Question for All? Why doesn't being a good compulsory mean you will be a good optional?

[Claire]

I have heard people say that being a good compulsory gymnast does not neccesarily mean that you will be a good optional gymnast. Can someone please explain why that is? Thank you!

[GymCatGirl]

I could definitely back this up. I was a decent to okay level 4 to 6, but I'd definitely say that I'm better at level 7. Here is what I'd say my reasons are:

~Sometimes it's not good to have too much power from levels 4 through 6, especially in level 4. I've personally had problems with a round-off back handspring because of having no control in my rebound. But in levels 7 and up, then it is very good to have power in all events.

~In the optional levels, you can choose skills that you KNOW you are good at. For instance, I am good at round offs on the beam, but not back handspring step outs, so I chose a round off instead.

However, there is also quite a bit of evidence supporting that good compulsory gymnasts become good optional gymnasts too.

~ Good basics lead to good advanced skills.

So all in all, I'd say that it is not uncommon at all for not very good compulsory gymnasts to become great optional gymnasts.

-GCG

[ZJsMom]

Certainly good compulsories will often become good optionals, but it's just not always the case. People learn and progress at different rates. Sometimes, girls peak early and don't progress as fast once they reach optional levels. Often too, kids who are really gifted will coast through compulsories and can't deal with things not coming as easily at the optional level. I think the mind set for optionals is different and there are personalities that do well in compulsories that will not continue through optionals. The compulsory levels are all about being very precise and following the compulsory routines exactly. At the optional level this changes a bit. Being able to work on skills that take longer and are more scary becomes more important, so being patient and able to manage fears is an important aspect of being a good optional.

Gymcat made some other good points. being able to chose your skills helps some a lot. In compulsories, you always have to do a back extention roll on floor and some girls take quite a few deductions on it. In optionals you generally don't have to do skills that you can't make look good.

[bookworm]

I think the biggest reason a good compulsory doesn't always translate into a good optional is because the skills are more difficult ...for example, in our old gym, we had a girl who was a great 4-6, won everything..but when she got to Level 7 , could never get her giant so she was done (at being at the level of success she had previously enjoyed) so she quit. Some kids are great with the lines of compulsory but just can't get the more difficult skills for the upper levels...for example, a backwalkover on beam seems easier than handspring-handspring...

[tumblebug921]

you can also be a good compulsory but not do too hot in optionals because of some reasons i have seen:
- in compulsories you are limited to what you can do. in level 4, i believe, you cannot do a vertical handstand on beam because you will get a deduction. i have not figured out why this is yet.. but it sure slowed me down in getting a good handstand
- sometimes the routines gymnasts make up themselves are just flat out terrible. i've seen a few optional and prep optional routines made up by a coach even, and the routines were just moves.. not even to the music. it makes them look like they have no sense of rhythm

but... on the other hand, i've seen girls do really good because they ended up loving having their own routines and new music, so it goes both ways after level 6

[NotAMom]

Very simple. "Answer why aren't all good grade-school student destined to be top graduating seniors in high school bound for Ivy League colleges"? Throughout a gymnast's journey, the requirements change and so do the demands on the individual. One's personal life, physiques, mental maturity, and attitude and interest towards the sport (or in life in general) can change as well.

Like with lower education, compulsory prepares you to get to the optionals. With that, a good but level headed compulsory will stand a much better chance. IMHO, for most kids, it's the attitude that turns a good compulsory into a good optional. Compulsories (and their parents) who have their head in the sand thinking they are above all other gymnasts just because they get say all high 9s and placing top 3 at L4/5 are more likely to become disappointed and will eventually lose their motivation to progress or drop out altogether.

[NotAMom]

Quote:
Originally Posted by GymCatGirl ~In the optional levels, you can choose skills that you KNOW you are good at. For instance, I am good at round offs on the beam, but not back handspring step outs, so I chose a round off instead.

I hope you know that you have to overcome that at some point, right? So, the same argument can also apply towards the progression between L7 and beyond. So, I go back my reasoning of saying difficulty in skills has little to do with one's level of performance through her progression.

Quote:
Originally Posted by tumblebug921 in level 4, i believe, you cannot do a vertical handstand on beam because you will get a deduction.

Not to go off track... I don't think that is a true statement. As far as I know, L4s who don't do vertical handstands because either she can't or she wouldn't.

[Obeg]

Wonder if it could also be because the self discipline factor steps up another notch come Optionals? In comps - you and your entire team are all working on the same stuff basically. Training the same skill, practicing the same moves at the same time with more focused attention from the coaches.

However - once you move to optionals - everyone sorta goes their own ways working on their own strengths. The coaches may not pay as close attention to you since you may be working on something totally different than the rest of the girls on your team. So it takes digging down deeper to work more for and by yourself. Not to mention there is not as much comparing apples to apples anymore. You can no longer judge your own progress by comparing where you are on a skill with a peer.

[coachmolly]

Increased hours, skill level, dedication needed, skills getting harder all of that type of things definitely plays a part. Level 7 is when you start getting into the skills that give many gymnasts a ton of trouble- giants, bhs on beam. So girls who are used to having everything come easily can get really discouraged. Those who are accustomed to working harder for their skills have a little bit of an advantage in that respect. Also, girls who really struggled in compulsories now have a chance to emphasis their own talents. While there are certainly limitations and you really can't get past a certain level without some essential skills, there is a little more flexibility. A gymnast who really struggled with the dance elements in the compulsory levels and really got tenthed to death in that department can compose routines with less intricate dance steps/poses. So sometimes you see pretty average compulsory athletes surpass their better placing teammates once they reach the optional levels.
Clean basics, which are usually what score well at compulsory levels, are certainly needed to excel at the optional level so awesome compulsories have an advantage in that department. But other factors also really make a difference.

[gymgymgymnast08]

I struggled a lot as a compulsory. Level 4 I was one of the worst kids on the team and by level 5 I started getting a little better but was still not very good. I started at a gym that did not work on basics, as a level 9 I have to really concentrate things that should be second nature by now like, keeping my legs together and my arms straight. I think because I learned how to lose and how to work hard when I was little, it has helped me to be a better optional. So far I have won all of my level 9 meets.