WAG What is your gym's "rule" on advancing to Level 6/Optionals?

[proud-gym-mom]

So I've been observing that there are many different approaches by various gyms as to moving their girls through compulsory and on to optionals. Some gyms seem to favor skipping Level 5, some Level 6.

At our gym the HC (from what I've observed/heard) wants the girls to have a layout on floor, BHS on beam, cast to handstand plus be solid on all L5 skills in order to move on to L6. Some of them are invited to score out of L5 and some go after a year at L5. Last year they started "try outs" for L6 which seemed odd to me as all our girls sort of have to "try out" for each level, maybe they were expecting transfers? Does any other gym do an Optionals try out? To move up you also need a 35.5 in at least two meets the previous season.

I guess the other thing I'm wondering as well is how much does your gym have movement rules (beyond USAG) and stick to them vs. the coach making decisions for each girl individually which may mean two different decisions for two girls who have similar "stats".

 

[flippinam]

My gym has very flexible & subjective rules when it comes to moving up. But we are a fairly new team (this is our 5th year) & not completely "established" yet. Virtually our entire level 5 team from last year moved to 6 this year. A few have BHS on beam but most do not. All have FHS-FT on floor & one has a layout. Scores aren't considered, which I don't really agree with completely. It really depends on the individual gymnast's situation here. For example, I will be the first/only level 7 this year. There is another gymnast who is just as, if not more, ready than me skill-wise. However, the reason they are allowing me to move up is work ethic & the fact that I will be graduating soon. My goal when I started competing was to make it to level 8 & I have just enough time left in HS to do that if I do 7 this year & 8 the next.

 

[Vivianflips]

At my gym, very few people skip level 6. I guess the HC wants a strong optionals team!

 

[kayjaybe]

Our gym is not competing L6. Our HC explained that the requirements (especially with casts on bars) are actually lower than L5. They felt it would be detrimental to our gymnasts' progress to compete that level and possibly getting higher scores in L6 vs L5 for a less difficult routine.

To move to L7, we must have BHS-BLO on floor, BWO-BHS on beam or handstand-stepdown-BHS on beam, and giants on bars. We do not need to have a cast-handstand (which is a bit odd as that seems to be a required L7 skill whereas the giant is not).

Anyway, they've found that this is what works for the gymnasts to ultimately set them up to be successful in subsequent levels.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

We're a really small gym and HC is fast tracking them into optionals via Xcel Gold. DD has BHS on beam and is pretty close to a layout on floor. She is pretty good at Giants on strapbar, but I don't see her competing then anytime soon! I know they plan on scoring them out and starting optionls in the fall, but I'm not sure if 6 or 7. I assume 6 since her form still needs a lot of work on her newer skills. Good luck! I'll let you know if I get more details.

 

[gymnast-mac]

My gym is still establishing rules with the level changes, but this year, the level 5s were moved up to level 6 depending somewhat on scores, but mostly on the skills they had or needed still, and if the coach(es) thought that they had the right work ethic in order to achieve those skills in time, and continue to grow. If by December any of the level 6s had ALL level 7 skills without a spot (layout, tuck and FHS-FT on floor; connected bar routine, no giants needed; BHS on beam) they could score out of level 6 at our first meet and compete level 7 the rest of the season.

 

[raenndrops]

So... this is the first year we have had L5s, so moving to L6 is "easy" ... if you were on the Middle School team and you score at least a 31.0 2x in the season, you MAY move up during the season. If you were NOT on the Middle school team, scoring a 31.0 2x in the season, you can move up the NEXT season.

The reason Middle Schoolers can move up is that they already have Optional Routines (Platinum rules with High School bonus) that work well for Level 6.

We have ONE girl so far that has "qualified" to move up, but she has chosen NOT to move up - she is a timid gymnast (2 years per level to this point even though she was ready to move up after one year).

 

[gwenmom]

HC hates five so if he can get them scored out and moved into 6 he will

 

[tuckfull]

Our gym competes Level 6, so our entire Level 5 team from last year moved up this season. A few of the girls will likely move to Level 7 mid-season; they have most of the skills already. Our HC views Level 6 as a good way to "practice" optionals while preparing for Level 7. True, the required skills aren't any tougher than Level 5, but our HC wants a BHS and BWOBWO series on beam, connected bar routine with high casts and 2-3 tumbling passes including a FHS-FT on floor for Level 6. Not much attention is given to scores at our gym; gymnasts just need the required mobility scores per USAG, plus a strong work ethic and positive attitude. A few of our Level 6 gymnasts (my DD included) would probably have benefitted from another season of compulsories at Level 5, but a few were burning out with the repetitiveness and moving to optionals has lit a new fire in them. They are having fun in the gym again and making huge gains in progress!

 

[wgymmom]

I have no freaking clue and my DD just finished a full season at 5. And they decided that the girls would do a full season at 5 about 2 weeks before the first meet.

