How long on average before moving up?

[littlekateskate]

Now of course my dd has just started. But what does it take on average at the very beginning. Is it like a year at each level? Two years?

Just hypothetically at 5 would you think a beginner would take two years to make preteams? Which you guys consider I think L-1 L-2 right?

[flippymonkeysmom]

This is a tough one to answer since it varies from gym to gym and gymnast to gymnast. My dd didn't start until she was about 5 1/2 at a rec gym with no team. We started at a real gym when she was 6 and they put her in an intermediate class (L2). She was there for a year and them moved to pre-team (L3). After a year of preteam she competed L4 at 8. Since then she has moved up a level each year. Now she is an 11 year old level 7. I've noticed the girls who start team earlier do end up doing more than one year at a level - with exceptions of course. Until you see how she is doing, how much she still enjoys it as time goes on, what coaches at the gym are looking for - you really won't be able to know where she will be or when.

[littlekateskate]

That was really what I wanted to know. Just a general idea. Obviously some kids move much faster and some alot slower! Thanks!

[kristilyn73]

My DD moved through the first few levels really quickly like every few months. Then she got stuck in a level for almost 2 years. After that she has been pretty consistent with a level a year..

Good luck!

[Livinatthegym]

Rec levels--it's hard to tell. Kids who take the summers off, for instance, might progress more slowly. Little children progress more slowly OR will have more rec levels to progress through. Older girls at our gym have 3 rec levels under pre-team. Little girls, those starting in preschool or K, have 5. Gym philosophy plays a role as well. The gym we're at prefers girls be older when or if they start team, so I wouldn't expect a new 5 year old in the rec program to make pre-team in two years. It would probably take 3.

Once a girl makes team (usually between the ages of 8 and 10), she will probably move up a level each year, although many gymnasts who make it to optionals do find they have to repeat a level at some point in their career. At our gym, we see repeats for skill at lvls 6 and 8. We've also had girls repeat rather than have a one person team at a particular level.

[mom2kazkids]

DD started at one gym at age 3 1/2. She then made there "elite" group (bottom of team pathway) at the start of kindergarten. A year later we changed gyms to where she competed level 3, she is now training level 4 (age 7) with the intent to compete in Jan '09, and also up training so that she can compete level 5 in Sept '09.

Our gym uses the idea to up train so that they hopefully only compete one season at a level.

Hope this helps.

Barb

[Aussie_coach]

As you have seen that is an extremly difficult question to answer it has a huge variation from girl to girl. The best way to know can be to ask parents from your own gym as it varies so much from gym to gym.

Some girls will move through the lower levels very, very quickly and perhaps cover evels 1-3 in just a year. This is more common if the girls start a little later, have a background in dance or a similar activitiy or have a natural talent towards the sport. Other girls move up very slowly and may take many years to make team. But in many cases the speed at which they move through lower levels does not have any baring on the speed they move through the higher levels. many girls move through slowly at the start and then progress rapidly when they get older and vice versa. A child can look incredibly talented at 5 and have not progressed much at all by 8 or 9. Or a child can barley walk straight at 5 and be amazing by 8 or 9.

On average kids move up the higher levels at a rate of 1 level per year but again this varies. Most will get stuck at at least 1 level fir more than a year and often will find another level they prgress through faster.

It will also depend a lot on the philosophy of your gym. Some gyms beleive in keeping them down until they have mastered all the skills and are performing brillianlty at each level and taking home many medals in order to ensure success at competition. Other gyms move kids up when they can barely do the skills for the next level and most gyms are somewhere in between.

[hunde2]

My DD went through a rec opt program and did not start competing until level 7.Well she competed 1 Level 5 meet and 1 Level 6 Meet.She has done 1 year of Level 7 and 1 year of Level 8 and is training for Level 9.

[Megley]

I think it's highly dependent on the girl and on the program. Some gyms will require more preteam time than others. Some girls will progress faster than others. My DD started gym at age 4, was in preteam by age 4.5 and started training Level 4 at 5.5 so it can happen very quickly if your gym is inclined and your daughter has some ability.

Meg

[Shawn]

That's true. Kids can go very quickly or seemingly slowly. Keep in mind, though, that what might seem slow probably isn't. This is a long-term sport. Things don't happen overnight.

That said, my DD, so far, is moving quickly. She started in a kindergym program when she was 4, moved to level 1 rec when she was 5. Six months later she moved to a level 2 team and now at 6, she's skipped level 3 and is training level 4.

Things can also depend on when your gym competes. Ours does AAU for levels 2 - 4, which means they compete in the spring. However, levels 5 and 6 are USAG and compete in the fall. Then level 7 is in the spring again, I think. This means that girls can possibly compete two levels, 4/5 and 6/7 in one calendar year, if they're ready.