Parents Xcel or Development Program: Which Is The Right Path For Your Gymnast?

[JBS]

Here is the new petition rules...

Link Removed

Recommendation to amend Women’s Rules & Policies, page 80.III.C: Any gymnast who has had previous competitive experience in any system (including USA Gymnastics) and who is a minimum of 12 years of age is eligible to petition for entry into Level 7 and below by submitting a formal written request to the State Administrative Committee. The petition must be accompanied by a video that demonstrates her skill level.

 

[rlm's mom]

We didn't really know about Xcel when we started out as our gym didn't offer it. My girls are all still in JO as they want to get a college scholarship. I think they enjoyed the structured program more than they would have enjoyed a laid back one. DD13 may have been the one who would have enjoyed Xcel most, she enjoys more original skills (front tumbling, vaulting etc.) Xcel may have given her more room for skill choices.

 

[SupportingHerDreams]

We are just starting out but we are doing JO as it is all that our gym offers. We started at this gym whn my daughter was 2 for fun "mommy and me" classes. She has continued to love it and go invited to pre-team around 5 years old and just got invited to team last fall. Our gym starts competing at level 4. She just competed her first real meet (did an in house meet at a sister gym shortly after joining the team) January of this year, 3 days before she turned 8. We are in no rush to hurry through levels but so far we are happy with JO.

 

[Soaring]

I did JO for the majority of my competition career through level 8, and my experience was successful. I honestly never considered the Xcel program for the longest time, and my gym didn't even offer it at first. It wasn't until my junior year of high school where mental blocks had affected my bars so much that I was only capable of competing around a level 6 bar routine for a bit while on events like beam I was closer to a level 9. Switching to Xcel gave me so much more flexibility when it came to this, and it allowed me to compete the hardest skills I was capable of without either dropping back levels or becoming an event specialist. This was just my experience, but it was the best decision I had ever made when it came to my gymnastics.

 

[Gymbletot]

We're not in the US so on a different journey, but once we get to 2023 (the year my daughter will turn 8), we will discuss which competitive track she will start to train on with her coaches. So she's got another year of foundation squad to inform that initial decision. They are aiming to have flexibility to move across the tracks according to individual progress as well, so the decision won't be set in stone.

 

[gymnastics<3]

So much depends on how your local gyms choose to treat Xcel. Is it basically an advanced rec class? Is it where gymnastics dreams go to die when kids are discarded from JO? Or is it a valued program with actual conditioning and quality training that allows kids to make genuine progress? Families will make different choices depending on the quality of the available options.

For our gym, Xcel is the only option. They don’t even have a JO team. I completely agree with everything you said

 

[PeanutsMom]

My DD started in JO at 5 with Junior Tops and joined level 3 (age 7) and was squarely on the JO track until this year. She is seriously considering joining XCEL Diamond this summer as it gives her more options for vault and beam with her back injury (Spondylolithesis). She is a great floor and bar worker and can upgrade her floor and bar while still moving at her pace on beam and vault. It seems to be a good middle ground for still getting to move ahead without the rigor of JO. She has no desire to go to college, but loves gymnastics and being strong.

 

[Dahlia]

My dd started in JO. She has always been an average gymnast, but works hard and loves the sport. Facing another year in compulsories since she didn't quite have all the skills for 6, she was encouraged to try Xcel Gold. She did a trial, liked it enough, and decided to switch. She seems on track to move to platinum next year and when I asked her if she wanted to be considered to move back over to DP (L6) or stay in Xcel she wanted to stay in Xcel. It has been a really good fit for her. She loves being able to upgrade skills as she gets them and the flexibility to choose to sub in a different skill last minute at a meet if she is feeling off in warmup, etc. She has been consistently successful in meets and part of wanting to move up to platinum is because she wants harder competition!

Our gym has flexibility between the DP and Xcel and Xcel is treated as a serious program, just less hours than DP optionals and more flexibility. I was particularly impressed that there is still a strong focus on conditioning and form. We've competed against some gyms where you can tell that is not the case. They also encourage gymnasts who are in the DP and want to quit to try Xcel before doing so (and most end up choosing to compete Xcel). During Covid, we've had a lot of upper level gymnasts switch from DP to Xcel, some for injuries, some for a social life, some because of cost, some because they don't like the practice intensity and time commitment of DP, etc. Gymnasts in Xcel who have the skills can go do a trial in the DP and choose to switch as well. Some do, some try it and decide to stay with Xcel. It's really what fits the gymnasts best and what they want.

 

[rjb123]

DD has been in JO from the start. I laughed a bit at the question because in all honesty, I didn't pick anything! I was simply asked to bring her to a different class one day when she was little and in preschool gym. This new class was pre-team. She moved up levels from there from old level 4 to now level 10. . I had absolutely no clue what we were all getting into at the time!

