- Jul 28, 2025
- 3
- 0
Hello! New XCEL mom here with some questions 
My DD just started XCEL Bronze this summer — she’s 7 and has been doing gymnastics for about 2.5 years now. She absolutely loves it and, honestly, she seems to pick things up pretty naturally. She’s super motivated, always asking for more gym time, and dreams about gymnastics.
Lately she’s been asking me about the JO program, so I checked in with her coach to see if that might be an option down the line. I was told it’s not possible at our current gym — they select girls for JO really young and there aren’t tryouts or chances to move over later.
I’m feeling a little frustrated because I really want to give her all the opportunities I can, especially since she’s so passionate. So I’ve been thinking about looking into other gyms in our area, but I have a couple questions and was hoping for some advice from others who’ve been through this:
Thanks in advance!

My DD just started XCEL Bronze this summer — she’s 7 and has been doing gymnastics for about 2.5 years now. She absolutely loves it and, honestly, she seems to pick things up pretty naturally. She’s super motivated, always asking for more gym time, and dreams about gymnastics.
Lately she’s been asking me about the JO program, so I checked in with her coach to see if that might be an option down the line. I was told it’s not possible at our current gym — they select girls for JO really young and there aren’t tryouts or chances to move over later.
I’m feeling a little frustrated because I really want to give her all the opportunities I can, especially since she’s so passionate. So I’ve been thinking about looking into other gyms in our area, but I have a couple questions and was hoping for some advice from others who’ve been through this:
- Should I start talking to other gyms now, or wait until she finishes her first XCEL season? I’ve heard it can be harder to switch to JO the longer you stay in XCEL, and something about having to “score out” — is that true even for the lower levels?
- Has anyone made this kind of switch before (from XCEL to JO)? Was it hard to find a gym that would consider the move?
Thanks in advance!
