WAG Question about level 4 bar routine

[twinmomma]

And for the record I don't know a single gym that doesn't want a kid to have all the skills cleanly and with good form. But use my DD as an example. She struggles with flexibility. But she's a great tumbler, solid on beam, good vaulter. She has the most beautiful straddle jump of anyone on her team. By your gym's litmus test, she should still be in preteam because she fights for the splits or doesn't always hit full 150 degrees on her legs on her back walkover. IMHO, that's how you lose good, talented kids.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Nobody said this was sandbagging. But if you require a child to "have" (and I mean cleanly have) the skills for L5 before they can even COMPETE L3, it's sandbagging. This is a progressive sport, where the skills of one level lead to later skills. So if a kid can do a clean cast to handstand, it's pretty likely their horizontal kip looks good. So again, I go back to my analogy. There's a difference between saying you can't pass algebra unless you can do algebra at a C or better level and saying you can't even GET INTO algebra until you can do trigonometry.

Did I say that wasn't sand bagging??? No. Nor did I say the above was Ok, I don't think so. Not that it matters.

Again completely having all skills 2 levels higher is different then working on higher skills

 

[meganliz77]

My DD competed level 3 thru states last year. She then competed 3 meets as a Level 4 following states. She has been up training and has her skills for 5 and likely could move into 6. Her coach has been unavailable for several weeks, but I believe she will competing 4 again until States and then score out of 5 during the second half of the season. I'm thinking because she is 8 she's not in a hurry to rush her and wants to see her have successful state meet.

I don't think this situation would be sandbagging, but I definitely saw some of it last year at states! Also saw gyms where the girls needed to complete an in house meet and score a 38 or higher before being allowed to compete outside the gym.

It really can be disheartening to watch when it happens. Luckily we aren't exposed to it very often!

 

[munchkin3]

I consider sandbagging when a gym has level 4s competing for 2 or 3 seasons, because they are missing one element for L7.....there is no need to compete in this case, and the kids should be concentrating on training and polishing L7, not re-competing 4 over and over......
I would be livid as a parent.....paying all those fees over and over.....if my kids not ready, then fine, but don't make me pay AGAIN!

 

[duyetanh]

I consider sandbagging when a gym has level 4s competing for 2 or 3 seasons, because they are missing one element for L7.....there is no need to compete in this case, and the kids should be concentrating on training and polishing L7, not re-competing 4 over and over......!

My DD competed against these girls all season (I seriously couldn't believe girls would even WANT to do level 4 more than one year, but whatever), and very rarely beat any of them in anything. She didn't care, so I didn't either. But I did think it awesome when she squeaked out a third place in one event at one of these gyms home meets...she got more applause than the winner, bahahaha...guess others were also tired of the stacking of the deck...

 

[munchkin3]

Yeah! I've been to meets and seen the same girl get first over and over.....to the point that the girl is bored, and there is no more cheering.....it's 'assumed'!
And then the second and third places get ALL the noise......my DD hasn't gotten a first place in so long! I think she would pass out if she got one this season.

 

[josie55]

I never knew about this concept until reading this post, but find it fascinating because I went to a meet this weekend where the first place team did really well. I got curious so checked past scores and saw that of their top five gymnasts (who took the top six overall spots at the meet), all have competed L4 before and did reasonably well. For one, this is her fourth year in L4 and at last year's states she got close to a 38AA. I know that everyone's got their own path/situation and I don't know the whole story, but it does seem strange. But maybe not as strange as me coming home from a meet and analyzing the scoring history of kids I don't even know...? Oh, this is a funny sport in so many ways...

 

[Deleted member 18037]

For one, this is her fourth year in L4 and at last year's states she got close to a 38AA.

Yeah that would be sand bagging

 

[needcoffee]

Maybe she doesn't have level 5 skills? DD is level 5 (probably equal to JO 4) and will most likely repeat next season. She's nowhere near getting the clear hip and flyaway, despite doing really well (IMO!) this season. I actually can't imagine a kid would be happy in the same level for that amount of time if she didn't have to be. My DD would just give up.

 

[HoldThePhone]

In our gym, if the girls have already repeated a level, 4 for instance, if they are really and truly not ready for 5, then they would go to Xcel. As a parent, I can't see wanting my kid to spend that long in any compulsory level especially.

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Not ready in 4 years???

Either it's the gymmie or the coaching. 4 years is too long, JMO.