 

[Deleted member 26368]

DD has been in JO from the start. I laughed a bit at the question because in all honesty, I didn't pick anything! I was simply asked to bring her to a different class one day when she was little and in preschool gym. This new class was pre-team. She moved up levels from there from old level 4 to now level 10. . I had absolutely no clue what we were all getting into at the time!

This made me chuckle, because we didn't "pick" either. I was looking for an activity for DD that was close to home. The gym is 15 minutes away and I found a Groupon for a trial class, LOL. We're 4 years in, including rec and preteam. I had no idea what JO or Xcel was at the time.

 

[SSGymMom]

My daughter was put into JO when she started, we didn‘t pick. She did JO for levels 2-6. After level 6, she couldn’t/didn’t want to get her giant and the gym wouldn’t move her up without it, so she switched to Xcel, she did 1 year of Platinum and is currently a Diamond. We‘be been happy with the switch, except that she has no where to go from here, just keep doing Diamond until she‘s done.

 

[Flipgirl]

My daughter did USAIGC for several years. She kept up in pre-team but felt she could do other interests going the USAIGC route.

 

[LucyRobinson]

DP for me. I started out in Level 2 at age 9 and moved up a level every year. I've always been on the older side, but I enjoyed the competition and better coaching. Xcel was not offered at my gym until I was in L3, though.

For my sister, Xcel was better. She did training for L2 team, but didn't like it and went back to rec classes. When we found out about Xcel, she started competing Bronze. She likes it because she can also play soccer.

 

[raenndrops]

My daughter was put into JO when she started, we didn‘t pick. She did JO for levels 2-6. After level 6, she couldn’t/didn’t want to get her giant and the gym wouldn’t move her up without it, so she switched to Xcel, she did 1 year of Platinum and is currently a Diamond. We‘be been happy with the switch, except that she has no where to go from here, just keep doing Diamond until she‘s done.

They are talking about adding a level above Diamond. And, if she isn't competing maximum level skills in Diamond, she could still add in upgrades.

 

[TumbleTimes4]

My DD started in bronze and then switched over to JO level 3 the next year. The Xcel program is more relaxed at her gym and DD wanted more structure and challenge and a more serious program. The JO program has been a good fit for her.

 

[For Flip Sake]

I’m with the “I didn’t pick, I had no idea what I was getting into” camp lol

We started in rec at a gym near our house. My dd got invited to the “team” after attending the gym’s summer camp. I had no idea there were different tracks. I have now learned that our gym does XCEL to optionals, and she has loved XCEL so far. She finds the program fun but challenging. I do feel her coach focuses a lot on technique, she has years of JO coaching experience in the past, and I’ve seen my daughter blossom these past few months. As a parent, I love seeing the girls do their unique routines based on their strengths and personalities.

 

[Deleted member 26368]

As a parent, I love seeing the girls do their unique routines based on their strengths and personalities.

I agree, it's really fun to see different routines, music, and skills in Xcel meets! My DD's team uses the same music and basic routine, but compete different skills and switch up the dance elements depending on the gymnast. We never quite see the same routine competed twice, LOL.

 

[Gymnast4Life]

I did DP for 5 years at a recreational only gym with both tracks. From age 5-7, I did Level 1, then at age 8, was moved to level 2, then I did that until covid, (age 9), I wanted to start back at age 11, after a full year of no gym but was then cast in my school's play with constant hours in the morning and afternoon of rehearsel and got onto the soccer team in the summer before middle school. At age 12, I finally got back into gym, and did a year of Xcel Bronze at a new gym with competitions. Then at age 13, was moved to Xcel Silver and that is where I am now.

 

[GymCAMom]

We were not given a choice as our gym changed during 2020 to only offering Xcel. Our gym goes up to Xcel Platinum and tends to push each level from bronze and up.

For us, it means 7 hours as silver (optional 10.5 for silver) but it allows my daughter to give 100% at her practices. Plus she gets to play fall soccer, train soccer privately, and even try out a new sport for spring (the tail end of gym competition season). She's happy and I'm happy just following her lead on what she wants. I'm happy we've found a gym that doesn't push too hard too fast and sees her as a person first. She doesn't have college aspirations with gymnastics but enjoys the challenge and finds competing fun! I find myself always reminding myself that everyone is different and it depends on the child.

 

[Funtumble]

So much depends on how your local gyms choose to treat Xcel. Is it basically an advanced rec class? Is it where gymnastics dreams go to die when kids are discarded from JO? Or is it a valued program with actual conditioning and quality training that allows kids to make genuine progress? Families will make different choices depending on the quality of the available options.

I am a silver and it is just us and the silvers on Thursday so am the original practice people who are there evry Thursday by our gym rules we get first pick of event and since it is the only of the 3 days we can do bars that is way at we usually do but. Then another group comes in and doesn’t even ask us and we (all the silvers and gold, a total of about 15 kids) get stuck on beam which we practice at every practice and it is completely unfair. However to prove a point to encourage other gymnasts our little xcel (bronze to gold) do terribly on bars but we do EXTEAMY well on beam