Repeating Level 4?

[hammy]

Yes, many girls repeat level 4 because they are not able to successfully and safely complete the level 5 skills, so it is likely that they are training the level 5 skills while competing level 4. Also, some gyms may just have the kids train for a year, with no competitions, then skip through the levels (doing 'move up' meets).

[Shawn]

Ah.... now I understand the "scoring out" of a level. I never knew how girls would know the skills and routines for multiple levels in one meet season. They must have been training both levels in preparation for moving up. Oh the things you learn in this forum! Thanks, everyone!

[BlairBob]

I was at one gym that used L4 to compete girls coming from the rec program and not keeping the younger girls typically till L5. These girls were more of the ontrack girls coming from the developmental program.

Quite often though a girl will be competing one level, say L4, she will be training her L5 skills. Basically come in, do a few routines and train the skills or vice versa.

" In my opinion, there is no reason to repeat Level 4. Level 5 is the level where you really start training all the important skills on every event that will allow the gymnasts to progress. "

This is pretty much idea about the JO MAG actually.

One of the first gyms I was at when I was just a rec coach coming on trained for their first level of competition as Level 5. In fact, they skipped over mastery of many of the L3 and L4 skills and suffered in doing so during that season. It could have also been due to a new coach taking over as the old compulsory coach went into teaching. While she was trained well, she was still new to it.

I would say most gyms repeat L4 to allow their gymnasts to medal and score high. Parents at that level ( meaning new to the competitive world of gymnastics ) dig that big time and are a general pain in the butt if their DD isn't scoring 36 with 5 medals 5th place and under versus having them on a sign n' play sport and go to the playoffs. Especially considering the expense and effort those new L4 parents have to put into the gym ( Booster club volunteering, selling stuff, etc unless they are loaded ).

Simply put, one of the biggest obstacles of L5 is jumping to the high bar from a squat on. If the gymnast ever has a big fall on that, it can just take forever.

[Aussie_coach]

The way it works in Australia in general is that all gymnasts compete the level they have mastered and work the skills for the next level. We have a bonus point system so that the gymnasts can compete some of the skills from the next level in their current level. They get a small bonus to their start value but of course it is a risk too for deductions but the system is designed to ensure girls are training the next level skills. All level 4's will be working level 5 skills.

Another thing we do in Australia is offer competitions from Level 1 and up. Competing is not compulsary to move up until they are level 4, but most girls compete earlier than that. It seems to give the girls a lot of advantages competing earlier. One of the keys to success is competition experience, this sort of experience they can't gain without competing. However, we do not have an incredibly high retention rate in the higher levels. The problem with our system is that because they can compete the bonus skills many girls repeat the level year after year.

We have even bigger problems with the squat on and jump to high bar in Australia because it is a required skill for level 4, so all our level 3's are learning this skill. However it does help the transition to level 5, getting the kips is enough of a challenge on its own it's nice to have the girls have mastered the squat on for a long time already.

[Shawn]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Aussie_coach We have even bigger problems with the squat on and jump to high bar in Australia because it is a required skill for level 4, so all our level 3's are learning this skill. However it does help the transition to level 5, getting the kips is enough of a challenge on its own it's nice to have the girls have mastered the squat on for a long time already.

Georgia AAU level 4 does the squat on jump to high bar, too, as well as a cartwheel on beam and the ROBHS on floor. They also use the vault table for the first time (landing flat on a stack of mats). I've heard some say this level is a better transition to USAG level 5, probably for this same reason. That way they can focus on getting the kip when they train level 5.

[hammy]

I really wish USAG level 4 was the same as Georiga AAU level 4 because it would provide such a better transition!