MAG move up scores or criteria

[themonkeysmom]

What criteria or score does your gym require for boys to move to the next level?

Our gym is moving from evaluating each boy's skills and situation independently to a hardline score, so I'm wondering how other gyms handle this.

 

[sce]

We have a small boys team. Moving up has a lot to do with ability and less with score. Now that we are in off season the boys are only loosely considered at certain levels. Their levels will be decided this summer based on where they are in training.

I'm curious what those score cut-offs are in your gym?

 

[profmom]

As far as I know, DS's program has never based moving up on a score. Different coaches have had different views about whether it should be based on having base routines solidly in hand versus having some rough number of bonuses (or particular bonuses) for compulsories. In general, the program has been pretty unified by trying to keep boys competing in prime age groups once they become optionals, even if the boys aren't 100% there with all the requirements on every event. The program director will train everyone over the summer and make decisions in the fall based on what they look like then.

 

[skschlag]

Our gym is similar to profmom. Boys are moved up based on individual decisions for each boy. And the boy has some "say" in it, in that the coach will talk to him. I have heard from ds that the coach will have some guidelines, but they all sound skill based rather than score based. I think he will have some gateway skills for each level. (think kip for 5, giants for 7, etc). And decisions are not made utnil October. So, D is training 9 right now but if for some reason he gets lazy and doesn't get there, he will compete 8.

 

[profmom]

How does your gym manage optionals, Skschlag? Our coach pretty much moves guys up to keep them "in age," so sometimes we have a guy competing who's missing an up-to-level dismount or doesn't have all of the required group elements. Right now it's not a big deal, as we don't have a lot of optionals, but over the next two years, we could have as many as nine boys entering L8 and moving from L8 to L9 if you just look at age. (Wow, is our head coach going to have a busy summer!! Five new optionals, hopefully, and three current optional guys changing levels!)

 

[skschlag]

Well, we are still learning how our coach does optionals. So I am not 100% sure. I know he did not like having boys at the bottom of the pack so I am not sure if he will keep the "in-age" thing going or not. We have 8 optionals...this past year 3 were 9s, 4 were 8s and 1 was a 7. the 7 is moving to 8 for sure. There is one 8 that has to stay 8. There are 2 8s that I am not sure. They are old enough to go to 9, bu tdo not have all the skills for 8. And there is one 9 that could be a 10, but I think he is staying 9. There there is D. I think he will move to 9, but I am not 100% sure.

 

[Deleted member D3987]

What criteria or score does your gym require for boys to move to the next level?

Our gym is moving from evaluating each boy's skills and situation independently to a hardline score, so I'm wondering how other gyms handle this.

it's a coach's decision. it's different all over the country. and it depends on where the kids are in their development.

 

[gracyomalley]

Definitely NOT moving kids up to "stay in age" around here! However, the older boys (12+) are given a little leeway versus the youngers who really need all the bonuses and to have been successful at regionals to move up. We'll have 3 optionals...all 15-16 by comp. season, probably 2 8s and a 10....one 10 year old may move to Level 7, and a 12 year old may do another year of 6 than skip to 8...we shall see. Nice group of 8-11 year olds will be staying L5 and L6...

but new coach has much more experience and if it works out that he and the wonderful but inexperienced young guy who saved the day for the boys a year ago can form a good team - then things may change....I know DS 14 did his double back on floor to mats yesterday - a year after finishing L5....

 

[ZJsMom]

My DS has been at two gyms and they've both used really individualized determinations just based on where the kid is skill wise and what he needs. For optionals, age is an issue. We'll usually have some older level 8s if they're not ready for 10, but don't have older level 9s. The coaches usually do ask for the kid's input as well.

 

[Deleted member 10727]

At my son's old gym, the coach moved kids up way too early. He had some kids skip L4 and go straight to L5, and those kids did very poorly, and ended up repeating L5 (after attempting L6 at an out of state comp and getting 40AA). He had kids skip levels and they also did very poorly. He has a kid now who should repeat L5, but he is moving him up to L6 anyway. After seeing how my son did at L6, compared to his very good L5 year, I can see how repeating can be so good for kids and their foundation skills.

My son should repeat L6, but they want to give him till end of summer and then evaluate. Score-wise, he was on the cusp and he stayed the same score AA all season, but for different reasons at every meet (a fall on floor where he normally wouldn't fall, a missed swing on the PH when he normally wouldn't forget), so I think coaches are thinking that he might do better with a full year of training at this new gym, since apparently changing gyms can be tough for some gymnasts.