WAG level 5 vs level 6

[LJL07]

What is the advantage (if there is one) of doing level 5 vs scoring out of 5 and going to level 6? The majority of gyms near us seem to skip from level 4 to 6, but there is one gym competing level 5 and then skipping up to 7. Are the skills for levels 5&6 the same? Just curious.

 

[gymbeam]

i'm also interested in hearing more perspectives on this. from what i've read here, it does seem the skills are essentially the same (with a few exceptions such as cast angle, i believe?) my daughter is shooting for 7 in january, but 6 is a possibility for her if she doesn't make it.

 

[lovemygymnast]

The one competing 5 & skipping to 7 is the norm here. Level 6 is an optional in that you don't have to score out of it to compete 7. So, if you compete 4, you would still have to learn routines & skills for 5 and score out of it then you could proceed to 7. So, the gym that skips from 4 to 6, still has to compete 5 to score out (from my understanding). They may do a score out meet at their gym and the score is minimal, j believe a 31 or 32? Our gym competes all levels but has had a gymnast score out of a level here or there to move up.

 

[lovemygymnast]

And I think competing 5 is important to perfect the free hip & fly away on bars. My dd is a 4, has her free hip and all other skills except the flyaway for 5, but I'm sure she'll get that soon. So, imho it's better to compete 5 & go to 7, than score out & go to 6. Just my opinion though!!

 

[LJL07]

^yes, the gyms are doing a "score out" in house meet for level 5 and then they start level 6.

 

[aerials]

Most of the gyms here are competing 5 and moving on to 7. I've been told that they like the scrutiny that level 5 has and that it better prepares the girls for level 7.

 

[Ali'sMom]

Most of the gyms in my area don't compete level 5. We have been at meets with only 5 girls in L5. So we are doing a score-out for 5 this weekend (for some of the current level 4 girls), and then 6 next year.
If our area competed more L5, we'd probably compete 5, then most likely work to skip 6 and go to 7.

Also, for our girls to score out of 5 (i.e. pretty much skip a season of 5), it gives them the excitement that next year they get to have their own music, routines, and wear the optionals' leo

 

[SurpriseGymMom]

I can see advantages to both. Our gym competes 5, then goes to 7 while the rival gym (and many others in the area) score out of 5 and competes 6 instead. Our gym believes 5 is a fundamental, important level that prepares the gymnasts better for higher level optionals. I appreciate that our gym has carefully considered it and went for what they believe is best for our gymnasts future success.
I can also see where offering L6 to girls who aren't quite ready for L7 would be really beneficial to keep the kids feeling like they are progressing (even if they actually are NOT, considering you can do lesser skills for L6 than for L5...). It would be a better fit for some kids who struggle with one or two events but are ahead in others (my own child!).

 

[Deleted member 14190]

What is the advantage (if there is one) of doing level 5 vs scoring out of 5 and going to level 6? The majority of gyms near us seem to skip from level 4 to 6, but there is one gym competing level 5 and then skipping up to 7. Are the skills for levels 5&6 the same? Just curious.

Same level, except you can cast into a flyaway.... Just depends on what the gym wants to do and I wouldn't look to hard into it, unless your child has all her L7 skills and they put her in 6. In that case as a parent I would have a problem. Level 6 is not a required step by USAG, meaning it really was supposed to be for kids who cannot make 7,,,,, but now I see kids doing full level 7 routines in 6 which I think they (USAG) should put a limit on... Giants should not be allowed in 6, period...

 

[kris]

Giants should not be allowed in 6, period...

FWIW, DD's gym had a girl who competed giants in level 6. She was a great bar worker, but had a backwards tumbling fear and needed more time to learn the layout on the floor required for level 7.

 

[tuckfull]

At DD's gym the girls compete full seasons at each level, no score out meets. There are exceptions of course, but they are a rare case. HC has certain requirements he wants competed at Level 6, that are harder than what our Level 5s compete (cast flyaway on bars, BHS on beam) but again, there are exceptions. From a parent POV, I love Level 6 because the gymnasts are able to show off their strengths and get comfortable with the shift to optionals before competing Level 7. It also seemed to re-kindle the passion for gymnastics in a few of the girls who seemed bored or discouraged with compulsories.

