WAG Which level to skip

[Deleted member 14190]

I've noticed a lot of threads about gyms that score out of level 5 or 6. Why do some gyms
Skip 5 and some skip 6? Is there am advantage to one over the other?

===
Depends on your meet season. If our compulsory season was the same time as our optional season I would skip 5 and do 6, because frankly it's an easier routine. But our seasons are separate, so we skip 6 and go straight to 7.

 

[BeachGym]

Level 6 is no longer a required level, therefore everyone can skip it. Most people compete one meet (sometimes more) just to get a mobility score at Level 5. Every coaches theory is different, but mostly the scores tend to be lower in Level 5, and at this point there are not very many competitors. I actually make my children compete Level 5 unless they have the skills for Level 7. I think Level 5 is an excellent separator to find out which gymnasts are long time Optionals versus the girls who may not be able to make the commitment, but are well suited to the XCEL program.

 

[raenndrops]

L5 and L7 this year - will see what happens next year. no EXCEL option in our area (within 150 miles) so new 6 may become the level for those who really can't do 7 but don't want to quit. Lots of L7 kids without giants here too - but must have the rest of the Bs and be able to "make state" easily even if bars are tough....otherwise repeat L5. Other team in town is doing L6 for kids out of L5 but without strong L7 skills...I can see both options working, DD HC just thought 2 year of 7 made more sense than doing old 6 then watering things down for new 6....as a repeat 7 year can include more c skills and uptraining

Our L7s do low bar and high bar clear hips as their B skills. Last year, we had one that did an uprise and a clear hip. We are supposed to be getting a strap bar to start training giants because one of our girls will be going to L8 next year

 

[thefellowsmom]

Girls on track for level 7/8 next year are competing six. The rest are doing five. Our coach emphasizes the training environment change when doing optionals and feels it leaves more room for skill training ongoing. Whereas the girls doing five may have a skill or event deficit they are concerned about for next year or excel in the structure of compulsories but might need a bit more time to switch to the mentality of optionals.

Six seems to be rather competitive in our area and not simply a holding area for those not ready for seven. Bigger sessions than five but I have seen the same gyms in both five and six sessions so it feels like gyms are doing both.

 

[mariposa]

I think there was/is confusion surrounding 6 and 7. Saw 6s doing exact same skills most teams do as 7s (giants, BHS on beam, some connecting BWO to BHS on beam, and on floor, the standard L7 stuff RO BHS BLO, FhS FT and RO BHS BT.) And I've seen 6s doing routines easier than a level 5 routine and 7s doing routines I wold think would have been done at 6. So confusing.

I think the first year of a new cycle is probably always confusing.

 

[Seeker]

Totally agree. DD is competing L7 and we've seen skills and routines all over the map...some closer to L8 and some def L6 style routines. For our gym, all the optionals are doing L7 but some should really be in L6 (and one has all L8 skills except bars). But L7 fits the majority of them and it is much more manageable than splitting the group and entering a diff level. For small gyms with few coaches, that has a big impact.

 

[gymmutti]

For those gyms competing L6 this year and competing with routines that could be done in L7, I wonder what their L7 will look like next year. For example, will be begin seeing more pirrouettes being done in L7 on bars? Will clear hips to handstand be seen more often? If not, then I will be interested in seeing what happens to the really strong L6s. I agree with Seeker - both the L7 and L6 competitors have been all over the place in what they compete. Beautiful giants and BHS series on beam in L6 and no giants and basic tumbling on floor for L7.

 

[Deleted member 14190]

For those gyms competing L6 this year and competing with routines that could be done in L7, I wonder what their L7 will look like next year. For example, will be begin seeing more pirrouettes being done in L7 on bars? Will clear hips to handstand be seen more often? If not, then I will be interested in seeing what happens to the really strong L6s. I agree with Seeker - both the L7 and L6 competitors have been all over the place in what they compete. Beautiful giants and BHS series on beam in L6 and no giants and basic tumbling on floor for L7.

===
In the end it doesn't really matter because in college the playing field is even with no age divisions or levels, same with Elite.

 

[cbifoja]

For those gyms competing L6 this year and competing with routines that could be done in L7, I wonder what their L7 will look like next year. For example, will be begin seeing more pirrouettes being done in L7 on bars? Will clear hips to handstand be seen more often? If not, then I will be interested in seeing what happens to the really strong L6s. I agree with Seeker - both the L7 and L6 competitors have been all over the place in what they compete. Beautiful giants and BHS series on beam in L6 and no giants and basic tumbling on floor for L7.

My DD does clear hip to handstand in her L7 but only our L8s do pirouettes and I don't recall seeing any L7s pirouette at our big meets but I wouldn't swear in a court of law about that.

I though L6 was pretty competitive in the meets we've attended. Lots of skill differences. Some giants but not a whole lot. Lots of BHS on beam. Lots of BLO but not FLOs.

Hell, it's just wonderful not to have to watch the same routine 85 times so I'll take anything!

 

[wgymmom]

I actually don't know what our gym is going to do. We had no 5's or 6's this year. Our girls are training 5 right now, but I don't know if that's to score out or not. We may not do new 6.

 

[txgal]

DD's gym competes 5 and skips 6. The sole reason is because of bars. Her coach prefers to give the girls an extra year of compulsory bars before moving them to 7 (giants and giants connected to the flyaway, cast handstand, etc). As much as parents are tired of compulsory routines, HC views moving them to optionals too soon would do more damage as it is all placement. Girls who don't like not getting any medals or don't handle it very well get the extra year to work on their skills.

Having said that, HC plans to score DD out of 5 in May (her test meet) and have her compete 7 by January. Because we're in TX, we have different compulsory and optionals seasons, so this works for her gym. If she doesn't score out in the test meet, she'll compete 5 and, depending on where her skills are, 6 or 7 in January.