 

[GymnastMomX2]

Our gym back in NY scored all the girls out of 5 this summer so they could compete 6 now. The current gym here in TX did not compete 6 last year but decided (luckily for us!) that there were a few girls not quite ready for 7, so they are competing 6 instead, all of them competed a full level 5 season as far as I know, most girls here go right from 5 to 7.

 

[profmom]

DD's gym does L5 and skips L6. To go from L5 to L7, a girl must have all the special requirements on floor and beam plus giants.

 

[Moxiegrl83]

DD's gym does L5 and skips L6. To go from L5 to L7, a girl must have all the special requirements on floor and beam plus giants.

We do the same thing.

 

[Clover]

Our gym level 6 requirements are similar to yours and certainly a step up from Level 5 requirements.

 

[chalkbowl]

We require our level 6s to have a backward series on beam (BWO + BWO), a progressive backwards dismount (most cartwheel back tuck, but we do have some RO + Back tuck as well), a back layout on floor, and a front handspring + front tuck on floor.

Our level 7s are required to have a BHS on beam (either in a series or isolated) & giants on bars.

We do have some athletes that skip 6 as they meet all of our level 7 requirements after finishing level 5. However, we have many athletes that get stuck with the BHS on beam and/or giants on bars and those athletes end up competing level 6.

 

[LizzieLac]

Our 6s and 7s train to have the same skills. BHS on beam, preferably in a series, a CW-BT dismount. FHS-FT and LO on floor, giants on bars and a "reasonable" CHS.

Then, as we approach competition season, he looks at where they might lacking/struggling, etc. For example, if the giant just isn't quite there yet or you can one but not 2, you will start competing at 6 with possibility of move to 7 mid-season.

Same with beam, if no BWO-BHS, then you would probably do 6 and they will figure out something that is challenging but can be done successfully. So, it seems like level 6 is becoming the "backup" plan if what he requires for 7 is not all there, but he is still pretty demanding with 6. It isn't like a good level 5 season gets you passed "Go" and into 6 automatically.

 

[aerials]

DD's gym does L5 and skips L6. To go from L5 to L7, a girl must have all the special requirements on floor and beam plus giants.

We do the same thing

 

[BarCoach]

Are most girls going from 5 to 7 or doing a full season of 5 and 6 and 7? My girls are doing 5 this year and I was hoping that some of them would do 7 but as of right now it seems like most of them will have to do 6. But it seems like most of gyms can go 5 to 7. Don't know why we seem to be behind.

 

[mariposa]

We had a lot of level 6s last year, almost the same number at level 6 state as there were level 7s. Some gyms did what I consider the expected L6 routines (as in should be same as L5 skills or not what typical standard L7 routines are seen), but many were doing stuff my L7 was doing (BWO BWO, BHS on beam, giants on bars, layout and FHS FT on floor). I'm wondering this year if will be different.

Our gym has level 5s this year that will be optionals next year (2016) and it will be interesting to see what they decide to do with them and what (if any) will be our gyms path to optionals.

 

[thefellowsmom]

Our gym seems to do a little bit of everything. We have fives, sixes and sevens. I'm really not sure what the difference between five and six is as far as requirements from our gym. I think their preference would be for the girls to do six and not five, but not all the girls set to do five/six scored out of five to prepare for six so there must be something they are looking for. These girls aren't in my daughter's group and get out earlier so I don't see much of what might differentiate them from one another.

My dd did six last year and I will say that the bar requirements killed some girls. On paper it may seem that the requirements are even less than five, but they still have all the cast, angle and rhythm requirements of optional routines. So, yes, you can meet the SR with maybe a lower requirement than five (not super familiar with level 5 requirements as she never did that level) but you will get severely penalized for low casts and angles as everything short of vertical is a deduction that gets bigger and bigger the lower you are. There is also the flyaway and rhythm things. You can't stop or take an extra swing or cast. You must flyaway out of a cast or skill instead of tap swings and you can't pause after a kip. It seemed like the optional deductions for this kind of thing were much larger and compounded with multiple types of deductions such as rhythm, extra this or that, amplitude etc.

Also, on floor and beam I felt they were very tough on performance and amplitude. They expected an optional level routine with big high tumbling and jumps/leaps and expressive dance. The transition and self expression was hard for some of the girls that had worked so hard to be the perfect little compulsory robots You can also lose start value if those split jumps and leaps don't make it to the required angle or turns don't get all the way around so not just execution deductions on those as in compulsory.

But, there also isn't all that nitpicking about where your hands are and what way your head is facings, so it is probably a better fit for many, especially if perfecting the compulsory routines was difficult for them.

So, I still think that 6 is a step up from 5, although a small one and I would think doing both would probably only be necessary if they are having a hard time reaching the level 7 requirements, which at our gym is giants (two connected into the routine and a layout flyaway) and a good beam connection as well as the standard layout and front pass on floor. We have a few that are having a bit of a time getting to the level seven requirements so will compete six until they get there, but I expect that their preferred plan would be to have a gymnast compete either five or six, not both, on the way to seven depending on where they are on bars. Just guessing though.