Really the difference btween 4 and 5 is not 4 years. Again if they are competeing 4 yrs it's 5 yrs before getting to L 5, there is a problem.

I would not be paying for almost 5 yrs of level 4

 

[IreneKa]

Since the new levels were introduced only two years ago, maybe she was old 4 for two years, then new 4?

 

[Deleted member 18037]

Since the new levels were introduced only two years ago, maybe she was old 4 for two years, then new 4?

I think that would be worse. Old level 4 would mean new Level 5.

4 yrs at one level just too much unless we are talking higher then 7.

 

[needcoffee]

I actually can't imagine though a coach/club keeping a kid at the same level for FOUR years unless something significant was going on if you know what I mean? Even all the sandbagging and medals in history isn't worth that if the kid could easily move up. My DD would be bored ****less, and I can't imagine a parent that would be happy with it. What a waste of money. If it was true sandbagging, I'd be gym shopping.

 

[wandrewsjr]

I think that would be worse. Old level 4 would mean new Level 5.

4 yrs at one level just too much unless we are talking higher then 7.

Old level 4 = new level 3
So past 4 years at level 4 could essentially mean 2 years at old level 4(new 3) then 2 years at new level 4.

 

[duyetanh]

Old level 4 = new level 3
So past 4 years at level 4 could essentially mean 2 years at old level 4(new 3) then 2 years at new level 4.

Yes this is true...but it is still a bit much. Unless the particular gym does zipping uptraining, I find it odd, and would cry foul.

 

[MILgymFAM]

I actually can't imagine though a coach/club keeping a kid at the same level for FOUR years unless something significant was going on if you know what I mean? Even all the sandbagging and medals in history isn't worth that if the kid could easily move up. My DD would be bored ****less, and I can't imagine a parent that would be happy with it. What a waste of money. If it was true sandbagging, I'd be gym shopping.

We have a local gym that is known for making girls do levels over and over. DD had a school friend who was a four year L4, after being a three year L3- and that's common for them. When we did a try out my DD was told she would lucky to get out of L3 before she graduated (we obviously didn't chose this gym). They have impossibly high standards for move ups, and for some reason people put up with it. Considering the number of gyms in this general area, I just don't understand it personally.

 

[sce]

I never knew about this concept until reading this post, but find it fascinating because I went to a meet this weekend where the first place team did really well. I got curious so checked past scores and saw that of their top five gymnasts (who took the top six overall spots at the meet), all have competed L4 before and did reasonably well. For one, this is her fourth year in L4 and at last year's states she got close to a 38AA. I know that everyone's got their own path/situation and I don't know the whole story, but it does seem strange. But maybe not as strange as me coming home from a meet and analyzing the scoring history of kids I don't even know...? Oh, this is a funny sport in so many ways...

To be fair, the first of those four year was old level 4, so it's her third year at this level. Still after getting a 38, what is the point of another year?

 

[wallflower]

It's impossible to know anyone's situation. Maybe she had an injury that had her out an entire year and she could only get her skills back in time to compete the same level. I saw a girl do 3 years of old 4 after scoring 38's her 2nd year. Turns out she peeled off high bar on a tap swing and broke both arms. Suddenly her 3rd year of level 4 looks courageous.

Maybe she is deathly afraid to do certain skills, but loves gymnastics and wants to compete.

Maybe her family won't allow her to commit to the time and $$ of a higher level and so her gym won't let her move up.

Maybe she quit for a year and decided to come back at the last minute.


It's really impossible to know.

But what I do know is WHO CARES!! Only compulsory parents get huffy over who did this level already and how unfair it is to their special snowflake to have to compete with repeaters or kids that are training skills 2 levels above.

Gymnastics is not about placement, levels, medals or who you compete against.

 

[josie55]

Those are good points, and I certainly didn't mean to start a stream of attacks of this child/gym because as mentioned, everyone has their own situation and we don't know what's going on with others. It's kind of interesting/curious, but it doesn't matter. And regardless, if a kid is a good gymnast and did well at a meet, regardless of whether they repeated or whatever, that's great! Congrats!

At these lower levels (and maybe into the higher levels; I wouldn't know) there are so many random factors that go into how the kids place -- the competing gyms, the age groupings, which session, which region, etc. etc. that it's never going to be "fair" (not even sure how "fair" would be defined here) so I guess that whether a kid repeats a level or skips a level, it's sort of irrelevant.

Maybe it's due to the pomp and circumstance around the medals and podiums and such that makes us naturally curious how it all works.