Parents What's the difference between an Elite and a level 10?

[SGMOM]

I don't really know much about gymnastics, and I feel clueless all of the time. My kid really likes it though. They coaches tell me she's good. My kid also tells me she wants to be the best gymnast one day. She says that a lot, and has been saying it for a couple of years. She's also 7 and still believes in the tooth fairy. So, I am aware that the things she likes and believes will change as she grows.

Our gym seems capable of producing great level 10s, but they have no intent to add Elite or Tops or any program like that. Does that matter? Could she decide to switch gyms if she wants to go the elite route and is old enough to understand the choice she's making? Would I have to move her younger for her to have that chance? I feel like this is her sport and that she should chose her path, but right now she can't make that choice.

 

[Aussie_coach]

A very, very small number of gymnasts will ever make it too elite. Not every gym. Can or even will want to produce them. Elite is very different to level 10. A level 10 may train 20-25 hours a week and still do well, but an elite would really need to train 30-35 hours a week to achieve success. They need coaches with very high levels of expertise, in general they will not be able attend school due to the long training hours so will need to be homeschooled. Their rates of injury are far higher than in other gymnasts too, and they are expected to reach international standard by 15-16 years of age. It's a whole different world.

Elite program run at at extreme loss, with the number of coaching hours needed, the experience level of the coaches and the 1 on 1 tuition they can't charge even close to enough to cover the costs. Elite meets are not held everywhere every weekend so there is a lot of traveling involved too. It would be hard to have these coaches working with anyone else in the gym besides your. 1 or 2 elites.

If your gym produces good quality level 10's then it should be a great place to train for many years. You will know very early if your child is elite material. Elite kids stand out from the beginning. Are usually the youngest in their level. Y a lot and learn skills at an amazing rate. A good gym who do not do elite will reccomend that you go somewhere else if they see this potential in your child.

 

[Wanona]

Great question and response. I often wondered the difference myself. Thanks for posting the question and answering it.

 

[wallflower]

Level 10's and Elites compete in 2 totally different systems. Different scoring, big gap in difficulty level, etc. My daughter is at a gym that has elites and we were previously at a gym that had only level 10's. I see a big difference in the way the program is run from top to bottom. For one thing they identify the younger ones that they feel like could have the potential to do elite and train them for that possibility. The chances are slim any of our kids will take that path, but they will benefit either way. They focus less on skills, more on conditioning. Generally they seem to not care so much about compulsory routines. They spend very little time on those things. They also don't keep kids in the lower levels just to win at those levels. In the bigger scheme of things it won't matter if they won in Level 4 or 5. That's just the things I notice.

If you don't know much about gymnastics are you sure the gym has "great" level 10's? How many do they have? Do they have Level 10's getting college scholarships? I ask that because level 10's might look great to you if your kid is just a compulsory gymnast.

 

[iwannacoach]

The difference between an elite and a level ten.......About $6000.00 to $10,000.00 per year for travel, privates, choreography tune-ups......

 

[wallinbl]

The difference between an elite and a level ten.......About $6000.00 to $10,000.00 per year for travel, privates, choreography tune-ups......

I would have guessed more than that!

 

[gym law mom]

There is a gym in our state that does not have any elites and they never plan to. They do turn out top level teams from L4-10 every year with quite a few of their 10s getting scholarships. So, you don't have to have an elite program which in all honesty usually only has a few girls in it to run a top notch program.

 

[sportzmomov3]

Yes there are differences, but I will play devil's advocate on a few points, based on my observations over the years:

First, every gymnast is different.
Take it one step at a time. There really is no rush, despite what people try to say.

Both paths (10 and elite) require a special athlete who is fully committed to the sport and a family that is fully committed to the lifestyle of gymnastics.

Not every elite level gymnast is homeschooled!
Or trains over 30 hrs/week.
Or is selected/starts at a very young age (i.e. less than 7/8 yrs old).

