Parents Xcel to JO (DP)

[MD_Dad]

Hello all. Another parent with a question about Xcel to JO. I've been reading through posts and lots of good info, I still have questions. My child is currently in XB (9 years old), she consistently scored in the high 36's and got a couple of 37's this season. She is competing at state later this month and we are very proud of her.
She spent 1.5 years on pre-team and then our gym started an Xcel program for the first time. It has been a good time and she enjoys it. Though she shares frustration at not practicing for skills needed to advance (like she didn't make JO because she didn't have her back hip circle - but they don't practice it) I won't pretend I know better than coaches or how to coach at all. I am capable of advocating and asking for her though.
How do you approach a gym/coaches about making the switch. Our fear is her getting pigeon holed and never getting an honest opportunity to switch over. we love our gym and they are great, the last thing we wanna do is come in too hot and be the "my kid is so great" type of parents. We just want a fact finding mission or maybe make them aware that she wants to be challenged more and we as parents are committed to the time and financial elements attached with that.
Maybe I'm a bad gym-parent for having this mentality, but my (limited) understanding is that is the final goal of all this is a scholarship, isn't making the switch to JO the necessary step? It is a huge financial and time commitment - very happy to make it, but I (maybe wrongly) feel like her being in the track that gives her the opportunity is important. and yes, not everyone's kid makes it all the way - no disappointment there, just want to give her the opportunity, all the skills, confidence, foundation of fitness, life skills and other intangibles are worth every minute and penny.

 

[Coach Kate]

Very very very few athletes receive a gymnastics scholarship, so no, that's not really the final goal for most kids who get involved with gymnastics.

What skills does your child have? Scoring well in bronze or Xcel in general does not necessarily translate to being a good fit for DP. If she isn't close to a round off back handspring, a lot of gyms are going to balk at putting a 9/10 year old in level 2.

It is a little concerning and odd to me that they weren't doing back hip circles even on preteam - that's an extremely basic skill and at the gym I worked at, was required to move out of intermediate recreational classes, after which came an advanced intermediate and an advanced level before funneling to preteam or directly to bronze or silver. If they tend to compete closer to the bare minimum requirements, it might be worth an assessment at another gym. If she had different coaching and was building more skills, there might be an easier to switch from Xcel to level 6 in a couple years.

I do think it's completely fine to ask the coach (es) what they think about her potential, progress, and her goals. They can give you better feedback and they may also be able to reveal how they approach things, as gyms all do things differently.

 

[MD_Dad]

Very very very few athletes receive a gymnastics scholarship, so no, that's not really the final goal for most kids who get involved with gymnastics.

What skills does your child have? Scoring well in bronze or Xcel in general does not necessarily translate to being a good fit for DP. If she isn't close to a round off back handspring, a lot of gyms are going to balk at putting a 9/10 year old in level 2.

It is a little concerning and odd to me that they weren't doing back hip circles even on preteam - that's an extremely basic skill and at the gym I worked at, was required to move out of intermediate recreational classes, after which came an advanced intermediate and an advanced level before funneling to preteam or directly to bronze or silver. If they tend to compete closer to the bare minimum requirements, it might be worth an assessment at another gym. If she had different coaching and was building more skills, there might be an easier to switch from Xcel to level 6 in a couple years.

I do think it's completely fine to ask the coach (es) what they think about her potential, progress, and her goals. They can give you better feedback and they may also be able to reveal how they approach things, as gyms all do things differently.

Thank you so much. I hear you, and I know tone gets lost so easily in text like this, I'm really not trying to slight or put down anyone (especially my child) and come off as "anything short of a scholarship is a failure" I see how my post can read that way and I swear, not my intention. Also, I included her scores only trying to match other posts I've seen to try and provide a point of referencne. I think I may have misspoke, the skill she doesn't have is a front hip circle? (I'm not positive of which she has, but she has one way and not the other) She does have her back handspring, sorry for not providing that upfront I'm still new and trying to learn everything.
So restarting-
My gymnast has expressed concerns that she isn't being challenged enough. and for the things she "doesn't have" they don't seem to practice those things because her team doesn't have those things, if they did - they'd all be on level 2, not XB (it feels/seems kinda circular from where I'm sitting)
Me, being ignorant, basically assume it is because of Xcel vs JO - thinking JO is the more competitive, what is done to get scholarships track.
So maybe I need a different question of how do we get her practicing skills she doesn't have nailed down yet (again, I'm no coach and the best I can do is compare things to sports I played.) I would think you'd practice a thing they "don't have yet" until they get it - like especially if that thing was what kept them from advancing or doing the other track? Again, maybe I have an inherently flawed view of it all, genuinely asking how can I best help my gymnast, like I know the gym is good, (maybe why my scholarships are attainable thoughts are skewed)

 

[NutterButter]

Many gyms don’t do as much training on new skills during meet season so if your daughter is just finishing up her season she should start learning new skills soon. Sounds like she did good as a bronze so I would expect her to move up to Silver (especially since she has a BHS already). If she doesn’t move up the. You will want to seek out other gyms. It doesn’t sound like this is the situation at your gym but I’m putting it out there just in case as repeating bronze is not the norm.

As far as moving to DP…if this is the goal for your DD I would talk to the coaches sooner rather than later and find out if it’s possible. If your gym will not allow her to change set up evaluations at other gyms. Unfortunately some gyms will say that your DD - at 9 - is too old to start in DP. My concern for you is that you say that you are at a ‘good’ gym and if your definition of good is related to them sending kids to NCAA then this could work against you. The ‘good’ gyms often have strict criteria for team selection. Just because a gym is ‘good’ doesn’t mean it will be a good fit for your DD.

Finally, some gyms compete Xcel in place of lower DP levels. This is fine. You just want to make sure as you are evaluating gyms that there is an established pathway to DP.

Now is the ideal time to ask your gym about DP and if needed, start evaluating other gyms. The competitive season is wrapping up and moveup decisions are being made as well as spots opening up. Teams often welcome new members between April - June.