 

[gymmutti]

Another fan of L6. I know L6 "can" be less difficult than L5, but around here, I don't see that. The girls in L6 are often casting into the flyaway, hitting handstand or close on bars and doing more difficult tumbling on floor. It is a great level for girls struggling with a fear on 1 or 2 events. I love going to meets where the floor music is different.
Gyms around here used to have girls move from old L5 to L7. Now many gyms are moving from L4-L6 and the L7s in the state as a whole looked really strong this year at States. I still think L6 and L5 are being tried out by gyms to see which is a better fit. It will probably take a couple more years to get a better picture on how the majority of gyms will use each. If only the L5 music didn't sound like a B movie funhouse horror soundtrack, more gyms around here may have gone that route.

 

[gracyomalley]

Dd old gym did 5 to 7. New gym does 5 then 6 or 7 based upon having full start values at 7. Also required Giants for 7. Most girls do 5 then 6 then 7 and are stronger 7s than at her old gym (those who transferred over have struggled). I like the option of 6. Dd would've thrived there And although she was a top 10 year old level 7 it would've given her a nicer progression toward upper optionals. I personally think they should be strong 5s first before euthet levels for details/form. Just mho

 

[duyetanh]

Our gym does the score out of 5, then onto 6.

 

[lovegymnastics22]

In our state, the overall winning team scores for LVL 7 were about 2 points higher than LVL6. A ton of lvl7 looked to have 38+ AAs where Lvl6 had much fewer. (also, in the top 5 placing teams for each level, I don't think any gym had both a LVL6 and a Lvl7 team.) Any thoughts on why it seems like the lvl 7 scores were much higher? Is it common in other states? and does that determine why gyms do 6 or 7?

 

[Sneezyone]

Our gym competes level 5 and 6 or 7 since compulsories are in the fall and optionals are in the spring. All of our 5s spend the 8 month offseason trying to get as many big skills as they can: BHS on beam, toe circle, clear hip, giant, cast to handstand, layout flyaway, FT, BT, and layout on floor. The coaches tell them they have to have them all but if they don't it's no biggy.

Only girls capable of scoring at the top in level 7 (37/38+) get to skip 6, even if they have all of their level 7 skills. Last year, that was two of about seven girls who were absolutely shredding the competition. DD has all her skills for 7 but they need to be spit-polished and connected to earn high 9s. She will compete 5 in the fall and probably L6 in the spring. It's the right move.

She's FINALLY learning to stay straight and tight, point her toes, stretch out her jumps/leaps. If she competed 7 she'd only get high 8s, low 9s. That's not enough to be top 3 in an in-house meet, let alone state-wide.

 

[Mrs. Puma]

If only the L5 music didn't sound like a B movie funhouse horror soundtrack

Literally LOLing....

 

[Mrs. Puma]

It will be interesting to see how our gym handles the transition to optionals. This is the first year the have used Xcel instead of compulsories. I would assume the Golds that score out of 4/5 will do 6 in the fall (in NY the season is basically the school year). In my untrained opinion, I only think one girl is MAYBE ready for 7. Puma Jr is definitely not. From what I've learned here, it seems like 6 is a splendid option. We'll see!

 

[Ali'sMom]

It will be interesting to see how our gym handles the transition to optionals. This is the first year the have used Xcel instead of compulsories. I would assume the Golds that score out of 4/5 will do 6 in the fall (in NY the season is basically the school year). In my untrained opinion, I only think one girl is MAYBE ready for 7. Puma Jr is definitely not. From what I've learned here, it seems like 6 is a splendid option. We'll see!

We are looking very forward to 6
There's no way DD can get giants by fall, so L7 is out for her. But at 12 1/2, she's so thrilled to be able to move into her own music next year!

 

[Mrs. Puma]

We are looking very forward to 6
There's no way DD can get giants by fall, so L7 is out for her. But at 12 1/2, she's so thrilled to be able to move into her own music next year!

I don't believe my DDs Giants would be ready for the fall either(though I'm very proud of her progress! Such a terrifying skill to watch them learn...) but she has a lot of form stuff to work on this summer anyway.