Our gym has/had several elites who attend public school and train less than 30 hrs.

As for the way the program is run, coaches who are experienced, knowledgeable and committed to the development of their athletes will have a program that trains as if every athlete has elite level potential (i.e. conditioning, foundational skills, technique & form) and yes, if they do not "do" elite themselves, will advise the gymnast to pursue elite with a gym which does.

My only advice that I ever give in this sport, is be a parent ALWAYS. Not first, but ALWAYS.
Support, provide guidance, love, care, cheer. That's all.
Don't focus on scores, skills, levels. You don't control any of those (scores, skills or levels.)

In the end, it is just gymnastics and it does NOT define your child. I cannot say this enough.

Watch both Shawn Johnson & Alicia Sacramone's moms in the P&G commercials. The main message they both shared was that gymnastics was their daughter's thing. In fact, I loved ASac's mom's message even more. See it on YouTube and you'll understand why.

 

[Jen H.]

Love these!
Alicia's Mom
Raising an Olympian - Alicia Sacramone - YouTube

Shawn's Mom
ProcterGamble - YouTube

 

[SGMOM]

Level 10's and Elites compete in 2 totally different systems. Different scoring, big gap in difficulty level, etc. My daughter is at a gym that has elites and we were previously at a gym that had only level 10's. I see a big difference in the way the program is run from top to bottom. For one thing they identify the younger ones that they feel like could have the potential to do elite and train them for that possibility. The chances are slim any of our kids will take that path, but they will benefit either way. They focus less on skills, more on conditioning. Generally they seem to not care so much about compulsory routines. They spend very little time on those things. They also don't keep kids in the lower levels just to win at those levels. In the bigger scheme of things it won't matter if they won in Level 4 or 5. That's just the things I notice.

If you don't know much about gymnastics are you sure the gym has "great" level 10's? How many do they have? Do they have Level 10's getting college scholarships? I ask that because level 10's might look great to you if your kid is just a compulsory gymnast.

My current gym may be keeping girls at lower levels to have them win. My kids coaches have told me, in separate conversations, that she could easily be level 5 and that they are expecting a win at level 4.

You're probably correct in the assessment that I can't evaluate level 10s. All of the gymnasts look good to me. We have a couple of 10s now. I think one may be slated for a scholarship? She placed at nationals.

It's my understanding that my kid would be one of the ones marked as having potential for elite. I just wonder if there's an age where it becomes too late to try to pursue that route. She does like her friends at her gym and her coaches.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

well...having been there...it is the difference between acne and a heart attack.

 

[iwannacoach]

well...having been there...it is the difference between acne and a heart attack.

Well there you go with a common sense analogy, and a good one at that, except......If you're a teenager....getting ready to go to your first dance, and there it is.....OMG a zit the size of your nose!!!

 

[LemonLime]

Practical differences . . .

Elite gymnastics is a combination of start value and execution, but execution can make up 70% of the score and there are many more deductions in elite than JO (there's a thread here somewhere discussing those deductions). Meaning, you need to be an extremely clean gymnast to qualify elite.

Elite gymnastics on bars/beam/fx is basically 5 acro + 3 dance skills = SV. Meaning, you need to have been training high-level dance skills with the same diligence as acro over all your training years.

There is simply no comparison between L10 bars and elite bars. National JO champions on bars usually do not even get a 13.0 (minimum qualifying average score for juniors) at elite. The differences are both in difficulty and execution, plus elite requires 3 releases instead of two and a reverse grip skill.

The top JO vaulters can usually score well (but not place well) on vault as elites, but only the kids who really have spectacular vaults in JO fall into this category. A 9.5-9.6 full at JO generally will get a 13.0 at elite, however.

JO requires C dismounts, Elite requires D dismounts.

Elite fx requires a double salto, while JO does not.

Elite compulsories have a blind/front giant on bars while JO athletes need never learn that skill.