

 

[nevertooold]

Compete level 3 as planned and keep training levels 4/5/6. That will let their first competitive experience be fun and successful and you can place them next year in whatever level they are ready for.

No reason they can't go from level 3 unsanctioned right into level 5 if they are ready. and if they are not ready you did not set them up for disappointment by feeling they are "repeating" a level right off the bat.