New GymMom

laurameer · 03-30-2007, 01:32 AM

Hi everyone, I'm a new (6mos) gym mom in Southern CA and wondering were to find the requirements for levels 3-4 and on. My daughter is 5 (6 in June) and is in some kind of pre-team program. Our gym starts competing at level 4, there are 2 pre-team classes depending on skills. Is there a set USAGA skill requirements for the competitive levels? Can I get ahold of it online?? Just kind of curious and don't want to seem like the pushy mom at the gym. It's all new to me, I couldn't do a cartwheel if my life depended on it! But my daughter is loving this and doing very well going 2 hrs/wk. Any help would be much appreciated.

littlegymchampsmom · 03-30-2007, 08:15 AM

welcome laurameer,

I am mom to 3 beautiful/wonderful children. My 12 & 14 yr old boys take rec T&T and my 5 yr old (6 in sep) is also on a pre-team. hopefully the link below will take you to what you are looking for

... you can also view many level 3/4 routines (and higher levels) on you tube to get an idea of what is expected. My dd loves watching them

lgcm

http://usagym.sportgraphics.biz/inde...106&param_1=11

laurameer · 03-30-2007, 11:19 AM

Thanks! That looks like something she'd love. She's watching competitions that we tivo all the time. We now have a line of tape running across our living room floor so she can practice beam. Last week she asked me to buy her a set of bars for the house! (Ha!!) Looks like I'm headed down an exciting road.

do you know of any printable lists of the skills for the levels? or are they different at this stage depending on the gym?

littlegymchampsmom · 03-30-2007, 11:40 AM

I am originally from southern cal - San Diego - and I miss it!!! now in the IN, quite a difference.

I think they require you to purchase the list from USAG... or perhaps your gym has a copy that they will let you see or copy. but a few of the skills, i hope I have the correct names... for lvl 4 bars would be bck hp pullover, bck & frnt hp circle, shoot through, frnt mill cir, beam - various leaps, turns, arabesque, hnd stnd. Floor - hnstnd fwd roll, hnd stnd bridge kickover, various kicks, leaps, RO bhs

not sure for level 3...

hope this helps

Megley · 03-30-2007, 12:05 PM

I bought the DVD and I think it is a good investment if you think you are going to be in the sport for awhile because it covers everything from Level 1 to Level 6. The DVD is only $30 and it shows you all the routines in regular time and in slow motion and it lists all of the skills and gives you progressions toward the next set of skills. I also have a 5 year old (turns 6 in October) who will be competing Level 4 next year. The skills are not different depending on the gym - all the girls compete the same routines in USAG compulsories. LGCM gave you a good list of the skills. I know the bar routine by heart but there are lot of dance steps involved in the floor and it's hard to recall all of them. This is duplicative of LGCM, but here's what I can recall for Level 4:

Bars: Start with glide swing to stand; pullover; front hip circle; cast to shoot through; switch hands to undergrip and perform mill (or stride) circle; switch hands back to over grip and move leg back over bar; back hip circle, with slight pause then begin back hip circle motion again but dismount via undershoot.

Vault: Handstand to flatback vault on stacked mats.

Beam: The major skills are a handstand and the side handstand quarter twist dismount. There is also a snap half turn, a couple of pivot turns, a leap, an arabesque and scale, straight jump and tuck jump, with various other moves like leg swings, fish pose, etc.

Floor: As LGCM mentioned, the major skills are handstand to forward roll, handstand to bridge then kickover, roundoff back handspring, and backward roll with straight arms. There is also a split, leaps and jumps, a half turn, and various other dance steps.

I hope this helps and I really do recommend buying the DVD. It sounds like your daughter is hooked!

Meg

littlegymchampsmom · 03-30-2007, 12:14 PM

Meg, def a more complete listing from you...

I think I may buy the DVD... I had not really thought of it before or even checked it out too much, even though I knew they had it... I saw they selll the delightful music as well

I wonder why they teach the mill (glide) circle and then don't use it for level 5 or 6... my dd has only tried it once in a rec class, but her current coaches have never shown the girls.

laurameer · 03-30-2007, 12:53 PM

Wow! You guys are great! Ok, so I'm not sure what some of that is, but I will know soon enough. Thanks for all the help. I tried to buy the dvd, but I get this wierd msg:

Database.RunSPReturnLastParam(spGetIsMemberOtherSE L, ...) -> ADODB.Commanderror '800a0d5d'

Application uses a value of the wrong type for the current operation. /index.asp, line 1817

Any ideas what that's about?

LGCM - I grew up in Indpls, then lived in SD from 89 - 2000. Looks like we switched places. The weather is definitely better here, but we pay for it as you know. Where are you in IN?

gym law mom · 03-30-2007, 04:50 PM

To our new Level 4 moms. Just keep in mind all these skils whether they are floor, beam etc. are done in a specificed order in a routine with the goal of it looking like it flows together. That means your young one may have to work up to some of these skills---most don't just jump up on the beam and do a handstand the 1st time. Then its get the skill and perfect it and then put it in the routine. Every kid is different and while one may blow through the bar stuff and struggle with the vault, another girl will be the exact opposite.

I have no idea who created or thinks that Level 4 bar routine has alot of value. The shoot through and mill circle(or whatever its called) is never done again and I know it can drive some kids crazy to learn. Once your little ones get started on the Level 4 routine, go watch the Level 5 bars----big difference.

From my rather limited experience, if I can say practice 1 skill it would be handstand. It will pay off big time as they learn these skills!

littlegymchampsmom · 03-30-2007, 05:52 PM

Great point GLM... even if a child can physically do the skill, it can take forever to retrain if the child has learned it incorrectly... I also agree 100% w/the handstand... it is probably the basis for eveything in gymnastics.

I don't get the whole mill circle thing either.... we don't compete level 4 so the coaches don't teach it, but I wonder what it is supposed to be leading up to, anything? a squat on seems easier to learn, anyway, I remember as a kid I used to do those (mill cir) on the bars at school and at the playground lol...

laurameer - I live in NW IN now, its okay... the area is really building up, but it is hard not to miss the Ocean... wow, how funny... do you miss Indy? or happy to be situated in Cali?

medic3188 · 03-31-2007, 09:09 AM

Laurameer-
We also have a big line across our livingroom floor. This December My DD who is 6 and also on preteam , got a real beam. She now wants bars because she is struggling with pullovers. She can do the other skills on bars but cannot master the pullover. Last week she was told that she wont move up without it.